WOMAN'S WORLD.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8093, 10 January 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

WOMAN'S WORLD.

DRESS AND THE LADY. Extravagance of dress is said to be the fault of the twentieth-century men and women. On first thought one is inclined to say that it is the fault of women alone, but tins is not so (writes a correspondent of the Ottawa Citizen). The up-to-date society man adopts all the new styles that are introduced. He can do no more. Were more extreme styles worn it is quite probable that he would accept them, it is a. comfort that feminine styles are simpler and more becoming than they have- been for years. Only the other day it was remarked that ladies in their dainty elbowsleeved dresses and low soft chilfon hats looked perfectly irresistible. It is true that ladies do look attractive . ill their simple summer toilets. The difficulty is to convince them that they look as well in inexpensive garments as in rich heavy satins, silks, or brocades. It is an acknowledged fact that it is not the people who spend most'money on their wardrobe who look the best. There are many who judge the beauty of the gown only by the amount of dollars it has cost them; This is a- common error. It is not necessary for a gown to cost in the vicinity of lOOdol to look well. Extravagance, is the fault of the century. Every article of wearing apparel is valued from a monetary rather tnan an artistic standpoint. Fashionable people—not so much in Canada, where money is not so plentiful as it is in the United States and in Paris—vie with each other as to who can pay the highest prices for a costume. If such people have their millions it is all right. It circulates money, and gives work to the laboring classes. Nevertheless, one cannot but admit that this is an extravagant age in dress.

Shakespeare says, "Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy." If all kept within the limit of their purse there would be a revolution in the home. If those who have not the money to spare would deny themselves the expensive evening gown which they had no desire for till they saw Mrs So-andSo, who is in their social set, wear one, how much more happiness there would be in the home—how much less anxiety to the husband who may have several unpaid bills, and no money with which to meet them. It is the desire to have what others can easily afford that fills the heart with envy and discontent. So long as there is no one with any thing more beautiful or expensive all is well. But the tendency of the age is to live beyond one's means. So much stress is laid upon fine clothes that one can hardly be blamed. Fine feathers make the birds. Divest the gay peacock and the red-breasted robin of their fine plumage, and behold the change. Beautiful gowns, silk laces,. and jewels all combine to make ladies look beautiful and to •CiihfiS" 6 nature has already endowed. Beautiful "gowns" are all right if one can afford them; Too often, however, it is those who cannot who buy the expensive toilets. Such people think they will be judged by their style. But that is a mistake. People are usually taken for what they are—no more, no less. The working-class will sometimes spend all their money on. tawdry finery-in the vain hope that they will be taken for ladies. A person is judged by character. As far as fine clothes go, a lady is a lady however simply she dresses. RECIPES AND HINTS. Pressed Braised Beef.—Take a good piece of rump steak weighing about six pounds. Bone this carefully, tie round with a tape, and skewer into a good shape. Place a layer of slices of streaky bacon in a stewpan with a carrot, an onion, a stick of celery, and a turnip, all sliced thinly. Add a bouquet garni of herbs and just sufficient stock to cover the bottom of the pan. Stew the meat very slowly till cooked, then place it on a board with another on the top with weights on it. Stand till perfectly cold and trim into shape. Brush over with glaze and serve. Veal Jelly as Savoury.—Take a knuckle of veal weighing three or four pounds, simmer it with as little water as possible, adding an onion, a carrot, some herbs tied up in a muslin, and a little mace. When the meat will just slip from the bones lay it on a board, remove all superfluous fat and gristle, and chop it finely. Season all with salt and pepper, a little grated lemon peel, and chopped parsley. Wet a mould and place in it a. layer of chopped pickles, more meat, then chopped whites of eggs, and so on till the dish is nearly full. The liquor the meat was boiled in should be reduced

by fast boiling to half its original quantity, a teaspoonful of powdered gelatine added tn it, and stirred till all is dissolved, Pour this slowly over the meat in the mould and set aside till cold. Turn out to serve and

garnish with parsley. The dish has a pretty effect because of the layers of dill'erent colors.

Jugged Rabbit.—Cut a rabbit into neat joints, and fry till brown, with one minced onion. Put into a stewpan with one pint of thickened brown gravy and the onion. vSeason with pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice and red currant jelly. Simmer for half an hour, then dish. Garnish with forcemeat balls.

Raspberry Pudding.—Half a. pound of flour, ilb of suefc, finely chopped, one teaspoonful of baking powder, four tablespoonfuls of raspberry jam; mix all together with a gill of milk, and boil in a basin for two hours.

Cucumber Sandwiches. —One cucumber, vinegar, pepper, salt, brown bread, ami butter. Peel the cucumber, cut, in very thin slices lengthwise, and let them stand for one hour in vinegar, with pepper and salt; drain it, cut very thin slices of brown bread and butter, and lay the cucumber rather thickly between, press together, cut into fingers, and serve. Ginger Beer. —Take three lemons, two ounces of ground ginger, three pounds of loaf sugar, three gallons of boiling water; put all into a large earthen bowl, let. it stand twenty-four hours, then add a dessertspoonful of yeast; stir well. Bottle it, tie down the corks with string. It will be ready to drink in four or five diiys. A few grains of salt sprinkled on coffee before adding the water brings out and improves the flavor. A squeeze of lemon juice over strawberries and cream improves the flavor of the fruit wonderfully. When fruit tarts are cooked do not stand them on the top of a hot stove, for this makes the pastry soft and sodden. Never scrub the inside of a frying-pan. Rub it with wet silver-sand put on a leather, and afterwards wash it out with hot water.

Don't throw cold lea. away, but dilute it with water and wash the oilcloth with it. Cold tea is also good wherewith to water ferns.

A wet umbrella should never be left open to' dry, as stretching while damp makes the silk liable to split. It should be placed handle downwards, and left to drain uniformly. A spoonful of lime water and a. spoonful of sweet oil, beaten well together and applied directly to a burn, relieves the smart, and prevents blistering. A good way to clean zinc utensils "is to dip a piece of cotton in kerosene and rub the articles with it until the dirt is removed. Dry afterwards with a clean cloth, so as to get rid of all grease. To keep parsley a good color for parsley sauce, tie it into a bunch, throw it into boiling water and boil five minutes ; chop finely, and add to the sauce in the usual manner, but do not let it boil after the parsley lias been added.

When making jam pour a few drops of salad oil into the preserving pan, then 'with a piece nf soft napcr rub the oil all over the bottom. This wilt "pfCVGIit tb.ft.jiun sticking to the pan if the stirring be not quite as constant as it ought to be. Brushes and brooms would last longer and do better work if they had an occasional bath. Four tablespoonfnls of household ammonia in two quarts of lukewarm water are the proportions of this. Let the bristles or straws, stand in the water for half an hour, then rinse thoroughly, and hang them in a cool, dry place. A glycerine poultice will (soften and loosen a hard corn so much that it will easily come out. To' apply, saturate .1 piece of line with glycerine, lay this on the corn, tie a piece of oiled silk over, bandage l<> keep m pla,ce, and if you apply at night keep on till morning. If you arc troubled with corns, get your shoemaker to stretch your shoos before wearing. iSalts of lemon will take iron-mould and other marks from linen or any white material. The mark should be damped with water, and a little of the salts of lemon spread over it. This should be left on till the mark has disappeared, when the material should be thoroughly rinsed in several lots of water. Care should be taken not to leave salts of lemon about, as it is a strong poison.