LADIES GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2388, 7 December 1899, Page 51

LADIES GOSSIP.

— The Queen of Siam owns a thimble which was a present from her royal husband ; it is made in the shape of a lotus bud, of the finest gold, and is studded with diamonds, which are so arranged that they, form their names and the date of their mar-" riage. — As giving some idea of the extensive range of stock that is nowadays necessary for some ladies' bootmakers, satin shoes in 30 to 40 different shades are sometimes to be had. — There are at present no fewer than 71 European princesses belonging to the reigning houses who are of marriagable' age 1 , while the corresponding princes are only 47. in number. — There is a perfect craze at present for antique jewellery, and all the brooches, buckles, or belts bequeathed for the last ten years to ungrateful girls by ancient relatives should be brought forward now and appreciated at their true worth. Lockets or antique ..pendants arc attached to long gold chains wound once or twice round the neck, many fastening formerly despised old lockets to the side of the blouse after the fashion of small watches. What a couple of years ago would have been considered a vulgar display, is quite fashionable at present with jewellery. Gold chains, pearl collars, brooches, rings, bangles, charms galore, are all woni during the day, and Dy ; people who could not be placed in the cate-i gory of the vulgar by' the bravest accuser., A pretty if rather expensive fad, in jewellery is > that of collecting sets of jewelled buttons to wear with blouses or evening bodices. These are of the most lavish description, and in the designs of many, countries. Indian and Russian jewellery is much in favour for buttons, brooches, etc., whilst the tendency to Etruscan style ia also well marked: — Glasgow Weekly Citizen. „ — A new material now on the market ia "mercerised cotton." This, though. really, of the commoner -fabric, has, a finish which' exactly resembles silk, though it is a deal more lasting. ■ - ■ — The Duchess of Cumberland and tha Queen of Italy have collections of jewels that in some respects are unequalled -in the j -whole world. ' ! — Some weeks ago I quoted the opinion, of an observant American on the walk and appearance and, in particular, the artificial hips of Parisian ladies. An American lady on the same interesting subject may now bo called in evidence. She is a Philadelphian, as observant and broad-minded as was the American man, and, like him, has seen dames of all nationalities. She denies that Parisian ladies wear artificial hips — that? ( practice, according. to her, is more Anierix can than Parisian ; but she admits that Parisian -figures have deteriorated, while ' adding that of late, owing to the abandonment of the short corset, they are getting slraighter backs and are less wobbly in ■ their walk. Her main charge against them ' is that they screw in their waists, and says ! that until, like the American woman, they, ' treat themselves naturally in this respect, they must always be the American woman's inferior. Quito likely ; it is a matter of taste, and for my part no white woman walks, or can be expected to walk, with the grace and 'freedom of Eastern maids.—; Sunday Sun Paris contributor. v — Golf as a pastime for women is increasing in 'popularity. The Ladies' Golf Union has now 40 associated clubs, and over 3000 members.

- — The German Empress, it is said, spends more upon clothes than any other Royal lady. — The conditions common to women of all creeds and races in India may be briefly expressed as follows: — Xl) The woman is absolutely the property of^.the man. (2) A woman has no soul. There is no heaven for her. When mentioned , at all in connection with another world, it is as ministering to the enjoyment of the other sex. (3) All except those of quite the lowest class are kept in seclusion, behind the "pardah." With regard to the first point, the laws of Hinduism teach that '" a woman must at no period of her life do anything according to her own pleasure, since in, chrldhood she is dependent upon her father, in youth on her husband, and in widowhood on her sons ; or, should she have no sons, on the kinsmen of her deceased husband, or on other male relations, and failing all such relations, she becomes dependent upon tht rajah." Mahomet wrote: "Men shall hay« the pre-eminence above women, because ot those advantages wherein God hath caused the former to excel the latter." Both Hindus and Mohammedans are authorised to punish their wives by degradation and chastisement. I have seen a wife stripped of all her jewellery and clad in a piece of old sackcloth by her displeased ford ; I have also seen the marks of chastisement upon her. A Hindu is generally supposed to have but one wife, but should she v .ear him no son within seven years, he n?-y take another ; also for other reasons, S'-»'-etimes the most trivial. The highest rank of the Hindus are privileged to take as many wives as they like, and, since each wife brings him a good dowry, one of these aristocrats will wed as many as one hundred wives, sometimes marrying all the eligible members of one family, and even engaging himself to 20 brides on one day! A Mohammedan may indulge in as many as four wives at a time ;. but is not supposed to $&

ceed that number. However, he can have just as many wives in his lifetime as he pleases, since he may resort to divorce on the smallest pretext, and as frequently as he chooses. — Sunday Magazine.

— "Mrr Humphry Ward has done nearly all her best writing in the country, and when in town generally discontinues literary work. — It is beyond dispute that a welldecorated table, fragrant flowers, and pleas"ant music increase the palate's enjoyment of a good dinner. You sit down to a well.ordered table, your eye is pleas.cd with its adornments, and — your appetite and digestion' immediately benefit accordingly. The reason of this is that the quickening of one sense gives increased activity to all the other senses and reacts favourably upon the whole body. It has been found, for instance, that certain sensations of hearing sharpen the sight, also that red and green colours, which tend to startle vision, increase quickness of hearing. On the other hand, blue and yellow, which are quiet colours, produce the opposite effect. Hostesses who wish their guests to eat a good dinner, must take care to minister to their .senses with pleasant sights and sounds. — One of the latest methods of earning a livelihood by modern young women is that of acting as secretaries, and performing the by no means easy tasks compulsory with this work. The post of secretary to political and literary men is a desirable one, and was formerly looked upon as a masculine prerogative. Women were regarded as not having the education, the business capacity, the tact, or the diplomacy, necessary, but time and the modern young woman have successfully disposed of such prejudiced opinions. A great many secretaryships in London, especially, are held by girls to-day, and so far they seem to be performing well the duties required of them. Such work compares favourably .with teaching, and is Avithout the monotony and lack of interest which the post of lady help or companion to a fractious old lady presents. But a good deal is required of the girls who aim at this kind of work, and a sound education is not the least important. A knowledge of typewriting and shorthand is generally compulsory, whilst {French and German would seem almost as necessary to the secretary of many political men. Most of the girls engaged with this sort of work appear to find it pleasant, and that the number of women secretaries is always increasing says a good deal for the power of keeping silence regarding business matters, which is so often declared to be impossible with the feminine sex. — Violin playing, it is asserted, greatly fcids r* girl in the cultivation of a graceful .figure. — A striking innovation which has been made in America is the election of a woman rabbi— the only one known. Miss Rachel Prank, a young lady of -California, who officiates in this -unique position at the principal Jewish temple in San Francisco, studied at. the Hebrew College in Cincinnati, with a view to taking the position. t-,A" Parisian costumier estimates that the value of material consumed yearly in France for women's dress is £40,000,0G0, (half of which being absorbed privately leaves as the value delivered to the dressmakers £20,000,000.

—At Dutch weddings the bride and bridegroom each receive as a present a Bible. This is not given by friends as might be expected, but is provided by the State, a number being supplied to all ministers for this purpose alone.

—At Balmoral the Queen enjoys a way of life somewhat approximating to a real holiday. There is, of course a perpetual interchange of mailbags and telegrams be,tween the castle and the Metropolis, but .while in the north the Qvieen is able to reiax many of tho?fc duties which are incumbent upon her when at Osborne and Windsor. It is at Balmoral that groups of her Majesty's foreign relations, notably her granddaughters and their respective husbands, are made welcome, and life is very much simplified, partly owing to the farseeing wisdom of the late Prince Consort, tWhi so planned the bailding that there could be but little accommodation offered to official personages. Everything about Balmoral Castle is essentially Scottish in character ; even the fireirons arc made from an original design of a thistle by Princess 'Louise, Marchioness of Lome. The car*,pets which cover the pine floors of liar ■Majesty's suite of rooms are of royal . Stuart tartan, woven especially for that purpose. The household is called to meals by a large gong, round which is inscribed the national motto, " Nemo me impune lacessit."

— Very little is actually known of girls' real tastes, even by their mothers. We are apt to assume tTiat they are what we .think they ought to be — an absurd and perilous assumption. — Academy.

— The Duke of Westminster and Mr puskin have iong taken much interest in iWhitelands, the training college for elementary teachers at Chelsea, and the former shows his sympathy for the young students in many ways. Lately they were all entertained at Grosvenor House, the ■Duke and Duchess, with the'r family, acting as cicerones over the oilendid and interesting treasure house. A year or two ago the Duke presided at the annual prize {distribution, and noticed that one girl stuHent won quite a pile of books. A few 'days later the young lady, on her return home, found , awaiting her a handsome Bookcase, sent with a kindly letter of congratulations and best wishes for her future career from the Duke.

— The Queen of the Netherlands goes to bed at 11, and gets tip very early. Her first toilet is a quick one, for it is merely a preparation for a good brisk walk in the park. When she comes in from her exercise, she has a cup of chocolate in her room, and then makes an elaborate • toilet. — A recent whim among the "fashionable and aristocratic" families of New York is to put the maids into a sort of livery like the men, such as, for example, a dark green dress with red facings and waistcoat, and no cap or apron. Powdered hair was part of the livery, and was tied, but some of the maid -servants looked much too distractingly pretty in 'this, so its use ©as. abandoned." So, at least, say some of

th 3 New York papers, commenting upon some of the latest advanced 'views in unexpected directions, of which the Americans appear to be so fond.

— Psychologists have undertaken the scientific study of dreams. When the olfactory sense of a sleeper is stimulated by an odour, such as that of violets, not only does he dream of " smelling violets," but visual images of flowers appear to him. If the experiment is prolonged, the dream visions become complex and filled with strange imagery. A vibrating tuning-fork held near the sleepe\"'s ear made him dream of a lion roaring, and when a little &alt and water were put on his tongue he dreamed that he was eating olives.

— What a vexed question cycling costumes has been. Not only women have been troubled with it — skirts versus ratiouals — but although less talk has been made about it the masculine mind seems to have been exercised over the question of trousers versus knicker?. The grounds of trouble have been quite different from the skirt question. There it was a question of speed and safety ; her>i it is mainly one of comfort and smartness, especially smartness. Many men, although preferring cycling to walking, have found that in the ordinary course of things they were unable to disregard appearances and wear knickers all day. What they desire is a cross if possible between knickers and trousers, combining the comfort of the one with the smartness of the other. Now they are going to get it. According to a reliable journal a novelty is about to be placed on the market. The trouse*rs are like ordinary trousers as far as the knees ; thence they taper to the feet, and " about the end of the trouser legs is a pair of gaiters of the same material as the trousers." I don't quite follow this description, but perhaps readers of the masculine persuasion will. It sounds uncommonly like "trews" with the addition of gaiters. However, the garment is said to be smart and comfortable, so that, in the words of advertisements, "it will supply a felt want.'" — Lady's Letter in Home paper.

— Talking of American trade, I did not fully understand the effect of the M'Kinley Tariff until very lately, when a friend exploded to me that the import duty of 80 millions .or thereabouts is subject to a burden of 41 millions, or nearly 52 per cent. That accounts for the fact, that when we were in America some years ago on a visit, my mother was appalled when she was asked five-and-thirty dollars for a very simple bonnet, and 4dol 50 cents for a pair of Suede gloves, such as she would have considered dear at a guinea or four shillings respectively over here. — I am told that it is quite easy to tell a woman's nationality by the way in which she lifts her dress in wet weather. "If," says some wise^man, "she _does this roughly and clumsily, and the general" • effect is disappointing, she is an Englishwoman. If- she raises it only slightly, and walks on the flat of her foot slie is a German. If she elevates it daintily, but sufficiently to clear the mud, and walks on her toes she is French, and if she jerks it aside with a little tug. and walks on her heels, she is a true-bred American." From my own knowledge, I might add that if she never lifts it at all, in fair or foul weather, she is probably a Spaniard, who would disdain to do anything which would impress the looker-on with the idea that she had a.i economical mind. — " Kathleen," in Leeds Mercury. — There are moments when the soul expands as if it wanted elbow-room in the house it inhabits ; and it is then that a man feels surprised, amazed at his ever having committed a mean or cruel action. — ElisT.- Cook.

— \..i Dowager Duchess of Abercorn has been on a visit to the Queen at Windsor Castle, and two of- her daughters, the Duchess of Buccleuch and Lady Lansdowne, were invited by her Majesty at the same time. The Dowager Duchess, who is in her eightyeighth year, was married to the late Duke of Abercorn in 1832, and when Sir Robert Peel came into office in 1841, tbe Queen ■and Prince Albert were both anxious that Lady Abercorn should accept the office of Mistress of the Robes but she declined the post, which has been tilled for years with conspicuous success by her daughter, the Duches sof Buccleuch.

— The old system for girls of air and exercise inadequate to development and health was wrong, but, for my part, I am inclined to doubt if it really was so pernicious in its physiological results or so subversive of domestic happiness and the welfare of the race as is the present system, which sets our mothers bicycling all day and dancing all night and our grandmothers playing golf. — Arabella Kenealy.

— The modern fashion of ladies' evening dress, ebbing away from the shoulders to an alarming extent, does not give ease and coolness. It uncovers in the wrong directions for health or comfort. An evening bodice is no more supported by a bow or a string of beads than half a dozen storeys of a shop building on the edge of. a sheet of p". ite glass. In either case, there must be the rigid stays and girders concealed b}the apparently airy fabric. A massive floor or staircase with no visible means of support is bad art, as Ruskin has pointed out ; the same may be said of Indies' evening dress in its extreme forms. — Sketch.

— Lady Forster, whose death took place in London lately, had an interesting history. She was a daughter of Mr John Surtees, who belonged to a Durham family known to English history long before the Norman Conquest, and whose sister, Bei-aie, was the heroine of the famous elopement with John Scott, the briefless barrister who subsequently became Lord Chancellor and Earl of Eldon in the peerage of the United Kingdom. The deceased lad)- was, therefore, a niece of that famous personage.

— The hereditary Prince of Saxe-Weimar, who has just been betrothed to the Duchess Sophia of Oldenburg, a niece of the Duchess of Connaught ; was born in 1876. He is nearly three years older than his future wife," and one 01 the best Royal matches in Europe. The Prince is at present next heir to the throne of the Netherlands.

— The number of women who go out with -a gun or a rifle is increasing. The Oomtesse de Paris, whose walking powers

and prowess on the grouse moors used to excite the admiratipn of .ttae Scotch gillies, has ceased to be a curiosity. Many ladies accomp my their husbands on shooting expeditions ; many go' out for a long day's tramp with only an -attendant ; many are as eager and enthusiastic about sport as their male relations. Gunmakers declare that women rank as some of their best customers, and buy the newest and most up-to-date weapons. — Lady Violet Greville, in the Granhic.

— Why Kettles Sing. — The reason is a very simple one. As the water gets hot little bubbles of steam are formed at the bottom of the kettle. These in their rush upwards strike the sides of the kettle, and set the metal it is made of in vibration, thus causing the humming sound we call singing. i'ou will noitice that a large copper kettle the sides of Avhich are thin will emit a much louder and more musical note Ihan a common iron kettle.

The distinction of sex among snickers may be gradually disappearing, especially in London. Cigarette cases are to be found very commonly among the personal possessions of ladies, married and unmarried, of the leisured classes : and girls who work at professions generally find that the nerves are soothed by a moderate use of tobacco. Ladies still smoke mostly in private, however, or only, at rather intimate parties, or on lawns of clubs that have a little innocent Bohernianism as their hall mark. According to Lady Jeu 'c, however, the female «moker is entering «pon a 1 more public phase of her career. In the last few weeks she has seen in the Strand a young and pretty woman smoking a cigarette, and in Richmond Park another woman smoking a cigar, both of them passing almost unremarked. — Illustrated London News.