LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2368, 20 July 1899, Page 51

LADIES' GOSSIP.

— The monogrammed glove is tho veryj latest thing ; and, of course, it is worn only by the extremists of fashion. To make the* monogrammed gloves you get a pair of plain kid gloves, with as little stitching upon the back aa possible. Black and white are the best colours. Now mark upon the back: of the gloves your monogram, or get it.' stamped there. With silk the colour of your walking dress youjiow embroider flwf monogram, making it about the size of at shilling. You will find H- very becoming to the, hand, and- the custom of wearing th.% embroidered glove will grow upon you un* til you will want no other. — iSent gold and silver wirework \u being taken up by ladies as a- home pastime. Witfi a little practice, and at a very small outlay, quite a large variety of useful articles of or* namental design cac be made, such as brooches, hat and hair pins, glove buttoners, fancy safety pins, etc. Those pos* sessed of a little artistic skill can sooa cheaply turn out trinkets which, bought at shops, would be very jxpensive. - — At Aberystwyth a wedding wa» solemnised lately in which all the partie* concerned bore the name of Jones. The bridegroom was .Richard Jones, and , the bride was Elizabeth Jane Jones. The witnesses were John Robert Jones and Anno Jones. The minister was the Rev. R. E. Jones, and the registrar the Rev. William Jones."

— There are few people who can boast of living in three centuries ; but such will be the case with the Dowager Lady Carew if she lives till the end of 1900. Born in 1799, she danced at the Duchess of Richmond's ball at Brussels on the night before. Waterloo. She was then Miss Cliffe, the daughter of Major Anthony Cliffe, of New Ross ; and in the following year, 1816, she married the first Lord Carew, whom she ha* long survived.

— In Siberia there is a good custom that a bride, on coming tc her husband's house, has to give a dinner prepared with her own. hand? as a test of the education she lias received. If she succeeds in gratifying her guests, it is taken as a proof not only of the young woman's own excellence, but also! as a recommendation of her whole family, by whom she was instructed.

— The Earl of Crewe, it is pointed out, like his jusfc-wedded Countess, can claim descent from the Jews. The descent is thus traced. A Mrs Joseph de Costa Villas Real, a grand-daughter of Moses Mendes, the physician who accompanied Catherine of Braganza to England, and who afterwards signed the death -certificate of Charles I, married a Mr William Mellish, an ancestor of Lord Justice Mellish. A daughter of this marriage became Viscountess Galway ; and her son was the grandfather of Earl Crewe's father.

— The Queen, as a recipient of gifts, is always particularly pleased with anything that is actually the work of the donor. — I wonder how many housewives are, allowing themselves to be sc far moved, from their housewifely conservatism as to be induced to try any of the somewhat! ne^-fansled chftmical chimney cleanaxs. At

this house- cleaning time, there is no more horrid person who has a hand in the business than the chimney sweep. He comes generally at an unearthly hour, rouses up the people who abhor spring cleaning and who look to the hours of sleep as the only requisite from its horrors ; he makes no end of a commotion and often no end of a mess. Now, the chemical sweep • reverses all this, For when he sets to work he does not freeze the household out on these east-windy days. The imp demands a nice bright fire on which he is plated in a packet, or tin tube according to his constitution, and there immolates himself for the good of the family. The fumes -attack" the soot in the chimney and resolve it again into Bmoke, which escapes in. the usual way, leaving the chimney clear. Some people have been very much afraid to try. these sweeps because of stories 6f explosion that have at times been heard of, but if only the preparations of well-known firms are used, there is no chance of such mishap. Whether or not the chemical fumes are as thorough as the sweep's brush I do not know. It is possible the chemical may Jiave to be applied more frequently, but as it is cheaper, this balances the mutter. — Among the notabilities who came to assist at the unveiling of the Empress Elizabeth's monument at Cap Martin two peo,ple attracted special attention— Constantm Christomanos, a young Greek student, and Hertha Pecic, a Slavonian lady of rank. At the death of the Crown Prince Rudolph, ■Hertha Pecic; who was betrothed to a •gallant officer, left her little town of Essek, and arrived at Vienna, moved by an irresistible desire to devote the remnant of her life to her bereaved Sovereign Lady. She .wrote many letters, and at length an audience was granted to her.

When Hertha arrived the Empress was sitting in her boudoir, before a 'huge silver toilet table of great beauty and simplicity ; no lace, no ribbons, no draperies, only a large chiselled table with richly embossed Pompadour feet of massive silver. Upon, this a set of brushes, and combs of huge dimensions was arranged ; and a woman was slowly brushing the superb head ot her mistress. When Hertha entered, the Empress made a sign to the maid to leave them alone, and inquired of the tall, slender dark girl, who was trembling visibly, what she could do to please her. In a few words the young Slavonian lady told her tale of love and admiration, and .when the Empress softly remonstrated with ier that, being a daughter and a promised bride, she could not consider herself free to devote her life to the realisation of a foolish, dream, Hertha simply declared that if the Empress refused her devotion, she felt at least free enough to enter a convent. "But," said the Empress, smiling, " suppose— mind, I only say suppose — I ehould choose to learn more about you, and finally arrange to accept your offer, in what quality would you come to me — not as a reader?"' , - "Look here," said Elizabeth, who had Been tears of disappointment shine through the thick lashes of the girl. "You are tall, strong, and yon say your love for me would bring you to accept any humble situation, provided it keeps you near me. If your character and your birth allow you to occupy a post near your Sovereign, take Ithe place of Cecilia, whom, you have just seen go away exhausted from this room, and brush my hair morning and night — in silence if I do not wish to talk— slowly, •Goftly, and often for a very long time. This would be your only duty." Hertha threw herself on her knees and kissed the long, thin fingers of the Em»press ; then, without a word, she got up 'fend resumed the work which her arrival had interrupted. A week later Hertha Pecic sent a conge fen regie to her lieutenant, and entered dnto the service of her Majesty as hair-forusher-in-ordinary. She was neyer asked %o do anything else, and was left free all day long. " But,'' she was often heard to Bay, " I only lived two hours in the 24 — .when I held in my hands the treasure .which my Queen prized above all others, Jbhe mass of living gold which crowned her lovely head." Elizabeth of Austria found another adorer 5n the person of Constantin Christomanos, her professor in modern Greek. He was -a, student of philosophy, and lived not far from the Castle of Lainz, one of the favourite residences of the Empress. One can imagine his joy when the Ba-ron Nopcsa came to ask him if he would give lsesons in Greek to his august mistress. On his introduction the Emnress handed & book to him, saying graciously, and in a tone of great simplicity, which formeel a curious contrast with the mise en scene : •''Monsieur Christomanos, if you please, let us believe that we are now taking our .twelfth lesson, that we have known each other a long time, and that all is settled between v*. Let us begin. I have chosen this hour before dressing for dinner for my Greek lesson.' 1 For two years he followed the Empress everywhere, and they were two brokenhearted beings, Hertha Pecic and constantin Christomanos, who went the Dther day to see again the blue Mediterranean anel the poetical Cap Martin, where they -.pent sunny winters with their liege lady who is no more.

— It is saiel that with those ladies who ignore mere fashions of the moment in jewellery pearls are always favourite gemp. —Tf anything were wanted to indicate Ihe assured place medical women now hold in our midst, nothing could be move conclusive than the reception which was held in the Malonic Hall in honour of Dr Sophia JexBlake, that doughty pioneer and champion tor medical education for women in Scotland. It must have afforded her intense satisfaction lo look upon the large company of admirers, friends, and pupils who were gathered to do her honour, anel doubtless she would mentally contrast it with the contumely, prejudice, and jealousy with which she and the gallant little band of lady medicals had lo fight in the opening days of the movement. On this occasion, in the absence of the Marchioness of Bute, Lady Helen Munro-Fergusou and the Countess of Moray received the guests. The latter wore ft black velvet gown with jetted front of white Eatin, white tips in the hair, and a magnificent diamond necklace. Lady Helen Mun-ro-Ferguson wae also in black velvet with jette'l chiffon bodice. Lady Victoria Camphell wore a black velvet skirt with bodice of

silver grey satin. Dr Jex-Blake was in black silk brightened by a bunch of scarlet geraniums. Among the medical women, of whom a large number were present, was Dr Margaret Todd (author of " Mona Maclean "), whom, Dr Jex-Blake says, the public have to thank for opening their eyes to the fact that a medical woman is not a monstrosity, but much like other girls. A little tale, "Erstyof the Mill Toun," also from the pen of Dr Margaret Todd, was on, sale in the hall, the proceeds to be given to Dr JexBlake's Hospital.

— A practical examination of plain cooking for the City and Guilds of London Institute's certificate was held last week under the supervision of Miss Mackenzie and Mesdames Turtoii and Denniston. The candidates were required to prepare and cook and serve up a number of dishes, and to clean all the utensils used, the time allowed being three hours. No two candidates near each other were allowed the same test?. As much interest is taken in the matter, and many inquiries have been received as to the nature of the work required to be done, we reproduce the six tests which candidates had to undergo : — No. 1 : (1) Fish fried in batter, 1 plaice ; (2) shortbread, ilb flour ; (3) fig pudding, £lb figs ; (4) clarified fat. No. 2: (1) Beefsteak pie, |lb beefsteak 4 (2) gingerbread pudding, ilb bread, or flour if preferred ; (3) Shrewsbury cakes, £lb flour; (4) % cup of cocoa. No. 3: (1) Vegetable soup, 1 quart stock or water; (?.) fried sausages on toast ; (3) fruit pie, 1 pint pie dish ; (4) a cup of tea. No. 4- : (1) Fried liver and bacon; (2) roly-poly pudding, £lb flour; (3) baking powder rolls, £lb flour; (4) boiled greens. No. 5 : (1) Boiled mutton and parsley sauce ; (2) -gooseberry turnovers, i)b flour; (3) scones, £lb flour. No. 6: (1) Fish, boiled, with white sauce ; (2) potato soup, 1 quart stock; (3) saiisage rolls, 2 sausages.