ALICE'S LETTER TO HER READERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1934, 19 March 1891, Page 33

ALICE'S LETTER TO HER READERS.

After hearing so much about Mr Ernest Packer's pictures I went to have a look at them, and found quite a crowd round Mr Braithwaite's window. They are go trne to Nature, with their delicate colouring, that one can almost imagine oneself looking at the original. I heard some onlookers dis. cussing one as to whether it is a fancy picture or not. It is a very weird moonlight effect at Milford Sound. It is not, however, a fancy picture. It had been raining hard all day, but at night cleared up, and the mist had partly rolled away from the Mitre, behind which the moon was rising. It was not visible, but amid" all the surrounding gloom cast a patch of silver on the sky, which was reflected again on the sea. The effect was uncommon and weird, and this the artist has caught to perfection. These beautiful pictures have been quite a revelation of Mr Packer's talent, and everybody is prophesying a bright future for him in art. As I mentioned last week, those who have the interest of the Tailoresses' Union at heart are anxious to provide a convalescent home for girls who are sick and have not the means to obtain rest and nursing. To be ill with avery comfort around is hard enough ; but to be ill and still be obliged to work for daily bread is misery complete. The committee are organising a scheme to raise funds for this commendable object, which is to take the form of a world's fair, and Miss Morrison, the secretary, is very anxious that . the ladies should give their utmost help. All honour to the women ! They are never very reluctant to elo to their utmost all that they can do— which is much — in matters of this kind. Whether because they are easily persuaded, or really anxious to help, or their love of activity and amusement sways them ; it really does not matter, I suppose, so long as they help. Oar people on the whole are not slow to respond to appeals to charity when once the charity has approved itselfjio their judgment, as the Kakanui funcf has done, for instance. The garden fete at Montecillo resulted in over £30 being realised, and the display of fireworks at the Caledonian grounds last Tuesday was an unqualified success. The various bands have been extremely good in giving their services in aid of the cause, and the music that was contributed on both occasions under notice did much to add to the pleasure of those present. The Chinese, too, deserve credit for their liberality. The fireworks display was a capital one. It was a still night, and from the stand the scene was most attractive. In the distance the hills made an effective background, thickly dotted with bright lights; nearer, the lighted switchback was in evidence, and, on the smooth lawn that was just i

discernible through the darkness the fireworks kept up a continuous fusillade. When the coloured lights were burning they showed up a sea of faces all round the ring, looking like phantom faces appearing from the gloom, then vanishing again. " Where are my keyg 1 " Haven't you often heard come one of your acquaintance asking that question? Well, you. watch them and you will and that they have not secretiveness very strongly developed, A secretive man always locks up, and always knows where his keys are. You may not, but he does. For very many reasons an unsecretive person may own it is expedient to lock drawers, &c, but the incessant inquiry will be, " Have you seen my keys?" for which everybody goes aj hunting three or four times a day. • Unless such an one is too truly honourable, he is not good at keeping secrets, and will in any case be very transparent with his own affairs, talking freely, perhaps a little too trustingly, to his friends, although large friendship and conscientiousness may make him guard their affairs as faithfnlly as a watch-dog. A secretive person is careful to close the doors, and is fond of buttoning his coat up to his chin ; while a person with a candid disposition rushes in, leaves the door to take care of itself, and prefers garments which need not be tightly fastened. We do not hear that the new costume invented in Paris, something after the fashion of a shooting costume, is making any great strides. The fact is that women ! as a body will never adopt a uniform, and the difficulty remains.how without inventing one we shall ever get an improvement on our present style of dress. Nine out of every dozen women would object to an Oriental style of robe, because it would destroy the outline of their figure ; so I suppose, with a few minor improvements we shall go on as

we are, indulging in our pretty muslins and laces, and all the rest of the becoming nonsense that make us charming. If only we could do away with the appendages that affect our health, it would really be much nicer — don't you think? — to remain as we are. A uniform would become too tedious, and give the good-looking women too much advantage. As it is they get the best of it. It is no use arguing that beauty is but skin deep, the fact remains that the good-looking women find it easier to get a seat in a tram, or some one to perform those thousand little offices for them that strorg-minded women love to do for themselves. Would the world be any better, do you think, if we were all strong-minded women 1 I don't think bo. Blot out the feminine instincts, and half its beauty would be gone. I don't mean that anything is gained by women's silliness ; but there are a lot of little feminine ways that are not a bit silly, although they call for a good deal of forbearance, and have their mission, too, in calling forth the patience and chivalry of a man. There is a false idea abroad that the clever women are beyond such feminine appendages as a love .of pretty things, and the indulgence in womanly whims and caprices. If a development of the brain is to cause a hardening or drying up of the heart, the fewer girls who go in for higher education the better ; but a sweet girl graduate is just as eager in a draper's shop as the silliest girl you know, perhaps, and arranges just as carefully the flower in her belt. Some men are frightened that education is going to kill the woman, yet Milly's engagement is discussed just as excitedly in the classroom as at afternoon tea, and when the principal has delivered her lecture she goes home with pleasure to kiss her sister's new baby. The fancy pictures we draw of one another are very amusing. We read a novel and wonder, and from the deep lessons taught draw a mental picture of the novelist, and when we call ftnd her in a white frock eating an. apple. There may be a look in her ej es that tells of the soul within, but people who write books don't always wear spectacles, or keep a quill behind their ears, and talk long fine sentences that would frighten away all th6ir friends; so that men need not, when they conjure up bad pictures of the coming race of educated women, draw them sombre of countenance

and garb. Acorns will bring forth oaks, and the rose bush roses, each after its kind, but no one will grumble at the colour of the rose, so that the perfume be there. Further investigations into the winter fashions ieveal very stylish little sealette jackets, with Medici collars lined with fur. I have noticed very few black mantles, the coloured figured cloths taking first place. One mantle was a very elegant fawn sprigged with brown, lined with fawn satin, and. edged with fur of the same shade, and a high Medici collar ;also lined with fur. I have seen several scarlet Mother Hubbard cloaks for little girls. They always look so effective, especially if the" dress over which they are worn is white. White is of course scarcely a winter colour, although if of a creamy tint and of boating flannel it is warm, and for very little girls would look as well as anything, with a large white felt hat and whitefeathers. It is such apity more mothers do not drees their children picturesquely. We see so many old-fashioned-looking little mortals dressed more anciently than their mothers. A correspondent asked me some time ago how to wash flannels to prevent them from shrinking. A good many people have an idea that plenty of warm water and soap is all that is required. This is just what does the mischief. There should be plenty of water, not at all warm, and as little soap as it is possible to do with; then rinse them thoroughly in cold blue water as you would other clothes.