LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2359, 11 May 1899, Page 52

LADIES' GOSSIP.

— Madame Albani, the famous prima donna, has perhaps received more royal presents than any living artiste. Her casket of jewels contains gems from almost every Court in Europe; but she prizes above all others the two bracelets which she always fivears, one the gift of the Queen and tne other of the Princess of Wales.

— • Wondrous, past expression, is that link of fove that binds the man and his wife. Never was a truer word spoken than that which pronounced them to be no more twain, but one flesh. The mother parted from her nursling knows, feels in her breast, in every,fibre of her being, when her child is weeping and will not be comforted, though parted from it by miles; an unendurable yearning comes over her to hurry to the wailing infant, to clasp it to her heart and kiss away its tears. And something akin to this is that mysterious tie that holds together man *and his wife. (They cannot live an individual life. He yarries the wife with him wherever he be, Yhinks, feels with her, is conscious of a louble existence fused into a unity, and chat is true of the husband is true also I f the wife — S. Baring-Gould.

— Madame Marchesi, the famous teacher kS the art of singing— and amongst the names of whose pupils art included those of Madame Antoinette Sterling, Madame Calve, Madame Eames. and Madame Melba • — curiously enough never herself appeared on the stage. With every prospect of achieving great success in grand opera, she "gave up all idea of a theatrical career Bimply because such was against the wishes of her parents. She became instead a concert singer, rising to great distinction as a teacher.

— The emancipation of Chinese women Eeemss to be progressing, since the Celestial kingdom has now produced a woman dramatist. She named Wion-weu, and is the author ot j. masque, the English title of which is • Rewards of Virtue and Valour," which lias ]use been produced in the Chinese theatre in New York. She is only 28 years oi age, has written plays for many years, but^ as there appears to be a prejudice against, women dramatists in Chine., she left* her native country and went to America! where one of her plays mis given some litftlft time ago in San Francisco with much success Unlike Chinese ilaya ia general, which run for a week or.

a month, the time of representation of this one is condensed into five horn's.

— The splendid hotel of Prince Roland Bonaparte in the Avenue d'Yena, Paris, which for three years has remained half closed, and in spite of its glaring white facade looked anything but cheerful, is now brilliantly lighted almost every evening, and always en fete. The cause of this change is the "coming out" of the Prince's charming daughter. She is only 16 years old, but as she is tall, elegant, and a true Bonaparte, she shows no intention of allowing herself to be kept m swathing clothes longer than necessary. Besides, she is well supported by Aunt Jeanne. Little Princess Marie now has no less than a score of aspirants for her tiny, but well-filled, hand. The Prince sends them to the deuce, but the deuce, in this case, Js the Marquise de Villeneuve, his sister, to whom he has entrusted the care of picking, choosing, and deciding who might be acceptable. As one knows,' Roland Bonaparte and Jeanne are the children of a nephew of the great Emperor, Pierre Bonaparte, who was by nature such, a plebeian that his name soom became a burden to him. He placed at the feet of Mdlle Clemence Ruflin, the daughter of a carpenter in the Faubourg dv Temple, the love of a Prince and a Bonaparte, under

— The readiness with which Princess Christian associates herself with any undertaking having for its object the brightening of life for the derelict and destitute, and her many gracious acts of pure charity, have endeared the royal lady to the lower classes. The characteristic thoughtfulness of her Royal Highness for those in humble station was well exemplified recently at Windsor. A cold, bleak "wind was blowing, and the sentries on guard on the east terrace of the castle had to walk sharply to and fro to keep themselves warm. It was 6 o'clock, and at that early hour they were surprised to hear footsteps approaching. Expecting to see some strange intruder, they called " Halt. Who goes there? " but it was an attendant of the castle who appeared, and he .bore two large cups of cocoa and some cakes, with the kindly message that "Her Royal Highness Princess Christian thought that as it was very cold they would, perhaps, like some cocoa to warm them."

— Of the three living Duchesses of Marlborough, perhaps the most notable is Fanny, Dowager-Duchess. Ever since she blossomed from a plain and obscure girlhood as Lady Frances Vane-Tempest into the high position of Duchess of Marlborough she has been a powerful factor in London society. Her cleverness and her zeal foi her family of 11 children were proved by the brilliant matches she secured for them ; and it was she who did so much, to foster and direct the political ambition of her son, Lord Randolph Churchill. — The principal of a world-famous millinery house recently explained how new fashions were hit upon. He possesses a most comprehensive library, containing thousands of fashion plates of ancient and modern days. Five of the elevei artists retained by the firm take these plates and from them work out fresh ideas. They do not merely copy, but they rely 'upon the examples to suggest fresh notions. When they have finished a picture of a newfashion, a specimen is made up and put in the show room to .test its chance of popularity.

— Besides the Queen, all the grown-up lady members of the Royal family now carry walking sticks, some of which are beautifully mounted with gold knobs. Her Majesty's sticks have handles to them, as she uses them for support in what very little walking she does. Walking sticks among military ladies, too, are now all the go., and some of the stores are now selling scores a week. Walking umbrellas are also coming into fashion. The Princess of Wales has one that is no thicker than an ordinary walking stick when folded. The revival of the walking stick craze is very noticeable at the West End just now. Smart women are to be seen in numbers, which appear to increase daily, all carrying elaborate-looking sticks or canes in lieu of gamps or parasols. The fad may seem a trifle mannish to people of old-fashioned tastes, but it unquestionably affords abund•ant opportunity for graceful posing and that artistic by-play of movement which lend an additional charm to the presence of a pretty woman. As an excuse for extravagance, it has also much to recommend it to smart people, for you can spend a small fortune on the handles of these up-to-date walking sticks, many of which are bejewelled like the. turban of an Oriental potentate.

— Madame Gabrielli, whose death took place recently, was in many ways a remarkable woman. Her husband, an Italian financier, at one time held a position second to none in Naples, in the bad o]d days of King Bomba, and Signorina Gabrielli's receptions were the most brilliant held in the lovely southern metropolis. In 1862 the Gabriellis came to London, and established themselves in Queen's Gate Terrace, where Madame Gabrielli died. Here she attracted a crowd of interesting people to her luncheons and dinners, which were always bright and amusing, and she continued to give them until a week before her decease. She used to say, when asked if she could play, sing, or draw, " No, I can do three things only, but I do them exceedingly well — play whist, talk, and listen — above all, listen."

— For the christening of new items for feminine wear, the names "Ellen Terry," "Mary Anderson," "Adelina Patti," and a few others are ever in favour with manufacturers, and permission to use them is constantly being applied for.

— The Queen's thoughtfulness for those in her service is well known. Her Majesty is reported to have said on one occasion that she regarded the loss of a faithful servant as the loss of a friend. ' — The Princess oi Wales, who lias al ways been a great lover of dogs, is especially fond of Pomeranians and Dachshunds, which she frequently exhibits at the leading shows.

— The selection of a wedding g',ii is always a trial of the imaginative faculties, but young lady friends of the bride are not unfiequently able to overcome the difficulty with astonishing sase. 'Xhh facility

arises from the more intimate knowledge possessed of the chum who is leaving the spinsterliood circle, and in a recent instance a sofa cushion was the article selected. Indeed, an up-to-date sofa cv.- 1 ' i with frilled edges is as pretty a gift as <-.tn be devised, and in this particular case the bride was vastly pleased with the softness and downylike nature oi the pillow. — Just as the tea trade has the " teataster," so the perfume industry has its "scent-smeller." The perfume to be sampled is dropped on to blotting-paper and tested by smell day aftr day. — On the authoriy of an eminent artist we have it that the prettiest women of the day are by no means usually the most attractive in society, and that those who are famous for their intense power of fascination are generally disappointing in pictiu'es or photographs. — The most original and interesting member of the ill-fated house of Bavaria is the ex-Queen Sophia of Naples, sister of the murdered Empress of Austria. Thirty years ago she was a woman of remarkable beauty and daring, and was the idol of the Neapolitan army. When the Sardinians were storming the fortress of Gaeta, the Queen donned uniform and fought bravely against them, showing her contempt ot danger by coolly smoking a cigar wliile the bullets were raining around her. She was also one of the cleverest" horsewomen m Europe ; and on more than one occasion has hired a circus in Paris and executed the most daring bare-back feats of a circus rider.

— Among the richest of American women who have married Englishmen may be mentioned Mrs Marshall O. Roberts, who married Colonel Ralph Vivian, and was said to possess 12,000,000d0l {about. £2,400,000) ; Miss Consuelo Vanderbilt, wife of the young Duke of Maryborough ; Miss Mary Leiter, who married Lord Curzon; Mrs J. P. Ives, Sir William Harcourt; Miss Belle Wilson, Hon. Michael H. Herbert; Miss Pauline Whitney, Hon. A. H. Paget; and Miss Flagler, Baron Harden Hickey. — Women in London have discovered a new line of business — namely, that of "music teacher's assistant."' They superintend the daily piano practice of children in families where expensive music teachers are employed. Their careful supervision contributes greatly to the proficiency of the pupils.

•as\TBOO st 'aq .mopjo sqr &wem on 'q.Bqq. jreu; oatju; oj punoj aq iSpii^aao \\im. iC[{BOTSj£t{d SuOJfJS i"j9A SI OIJAV ÜBUIOAV « PUB I ,mo3iA puß Bji[ jo |jnj si %\ Suissassod iios -aad aq^ quip sayoijs iibij -fyinQ 'iioi^ttnuiptf jo puoj aq on uiß^jao sr jossassod" s;i agui^ qsippai « jo si <\x uaqAv ysx[% pajßpap si qi 'Jißq atp raoji ja^oßjcqo Suipßaa uj —

Butter some thin slices of white bread, arid stamp out a number of small rounds about lin across, or larger if preferred. Open a tm of pato do foie gras, remove the butter from the top, cut the contents into rounds to ruatcli the bread. Place a slice of foie eras on a round of bread, season slightly, then place another round of bread on the top ; press gently together. Pile up neatly on a pretty lace paper, and garnish with fresh parsley. PORK AND RICE. (Camp style.) Boil a large piece of«pork in plenty of water, to which a few onion 3, or a clove of garlic, three or four sage leaves, and whatever vegetables are on hand are added. Boiled slowly for five or six hours. Two hours before dinner i wash Sib rice and tie in ft pudding bag, allowing room for the rice to swell. Drop into the pot with the pork. If after one hour's boiling the cloth seems tied too loosely, take out and tighten. When done it is turned out of the cloth in the form of a large round ball, and served with either a tomato sauce or six or eight large onions browned in a tablespoonful of pork fat, dredged with two tablespoonfuls of flour, and a quart of the pork liquor poured over this; simmer for 10 minutes, when a pinch of cayenne, a tablespoonftil of curry powdci, and salt if necessary, are added. Pour over and around the snowy mound. ! HARICOT MUTTON. i Eight cutlets, a pint of etock or gravy, a, carrot, turnip, and an onion, three sticks of

celery, loz flour, pepper, salt, 2oz driving . celery, loz flour, pepper, salt, 2oz dripping. Mix the flour with the stock, boil it for three minutes; put in the cutlets and vegetables, cover closely, and stew foi three-quarters of an hour. Dish the cutlets in a circle with the vegetables, and strain the gravy over. LEMON SPONGE. Soak the rind of a lemon and Joz gelatine in a pint of water; then add Jib sugar, and simmer the whole till the gelatine is quite dissolved. Set it aside to cool. Whip the whites of three eggs with the juice of tae lemon, and when the jelly has nearly set stir this in. Whip the whole till rocky. Pile high on a glass dish. CRACKNELS. Mix a quart of flour, half a nutmeg grated, the yolk of four eggs beaten, with four spoonfuls of rose water into a stiff paste with cold water ; then roll in lib butter, and make them into cracknel shape. Put them into a kettle of boiling water, and boil them" until they swim; take out, put into cold water. When hardened, lay them orit to dry, and bake them on tin plates. STEWED TONGUE. Wash a tongue, and trim away the coarser parts of the root. Rub it well with common salt and a small quantity of saltpetre. Let it lie for a week, and turn and rub it every day. Boil in the usual way until it is tender. Pull off the skin, and put the tongue again into the stewpan with part of tho strained liquid in which it was boiled, a pint of strong stock, a bunch of sweet herbs, two bay leaves, and five or six outer Bticks of celery. Let it simmer gently for an ho*ur. Lift out the herbs and celery, and season the gravy with a saltspoonful of white pepper, a little salt if necessary, a tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, and thicken with flour and j butter. Serve the tongue on a hot dish, j Pom the sauce over It. I KIDNEY SOUP. One pound of beef, 21b ox kidney, three onions, one head of celery, two carrots, seasoning a sprig of thyme, 2oz butter, two quarts water, a little parsley. Well wash and clean the vegetables, then cut them in small pieces, lay them in a deep stewpan, add the butter and seasoning, place on the fire, and let slightly fry; add the beef and kidney, cut in dice, then add the water and thyme; let it boil, take off the scum as it rises; when quite free add a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, cover, anjl simmer gently for four hours. Take out the thyme, pour into a tureen, and serve at once. - AN INDIAN TRIFLE. Boil a tablespoonful of ground rice in half a pint of milk. Stir well so that there are no lumps, add one teaspoonful of sugar and a few drops of vanilla essence, also the beaten yolk of an egg. When the rice is cooked allow it to cool, then put it in a glass dish. Slice two or three bananas on the top, sprinkle them with sugar and a few drops of lemon juice, and over them spread a little whipped cream that is sweetened and flavoured with vanilla. BROWN COLOURING- FOR SOUPS, GRAVIES, ETC. Crush Jib loaf sugar to powder, put it into a saucepan with a tablespoonful of water, and stir it unceasingly over a gentle fire with a wooden spoon until it begins to acquire a little colour. Draw it back, and bake it very slowly, still stirring it, until it is almost black, without being in the least burnt. It will take about half an hour. Pour a quart of water over it, let it boil for a few minutes until the sugar is quite dissolved, pour it out, and when cold strain it into a bottle, and store it for use. A tablespoonful of this browning will colour ! half a pint of liquid. APPLE SNOW. Put some sponge cakes in a glass dish, cover them with a custard, and leave them to soak | for some hours. Meantime, roast light large j apples till they are quite soft, remove the skin and core, add the weight of the apple pulp of castor sugar, also the strained juice of a lemon and the whites of two eggs. Beat with j a whisk till stiff and white. Pile on the sponge cakes and serve. SCALLOPED PARSNIPS. Peel and boil until tender, mash (while hot) sufficient to make one pint, beat into this two tablespoonfuls of butter, two of cream, a ( beaten egg, one heaping teaspoonful of salt, j a little pepper. •- Butter a dish and put in" a layer of crumbs, pour in a good layer of the parsnips, then a layer of crumbs, until the dish is full, using a layer of crumbs last. Sprinkle a very little salt and pepper over the last layer, add a tablespoonful each of melted butter, milk, and hot water, and brown rapidly in the oven.