LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2085, 8 February 1894, Page 46

LADIES' GOSSIP.

— A prominent physician says that the proper sitting position requires that the spine shall be kept straight, and that the support needed for the upper part shall be felt in the right place. Therefore it is necessary to sit as far back in the chair as possible, so that the lower end of the spine shall be braced against the back of the seat. If this back is straight, the shoulders will also rest against it ; but even if the shoulders have no point of support, it will be found that they do not need it when the base of the spine is supported properly. This position makes no strain upon the ligaments of the spine. Every organ of the body is properly fixed by this attitude. The feet should rest squarely upon the floor, the hands should rest lightly in the lap, and thus perfect equilibrium and rest is secured. The arms should never be crossed, for the position causes a strain upon the spine. When our grandmothers were girls, and straight-backed chairs instead of cushioned divans were the usual resting places, the young women held themselves with a straightnesß that was almost stiffness. Then when they grew old, they still held themselves like duchesses. For it is the way one sits rather than the exercise one takes that determines the erectness of the figure. — Her Majesty keeps all the Christ mas, birthday, and New Year cards sent to her by relatives, and has them bound in handsome Bcrapbooks. The cards are so arranged as to show any inscriptions, such as " To my dear grandmamma." — Saxon girls 1000 years ago always wore a gold crown duriDg the marriage ceremony, this article being kept in the church, and a fee being paid the priest for its use by the brides of the parish. In the year 927 the Danes raided the south of England, and stole 100 church crowns, and there was no manying in the afflicteci villages for nearly sis months, until new crowns could be made. — A young lady hailing from Galatz, on the Danube, had been educated by the Sisters of the Sacre Cceur, in Taxis, and, having concluded her course of training at the famous and fashionable pensionnat, recently wrote to M. Zola to ask him point-blank whether he would recommend her to read his works. The distinguished novelist sent the following safe and sagaoiona reply : — "Mademoiselle, as long as a young lady is unmarried Bhe is under the care of her parents ; when she marries she wii^ do well to consult her husband. My view is that'you may read my books provided your parents or your husband give you leave. — Receive, &c, Emile Zola." — The little daughter of Ernin Pasha is now with relatives of her father ah Neisse, Germany. She bears the name Ferida, and promises to become a beautiful and intelligent woman. As she is the only heiress of the traveller, she will one day come into the possession of property which will mako her an enviable match. Emm Pasha dearly loved the dusky little maiden, who was born at Gado, in Upper Egypt, November 18, 1884. When be reached the coast he decided to place the child in tbe hands of Europeans. Her nurse, however, a handsome Arabian, was greatly opposed to surrendering her, and it was with tbe greatest difficulty that Sister Lies secured control of her. Tbe Arabian woman well ko^w that tbe child had large possessions in Bagamoyo, and hoped to enjoy the use of the property an til her; ward became of age. Tbe intervention of the Governor of tbe Province was necessary. Before letting the child go, however, tho Arabian had her revenge in tatooing Ferida's body, bo that • she suffered pain for weeks. She is intelligent, and manifests great interest in tbe Btrange things about her. Her relatives have some difficulty in inducing her to wear boots, as in her old home she was accustomed only to sandals, The child's,

features are small and resemble those of a European. Her hair is wavy and thick, her eyebrows are full, and her skin is bronzed as an Italian's. Her eye 3 are beautiful — dark and bright, and long lashes add to their depth. — The question is one that always interests the public. A large number of respectable persons hold that women dress to please men. Another class, equally numerous, insist that they project and execute elegant toilets in order to provoke the admiration and envy of other women. The obvious truth, is that women clothe themselves in tasteful and beautiful f abric 3 because they are women . It is a fact to be thankful for that all the fads of all the reformers in creation cannot reform the inherent delight of the civilised woman in beautiful and graceful things. If she lived in a country without a man in it, she would still regard the fit and hua of her garments as matters of essential importance. Of course women are not unmindful of the opinion of the opposite sex. They like admiration when it iB lespectf ul, and they are a great deal happier when their dress is cordially praised by the one particular man whose approbation they value above moat things terrestrial. But they select their garb, primarily, not to gain masculine flattery, but in obedience to the dominant instinct which makes the modern woman a constantly refining and uplifting force. — From Paris we learn that the oldfashioned custom of kissing a woman's hand is fashionable again, and seems to find good friends among the beaux and belles in the gay city — in the salots as well as in the boudoirs. This kissing of the hand requires, nevertheless, an education to begin with, and we must expect that professors in this refined arb will soon open their rooms to the young dandies, and show them how to perform this little comedy in our days of easy-going behaviour towards the sex. The English hand-shaking had completely dethroned the respectful kiss on a gracefully offered hand ; a slight, soft kiss which could be warm or cold, tender or indifferent, quite or slightly prolonged, and take as many forms as the feelings of the man who used to frole with his moustache the dimples on the knuckles of a woman's hand. His secret could thus be told in a second. Saluting the hand disappeared from the French customs towards the end of the First Empire, when the handshaking appeared with the fashion of giving the arm to a lady on all occasions. Now one begins to see men and women walking as they do in England, side by side, without being hooked to each other in spite of all, as they used to be in the streets of Paris ; running in tbis most ludicrous loving manner after basses and sights, and blocking the way with their double width, the single one in France being generally ample enough. — The form of etiquette which prevails at the vice-regal drawing rooms held by the Lord-lieutenant of Ireland in Dublin is peculiar. It is the Lord-lieutenant's privilege to kiss the ladies presented to him, a practice introduced by George IV when he visited Ireland in 1821, and maintained by every" viceroy since that date. — Lace handkerchiefs with the initials worked in diamonds are a late freak of costly extravagance. — The Princess of Wales always sends word to those who wish to present her with bouquets as to the size and weight of the presentation. The rose is her favourite flower.

— Princess Marie of Roumania has a fancy for collecting scent bottles. Her present collection is estimated to be worth between £4000 and £5000.

— Nobody can keep a secret in this world. Everyone is speaking about the marriage, which is to be next year, of our Principino ; but, of course, it was a great secret -the secret of " Polichinello," in fact. At first only his parents knew of it. However, Margherita was the first to let the cat out of the bag to her dearest friend, who told someone else, and thus it became public property ; and only to think, after all, the bride-elect is to be an English princess — Victoria Melita of Edinburgh, born November 25, 1876. Of course there will be the necessary change of religion, for Italy could never have a Protestant Queen, although no lo iger under Papal rule.

— An observant m?n has recently declared that he can generally read a woman by the colours she most aff9cts in her dress and furroundings. A woman who dresses in dingy colours has a dirgy mind. It partakes of the drab of her gown. Very often she has a drab face and drab hair as well. She is mentally apd physically a study in monochrome. The woman who affects black as her habitual attire is almost invariably a woman with a sound vein of poetical common sense in her nature. The choice demonstrates her consciousness of some beauty she would accentuate, or some deficiency she would hide. The sablegowned woman alwayß has tact, quickness of perception, and a habit of self-control. The woman who is fond of dark blue has similar 'pharapteristics, but" in a somewhat less marked degree. She is generally businesslike, energetic, and possessed of discretionary powers. The woman whose soul continually yearns after green in her gowns is artistic, receptive, and even poetical. She is ideal in her tastes and pursuits, but lacks caution and concentration of mini. She is apt to be dreamy, and a trifle nervous.

— For the privilege of wearing trousers the French Government charges women a tax of fiom £2 to £2 10s a year. Tbis by no means gives every woman who is willing to pay the tax a right to wear such garments. The Government, instead, confers the right as a tribute to great merit. Trousers are, in fact, a sort of decoration given to women, as the ribbon of the Legion of Honour is given to men. The only women to whom has been granted the right to wear trousers sre George Sand, Rosa Bonheur, Madame Dieulafoy, the Persian arc! ajM g'st, Madame Foucault, the bearded woman, and two feminine sculptors, 'Madame Fourreau and La Jeannette. How jealously the right to wear trousers has been guarded in France may be seen in the recent case of Madame de Valsayre. ' This lady is well known for her propensity to fight duels and her efforts to get elected to the French Assembly. Last year she petitioned the Government for a light to wear men's clothes. Considering she is something of an elegante, a pretty woman with a profusion of blonde hair, and jjresaea riphly in fine taste,' the Frenoh

authorities, who are versed in such matters, prudently refused her petition. — Speaking of the peculiarities of exalted personages, tattooing appears to be the rage among the princes of tbe blood in Europe, as well as among some of the princesses. The I Grand Duke Alexis's right arm is adorned with a dragon, which covers it almost entirely from the wrist to the elbow. The new Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha is tattooed much the same way, while the Duke of York has a couple of crossed flags upon his forearm. King George of the Hellenes, his second son, and his nephew, the Czarewitch, are each of them tattooed. Besides these, there are among the tattooed princes, Queen Margberita of Italy's brother, the Duke of Genoa, Archduke Stephen of Austria, and Prince Henry of Prussia, brother of the Emperor William. Princess Waldemar of Denmark, wife of the sailor son of King Christian, has a beautiful anchor and a crown tattooed on her arm, half way between her shoulder and her elbow, and which, of course, is conspicuous whenever Bhe wears a low dress. Her husband, likewise, has naval emblems tattoeed on his arm, and so, too, has King Oscar of Sweden, who served for many years in the ! navy before ascending the throne His sons have followed his example. — The French woman, unlike her English sister, has, as a rale, a very good business education. In the common schools she is taught household bookkeeping, and is given lessons in purchasing and useful expenditure. As a -wife, she is expected generally to help her husband in his business, and sometimes she manages entirely for him. In the small business she acts as clerk for him, and in the larger ones she is an equal partner. — " The pretty girl is too often thinking of herself," says a woman writer who has devoted herself to the study of feminine matters. " She is impatient when the conversation is diverted from her charms and her thoughts. Her idea of the world is that it is a smaU shrine in which Bhe sits on a pedestal and the man kneels at her feet. Now, to a man, the kneeling posture becomes fatiguing after a time. He longs to^rise to his feet and stretch himself. Tbis Strikes ths girl as evidence of unappreoiativeness and indifference, and she resents it. When a man finds two women — one who is always thinking, if not talking, about herself and her own interests in life ; while the other is, or affects to be, deeply concerned about his aims and his pursuits and his purposes — he does not hesitate fcr a moment in choosing which of the two he would rather marry. For a partner in a ballroom, for a companion at a seaside resort, the rosy, pretty young girl, with her naive ways and her sweet innocence, may be all that any man could wish. But matrimony is not a ballroom, nor iB married life a seaside resort. It is a very serious business indeed, with long stretches of care, possibly with interludes of sickness, poverty, and sorrow. And if he finds that the pretty girl with the bright eyes and 6hapely figure does not warm with sympathy at a tale of suffering, and does not yearn to share the sorrows of her friends, he is apt to trust his fate in the hands of one who may not be so fair, but who will be a more sympathetic helpmate on life's long journey."

— One pretty new custom, or rather an old one revived, has been introduced in the modern Transatlantic wedding. A beautifully illuminated and engrossed marriage certificate is ordered by the contracting parties, which consists of a large folio of vellum, white, or as near white as it can be prepared. On the outer page is engrossed the regular form of the marriage certificate in delicately-painted letters, set in scrolls of orange blossoms and forget-me-nots and true lovers' knots. The letters are in silver or gold. On the inner page is space for the registering of the names of the guests assembled at the wedding. This certificate is bound in vellum or white velvet, ornamented with solid silver corners and scrolls, or it is rolled on a solid silver roller, to which it is attached, and enclosed in a solid silver case, richly chased and ornamented. The cheapest of these engrossed certificates costs a bridegroom from £5 to £10. The more elaborate ones often amount to £20, or even £30, while the case will approximate £12 or £15. Occasionally the engrossed certificate is framed in a narrow silver frame ; but that is for the sake of preservation only, for the marriage certificate is not now considered an appropriate picture for hanging on the wall — a custom which prevails to a considerable extent in rural districts. Another form of wedding certificate very much in favour with brides at present is to have the precious document bound into the white prayer book so many brides carry now instead of the bouquet. The prayer book rosy be of vellum, of ivory, or of white suede leather, or velvet. It is richly clasped and ornamented with silver, sometimes the whole book being covered with silver cut work. If rhe clergyman be a friend of the family his offering usually takes this form. In other cases ha uses the common engraved certificate, and the best man incorporates among Us duties that of seeing that the certificate receives its proper signatures.

— It almost goes without saying that a well-bred woman does not dye her hair, writes M-s Mallon. If in some moment of, I was goicg to say temporary insanity, she should be induced to do it, although it wou'd be mortifyirjg, and she will have to permit herself to look like a striped zebra for a short time, still it will be wisest to face the situation and allow her hair to grow bac^j to its natural colour. The fancy for blonde hair, which has been credited to the fact that the beautiful Empress of the French possessed it, may really be traced as far back as history goes. Ib is always said that Eve was a blonde, while the hair of Venus was, so it is told, a perfect golden. Lucretia; Borgia, L%dy Micbeth, Queen Elizibetb, Anne of Austria, Marie Antoinette were all light haired. Howevf r, this does not make less marvellous the beauty of black hair, which from the jet black, whirh shines like ebony, to the dark brown, with its glints of gold, cannot be surpassed. The explanation as to trie difference in the hair is told very funnily in an old book. It is said " that heaven sent upon earth many women with golden hair so that they might; charm the other half ' of humanity. Seeing this, the devil, who totes men, sent cooks. These, wfth their fauces and ragouts, disordered the human liver and j>ro-

duced the desired result — dark skin and ' hair.' 1 However, the colour most esteemed jast now is an ashy blonde, a shade that no dye will produce, and which, as it must have a clear white complexion accompanying it, as well as black brows and lashes, is counted by artists at once the most peculiar and artistic contrast. — Royal personages are (says a writer in a Home paper) the greatest sufferers from ennui. "The most conspicuous victim of all is," he says, " perhaps his Royal Highness, and the one particular aim of his intimate friends and attendants is to combat this malady. To this, and to this alone, must be attributed the somewhat extravagant, and at first sight astonishing, forms of entertainment organised for his diversion by what is known as the Marlborough House set. The Prince is ready and anxious to be interested and amused ; and so great are his considerate kindness and genial tact that, to save his hosts from disappointment, he often affects interest when bored beyond expression. " But, even with the best or intentions on his part, as well as on that of his entertainers, the effort to dispel this ennui results sometimes in downright failure. There is scarcely anything that does not pall upon him. Every species of stimulant seems to have lost its f orc^. He has tried everything, and tasted of everything, and the members of his entourage rack their brains in vain to discover something that will appear to him in a new and novel light. "It might be well to add that ennui implies extensive knowledge, and that there are few men possessed of a more extensive and varied knowledge than the Prince of Wales. Blessed, like most of his family, with a wonderful memory, he has read almost everything tbab has appeared during the last quarter of a century in France, Germany, and Eogland, and has remembered what he read. Moreover, he has seen and talked with all the most interesting men of the present and past generation ; and they, in the hope of interesting him, have one and all endeavoured to display their greatest brilliancy, their greatest cleverness, and their highest degree of knowledge and wit in their intercourse with him. In almost every case knowledge may be said to have come to him first-hand, and in its most concentrated and powerful form. What wonder, then, .that the Prince should be noted as a man of altogether unusual acumen and attainments, and that the conversation of persons who are not precisely shining lights should fail to attract his ear or attention." A Chat with " Martffc," of Truth. Mrs 0. E, Humphry, who is known to the readers of Truth as " Madge," is one of the most experienced of women journalists, says a writer in a Home paper who recently interj viewed the lady in question. " How did I enter journalism ? " said Mrs Humphry, with a smile. " Why, I staggered into it, so to speak. I came over to London from the north of Ireland, and was looking about for something to do, when a lady who edited a women's journal suggested that I should contribute articles on dress, and also do some book-reviewing for her paper. ♦'I knew little about fashions and less about reviewing, but I undertook the work, and although I can laugh now when I contemplate that period of my life, it was no joke at the time, I assure you. "My apprenticeship to journalism was indeed a hard one. For seven years I earned a somewhat precarious living:. I worked assiduously, and even learned bqw to set up type, in order to be able to make corrections in my proofs intelligently. " The paper to which I first contributed came to an untimely end. It had had a remarkable career. Sometimes it would not appear for a week or two, and in the next number issued a notice would be inserted that the interruption was due to • domestic affliction,' or some other extraordinary cause." "I suppose you receive some amusing letters from your readers 7 " " Yes ; some of them are very amusing. A barrister once wrote and actually proposed to ' Madge.' I am sure ifc was the cookery recipes that inspired his affection," added Mrs Humphry, with a twinkle in her eye. " I receive many letters from men as well as from women. The men generally wiite about their own dress, or women's, or about cookery. When our army was in the Soudan an officer wrote asking me whether I could give him a recipe for cooking goat's flesh in a new way. A protracted '. diet ' of ' kid ' had become very monotonous, and a new recipe would be most welcome. " The recipes are done by the very best cooks in England and on the Continent. One, of course, has to discriminate a good deal, and to see that only new ones are published. There is the greatest difficulty in getting simple recipes for bachelors. Men are always wanting to know som9 new way of cooking chops and steaks." " And are you consulted abou,t love affairs 1 " " I used to be when I wrote for another journal. I remember a girl's letter which ran like this : — " • I am only 15 : is that too young to fall in love? Is lemon juice good for the complexion 1 ' " There was scarcely a stop between the two questions : bo characteristic of a schoolgirl, was it not ? " On another occasion a woman wrote saying that she had ju^t come into a fortune, but could not avail herself of any of the money because she did not know how to draw a cheque. I was away on my holidays at the time, and did not return for a month. How the unfortunate woman gob on I don't know."

Otr* (Da*ariptlon«of bsllf, fta., moit bo endorsed by olthor the Vitne^ corroipondont for the dlstriot or by tho icoretary to the boll .omciittco. TheMS. of any correspondents who do not oomplr V'ththia ralo will bn leDttn tho sooret&ry for endcr^imentprlo; to appc&ring. — EMMELIXH.) Tn cniQTS pu'ella&tton in the fon&oomlng Uiae letleri •hotiM resoh ',ac WHdcii office if possible on Saturday uiglit, but on no account, lutor than Monday night. ' WEDDING AT GOODWOOD. Dr.\u Emmeune,— A very pretty wedding took place at Goodwood on Wednesday, the 24th inst , at 2 o'clock, the contracting parties being Miss I. M'Laren, third daughter of Mr A. M Laren, and Mr D. Walker, eldest son of Mr D. Walker, Shag Valley. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. J. Christie, of Waikouaiti. The bride was attended by her sister, Miss Nettie M'Laren, and Miss Jeanie Walker (sibter of the bridegroom), Mr R. W r alker (brother of bridegroom) acting as groomsman. By 2 o'clock a great many friends of both bride and bridegroom had assembled at the residence of Mr and Mrs M'Laren. The bride, who was brought in by her father, looked lovely ft, a pretty dress, qf cream embroidered orepon.

trimmed with broche and lace. She carried a pretty bouquet of flowers, the gift of Mrs Sutherland, and wore a white veil looped up with the customary orange blossoms. Miss Nettie M'Laren wore a dress of cream nun's veiling, and Miss Jeanie Walkev a cream crepon ; Mrs M Laren (mother of the bride), wore a pretty dark tweed dress, and Mrs Walker (mother of the bridegroom) a nice dark grey dress. When the ceremony was over and the usual congratulations had been expressed, the guests, to the number of 100, sat down to dinner, which was served in the hall, the tables being very tastefully laid. In the afternoon numerous games were indulged in, in which the newly-married couple took an active part. In the evening a dance was held in the barn, and dancing was kept up till early morning. Mr A.. Park acted as M.C., and Mr J. Sutherland (violin) and Mr J. Appleby (cornet.) supplied the music. Among the ladies present Miss Paton (Kelso) wore a pretty cream dress ; Miss A. Paton (Kelso), a grey skirt with light blouse ; Miss Paterson, maroon dress; Miss Church (Dunedin), lovely white dres ; Miss Stenhouse, heliotrope ; Misses Smith and Roebuck, light bodices and dark skirts ; Miss Miller, black velvet ; Miss B. Miller, dark skirt, light body ; Miss Anderson, delaine ; Miss Craig, dark skirt, light body; Misses Chisholm and Sutherland, dark dresses; Miss Wright, dark skirt, light body ; Miss K. M'Leod, grey ; Miss M'Grigor, pretty black dress; Miss M'Laren (sister of the bride), dark body, light skirt ; Miss Walker (sister of the bridegroom), cream di ess ; Mrs Brown (Dunedin), a lovely grey dress; Mrs Miller and Mrs M'Leod, black ; Mrs Sutherland, Hsjht delaine ; Mrs Stenhouse, dark dress ; Mrs.T. Kitchen, blue velvet; Mr 3A. Robertson, black velvet. The presents were numerous, and many of them handsome and costly. The newlymarried couple managed to get away almost unnoticed in the early morning.—BACHßLOii.