The Ladies Column.

Otago Witness, Issue 1416, 11 January 1879, Page 23

The Ladies Column.

A SONG FOR THE GIRL I LOVE. BY FREDERICK LANOBRIDQE. r. A song for the girl I loveGod love her 1 A song for the eyes of tender shine, And the fragrant mouth that melts on mine, The shimmering tresses uncontroll'd That clasp her neck with tendril gold ; The blossom mouth and the dainty chin, And the little dimples out and in — The girl I love — God love her J ii. A song for the girl I loved- - God love her ! A song for the eyes of faded light, And the cheek whoso red rose waned to white ; [ The quiet brow, with its shadow and gleam, And the dark hair drooped in a long, deep dream j The small hands crossed for their churchyard rest, And the lilies dead on her sweet dead breast, ! The girl I loved— God love her ! WASP-WAISTED WOMEN. If the truth be fairly stated, women have many excuses for their infatuation regarding small waists. It is Mrs Hawei?|who says, " The reason why a small waist is a beauty is because, when it is natural, it goes together with the peculiar litheness and activity of a slenderly built figure. All the bones are small, the shoulders and arms petite, and the general look is dainty and youthful " In other words, a small waist is only a beauty when it is in proportion to the rest of the figure. The common mistake lies in considering it a beauty in a large woman of massive proportions. A few centuries ago women did not take a scientific view of things, and fell into delusions which in this age are a disgrace to the sex. They knew nothing of anatomy, of the law of proportion, or tlie curve of beauty, and they misunderstood the language of admiration. The lattar I suspect to be the root of the whole matter. Poets wtre everlastingly praising small waists, and women fell into the error of supposing that a small waist was, in the abstract, a beauty and an attraction. In view of all this, ia there any wonder that it is hard to persuade women that men do not admire "wasp" waists? How are they to know that the "jimp middle " cf the ballads was in its jimpuess in proportion to the shoulders? The trouble ti, that the early rhymesters have used up* the only side of the question capable of poetical treatment. One cinnot sing of the reverse; no poet could seriously lift up his voice in praise of her "ample waist" or "graceless portliness." In order to reach woman's ear, modern writers must adopt a different course, and it is curious to contrast their utterance with thone of the ballad makers. Place Charles Reade by the side of Douglas, and then what becomes of the " waht ye weel micht span ?' After showing how the liver, lungs, heart, stomach, and spleen are packed by nature, the novelist aßks : " Is it a small thing for the creature (who uses a co»set) to Bay to her Creator, ' I can pack all this eggohiua better than you can,' and thereupon

to jam all those vital organs close by a powerful, a very powerful, and ingenious machine ?" Every lady should read " A Simpleton," and learn something of the monstrous wrong she iDflicta upon herself by trying to compass an artificially produced "middle sac jimp." It will prepare her for Mrs Hawie'a lesson upon the "Ait of Beauty." One or two passages will give a hint of their flavour : " Nothing is so ugly as a pinched waist ; it puts the hips and shoulders invariably out of proportion in width. * * * In deforming the waist almost all the vital organs are affected by the pressure, and the ribs are pushed out of their proper place." "Tight lacing is ugly, because it distorts the natural lines of the figure, and gives an appearance of uncertainty aDd unsafenesa. * * * Men seldom take to wife a girl who has too Bmall a waist, whether natural or artificial." " In architecture, a pillar or support of any kind is called debased and bad in art if what is supported b9 too heavy for the thing supporting, and if a base be abnormally heavy and large for what it upholds. The laws of proportion and balance must be understood. In a waist fifteen inches both are destroyed, and the corresponding effect is unpleasant to the eye. The curve of the waist is coarse and immoderate, utterly opposed to what lluskin has shown to be beauty in a curve. Real or artificial, such a waist is always ugly ; if real, it is a deformity that should be disguised ; if artificial, it is culpable, aDd nasty to boot." — Lippincott's Magazine for November. HOUSEHOLD HINTS. Buns. — Take one cup of sugar, one cup of sour milk, one cup of raisins, small cup of butter, one teaspoonful of soda. Flour enough to mix stiff. Everton Toffy. — Take one cup of sugar, one of molasses, three-fourths of a cup of butter. Boil not quite so long as molasses candy, and pour on buttered plates. Copper Boiler — A copper boiler or tea kettle may be kept clean by a daily washing in buttermilk, rubbing dry with a flannel. Fresh nulk may be used, but buttermilk is better. C4round Tea. — A French chemist asserts that if tea be ground like coffee, immediately before hot water is poured upon it,- it will yield nearly double the amount of its exhilarating qualities. Coffee pot. — A carelessly kept coffee-pot will impart a rank flavour to the strongest infusion of the best Java. Wash the coffeepot thoroughly every day, and twice a week boil borax and water in it fifteen minutes. Cooking for the Children,— One cup sugar, one cup sour cream, two fg^s, one teaspoon soda, graham flour or fine middlings sufficient to roll out. If any spice is wanted ginger ia beßt— one teaspoonful. If cream is not to be had, one cup of butter, one of sour milk. Durable Whitewash. — Take a barrel and slake a bushel of fresh lime with boiling water. After it is slaked add cold water enough to bring it to the consistency of good whitewash ; then dissolve in water and add one pint of white vitriol (sulphate of zinc) and one quart of fine salt. This will make a whitewash that will stick as well as paint. It owes its durability chiefly to the white vitriol, which hardens and fixes the wash. HINTS ON FASHION. (Compiled for the Otago Witness.) Coats and waistcoats are still much worn by French ladies, but they are not to be recommended : for to be admired they must be perfectly made, and this can only be the case where a gentleman's tailor ia in the way. Here is a bronze silk, trimmed with ecru embroideries and mother-of-pearl buttons. A bronze cashmere, with ecru oulard bands for trimmings, will be equally pretty. Again, a prune coloured coat, opening over a plaited striped silk pekin. Instead of the silk pekin a cotton satin will be equally pretty, and one-tenth less in price. Then white is much worn, and indeed the most charming dresses can .be had for really very little. White baiege is more in favour than anything else, and it i 3 one of the cheapest materials that can be found. There are some who will even make a white barege dress cost a large sum by trimming it with eilk, or satin, or rich fringes. As there are two ways of making a barege dress, I will describe both, allowing those who are able to have their unbiassed choice : —The silk and baiege first. The skirt demitrain, in order to wear it out-doora if you wish it. It is edged round with a flounce of white silk headed with a double ruching of barege. The tunic, of barege, is trimmed up. the front with bows and ends of' ribbon falling in cascade one over the other. It ia looped up at the back in panniers, with ribbons falling beneath the draperies. Plaited body, of course, with white silk band and clasps of Bilver or mother-of-pearl at the side. Silk sleeves to the elbow, with plaitings of bar6ge falling over the arm. Pearl necklace and pearl bracelets. For the simple mode : Hero the skirt is demi train edged with narrow plaitings of barege. The tunic equally edged with a plaiting instead of ribbons ; at the back, ends of the bar6ge cut as wide as scarfs. Plaited bodice. White satin waißt-belt, with rosette of satin on one side, or even a sash of the fame. Sleeves to the elbow, with tulle plaitings to fall over the arm. Instead of pearls on neck or arms, a band of white eatin ribbon forming a necklet and bracelet 3. Ribbon necklets and bracelets are very much worn by young people. Another light dress is of white cashmere. The skirt is trimmed with a deep plaiting ; over this a waistcoat of white silk or white plaited muslin. The waistcoat must be very long. Tho coat leaves the hipa quite uncovered, and the back is looped, up in paniers. For rich olive complexions, ia one of entirely ecru foulard ; it is trimmed blue. This dress is also trimmed with plaitings of while Valenciennes lace, and the paniois are looped up with bJue velvet ribbons. For a little girl, an ecru cambric dreaß, trimmed with plaitings of white muslio, and tied back with blue silk ribbons.

"What's honour?" asks Falstaff. That's easy. Any woman who sits behind another woman in church can tell what's on her in two minutes. "You'he sweet on us," aa the buckwheat cakes eaid to the syrup.