OVER THE TEACUPS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2375, 7 September 1899, Page 51

OVER THE TEACUPS.

My dear Readers, — The very ciimax of nineteenth century alertness is surely reached in the painting of your portrait while you wait! What was that golden legend which soothed the monks of old as they bent them over the missals whose illumination was the recreation of years? "Life is brief, but art is long." What was that deep and broad principle of life which rendered the master goldsmiths of Florence, the violin makers of Cremona, the mosaic workers of Rome as prodigal of time in their labour as were the great scholars of Padua? Just that the conviction that " Life is brief, but Art is long," and the beautiful axiom that sprang from it as does fruit from flower, "To labour is to pray." But that indeed lies all hidden in the dead past, -and to-day it is " Your portrait painted while you wait." Where and by whom? you ask. Well, it is not a joy for us to sample, dear, I must confess, only to hear of and wonder at, for the artist is a Mr Goldsborough Anderson, whose studio is in the Fulham road, London. These wonderful portraits — and even the poor reproductions amply prove their individuality and freshness of treatment — are painted in from two to three hours — while one notable portrait of the Chinese Ambassador was actually completed in three-quarters of an hour. Is not this a marvel of rapidity? I should like to tell you something of the successes of a young animal painter, Miss Lucy Welch-Kemp, whose Academy picture has just aroused such enthusiastic predictions of her future — no less than to have become heir to the mantle of the late Rosa Bonheur, yet since the commonplaces of

life claim so large a share of our attention, I always feel that in order to be really helpful I too must remember their importance. Thus I shall ask you if you have noticed in the papers various references by advertisement and otherwise to the " Peerless Steam Cooker " ? Mrs Miller (our well-known expert in cookery, and the compiler of those excellent but unpretentious little cookery books which we have all recourse to) gave a practical exposition of the merits of this steam cooker before a number of ladies the other day, with the most satisfactory results. The invention is an American one of course, and for those who do not object to steamed viands, it ensures cleanliness, economy, and the maximum of result with the minimum of labour. Meat, vegetables and puddings can all be cooked at the same time, and for the same trilling cost, nothing can be burnt, smoked, or dried up*y the cooker can be used on a gas or kerosene stove or an ordinary range, and it possesses the useful adjunct of a steam signal which whistles loudly when more water is needed in the reservoir. This charming invention can be had in various sizes, from the 25s one, suitable for two people, to the 45s which professes itself competent to deal with the appetites of 20 people. What an ideal wedding present ! " Housekeeping Made Easy," " How to be Happy tbo' Married '" ! Why I really think — I'm not sure, but I think, — I might be persuaded to renounce the ' complex cares of Emmeline's page, for ".love in a villa," if I could be sure of having a steam cooker as a wedding present ! ! Seriously though, to the monotonous ,list of articles we have so often conned, in search of wedding presents — important enough in appearance and unimportant enough in price — I am sure we may very well add a " Peerless " steam cooker ; so in case you agree with me and desire to have a more detailed account, I commend you to the address whence I got my information — Box 6 G.P.0., Dunedin. And now for a homely hint in regard to cake baking. In some ovens the cakes are always inclined to get burnt underneath. This may be remedied by having a flat baking tin coyered with a layer of sand about

an inch thick upon which to stand the cake tins. 9 Then there is anothei little matter of household detail — for town-dwellers specially — and that is the respectable item represented in the grocer's bill by Condy's fluid or other disinfectants. We jnusfc, — especially remembering how much of oui sanitary precautions are entirely relegated to " the former and the latter rains " of a kindly Providence — have something to flush our sinks and sewers and sprinkle our rubbish corner with, so here is the recipe for making your own Condy's fluid at one> fourth of the cost at which you can buy it. Procure from the chemist threepennyworth of permanganate of potash and dilute with water until the mixture is of a deep beetroot colour, bottle, and use as required. Then I saw a new idea for shining boots quickly and well mentioned in one of my journals the other day. I wonder if you know it? "To shine boots with unusual brilliancy, do not blacken, but rub with a piece of orange, let the juice dry in, and polish '"with a soft biush, when they will shine like a mirror." For new readers I will quote once more the surpassing virtues of banana-peel as a cleanser foi tan boots and shoes. Really there is nothing like it in my experience — but then I'm so fond of bananas that no doubt I reconcile myself to a little extra extravagance by remembering I am paying foi my boot polish and dessert all in one ! However, here is the simple formula. Rub 'the tan shoes or boots with the inside of the banana peel, and as they dry polish by rubbing briskly with a soft dry cloth. We all have our pet little aversions ; to each of us there is some special odour more I subtly and disagreeably penetrating than I any other odour, to each of us some

flavour — often the ghost of our favourite dish, — which persists in assailing our palate at out of season times which renders it absolutely revolting. To some of us this flavour of detestation is onions, to others, cabbage : to me fish. lam always fancying that I detect a subtle trace of vanished fishy dainties in, pot, pan, or fork. So I am going to try this simple little hint which I bequeath to you for trial too. " After using a silver fork for fish, the odour often clings to the silver, even after washing. To prevent this, after washing the forks in warm water, -let them stand in a basin of tea leaves for a few minutes. This will quite remove the smell." I saw a deai old lady, whose small white wrinkled hands are always busy for others, knitting with what looked£^o me two threads the other day. ' However, she explained that the strand of silk she was knitting in with the wool was only introduced at the heels and toes of the dainty little sox, and that it made them wear twice as long. Carnations I am glad to learn from a recent magazine have been much used for decorative purposes this year, and have done much to banish the too hackneyed poppies and marguerites. I must tell you of a mantle drape which is as lovely as it is original, evolved from the decorative possibilities of carnations. It is of that dull Indian shade of blue cloth, edged with a border of crimson and pink carnations. The flowers form the border of the drape which is "cut out round their petals, md the pale green stems and leaves are twisted through, and connected by a pale green ribbon | couched on with gold thread, and embroidered with gold sequins. Now is not that lovely? It is a French design, and I could not help noting it for you. j I have collected several " lovely "' recipes and notions on salads and salad dressings | for you, but shall keep them for summer, as [ I know you'd forget to cut them out. or else cut them out and mislay them before summer ! Before summer? Ah well, 'tis no far cry now to summer. I always think when once we get into the first month that ends with " ber t " the end of the year is just rushing tJUaK

<m vs — and a thousand-and-one thii :js claini our attention. Notably, oiu clothes — for our special bargains at the sales are lying ready to work up in various ways, and in the keenest shops, spring goods inSll their alluring freshness are being shown. Well I do hope you took my tip about the tulle for your tulle toques for they are to be the very thing, and soft tulle ties are to encircle the throats, and fussy, delicate, little arrangements of tulle will make our vests all that is ideal and thus soften the severity of our tailor-made costumes. And lace? Did you expend wisely and well on lace, remembering what a lace summer it is to be? The finest of muslin—whatever the make may be — and the coarsest of lace is the correct combination for style you know, and the tint of the lace may be anything from string colour to deep butter tint. There is now no doubt that" the respectable relic of a long dead mode, one which we have -laughed at in photographs 4 , and handled with merry jokes in the derelicts of mother's wardrobe, is about to claim us for its own. The polonaise or redingote is so constantly in evidence, in all the French and English journals that we can no longer ignore it. I never pretend to enter deeply into the question of dress — our English correspondent's lettei's always keep us well informed on this, topic, all I try to do is to give such hints as may be of use in arranging our shopping and planning oursewing. So now — foi the lengthening days have deceived us and it is already late — we must hasten to say good-bye, until our next meeting. EMMELINE.