LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 1880, 2 December 1887, Page 34

LADIES' GOSSIP.

— When Edith Kingdon (now Mrs George Gould) was lira I. on the stage she pushed herself, all unaided, from a subordinate position in the Boston Theatre to a pleasant one in Mr Daly's company. Friends had repeatedly told the struggling girl that her place was in New York, and she as often had sent letters to Mr Daly, receiving, however, no reply. Finally Mr Daly took his company to Boston, and Miss Kingdon ployed a strong card. She sent two tickets to the performance to Mr Daly in the afternoon, and in the evening sent a carriage to his hotel. He went, paw the performance, and the next day Miss Kingdon received a note asking fur an interview. Now here is where that girl's cleverness came in. yhc was :\ poor, honest little worker and she was living in a cheap boardug house. She road the note, went, straight to the Adams House, hired a suite of rooms, decorated them with bric-a-brao borrowed

from willing friends, donned a tea-gown that good Rachel Noah pressed upon her and then sent for Mr Daly. He came, and before he left Miss Kingdon had her contract. —The Paris Figaro says that if you want your children to have pretty teeth you must begin with the second dentition to press back with the finger every morning the teeth which have a tendency to project forward, and to pull forward those which tend backward. As a wash, boil in a tumberful of water a pinch of quassia wood with a pinch of pulverised cacao. It strengthens the gums and whitens the teeth without injuring the enamel which covers the bone. Wash the mouth after each meal with luke warm boiled water. — The London correspondent cf the South Australian Chronicle writes as follows on September 17 : — There is, if we may judge by present appearances, about to be a marked change in the fashion of millinery. Not only does trimming show signs of novelty, but the new shapes are certainly unique, and so far as my judgment goes, may be pronounced hideous. In many cases the size is enormous. Shot ribbons, shot silks, and shaded feathers are extensively, nay, almost exclusively, used for trimming purposes. Feathers are more worn than flowers. I find it difficult to describe the most fashionable hats, the shape being almost indescribable. Their extravagant size is one notable characteristic, and, on the whole, bonnets take the form of hats, with wide brims caught up here and there. Indeed, were it not for the strings, they might be supposed to be hals. To add to the eccentric appearance of this strange headgear, their are streamers at least a yard in length hanging down the back. These ends are part of the front trimming of the bonnet ; the ribbon, after forming a lofty bow above the forehead, is carried under the edge of the brim and hangs down behind in long streamers that at any time must look ridiculous, but in wet or windy weather would be absolutely preposterous. A groat deal of white is seen on hats and bonnets. Blue straw is trimmed with white, red straws also, and green straws very fashionable during our summer. Tiny squares of coloured lace are used in profusion, and look light and elegant when mixed with ribbon loops for trimming the front of bonnets. Sometimes the lace is mixed with tinsel threads. These squares cost from Is (id upwards. —A. lady near Anderson's Bay (writes a correspondent), who not long ago arrived from the Old Country, and who knew nothing about kitchen matters, nevertheless resolved to make herself acquainted. Noticing some workmen repairing asphalting in the back yard, and observing the bright black of the tar used, thought her stove would be improved by receiving a coat of it. She accordingly put her idea into execution when the men went to their lunch. The stove was duly polished with the tar, and looked xo the eyes of the operator something splendid ; but her admiration was shortlived, for upon lighting the lire, the smoke and the smell from the oxidising tar soon destroyed her illusion, and a neighbour had to be quickly called in to assist in preventing the place catching lire. Moral: Independence of action where the consequences are uncertain is not always attended with satisfactory results. — One of the handsomest dinner sets seen in New York this season is the duplicate made for a lady of Nob Hill, San Francisco. The groundwork of this set is an ivory brown of an exquisite shade. In the centre is a star of raised gold surrounded by circles, outside of which are jewels of gold, while around the edge is a lace pattern etched and filled in with raised gold. The work is done after the china has been glazed and burned. : The pattern to be wrought is traced upon the glaze with acid, which eats the design into the china. It is then filled in with pure gold. The set consisted of 200 pieces and cost lOOOdol. I — Time was, says a correspondent, when i folk returning from the holiday places abroad made a point of breaking their J journey at Paris. Here the ladies indulged j in shopping, and ordered new gowns for ] winter at the famous Worth's. But times ! have changed, and now the dresses designed and made in London are counted to bo in as good or better style than those from the French capital. — The Regent diamond and other historic gems to be exhibited at the Louvre are to be kept in a glass case on the top of a sale buiit into the floor, into which the jewels will be lowered every night by touching a spring. The case and mechanism will cost about £800, but the gems are worth half a million. — Ida Lewis, the heroine of Lime Bock, is now 42 years old, and begins to show signs of the wear and tear of her hard life. She lives alone in the lighthouse, her parents being dead and her brother gone to follow the sea. Miss Lewis, as she is still called, though her married name is Wilson, saved thirteen lives between 1869 and 1881. She does all her own housework, keeps the light trimmed and burning, and finds time to raise a few flowers in the crevices of the rocks. — Afternoon weddings arc now of far more frequent occurrence in England than weddings in the forenoon, not only among ultrafashionable people as heretofore, but among society in general, — In his Paris chat, ~SI. A. Alexandra says that he knew an excellent mother of a family who, when accused of being rather strongminded, replied : " What / Does my husband complain of me and say that I make his life hard ? No woman was ever more docile than I What he wishes, I desire. The same thought, animates our mutual breasts. He wishes to be master — so do I." — There were 5B young ladies unmarried and more or less fair to look upon in Saratoga during the closing season, whose marriage settlement in each case will not be less than 1,000,000d01. The season has been backward, and so have been the gentlemen.

— A French decollete fashion— the back Ol the dress being open almost to the waist — is in great favour, especially among the American girls at Homburg.

— Croquet is very fashionable, says the Boston Herald. Girls who have broken themselves all to pieces with tennis say

"ihe old love is best." Tennis is violent; croquet is gentle, and they can cheat and flirt at croquet, as scientific tennis players never, no never, think of doing The few look pretty aud fetching in tennis costume?, the many are gay and frolicsome while

knocking croquet balls through the wickets, and no derisive laughter indicates that these fair players are not looking their very best in their attempts to play a straight game. And so croquet holds its own. — At Looe the youngest child of Mr W. S. Came, the member for Barrow, fell into the water off the quay whilst the attention of its nurse was distracted. The poor woman jumped in after it, but was soon in danger herself. Seeing the position, a fisherman named Williams plunged in and brought first the child and then the woman to land amid much excitement. — His Imperial Highness Prince Psai Tao is the latest addition to the Chinese royal family. He is the seventh son of Prince Chun, father of the Emperor, and was born last month. — In jewellery, the most noteworthy change to be recorded is the return of the emerald to popular favour. This most beautiful of all coloured precious stones has been heretofore neglected in favour of the sapphire and the ruby, but has now regained its bygone popularity. — It is only another illustration of the law of compensation that women advanced in views are apt to be behind in the fashions. — Instead of throwing away bouquets of faded roses or other flowers of special perfume, place the faded or dead dry leaves

in a convenient dish and sprinkle a little alcohol over them, and the room where they stand will be filled with their odour. In England it is a common practice ; very large vases are kept about rooms into which all the

faded rose leaves are thrown and sprinkled with alcohol, and thus a very pleasant atmosphere is secured about the house. There is no other way of. preparing rose perfume, except by the regular process of distilling. Rose flavour can be given to cake, is anyone

; ancies it, by putting the butter to be used

in the cake in a saucer or plate, and setting it up for some hours inside a vase filled with rose leaves that are sprinkled with alcohol. The I'iano Mania. The tendency to study piano or singing has become almost a mania in America, to the exclusion of other instruments. There is, of course, a reason for this ; and ifc is found in the fact that Nature made almost everybody capable of a certain amount of singing; and even an unmusical nature can acquire a certain amount of proficiency upon the piano keyboard, if the student be otherwise intelligent. The operation of pianoplaying is a purely mechanical one up to a certain point, and many players who pass for rather brilliant drawing room artists may be rather unmusical natures. With other instruments it is different. The violinist cannot take even the first steps in his heart without calling upon that unknown something called "a musical ear." The same is true— in a less degree, however— of flautisc, oboisfc, and horn player. The aboTe reason has given pre-eminence to the piano among instruments, and made it a fashion. There are hundreds and thousands who follow this fashion blindly and take up pianoplaying as representing the study of music. We plead for the other instruments. Why not allow really musical natures do study orchestral instruments more generally ? Why not follow the German fashion, and have the string quartette in our homes, when possible? More than once we have seen a family of four or five all studying piano, when a judicious distribution would have given the home a concerted music which would have been far in advance of any piano possibilities whatever.—Musical Herald. CHRISTMAS COOKERY. As we are within a fow weeks of Christmas Day it is time for the thrifty housewife to make a start with her Christmas cookery. Puddings and mince should certainly be made a few weeks before they are to be used, while rich fruit cakes are also very much improved by being kept for some time before being used. Below will be found some tried recipes for these three important items in the Christmas bill of fare :—: —

Hints voit Cake Making. — Currants should be well washed, I'm. si in warm rand

then in cold water; and spread to dry on a doubled cloth. This is best done when the currants arc bought. They .should then be stored away in a china jar. Sultanas should have all the btems picked oil", and be rubbed in flour in a wirr> sieve before using. Eaisins should be stoned and chopped. Flour should be dried, sifted, and kopl dry. Sugar should be rolled and separated. Eggs should be broken and separated, the whites from the

r olks, well strained, and not beaten before

they are wanted. Candied peel should be kept from the air, aud when used cut into

very thin stripes. Butter should be fresh and free from water. Yeast should be fresh and not bitter ; to prevent this, leave a piece of burnt bread in it a short time. The oven should be very hot at first, and then allowed to get cooler. A clean knife plunged into the cake will come out bright and clean if it is done.

Plum Cake.— Put into a large pan fib of butter beaten to a cream, then add 41b of loaf sugar ; when the two are well mixed, add fib of raisins carefully sinned, Goz of mixed candied peel finely chopped, six bitter almonds and loz of sweet almonds blanched and pounded, the strained juice and grated rind of a lemon, a pinch of powdered cloves, two of powdered cinnamon, the sixth part of a nutmeg grated, 14oz of sifted flour, half a gill of now milk, the yolks of six eggs beaten up with a wineglassful of pale brandy. As each ingredient is added the mixture must be well stirred. Lastly, stir in the whites of the eggs whisked to a froth, and continue beating the mixture rapidly for 20 minutes. Then turn it out into a cake tin lined with buttered paper, and bake it in a moderate oven for about two hours and a-half, Turn out the cake carefully, and when cohi ico it, or ifc may be served plain.

Angel Cake. — To one and one-fourth tumbler pulverised sugar, or the very fine granulated, take one tumblerful of flour, the whites of 10 eggs, one teaspoonfnl cream of

tartar, and one teaspoonful extract of lemon. Beat tho whites to a stiff froth, thon sift, the sugar, flour, and cream of tartar together four or five times so as to make it extremely light, stir in lightly the stiff whites, beating just enough afterwards to thoroughly incorporate them with the other ingredients. Put into an

unbuttered tin— one with a pipe in the centre is preferable— and bake 40 minutps in a slow oven. Turn upside down to cool, but put

something under the edges to prevent its laying on a flat surface, or it is apt to become heavy. Every step in this process is necessary to produce success, and if followed will produce a food well worthy its name. Ice Cakes. — To each pound of sifted sugar add loz cornflour and the whites of three eggs. Whisk the eggs as stiff as possible, and add the sugar gradually, whisking still, with essence of lemon or half a teaspoonful of lemon juice to flavour. Spread it over the cake (while it is still warm) with a bread knife, and set it in a cool oven to harden. It will probably be necessary to put on two or three layers, especially if the sides are iced. An easier way is to ice the top and to fold a frill of white paper round the sides. Colour part of the icing with cochineal — or if that be objected to, a pretty pink colour can be got with a few drops or syrup of raspberry vinegar. Plum Pudding. — Pounded biscuits, breadcrumbs, or flour, raisins, currants, and suet— each lib, — nine eggs (or a less number and a little baking powder, or no eggs or powder, but dough prepared the night before as for bread), £lb sugar, candied peel and spice to taste, brandy (if not objected to), a little salt, or the flavour will not be half so good, water to mix with, milk being a great mistake. Scald, rinse, and flour the cloth, allow room for the pudding to swell, have a soup plate bottom upwards in the boiler, or suspend the pudding by a loop in the tying string from a piece of wood or iron placed across the mouth of the boiler. Have a vessel full of boiling water at hand, whence the boiler may be replenished at will. While the pudding is in the pot the water must never cease boiling for a single moment. When cooked, plunge for a second into cold water before untying, so as to prevent the cloth from sticking. Another Plum Pudding.— One pound each of currants, raisins, suet chopped fine, and brown sugar, lAlb grated breadcrumbs, 10 eggs (whites and yolks beaten separately) ; mix together suet, bread, fruit, and a little salt and nutmeg, and let stand overnight. In the morning add one pint and a-half of milk, sugar, and eggs. Work all together, put in floured cloth, tie it firmly, allowing room to swell, drop in boiling water, and boil three hours and a-half. Serve with sauce. A Plain Good Christmas Pudding fok CuiLDltEN.— One pound each of flour and breadcrumbs, %Vo currants, £lb stoned

raisins, fib suet, three or four eggs, milk, 2oz candied peel, one teaspoonful of powdered allspices, half-saltspoonful salt. Chop the suet fine, stone the plums, wash the currants ; then dry and pick them. Mix the dry ingredients and stir well together; beat and strain the eggs to the pudding ; stir these in, and add just sufficient milk to make it mix properly. Tie it up in a well-floured cloth, put it in boiling water, and boil at least five

hours. Serve with Christmas bush on top, and a little brandy lighted to amuse the young folks, and do not forget to put in a few of the smallest silver coins of the realm.

Mince Pies.— Put lib of flour on your pastry slab; rub well together with your

hands ; make a hole in the centre, in which put a pinch of salt, the yolk of an egg, the

juice of a lemon, and a 'Jwineglassful°of water. Knead it into a soft flexible paste ; roll it out into a thin sheet, lay ;jlb of butter in the centre, fold the paste over, roll and fold again twice over, lay it in a cold place a quarter of an hour. Give another roll. It is ready foi use. Cover the patty pans with paste, fill them with mincemeat, and cover. Slightly butter your patty-pans before covering them with the paste.

Mincemeat.— Chop finely 2 : £lb of kidneybeef suet, $lb of candied lemon and orange peel, £lb of citron, lib of lean cooked beef, 21b of apples, 21b of currants, washed and picked, l£lb of raisins, stoned aud chopped fine, loz of mixed spice, lib sugar, the juice of four lemons, half a pint of brandy, and a teaspoonful of salt. Mix all well together, put

it in jars, and tie down until it is ready for use. It is ready in a few days.

I Favourite Minck Meat. — Three pounds of cured tongue, 3£lb of suet 61b of apples, 31b of raisins, 31b of currants, 31b of brown sugar, of mace, cinnamon, and cloves, two nutmegs grated, (soz of citron, a few blanched almonds moistened with rosewater, the juice of four lemons and grated rinds of three, one pint of brandy and one pint of sherry. The spices must be ground and the other ingredients finely minced. Should fresh tongue bo used, salt must be added. Scotch Haggis.- -Parboil a sheep's pluck and a piece of good lean beef. Grate half of the liver and mince the beef, the lights, and remaining half of the liver. Take of good beef suet half the weight of this mixture and mince it with half a dozen of small firm onions. Toast some fine oatmeal before the fire for hours, till it is of a light brown colour and perfectly dry, but be careful not to burn it. Less than two teacupfuls will not do for this meat. Spread the mince on a board and strew the meal lightly over it with a high seasoning of pepper, salt, and a

little cayenne well mixed. Have a haggis bag perfectly clean and see that there be no thin part in it, else your labour may be lost by its bursting. Put in the meat with as much good beef gravy or strong broth arf will make a thick stew. Be careful not to fill the bag too full, but allow the meat room to swell. Add the juice of a lemon or a little vinegar, press out the air, sew up the bag and prick it with a large needle when it first swells in the pot to prevent it from bursting, let it boil, but not violently, for three hours.

— Jn the Island of Sumatra a flower grows which is Oft in circumference and weighs lolb. When a Sumatra dude goes to the theatre he has his houionicre brought in by an able-bodied valet.

ROWLANDS' MACASSAR OIL n in high re pute for it success during 81 years in promotin" t!>>growth, improving, ana beautifying the hait I, prevents hair tailing off or turning yrey, cleai)=es i' horn senri and dandriff, and makes it bear.tifulh sott, pliable, and glossy.. Ifc contains no lead uoi mineral ingredients, and can also Le had in agoldi-r colour, especially suited for fair-haired children <n persons whose hair has become grey. Avoid imiLi Lions.

JROWLANDS' EUKOITIA is a pure and fra«iv.M toilet powder specially recommended tc ladies, v lljrre tints— white, cream, and ro?e. Ask anywlu-it-tor Kowlands 1 articles, of 20 Hati on Garden, Londo.' iiid avoid cheap, vortlihss iinitiilions Wholes 1 * and Kef ail Agents:— Kemp< home, Prosser, & IV> Uunedin, Auckland,, and Christchurcb ; Sainsbtuy, tillisdoa, Co., Dunedin.