LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Volume 01, Issue 2123, 1 November 1894, Page 50

LADIES' GOSSIP.

— The ex-Empress Eugenia is as mnob ft recluse as though the were a nun. All day long she sits in her sunny boudoir, with a tablet In her lap, sketching or writing for a memorial she Is preparing; for publication. The book will contain letters of $erhusban<j and son, and the prooeeds from it will go to the fund for the relief of fcha widows of tn« war of 1870. , .„_ — The English love of danoing stiU puzzles lazy Orientals, At a recent ball at? Rangoon, as two native grooms were watcn* ing the festivities from a verandah, one o* them asksd his companion why the couple* walked about after eaoh dance. This waf the reply In stable phraseology i " Thesahitw run the mems and misses round to. matoi them hot, and then walk them round to cool them down."

— When Bignor Orispl, Italy's Premier, was 18 years old, And in the second year os hia studies at the tJniveruity of Palermo, W fatti k li-lfiftc-jud 2Mi celebrated lot fl«,

m

beauty, and promptly fell in love with her. Crlspi's father objected, and the student was called home. Then came news that cholera was devastating Palermo." Crispi clandestinely borrowed a neighbouring farmer's horte and. set out for Palermo and Rosina, who was the daug 1 ter of a widow and had three sisters and a brother. When he arrived, her mother was a)r. ady dend, as were her eldest and youngest sisters. Her brother was dying. Francesco sold the horse to the postmaster of Palermo, and with the money thus obtained cared for Rosina and her one remaining sister. Meantime, youog Ciispi's disappearance had caueed his family to mourn him as dead. One day the farmer's horse came along driven by a strarger, Rnd followirg the clue thus furnished, the Onspi family located Francesco, who was living in marital bliss with his child wife, ber sister completing the household. Parental forgiveness was forthcoming and the three went to Ribera. The beautiful Rosina lived but two years, however.

— One peculiarity of pearls is that, unlike other precious gems, they are liable to decay. Occasionally a valuable pearl changes colour, seems to be attacked with a deadly disease, and orumbles into dust. Suoh is reputed to have been the fate of the most magnificent specimen ever known. Passing through successive bands, it finally became the property of a Russian millionaire. He kept it hidden for a time, but at last consented to show it to feme distinguished lovers of precious stones. But when he opened the casket he fell back back in dismay, and staggered as though stricken with death. The gem had begun to change colour. A fatal disease bad attacked it-. It was Boon a worthless heap of white powder. — One girl is kept partly employed in shelling and skinning walnuts for the Queen's table. The nuts have to be extracted and peeled whole ; any broken ones are discarded. Her Majesty is also very fond of blanched almonds, and a large dish is always provided for the royal dessert.

— Countess Oowper is a great authority upon antique embroideries, such as may be found in Spain and Italy, usually in tbe possession of tbe ecclesiastical powers. Her ladyship purchases many of the best specimens of altar frontals which are brought to this country by collectors in the employ of lurge firms, who travel through the rural districts of the couth of Europe for months together on mules. The Countess presents many of these fine-art pigces to churches in England, and in this way the results of the remarkable industry of needlewomen of the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries are preserved. — Some years ago The Hospital advocated tho employment of trained nurses as stewardesEeo, and the idea has been satisfactorily adopted in England.

— The ingenuity and close observation of th« scientist who established a "clock of flowers " by planting in regular order specimens VfhoßO corollas open at specified hours, has been matched by a German who bas composed a " clock of biri3»." This ia especially a night dock. The birds and hours of their songs are as follows : — The ohaffinob, 1.30 to 2 a.m. ; the titmouse, 2to 2.30 ; tbe quail, 2.30 to 8 ; the redstart, 3to 3.30 ; tbe ouiel, 3.30 to 4; the warbler, 4 to 4.30; the marahtit, 4 30 to 5 ; the sparrow, 5.

— The Queen will shortly be possessed of one of the most remarkable articles ever made in prison. The superintendent of Agra gaol some months back received an erder to weave a carpet of special design for her Majesty. This is now complete. On it 23 , of the deftest convicts of the establishment have been engaged, and the texture measures 77ft by 40ft, and is estimated to contain no fewer than 59 million stitches.

— Mademoiselle de la Rime, more familiar to her innumerable readers as " Ouida," has for old lace and curious stilettos, of which she 'possesses a rare and valuable collection, including those which belonged to Beatrice Cenci and the infamous Lucretia Borgia.

— Some of the leaders of fashion at French watering places fit up their private bathing machines like boudoirs. Here is a description of one such. The walls and doors are draped with red Turkish sail cloth, veiled in ecru fish net, and finished with fringe. The ceiling is draped with a valance of the red cloth, loooped up so as to form wall pockets. There is a mirror with similar draperies, arjd hangings to match on windows, dressing table, and chairs, fitted with a side pocket for toilet accessories. Fans and flowers, monogram and coronet worked on silken blinds for the windows, a dainty foot bath, a folding stool, and a number of dainty devioes and luxuries fill up this cosy nest on wheels, where miladi can make her elaborate preparations for ber swim, and her fresh-water bath end toilet after she oomes out of the sea, or lounge away a half hour between her plungeß in the briny waves. And some of the smart set spend extravagant sums on making their bathing boxes beautiful.

— People remark that the Prince of Wales has entered upon a new phase of resemblance to somebody else. In his teens, when he was dressed up in Highland costume, courtiers used to tell his fond parents that their royal heir was the image of the Young Pretender, Prince Charles Edward; and this mightily pleased bis mother, who was then deep in Sir Walter Scott's romances, and had not long taken op the role of Scotland's Queen. As years rolled on Albert Edward had to abandon this likeness to Charles Edward in favour* of his younger brother Arthur, who made up much better as the oharacter for a while. Our leading Prince then turned into & aattering portrait of King Henry VIII, to the astonishment, not to say alarm, of the seriously-minded among her Majesty's subjects. This singular resemblance is now becoming a thing of the past, for the Prince is growing as like the Queen as a bearded man can possibly take after hi* mother. — Not long ago a fair yonng maiden wa« brought before one of the German district Courts,' accused of stealing a watch, The tnan whom she had plundered proved to be ber own betrothed lover, who had notified hlB loss to the police without the slightest knowledge that his affianced bride was guilty of the theft. But the police soon discovered tbe watch at a pawnshop, aud quickly ascertained that the maiden had there disposed of it for a trifling sum. When she was charged before the judge with the offence she" fobbed ont An acknowledgment oi her

guilt, oonfessirg that, being without the means to buy her wedding dress, and ashamed to reveal her poverty to her betrothed, she had taken the watch in the hope that thereby she would get a sufficient cum to array herself fttingly for "the supreme moment of her life." This pire ous and tearful confession was r^spi-ruled fn without . delay in a gallant and generous spirit by the despoiled bridtgroom, who unhesitatingly declared in the court that " the prisoner was and ever would be his only love, and that he would marry her out of hand if tbe jarfge would consent to set her at liberty." Without any further ado the charge sheet was cancelled, and the chivalrous lover left in triumph with his liberated larcenist amid general sounds of approval.

— A curious fact is one con corn h:g pianos. Sometime*, in the most unaccountable way, a single note of a high-class piano will jar, or " burr," as it ia sometimes called, and all the efforts even of the most skilled tuuerß from the establishment of the place where it was made will not remove this defect. It was discovered a year or two back, however, that this jarring ia caused, not by any defect in the instrument, but by a sympathetic action with some object in the same room. When a note jars in a good instrument there is, in fact, a corresponding vibration in some article in the room — a bracket, a statuette or something, and the householder himself can ofien discover this by a little patience, whilst expert? who are called in always look for this object. When it is removed the jarring also departs at once. Home Fashion Notes. I am delighted to see BIBBONS STEADILY MAINTAINING THEIR HOLD on public favour, for so long as they do bo we shall not see the masculine eccentricities which pass with soma women for the height of fashion become universal wear. One freak of these eccentricities is now to havo even their silk shirts made with stiff front*, cuffs, and collars, the latter being detachable and kept in placa with studs like a rmn'w. But even one of these rampant atrocities is toned down when fitted, as I saw one the other day, with a plain ribbon belt, from which bands of ribbon were drawn over tbe shoulders back and front, brace fashion, and finished by being drawn through buckles at the front. You cannot fancy how piquant the effect was; but, as jou may e-sily imagine, I did not betray to the weaier my admiration for the manner in which sbe had contrived unconsciously to remove all trcce of maeoulinity from her shirt, without in the least diminishing its smartness or its comfort. If only our hygienic reformers would proceed on those lints, no one would wish them all a soeedy success more heartily than I. Apropos of hygianio dress, I notice that the number and variety of the' much-abubed coreet does not seriouFly diminish. On the contrary, the cry is " Still they coma 1 " and every day sees a freih one advertised. Before I forgat it, let mo tell you that the liuiugs are discarded from the foldtd velvet necklets so many women wear, as they fit so much more closely when limp, the only difficulty being to keep them up properly — a difficulty got over by fastening them tightly with a band of ribbon velvet tied in a butterfly bow, or, if en grande toilette, by a string of pearls (these beicj» now permissible ia tbe day time for ffite and smart wear); this is clasped tightly, and gives just the support needed. It is certain that on the successful anangement of this necklet depends moßt of the chic of tbe oobtume. The BRIGHT-COLOURED STRAW HATS seen this reason are well to the fore, and very pretty they are, as their rather high scale of colour (for lettuce-greerj, bright pink, mauve, fco., are all worn) is generally tempered with falls of kilted blaok lace or ohiffon. Have you seen anything of the gauze ribbons that are comiDg in ? They are very pretty, and make most effective bows, as they are stiff enough to stand up of themselves, and they wear well if (much virtue in that if) kept dry I By the bye, I have been shown suoh A PRETTY CHILD'S DBESS. It is quite simple and childish, and yet has a Btyle of its own. It was made of a remnant of brocade bought at a sale, and was a full Liberty dress set into a quaint triangular yoko, the point down, ju&t piped at the ecgo with a chemisette of soft creamy washing silk, made with a thiok ruffle of the silk at the throat, and the fulness kept in place by smocking. The sleeves had a fall shoulder-puff of the silk, strapped with bands of galon to matoh the brocade, of which the tight sleeves to the wrist were made, ending with a tiny ruffle of silk. The brocade in this case was a cafe-au-lait ground, with a pattern of daisies and forget-me-nots over it, and was a remnant of a very costly Spitafields manufacture, but as supplo as rnußlin, bo it hung beautifully. The galon was a remnant of furniture trimming, of the same shade of blue, just touohed with tinsel, and the effect altogether on a golden-haired, periwinkle-eyed lassie was simply perfect. Have you by any chance seen THE NEW MUSTARD POT,

the "Nobile" patent? It it a charmiDg little arrangement, especially when away from home, when one cannot depend on the addenda of one's dinner table. It is made in two parts, the lower half holding just enough mustard for one meal, while in the upper half 1b) a tiny retainer for water, "and a little screw, which, on being turned, releases the water, and then and there mixes the condiment. The meal over, the whole thing can be rinsed out and is fresh and ready for use next meal. I am thankful to see that the hotels are beginning to take it up, for anything nastier than stale mustard is hard to find.

One fact is certain, and that is that ALPACA IS DAILY aROWINO IN POPTJLAB

FAVOUB, and m wonder, for it proves to be an ideal stuff for the universal coat and skirt costume. Moreover, as it goes extremely well with both silk and satin, it makes up admirably for girl's afternoon dreisas. The usual make for these is with a plain skirt with side and back folds ; round bodice with a gash of a{lk or «atln folded round the waist and failing in loop* and ends at the back, the sleeveHwy fall between •boulde? ana alba* with tflfat.flvtfojf ball time* of the

trimming material from wrist to elbow, and a folded collar-band at the throat. One point to observe in these dresses is to be very sparing in the use of tbe trimming material Ie must be Irimaiiog ard nothing else— l mean it must not be a part of the dress m -teiial. 1 wonder if you understand what i nu'?n 7 For iwatance, the other Hiy 1 watch- d a y.vl string down tee Mreul ia n back satin svd alpaca toilet. I could net make out why it worried me. " What a pity she did not use line ca3hmere to make up her old satin with I " murmured a friend with me ; and then I understood.

A pretty toilet in this mateiial was in a faint shade of mauve, the tint they call iv Paris "glyoine," made up with soft serge silk of a rather darker shade, a stringcoloured lace yoke and epaulets going over the shoulders, the toilet being completed by a capote of ttraw the very colour of the lace, trimmed with lace and rilk to match tbe dress, with a epray of wisteria to crown it. Altogether a most fetching costume in its dainty simplioitv. A variety of alpaca ia the "cnnvaß-alpaca," which, in addition to being made in the moat serviceable and yet bcconiiig shades, is practically neaxly uncrusbabla — no small recommendation for a travelling dress. — " Elspeth," in the Weekly Citizen.