OVER THE TEACUPS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2317, 28 July 1898, Page 51

OVER THE TEACUPS.

Dear Readers, — It seems impossible to take up any of the journals specially devoted to the interests of our sex Avithout being struck with the constant attention given to the subject of employments for women. Either Avomen must preponderate over men in a painfully disheartening manner, or else they must find much less to do in their own homes than they have ever done before ! At any rate, the field of work, Avide as it is now is, seems to need constantly enlarging in older countries, and -while some of the occupations Avhich Avomen noAV pursue publicly are such as they have from time immemorial pursued in their own homes and for their own families, there are many others which are quite distinctive of the new woman, with her intellect and attainments cultivated up to the standard of a man's professional equipment.

But of old-fashioned womanly fancies, formerly cultivated for home pleasure, but now developed into a business, I came across a charming example recently — a glorified and fashionable development of Dickens's dolls' dressmaker. The very sweet and geniallooking lady whose portrait accompanied the article referred to is Mrs Peck, whose "Dolls' Home" is situated in Regent street, London. Here dolls may be dressed in the daintiest and most beautifully made clothes ; may be mended, receiving such skilful " surgical aid " that detection is almost impossible ; may be made young and beautiful for ever, to the infinite delight of their little mothers. And here the prettiest touch of sentiment and affection comes in, for the little girl who is very fond of her doll (and whose mother is very fond of her) may take some of her own hair and have a beautiful wig made for dolly. Mrs Peck is quite an artist in her calling, and elevates it to a fine art in her delicate regard for harmony. When old dolls come in for repair, omy old Avax is used, so that the proper yellowish tints may be preserved ; and when portrait dolls are ordered they are beautifully modelled from the desired picture in the same way as the exquisite doll shown in the Victorian Exhibition, which Avas modelled from a picture taken of Queen Victoria in 1837. When I read this account of Mrs Peck and her dolls' home, I kneAV that at last I had found the corner in the Avorld's workshop Avhich I should be in! I should have been a dolls' dressmaker and had my work referred to in Mrs Peck's words, " See here are a number of little frocks done by a lady at her oAvn home," and we look with delight at the exquisite little garments made in Liberty styles. Soft silk or dainty Avoollen material is used, and some are beautifully smocked. " But do not imagine that everyone can dress dolls and make their little garments properly ; it is really a difficult art," concludes Mrs Peck.

The business is a lucrative one in that fashionable street in busy London, but, do you know, I fancy that such a business in a small way — either as a home industry or as an adjunct to a good children's dressmaking depot, might be a good idea even in little New Zealand, if started by some one with a real talent for it, and avlio would make a reputation which would bring orders from all over the colony. Very different from the simply feminine gifts required by the dolls' dressmaker are the qualifications necessary for the next business Aye will glance at — one suggested by the report of an interview Avith Miss HarrisSmith, public accountant, also a dweller in busy London. Referring to her profession, Miss Harris-Smith says, "Certainly there is plenLy of room for Avomen in one branch of work which I have folloAved as a profession for over twenty years. Lady bookkeepers, for instance, are always in demand, and when 'thoroughly competent' command large salaries. Now, I confess this is a profession I never e-qieHs'd to see women invade, for our ac-'vur-ts ;»r» proverbial for their little irregul.s: ii>v : nor do I expect to hear of a " boom ' m !.v!y bookkeepers in our colonial cities. Still, tio women's employments and Avomens i^'.-pp.-ti aM over the world interest and m-Ktiu'.-t us. *y /vesting present kinship or future following, opening new possibilities to our plans and fnrusring our efforts, I quote Miss Harris Si»>th Jo you as an example or v !i?t women v:'*n do. _ Wry iWTerenfc is the line in which Madame [/-. -i ' n fashionable lady London milliner, lias dul'i.s'Kisbftd hsrself. Responding to an infi/ieftar—tii*t fiend of modern existence -Mcivl.it.ie Lena telU how lier now fiounshir,* business bof;an hi a drawing icom, and a\hs at first "an" entirely social business. But «irls must, not think that because they have many kind friends they can depend upon this side of the business. It is the general public we want, and it is the taste of the general public avo must consult and cater for. Friends can only support one for a time, no matter Ivoav kind or willing they may be." Which remark seems so sensible, that I cannofc refrain from quoting it for the benefit of any of my girl friends who dream of gettiug

up in business some day. It Is always Avise before indulging the hope of " making a living" from our accomplishments or abilities to criticise ourselves really severely and find out whether the " knack " or the proficiency which seems so surprising and clever in the family circle is realJy of a sort to arrest the attention or compel the patronage of that critical public which lies outside the kindly circle of homo and friends. So mncli of our chat, this afternoon has been given to the topic of woman's Avork that I think Aye may as avcll keep to the subject and glance at, ono or tAvo other modern developments before Aye say good-bye. Very smart society Avomeu afc Home have elaborated many methods of addiug to their incomes. Such methods belong to and areonly possible in a state of society as far removed from ours as ours is from— Parihaka, let us say ; still, they arc interesting as mere studies. Let us take, for example, the paid chaperone. We are all pretty familiar Avith the extremely responsible and unspoken hopes and ambitions which this lady tacitly undertakes to gratify, but few people realise lioav high a price a really irreproachable chaperone will place upon her services. During the last London season, for example, a " young married lady of title " advertised herself as being ready to undertake the duties of chaperone to a young lady during the forthcoming season for the modest sum of £1000. Then there are ladies Avho undertake the furnisliing of houses for Avealthy , parvenus, or any others who from ignorance, indolence, or ill-health desire to be spared the Avork of furnishing. their luxurious mansion or fashionable Hat, as the case may be In addition to the sum paid by the employer of this "fin dv sicclc" labour, a good commission is also paid by the houses which are selected for patronage and recommendation, thus bringing up the t>rofits of the lady furnisher, decorator, and adviser to a very comfortable dimension. Yet another field is worked by the lady who undertakes shopping for country and invalid clients, and in this employment as well as the former, the charming plan ot bemo paid by both sides holds good. Iherc P re at least three well-known ladies m Lon- ; don society Avho cam a handsome dress, allowance -if nothing more— in tuw way. , Then there are aspects of life and employ- j ment in which a title is turned to inhnilc : account, indeed it is sometimes almost tne j sole stock-in-trade of its impoverished oAvncr, and is an indispensable adjunct oi the lady who makes her " little pile out ot testimonials. The " unsolicited testimony of '• Jad* Lyon, the Countess of Wild-oats, and the ' Hon. Cecilia Ponsonby de lompkyns" is Avorth a handsome and delicately arranged douceur. In fact, such aristocratic signatures are only equalled in commercial value by the testimony of such world-wide notabilities as Aclelina Palti, Ellen Terry, and Sarah Bernhardt. Well, well! in this world everything has lis uses— and uses that Averc never dreamed of m the original document. If we prefer paying Is for a cake of soap that is recommended by half a dozen celebrities to getting the same for 6d without 'the aristocratic commendation, well and good We make room lor " poor but yet honest " notabilities to obtain their soap gratis and replenish their pockeumoney. . ii i c Yet another really ingenious method oi " earnin" an honest penny " has been evolved by pristocralic but impoverished London dames, who undertake the care of mansions temporarily unused by their owners. From house to house, from town to country, veilin"- their moA-ements under a dozen ingenious and seasonable pretexts, always having regard to the exacting demands of the great, Goddess of Sham, these titled nomads wander i^s soon as their temporary restingplace is let or required for the use ot the family, they 'Fold their tents like the Arabs And as silently steal away. And Avith this last pathetically ludicrous method of adding to a pmall income, we will dismiss the subject and bid one another 11 Good-bye."' Always your fiiend, Emmklixe.