FEMININE FANCIES.

NZ Truth, Issue 161, 18 July 1908, Page 4

FEMININE FANCIES.

It seems as if it had rained parsons so prevalent have ..they been m Wellington during the last week. One is afraid to brush a cobweb down for fear of hitting one of these fire escapes. Bun fights and muffin scrambles have been the order of the day. Among the many things that have been discussed and considered by them is the "to beer or not to beer" question, which they have, with iriuch wisdom and forethought, decided to leave to the laity to fight put- This is. dip-, lomatic, for to be nprmal is tp offend neither side. And what chance wpuld they have with the sinner who is also a publican if they help to close the doors of his bouse ? : And besides which the question m no wise affects them, they can afford to purchase their liquor m bulk. IJut they, were strong on the Bible-in-schools question, one cleric giving it as his opinion that Mary cr Johnpy would never be able to grasp successfully the necessary educatiori required to go through life without first being thoroughly soaked m Christian doc-, trine. However, a_s it vyas recognised that the people were' m the majority for free, secular education, and the only thing left for therii'to dp was to strengthen the facilities . -for keligipus instruction that they already (possessed.

Any port m a storm.— The law says that no person under the age of eighteen years can be served- with liquor m an hotel, whether to consume on the premises or carry away. So to evade this a few women living m a street off Willisstreet send their young children, mostly girls, to a Chinkie who' -keeps, a.. fruit shop near by, and, the slant-eyed ' Mongolian, ever ready to oblige any and, everybody, takes the bottle t^the- corner hotel and procures the required refreshment. Of course it goes without saying that the women who send these children on this errand are lost ,to all sense of decency. Yet if there were no fellow iriani to do their dirty work they would have to" do -it themselves, not that that would or could hurt them— they are beyond hurt, i Just think of the possibility ,it (rives to the yellow scum, and what harm may come to those poor little children, whose worst misfortune lies m the faot that they were not given the privilege of choosing their own, parents. Passing by the shop one day last week I saw a beautiful little girl of about ten years of age standing talking to . the elderly Chinkie who keeps the show. He was playing with the pretty^ ciirl^. that hung far down over her shoulderi^|ith a look m his Oriental orbs t£a^"fmApe;, : ohe long to rush iri and drag the Jicl^^'nut into the fresh air awa-f from. .the; yellow horror. Every Western country is now awake to the fact that it is a mistake to; try and rriix the races, and m order to . keep the yellow invasion away imposes large poll taxes. But the wily beast is full of tricks whereby to eVade that tax, and m an endeavor to do that several Ohinkies have paid the forfeit of therr lives m America, their mode of procedure being to travel' packed m .boxes as merchandise. Presently >ye shall have them arriving here sandwiched between layers of succulent bananas. Instead of this war against hotels it would be well to apply the same, energy to the driving 'forth and keeping the yellow peril away from our shores. ' That it is a peril we shal^ .one day find to our cost.

There is a movement on foot to purchase a set of wood wind instruments for the Wellington Choral Society that seems to be meeting with great support from the musical public. Tickets for a grand miscellaneous concert, to be held m the Town '"Hall,, are being sold m goodly quantities, and a good house .is anticipated.,. .... '.. .

Lady Rucker, the president of" the Association of Teachers^ of Domestic Science, told- the members at their annual conference m London recently, that theirgreat aim must be to "get university recognition for a course of household economics." A complete course, she said, would give the complete science of the management of a house m all its branches, whether it 'ne a large bouse or a small one. The whole subject would be covered, from the purchase of. a site to the bacteria of the larder,, the chemistry of the wash tub, the economic principle underlying its ruling, the {psychology and ethics of its moral government, arid the culture which would help to enlarge the minds of those who jived m the house. Now, the foregoing sounds very grand and imposing to those people who have been too apt to think that housekeeping is a simple thing that comes to one by instinct, or that any fool ■ can housekeep, I wonder what those grand old housekeepers of the early forties Would say if they could. come back for a space and see . how easy housekeeping hasbeen made for us. Those women who made their; own 'bread and cakes, jams, iellies, and pickles, brewed their own beer, and made tbeir own wines and even pur fumes. ' One can fancy them raising their mitteried hands and saying, "Domestic science "forsooth ! Domestic fiddlesticks.'' ' : .

A housekeeper asked the baker's carter one day last week, how the strike was progressing, "Oh, you won't be netting any bread at all soon ; .we carters are thinking of gding out on Monday." replied the carter. Monday arrived, as also did the carter and the loaves as ; usual.' He explained that they were still thinking of striking. "But what's the matter ?" asked the housekeeper. "Matter!" came ' the .' reply, "matter enough— ain't we. been wet through every day- for the last §ye weeks ?" If wet weather is .going to be sufficient reason for a strike, then the postmen will have ample grounds for going out.

Here is a letter from a Welshman, Mr William Jones, of Auckland, who came here to "God's Own Country" as. an immigrant. It was published m a pap^ ci: called the "Carnavon Herald," May 15th, arid runs as -follows :— "ln the interests of public justice, I think it is my duty to advise any of my .countrymen who intend to immigrate to New Zealand to think twice before they take the insane step. I have taken a deep interest m the emigration system, but cannot for the life of me understand why people should want to leave their bright homes for a country m which they will always feel estranged like the people of Israel m the land of Egypt. If vbu ask me what is to be gained by it, my conscientious answer is 'nothing.' At home m Wales' you will >be respected and honored, and can enjoy' the benefit of Christian society. In New Zealand you will be disrespected and dishonored. Humanity here is on a very low scale. People hardly speak civilly to a person, and they always treat everyone from England with the grossest contempt. I propose to deliver a lecture when -I, come back to Wales on life m New Zealand!"

Now, here is a knot that wants unravelling—men want work, and farmcvs Avant men. Prom Auckland not long ago came the cry that the farmers could not get enough hands to work for them, and now it is stated that there arc 500' nien m Auckland out of empljyunnt.. One of the remits for discussion at the Farmers' Colonial Conference ur^as that efforts should be made to increase the supply of rural labor. The Minister for Labor says that we must get mure vlate population for its industries. It's enough to give one brain fag trying 'to thre c _< out the truth from these assertions. There are scores, of , uuskillcd lanotcrs who are assured that the 15.-.vi«nini»nt and municipal works will give work to many of them. But bow are they to live m the meantime? Simultaneously

one part pf the country may be wanting hands whilst another part may be overburdened with' unemployed. But tbe men usually have no reserve funds to enable them to travel from one placa t<_ another. " , Surely the. Govar-!m>',pt :)iW.ht arrange to help these worths txpm_ •__«_ oart of the 'Bppiiuion tp ' another and. to get the money thus lent refunded by their employers put of their w^gegsrthat is if they get enough wages.

Mrs E. B. B. {teesor, ,of the Crown Bank of Canada, m a recent magazine article, states; that-, banking work is very suitable to our sex. *'A young woman leaving college wishes to enter ing soirie profession or business. Banking, of all the 1 professions, . offers the truest work; for banking is legitimate . it rings true, and, m dealing' with the public there is nothirig to hide. Everyone is of equal importance who deals with the bank; everything is one price, there is npthipg underhand or two-fac^d, and spch business conditions, ' for man or woman, are elevating. ISxcept there be a current of dishonesty m an officer of the bank, and that officer makes dishonest conditions for herself, there can never be double dealing. ' For this . reason alone, banking is the 'best profession that a young woriian can prepare herself for. 'Truth is -the greatest thing m the wbrld, and to r feel that- -in? daily busin_=sc'\^> ' intercourse yes means' yes and no means no. leaves a woman's coristiience free and spy! untainted at the end of the day, and she' goes from' her desk feeling that she has deceived no one." . J •'■ ■ * •..■_.-■••' N Lpok before you dress.^-The wife of a well-known professional man has been m the habit of receiving ber lover during her husband's : frequent absences from home. But a. kind frieipd .of hers. -. no doubt thinking the lady' was having too good a time, aroused the husband^ suspicions per an anonymous letter.'.. The husband ythq, although not '.qualified to wear the '"'white flower that" betokens a blameless life," had every confidence m his faithless spouse. He showed her the letter and she was scornfully indignant. "I'm surprised at your taking 'notice, of such an epistle," she said. "I received pjje m the same handwriting. advising rae to . watch a certain house m a certain street where- I should find the explanatibn of so, niany of your : business excursions/ I consigned the dirty scrawl to - the) only place fitting for it, thf fire, and I nev^v thought for an instant ' of insulting you so far by even letting you know I had received such a thing," and she swept out of the room, a la tragedy queen. The husband, calling * himself all sprts of a fool, came home to dinner armed! with a bangle that he knew his Wife had admired. Pushing the case into her hand, he said, "Forgive me.littie woman," arid she forgave. But one night recently he returned ••home earlier than usual and the Tertium Quid had to make a hurried exit. In the morniag the husband: after dressing/ discpvered he had put on a pair of PcUits that had never belonged to him. , and then the erebestra struck up. * ..•'-.-■■''■■ ■■ - There was a very large attendance at the Town Hall on Tuesday -afternoon of' ladies interested m the welfare of the Maori and a good sprinkling of the male sex. The platform was occupied fey. ' Lady Ward, this Mayoress, Lady Stour, and Mrs Carroll— who Is a chief tainess m her own right, holding a high pia.ee among the Rongowhakaute tribe m Pibverty Bay. Mrs Miriins, head of the Victoria Maori College m ■ Auckland, and Mrs Gompton. A great many Maori women are attending the Congress as delegates, but Mrs Jubta; Martin, ef Nel- ' sari; the Grace Darling, of -,New_ Zealamd,. • is prevented from being presfent •winjt W ill health. Ay."" * -'■'• * ---:5' * Owing to the Town. Hall heuuc tnt&f.e.d for various events, Maemahori f s ' st_Ju_ came to a too early clogs. It is one of the best picture shows.' that have been presented to us. Gre^t interest was attached to the picture of the FrancoBritish Exhibition, at Shepherd's Bush, { opened by the Prince aai : Priijeesp" of " Wales on May 'Hth- It^i? just two months Since the fijm was. takenhi Fogland; and here are we presented with the historical events eight weeks after -toe happening. There was a ' large arid appreciative audience despite thg incleipsricy; of the weather. ~"'y * * ■ . * , The large hat is to be tbe order oi the ' day; nothing less than, 20 inches iiCn-s-* is to be [thought of if ope wisaes to be m the fashion. The' lightest and airiest of trimming^ is used, the llow-jcs l-avLog the appearance of having been tlcown at the hat so lightly that they must te sewn m. Following on the neels of the monster hat the lar^e tr-tuu. which is to have the crown composed 6t leaves and the brim of. flo«?j;? with; an aigrette let m at the side vl :i «ci>r to harmonise with the whole. Toques are much more mailable ;.t&ap hai;.-,, s> itii»R ; as they do. any age : betwuep :§ »-.n<i ,'!p.Eut the very newest decprat 1 >ii for spiinc ifiillinery i^ tp be the tomato. We have had fruits berries of all descriptions, and evep carrots and radishes, but it is the first time iri the history of miJlinery that the versatile tpn__ato has b*»n given a .chance. As neqk wear, tii# rrffle has conic into vogue, and very lu^ttv seme of them But they are o___tf suitable for those who possess a lww neck.- otherwise they have thY appt_u_j.Be* of ham frills. White kid. gloves, slmhetf with colored kid, the exact color of *• prevailing color m the costume are ' m vogue both for .day and evening wear, iat shoes a_ad gloves to ; ma tch tbe teaewfi is still preyajept. n m m Here is an account of the treussftftf efc Miss Gladys Vanderbilt, who married an, Hungafiaji Count, which may interest my? readers ';-4-The .wedding goWn cost i? 500. two lape arid chiffon blouses cagt £999. and twelve dozen handkerchief^, "made ior ,a-_ French . co^v^nt: A&tQ'.' ' The Trailing* .-*—» bill was &BQO ; 'shpes^ahd silk stpa^ineiß. to match every gown amount to £809 ; twelve ball gowns, coat £2500, an 4 t w «I T » dinner gown§ cost £1^66." WhJ^t tji»rt was a, fpr tune spent m furs. ■*. » * ' What with the programme and the amended programme for the eriiJertainnunf of the Yankee Fleet, and all the fuse ani turmoil it ' has caused, the Aueklan4 peopie are beginning to foal tired and. to think the game is not worth "the proverbial candle. That is," with the exception of the girls, who are each and all doing their best t.Q outrival each othar. Great heart-burnings . and .estrangements have been caused by girls who have hitherto been the best of friends, because they are keeping the color and shape ol their glad gowns a dead secret, whilst the Wellington chemists are ' kept busy packing up aids to beauty and hair restorer tp be delivered at an Auckland address. ■• . ■" • .