SASSIETY SPICE

NZ Truth, Issue 602, 30 December 1916, Page 2

SASSIETY SPICE

BY "LADY DOT**

Christmas Day m Wellington passed off much more quietly than of yore. This is as it should be with war's dark cloud" hanging overhead. The sensible act of the Defence authorities m allowing all soldiers m camp to have general holiday leave robbed the city of the atmosphere of the garrison town which prevailed lost year. The good ladies of the Sydney-st, Rest Club -had provided huge quantities of Christmas cakes, and were confronted by a mere dozen or so of soldiers who belonged to the 20th Reinforcements and were not allowed to go south. The northern portion left for their homes and returned on Boxing Day. All the other reinforcements had leave until .January 4. What a great time the different towns and cities will have! They are always envious of Wellington having tho camps adjacent, Will they still think the same after they realise what It costs to entertain— free of cost — such large numbers of men? But, perhaps they do not think it necessary to entertain them as the Wellington women do. The V.M.C.A. Returned Soldiers' Hostel and various other institutions had provided for several hundred extra soldiers, and were left m the lurch. What a pity the Defence people flnd it necessary to shToud every simple movement m such secrecy! What matters it to them that hundreds of pounds ■worth of food has been wasted m anticipation of the soldiers' wants. What en easy matter for some big wig to have Informed the different soldiers institutions that the camps would to all intents and purposes be closed for ten days. Was it the result of carelessness, thoughtlessness or insolence? . Or a mixture of all this? * ' • • * "Dot" notices quite a number of women getting quite bulky as they approach middle life, and their efforts at hiding this sign of ago by wearing heavy, well- boned or steeled corsets are futile, They look as stiff and unnatural as though they had swallowed a poker, q.nd must do themselves serious internal injury by pressure upon some of their most delicate organs. Hot* and cold baths^ morning and evening, and certain physical exercises will do the trick, if persevered m. Another important item. is to refrain from drinking at meals. If necessary drink, an hour or so before ot after, but never- with food. The chin is another pairt Of a. woman's features which gives away secrets. If not carefully massaged and bathed with cold water, th© muscles become flabby and baggy. With the backs of the fingers meeting under the middle of the chin smooth back the flesh towards the ears. Keep this going for five minutes at a time and then bathe the neck and breast with cold water. To reduce the size of the hips and abdomen — besides riot drinking with food — take the following five minutes' exercise each day: Lie on your back, flat on the floor, lift right leg to a perpendicular position (sole facing ceiling), then : return to floor. Repeat with left leg and so on alternately six times. Then, again, raise right leg to the perpendicular (sole -facing ceiling), and m lowering it stretch it out as far as possible. Repeat with the other : leg, and so on six times. This oxer- j else carried out properly and dally renders the hips flexible and reduces the abdomen wonderfully. It is best performed immediately after the daily bath. If you cannot get a dally bath, sponge down and rub well with a fairly rough towel. | • • • ; A cheap and very good tooth powder i may be made by mixing carbonatt) of soda and salt In equal quantities. It cleans well, and as salt is a disinfectant, and soda an alkali, it Is a perfect j dentifrice. Powdered orris root may be added by those who care to afford ; it and like a good perfume. • • * Tho war haying awakened somo of our British manufacturers to the necuKBlty of providing fabrics "not" made In Qermany, wo aro finding name very pretty and useful lines on the market. Georgette was one. and now we have another blouse or light summer material m lAivlsea. It luus v. sheeny, silk effect which is very beautiful. nn<) its texture Is more lasting than silk j or any of the earlier mercerised ma- j terlala. > So many of the hunters and trap- ; pers of North America aro Hunting m France that thc»re will be a dearth of tho more costly furs: and dog and bear Bkina, so uespSsetl In the ymM. are *e«n everywhere m London and PnTls. For one thing they lend themselves to rough, hard wear, which is needed whero the wearers ore engaged m war work. In a letter recently Tecclved the writer mentions that women munition workers are difssing much better and more comfortably than ever In ihGlr lk>*>« before. Tho winter l« moat severe anil yet those women, well flail ami. \vp\\ f«MI for prooably ih* flr«t ilmu m their lives, though working long hour*, ura looking bonny and healthy. a« th»>y havo a dlvlno right to look. Will they t>«> contf-nt io return to the old orclor of things* aftor tlu* war? Never, and rightly so! They quite reali.w the position, ami women nt uny rma will st-o to it thai they have a right xo )ivi\ to reed and io clothe comfortably and decently. * • • What clever people the frown Theatre owner* must bo. They obtatixMl th< % film of that grand work of i Tol.stol, ontltU'd Hu» "Krcutzer Somitu" and ;{<»t It i«iHß«d by the e«nj»or iaK in-lng only M r *"" wonu>n sirui mr-n i oy>-r 21. Tho ve?u)t is* a mn-i ru«ii I of ull !««<•s< io *»«,»fc It. ixrn\ muny v ' ■•child 1 " of uixteon Ik claiming -1 a« ! Uc\\ i>r lii« ng«\ Womlor If a birth , rt'rilnv.'ito is dermimWd by th*> u»?h- --; er«! <»iw xi'dt; <>f >txt<M*n l>nu»rH ihiii ' f,|H> n jnov««'l h*<r fulxf n.«ctn ami n«'»* ii)l<il i'\ a fvv,- Un<\s round l>*r month. tint! M.iik>t aafi'ly In " Put" »n\v tt h>s ■, «■}••#«•<! m tho vii-iiiUy 'if th<v ihfj»»!<' on iho opening nltfht iuul t«-ri her t?;u ; t.» uf.o..rt:iln (lv« r«*it3<»n for i\\t> em-th. ; ' HiH» ,«smit( tt'tirrioO slini there % -ww> | I si.mt-UHtiK "«p!ry u> U# >*ocn. ami pn#<- i i cil In <r>'-iif p.-iffly *" fnr n* nh»* mk> ' ; limit w.i!i ro:ii crncil , l»tit wbrn nh«- ' ; S.-».->li«m! for v *<--:-.! sho foujwl thni #v«-rv ; ,; <-;ti<T »»li} b.'tUl lir.-lii :»?>>! i>»il)*.rt) » jn«< J" j : i..-,<\ ;r«>i In 4i>< k st4 iif l^J"- Wan ihorr i j :»»• ;";;us; i!'dt:rvr,(? Anv-»hJnjj r;;jf)»^. ; V • 1.. "I !'>»■;! mul c,u jv.a! y r«'".**' " ; j . , . :

other time? If not, hurry along, preferably on Tuesday, Thursday or Friday mornings, and you will find a study m many things; fruit, vegetables, poultry and humans, especially humans. In the latter yoti will find the Chinaman and. tho European endeavoring to get the better of one another, which usually ends m a draw. The white has descended to Chow level when he panders to them m pigeon English, anil the babel of sounds is worse than a wool sale, and goodness knows that is bad enough. "Dot" lifted her petticoats and grasping them tightly for fear of centipedes or something equally as crawlsome touching her, she roamed round, dodging sundry boxes and barrows and busy men. She was surprised to flnd every social class m the city represented. The wealthier they were, the less they came to buy. One dame kept her car waiting for an hour whilst she bought a large bundle of rhubaTb for a shilling. J She had discovered that the bundles bought at auction contained as much as three or four from the retailer. Another marched out with tin innocent- ' looking dress basket which contained a turkey and a pair of ducks, which lot would have cost her about 35/---in the shop, for which she got for a little under a pound. "Dot" noticed great excitement m the centre of the mart, and hurried over to find & dozen Chinamen competing with as many ducks to see who could quack the loudest. Eventually i the "Chinks" won and grabbed their prizes as though they were gold. The Chinamen love duck as much as the roast pork of Saint days. It is m the auction marts that you realise that there are Chinese and Chinese. Here you see the wealthy merchant with palo face and black silk coat and expensive Panama hat buying up m big quantities* wherever chance or somo auctioneer allows. * Then comes the ordinary city shopkeeper, stolid and sly, bidding only by raising an eye-lid. "Dot" found this to her cost when she ventured to take stock of the man with the hammer (which m this case was a lead pencil), who knocked down to her a big case of strawberries at some awful price and then demanded her name, please!, "Dot" meekly protested that | she "only looked up" and was warned | that looks meant and cost much m that place. After this experience she ] looked wUen a long way off. I "Dot" envied the sang frold of many 1 of the women there who appeared to j he able to watch the operations of | several auctioneers at the same time, ■ and buy from tho cheapest. At one particular bench, vegetables were put up m small lots and woro eagerly bought up by people 'm the know." With o little effort it should be possible to establish, quite a big trade m this way, and so give peoplo a chance to obtain a plentiful supply of vegetables and salads at very little advance on the producer's price. Lettuces, for instnnco, sold at l/- and }/f> per case, whereas they are retailed at 2d and 3d cadi. Carrots bring 5d and M per large bundle, which is broken up Into many small bundles of threo foT 2d, and so on. If women could only establish a depot and operate thereon themselves. If l • • * At a certain soldiers' Institution not a thousand miles from this city, the work Is entirely done by voluntary workers, and tho lady who owns the property sots the pace In a most capable manner, "Sasslety girls" all rushed the work at first, without quite understanding what waa required of them. Some of them most faithfully carried out instructions, and some did not. Rumor hath it thai: two of ; Canterbury's tonl«st girls arrived to tako their lorn and were met by the lady In charßc, who told them to hurry up as the range wanted cleaning. Time paused and no appearance of the maids. j After a long interval they appeared j powdered and "fixed" to an alarming degree, and met the hostess, taking off her gloves with the remark, that tho stove was cleaned — she had done it I herself. These silly croaturos did not look at all perturbed At the Hews, and "Dot" fancies their reign at looking after soldiers where there are no servants will not be a long one. • • • Why pay Seven and Eight Guineas for ;t Costume, when you can buy one for £6 6s. A perfect Tailored C'twUime i roudy-to-wei:r. m Fine Navy Sorg« or Fawn and Oreen Garbardlne, beautifully finished, smurt style, conveying 1 th© uppenraneo of Costumes costing: threo or four tlmon the money. Call and Inspect when you intend uurchasingN.your next t'oKtuim?. SIKGKI/S, MANNKRS-STRKBT.