THE LADIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1855, 10 June 1887, Page 32

THE LADIES.

By Alice.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Kab Kak.— lf the songs you mention are to be obtained anywhere in Dunedin, it will be either at Begg and Go's or the Dresden Musical Warehouse, , Priuces street. Ada. — A costume of dark and golden brown inter1 mixed would suit you or any shade of blue , Sally.— (l) If the persons are engaged it is not wrong to walk or ride together, but late hours should be avoided. (3) If a lady breaks off her engagement with a gentleman, and he requests her to keep the i presents lie has made her, I see no reason why she should not do so. , A. W. — In the -ckse you mention in which you could no longer admire your friend,' I Bhould not pretend to , do ao. Unless , the faults •be tad ones, Ido nob think much of the friendship' that dies at the first discovery of imperfections. Perhaps your ground is a very good one, but as you have not told me the circumstances of the case I cannot judge, however, if you have taken such a dislike to her, do not keep up the semblance of liking, as such hypocrisy is despicable. Jbxny,— (l) You write; "My girl friends and myself have had many discussions as to whether you are a gentleman or a lady. We come to the conclusion that you are a lady, because of your sensible writings " Now that is very flattering for our sex—because lam a lady 1 (If I were not it isn't likely that I should admit it after such an opinion), of course I agree with you, our sex is the more sensible of the two. (2) About the geraniums, I will give you my experience. No, of course, the roots would not keep aliva hung up all the winter. ■You ought not allow the geraniums' to get too old, but in the autumn after they have done flowering, snip off new cuttings, and plant in the sunniest spot you can find in the garden. They, will soon 1 take root. Whon the blooms are all over— turn them out of the pots because they get pot pounds ; break off a portion of the roots, and put them back with new light soil and out them down 'almost close; then keep them in 'the sun. A ■ bay window indoors answets very well for this, jbub on no account allow the frosts and chill to get at them. Always water them with warm water — not hot, but wa r m. It is far better to bring on a good array of young plmts. After two seasons the blooms are not so good— at least so I have . found. Ann.— l am glad you are so much interested in the Ladies' page. You will see lhat I have discontinued the character-reading. Any warm colour would suit you— gold, cardinal, ruby, pink, or brown. If I were you I should comb up my hair high, and as you have so much, plait it and arrange it over the top of your head like a coronet or crown. A big noie is not always a sign of beauty, but very often is an indication of force of character. Yes, I think fringes are pretty for some faces, but they do not suit everyone. I have returned the photo, as 1 have discontinued oharacter-reading. Jbssie.— (l) Mr Hickmau'K )i ii • restorer (Liohfield street, Christchurch) is aai.ito cause the hair to grow, but if it is not. convenient to obtain it, try washing the roots of the hair every night , with a wash of rosemary' and rum. Do not cut it short. It i*,a mistake to imnginw tint cutting the 'hair tends to thicken it. (a) <Thci c are advertised cures for chilblains, but try putting your feet into hot. mustard and water, and afterwards rubbing in an onion and salt or kerosene. A very simple and effectual cure for unbroken chilblains is to dissolve about a pound of common washing soda in a quart or so of hot water, and put the feet into it. Keep them in for SO minutes, adding hot water as soon as necessary from time to time. This repeated two nights in succession will not only relieve you bub also harden the feet. .(3) " Weigle's Fashion Journal " is b, very good one. Wellwishkb. — Thank you for your congratulations, 1 also your mamma for her flattering opinion. Wash your face in slightly warm water. At night apply a little rose water and glycerine mixed, then bathe it in the morning in a little milk, using oatmeal instead of soap. If it seems shiny afterwards apply the .dust of oatmeal; Vbrkn a.— My opjnioncf the ' 'Young Ladies' Journal" is that the less girls read such literature as it contains the better, for it is extremely far-fetched and overdrawn. Life is nothing at all like what is rei presented in its pages, and real character very different from that depicted. The danger is that girts — comparing the reality with the fiction— prefer the fictitious life, and regard sober facts as dreary things. To one whose disposition is thoroughly formed, and whose knowledge of human nature has been gained by bitter experience, it doesn't matter much what is read, the experience of life correcting the erroneous representation. I am glad you felt better after reading "Chalk." No, I have not any of ray works in book form yet, but I hope the day is not ! ' far distant when I shall have. I will inquire for the song you \\ ish. I think the violin a beautiful insti ument fr>r a lady- to play, Persevere, It is very difficult but worth mastering. Weka —A gentleman should be presented to a lady, I an it ferior to a superior. Always try to make the introduction as pleasant as possible, such as " Miss \ A, a) low me to introduce a. very old friend of mine, , MrD." -, , ,

C.iK. M. — I have read your verses, fon; which I thank you. They are all very good, and show much poetic

I sentiment. I understood you to say thai? ibh'dy haVe ! ' ' been already published; or we' might have found - room Tor them. Can, any reader kindly furnish me with the lines of the song in which the. words , occur "God knoweth' best, and the flowing tide rolled in." . .• - - > • \ ;

, Yum Yum.— Another 'correspondent wrote about theLair this week. <See her answer. I cannot .! tell you what will make the eyelashes . grow long, unless clipping them occasionally will do it. If an infant's 1 eyelashes -are' clipped' 5 slightly every month for a few years it will cause ', them to grow beautifully long -and thick. v > M . . f Soap. — Make first a soda lye as follows :— Dissolve . 61b common washing soda in four gallons warm' water; then slake 81b of clean, fresh quicklime' in ! a tub, using only as much water, as. is needed to crumble it perfectly. Add the slaked lime to , the . solution. of 'soda, stir the two, t "together, adding , 4gals flf boiling water ; stir thoroughly, let it settle, then pour off the clean lye. To make the soap.put > the lye into a clean iron kettle, and while stirring ' add 1121b clarified grease, adding a little at a time, < nnxHoa' powdered borax. Lefithe whole boil gently 10 or 15 minutes, until it thickens and becomes ■ ' ropey Then -have in readiness a light box, lined; 1 with a piece of muslin large enough to hang w^ll • over the sides, to allow of the contents being after1 wards conveniently lifted out'; pour the mixture from the kettle into a box. and let it stand a 'few days to harden ; when sufficiently firm turn it; out out on a table, and cut it into bars wi> h a fine wire. Keep the soap a month, when it will be ready for '

use. ' The Starch Habit.— A young lady wrote to me last week who hud been in the habifc of eating starch to reduce fat, asking what she should do. First and foremost, if you are uncomfortably fa 6, take plenty of active, exercise, 'both indoors and out. Sleep on a hard bed, and do, not, let your sleep exceed aix or seven hours in the 2£, for sleep arid warmth are condocive'to fat. 'Avofd milk, beer, sweet wine, eggs,' sugar and butter cakes, and all farinaceous food such as rice, oatmeal, &c, for in these foods are the fattening elements. ' As Is demonstrated by ducks, fowls, &c, which are fed on grain food. Lions, tigers, &c, which eat flesh' meat, never fatten like pigs do. .But flesh jneab , alone is very bad for human food, so, eat with it plenty of ail kinds of vegetables except potatoes and parsnips, which contain a great quantity of starch and sugar (fattening substances). Bat yoUr bread toasted in thin slices, drink weak tea without sugar. Many who have become uncomfortably fat, leave off meat and make their meal off pudding and bread, and jam, &c. If they had taken their soup, meat and vegetables (a good dinner) while it strengthened, it . would j ot have produced half the fat that simply eating pudding made of milk and eggs has done. Eat plenty of fruit and all kinds of vegetables except those mentioned. Drink as little as possible. The diseases to which very corpulent persons are most liable are fatty degeneration of the heart, liver,' and kidneys, and dropsy. A Leith merchant climbed every morning to the top of Arthur's Seat, a hill 822 ft high, about three miles from Leith, and thus succeeded in reducing his rorpulent physique. Dr Oheyne, of London, got r/d of 1401b of flesh, and lived to a good old age, by restraining ' his appetite, and taking a good deal of exercise. Plain Family Cake.— Another lady wished me to obtain a recipe from Mrs Macpherson for a plain > family cake made without eggs, but I have not ' been able to do so. She will, however, find a recipe answering the description in last week's Notes and Queries. She also enquired about egg powder. Don't use it. Like all pretentions it falls very far short of the genuine artiole. It'is a very simple matter to make a plain cake for children. Try 21b of flour, rub in with it Jib of sugar, fib of butter, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder ; then add £lb of well washed and dried currants, or a few carroway seeds (say two dessertspoonsful), add a few drops of essence of lemon, and mix with milk and water. If you take" equal proportions of milk and water, and let the water be hot, it will take the chill off the milk, and make the cake lighter than using all cold milk would