LADIES' GOSSIP. The Hair and Hair Brushes, What Pleases Married People. Weak Eyes, Styes on the Eyes. A Society Catechism.

Otago Witness, Issue 2505, 26 March 1902, Page 61

LADIES' GOSSIP.

The Hair and Hair Brushes,

What Pleases Married People.

Weak Eyes, Styes on the Eyes.

A Society Catechism.

— The futuie of royalty depend* a good deal on iowUv itself. In this countiv royalty shares the genera* good sense ol the community, has a keen conception of duty, works hud. conforms to the times. The'ie .up tew more industrious or enei gene men in England than King Kdwaitl; and he would no moie think of bteaking a public appointment he had made than if he weie a simple clerk who had to be at his oflice in the city at a ceitain hour every morning This sense of public duty is common to all royalties lieie ; the poor Duchess of Teck vied a martyr to it ; it i« part of the business training of a commeici*l aajjfiPi #U& the ,wue thing caouoj*

be said of the royalties of the Continent. ' The French have a phrase for the foreigner who comes to Paris simply because he believes that Paiis offers more numerous and safer and worse opportunities for the indulgence of mere vicious inclination than any other city in the world. The foreigner of this type is called a " rastaquouere," or " rasta "' for short. It is a notorious fact that the worst '" rastas " of Paris are either reigning or dethroned monarch*, "ion cannot go to any racecourse in Paris without seeing the paddock crowded with dozens of foreign princes, Russian granddukes. German princelings, and the like. King Milan of fServia was regaided with something like horror even in such capitals a" Paiis. and Vienna; and there is .i living monarch whose name is constantly as-sociated with that of either one or the other of the most famous or infamous leaders of a certain class of theatrical society. — M A. P. — The new mle of evening courts will involve , c ome considerable expense, as refreshments are to be provided for those who are bidden to attend. There was an idea at one time of providing tea fur those who attended Queen Victoria's Drawing Rooms, but nothing ever came of it. It i> tuulci.-tood that there wil' be no change in thu manner of holding Drawing Rooms, the arrangements at Buckingham Palace being precisely similar to those that shave obtained for so many years past, the time only being changed from afternoon to evening. The King does not intend to revive the practice of saluting Indies present cl at court on the cheek — a practice which ."till survives in the Di awing Rooms held by the Lord- Lieutenant of Ireland. Trams and court plumes- will be worn, but it it expected that eldeily ladies and those who are de'icate will be given the cho.ee of appearing in high d'e-ses to the tin oat. —To ti> and look younger than her years, to .iffoct an appearance of youth when the leality has long since been left behind, is a harmless affectation thai has been prevalent among women in the past, just as v is in the present, and will be, there is little doubt, in the futuie. Ridicule, generally supposed to be fatal, has sign. illy failed in effect when d ; rected towaid> the tianspaient devices to make 40 appear as 20. That every woman should tiy to make the best of hers-e-'f. shou'd endeavour to look as attractive and pleas mt as possible, is a duty that she owes, not only to herself, but to her family and friends— in fact, to all those around her ; but when she think* is doing this duty by tiying to ape a long dead youth, either in looks- or manner, she becomes an object of amu-ement and defeats her own object by arousing particular curiosity a.s to her real n^e. which is generally cJecided to be several veai> in advance of the actual niimbei. In spite of this little such a woman is often a pleasant companion, .-he deceives no one but herself, and does not cause tlpit intolerable ieeling ot irritation aroused 'by women who talk in the Mlly, child'sh, irresponsible way that they imagine stamps them with the hall-mark of lhvemlitv. and who do things that would be considered foolh'i even if done by a girl in her teens. We have all nvt such women, but we have c;>use to be truly

grateful that fuller lives and widei 1 aim* are diminishing their number year by year. Women are becoming too sensible to adop-o inane affectations which engender pity oj* ridicule ; but all the same, they do not bid farewell to youth any earliei, and! neither do they care to publish their age upon the housetops. " A woman is as old as she looks and a man as old as he feels " is very true in most cases. — The Queen of the Belgians now lives .ill the year round at Spa, where she has extensive sta.bles. Her domestic disappointments have been deep and bitter. One single passion still warms her heart — the love for horses. The King is an ardent moi-oiis-t. — Madame Zola hag a retiring personality She became the wife of the great French novelist when he was still a poor s-trugglirg writer on the Parisian halfp?nny press, and she did all in her power to piomote his success and to further his ambitions. Madame Zola, though not so very much younger than her husband, now looks almost as if she might be his daughter, for. while deeply sympathising in the noble efforts made by him on behalf of Captain Dreyfus, she played no active part in the fearful struggle. *By M. Zola's special wish, she remained in France during his exile in this country, but she has been in London. Z\[. and" Madame Zola nre a childless couple, but tliey.aie botli fond of vourg people, and their beautiful Parishome and delightful, picturesque villa at Mrdan are often filled with the bright laughter of the little boys and girls whom Zohi and his kind-hearted wife delight to entertain. — The Queen has quite dccJded in what robe h -he will herself appear at the Coronation, and also how her four mmdf-of-honour ore to be garbed. They will wear white-and-silver frocks, thcii trains being of white velvet, and theie sconis an idea that, in addition to the orthodox feathers and long veils, they will each -.\ ear n wreath of white roses. This would be a delightful return to the one pretty mode that obtained in 1838. Queen Alexandra's attendants- will make a very pretty group, for Miss- Sylvia Kdwardes. " the Mis'-es Viviau. r.nd Mi«s Mary Dyke ate all quite youiu and po»se.««cd Of great good loi-k" — The Prince and PrincesV. of W.iic-s t.i^e up their quaitois ;.t Murlbnrouirh Housu after Kaster. and meanwhile will spend most of their time at Sandnnjrham, coir.ijr up to town only for the various function. — Lady Helen Vane-Tempe^t-Stewr 1 . . High though her lineage, pioud her n.yin , in allying herself to the heir to the earl dom of Ilchester, has married iuto a family with almo=t as notable a history as- her own. The founder of the limise." Sir Stephen Fox (projector of Chelsea Ho?pital), was the faithful friend of Chniles IJ. He was father of the fit ft Lord Jlchciter a:u{ of the fiirt Byron Holland. Pcihaps thu most famous of his descendants have been Charles James Fox, the statesman and orator, and the third Baron Holland, who gathered round him a galaxy of literaiy giants, including Macaulay, Samuel Robert, the poet and banker, and Sidney Smith. The bride will be a^ much misled in Durham as she w .11 be in t'le rorth o! lioiain'.

Nobk-sse oblige has been a motto loyally acted upon by the Londonderry family, and it 'has met with its due reward. — The Maichioness Capra-niea del Urillo, as she is known in Rome, or Adelaide Ristoii, as she is known to the outside world, on the 29th oi January celebrated' her eightieth birthday, and at the same time commemorated afreih the tenth anniversary of the death of her husband, who died on her birthday. The great veteran player has a sanctum sanctorum full of records of her private and public past. On the walls Jiang portraits of her father, who was ihimself an actor, and her mother, a gentleiooking old lady, from whose picture it is Easy to see where Adelaide got her beauty. There are also portraits oi her husband, children, herself in various poses and chai>eters, celebrities, etc. Her desk is Strewed vrifh papers, photographs, newspapers, in most admired disorder, so that When she allows herself to glance at it the raises her beautiful and expressive hand*, saying, " I cannot bear to look at it ; 1 love 'o'ider, and this is chaos ! " In the firawers of this desk, kept jealously closed, ire bundles of letters frpm most of the celebrities of her time — Count Cavour, Garibaldi, Dom Pedro, of Brazil (over a hundred), Dumas pere, etc. — while she has Autographs of Rachel, George Sand, Alfred Se Musset, Lamartine, etc., in such pioiusion one cannot possibly note th«a *U-

There are also statuettes and other mementoes offered in homage long ago to her genius. Madame Ristori generally dresses in black, with white lace, as befits her venerable age, and a "widow's cap which in shape somewhat recalls the headgear of her ancient favourite part, Mane Stuart. — The Duchess of Somerset is one of the most enthusiastic and clever lady-gardenei.s in England. Her favourite garden, where &he spends many of her happiest hours, contains none but old-world flowers, the very names of some of which are lost to the present generation ; and another garden is devoted entirely to medical herb«, and is unrivalled for the range and variety of its contents. — The company of friends even the vcrv dearest, is not olways soothing, we must all admit, nit it is strange how the tame person lias a soothing effect upon one and an irritating effect upon another. We hear frequently about the irritability of genius, anj no doubt many people who have been endowed with what they are pleased to term an artistic temperament are not always the most easy to get on Tilth. They are frequently so sensitive, so hiehlv .strung, so extremely imaginative, that it is the easiest thing in the Avorld to offend then delicate and refined sensibility without knowing how or why, and without the least intention of &o doing. It must certainly W — ; -irx iOE a hj_£er-|en§itive £sP£j| t&

have to knock about in this rough-and-tumble world, -which consideration may console those of us who have no such qualities on which to pride ourselves. fck>me people are ready enough with sympathy and consolation in big troubles and griefs, but they have no patience to spare for the sufferers from the little annoyances of life, the pinpricks and stabs of every day. This is a mistake, for, as everybody knows, it is the little worries and little battles that make the most harassing conflicts, and ac-count-for the most frequent collapses. A sympathy that springs from leal unselfishness and thought for otheis will show itself, whether the woes and anxieties be big or little, lasting or evanescent, extraordinary or commonplace. We all know the old adage, " A man is known by the company he keeps, "' but how often we find the exact opposites, iii temperament, mental capability, aims, and ambitions, to be the firmest cf friends and most genial of companions ! One supplies what is wanting m the other, and by an interchange of ideas they know that monotony and dulness can never find a place in then sociability. — Queen Wilhelmina is, as becomes the sovereign of a nation of skaters, one of the most enthusiastic and skilful skaters in the Netherlands, aud spends many of her happiest hours on the private lake of tne Huis Ten Bosch, competing with some of the ladies and gentlemen of her Court in feats of skill on the ice. — Precedence will agitate many niinds this year. One of the most sad cases is that of widowed peeresses who have remarried with either commoners or peers of lower rank than the first husband. These ladies generally retain the title of the higher rank. The Duchess of Buckingham and Chandos is now the wife of Earl Egerton : Lilian, Duchess of Murlborough, is the widow of Lord William Beresford, and so on. It is very rare for a lady to elect, as> Lady Randolph Churchill did, to give up the higher title that she has held as a widow and to content herself with the name of a second husband of lower rank. But though the couitesy of society will continue to grant the higher title, notwithstanding a second marriage, the la.ws of Court etiquette are more stern, and it is quite settled that the wife must t?ke the rank of her existing 'husband. The Duchesses' bench at a State concert is forbidden to the ladies remarried to Earl 3, for instance, and the same will hold good) at the Coronation. Even the Royal Family has changed precedence by the accession of the King, for the reigning Sovereign's own children take precedence of his brothers and sisters ; and the Princesses, who were first at the Jubilee of the late monarch, will be behind those of the younger generation at the forthcoming ceremony. — Dowager-Empress Marie Dagmar of Russia, who, it is said, has lost all her once potent influence over the young Czar, spends much of her time at the Court of her father, King Christian IX, of Denmark. The Empress was formerly called the Princess Dagmar, and during her reign in Russia v\ as regarded as the '"best-dressed woman in Europe." She was also one of the prettiest. As a young woman she was passionately fond of dancing and of riding, and was herself an excellent horsewoman. ■>ne introduced hunting into Russia, and is still very fond of that sport. This bright woman, like everybody who goes to live in Russia, was rapidly converted into a Russian, and is to-day intensely interested in the destiny of the country over the affairs of which she has long since lost her last vestige of power. — Lady Jersey is reputed to be the best lady platform speaker in England, and she has a variety of other talents. vShe has travelled, and has described her tiavels in magazine articles. The happiest years of her life were, she says, the three spent in Australia during which her husband was Governor of New South Wales. — Should the Baroness Burdett-Coutts live to witness the Coronation of Edward VII next June it will be the third event of the kind she will have attended. At the age of 16 she saw George IV crowned, and she also attended the Coronation oi Queen Victoria. — Lady Cadogan. the Duchess of Abercorn, Lady Lansdovvne, and Lady Pembroke are all having their Coionation robes made in Ireland. — Miss Knollys is still an invalid. This favourite rnaid -of -honour is always called "' Chatty " by the Queen, and enjoys a precedence utterly at variance "with heraldry, for, except at State functions, she is always within a couple of yards of her Royal mistress. She is ■• quiet, kind, utterly unobtiusive, perfectly sim,ple maiden ■lady of advancing years, who dresses very modestly. Though Lady Antrim is doing her utmost to take the place of the absent factotum, it is not the same thing to the Queen, who has actually written several letters -with her own hand to intimate friends, to the great astonishment of Princess Victoria. That Princess 'has never conqueied the overpowering shyness which mokes all publicity martyrdom to her. She is of met silent disposition, and liable to intense fits of depression. She is at her best -tthen alone with her one intimate friend. Lady Musgiave, or when playing with her nieces, the little Fife^. Her health is not po good as it might be. — I wondei how many people have wondered and pondered again and again the why and tlu j wherefore of our universal and slavish devotion to Dame Fashion — an intangible nobody, but the tyrant alike of the painted and feathered and the shell and teeth bedizened beau and belle of the Pacific Isle«, and the Worth or Paquin robed lady of fashion, or the gilded youth of London or Pans, and all the shades and giades of man and womankind between? And how fickle the tyrant is, withal 1 We laugh at the hideous crinoline age — the pork pie hats, the chignons, and the absurd pose of the figure seen a little later in the wood-cuts of the day, and grandly called "the Grtcian bend," and all the other monstroMtie-< of the mid-nineteenth century ; but it is almost as amusing to go back but a few years, say 10, and note the

grown disgusted with her aesthetic craze, the frowsy head and the low-toned draperies. She preferred to flirt with the early Victorian from the Golden to the Diamond Jubilee, and chic began to triumph over artistic. The balloon sleeve, the Godet skirt, the flower-garden hat, the barbaric sequin, the glittering paillette have all evolved since then, and now we look at the dainty drawings of trailing robes and fluttering sleeves in the Queen, the Lady, the Pictorial, and such fashion journalo and assert positively that fashion has reached the apex of beauty. But the new century has brqught another change, not only m the fashion of the i-lothes, but the fashion of the figure. We h:ar a lot about the new figure, and the straight-fronted cor«t by which the new figure is obtained. But, really, Dame Fashion is trying our patience too far. We have let her turn and twist our garments about—that is another matter. Time was, and that not very long rgo. when the perfect figure had a straight back, and "the curves of beauty" in front. The new iigure has a curved back and a straight front. Fickle Fashion, forsooth! So chic is the new figure, that beside to-day's illustrations in the Queen, etc.. the women of Roniney and Gainsborough and Raebuin are mere dowdies.— Lady writer in Home paper.

The hair can easily be made lighter without using any dye by following out theseinstructions:—Wash regularly every fortnight with this shampoo: Boil three and ahalf pints of water, containing some Panama wood, for about 20 minutes; then add a small lump of carbonate of soda. Let the water cool to the temperature required, and before applying it to the hair pour into it a .vineglassful of nun, and thoroughly stir the mixture. This is an excellent wash for the 'hair, rendering it beautifully soft-and siiKy. Silvei backs of brushes, if rubbed daily with a chamois leather, will very seldom need a regular cleaning. If, however, you prefer to give them a good clean occasionally, moisten a little whiting with alcohol, and brush the silver with this. Brush out again, and polish with a soft dry chamois. The backs and handles of ebony brushes should be rubbed over with a very little boiled linseed oil after washing, and then rubbed .with a soft dufter until every vestige of oil is removed. Special care i« needed in cleaning silver initials on these, and only very slightly moistened whiting should be used, or it is apt to leave a nasty white mark on the wood, which is extremely difncult to remove. In brushing the whiting oft after be careful not to scratch the ebony, for once scratched it is spoiled. Ordinary -wooden-hacked brushes can be treated with linseed oil in the same way as ebony ones. Before polishing the backs the bristles should be cleansed by dabbing them in a soft lather of lukewarm water irt which a little borax has been dissolved. Quickly beat the water with the front of the brush without allowing the back to get wet, and you will find it soon becomes perfectly clean. Rinse in clear cold water and thoroughly dry before beginnin.g operations on the plain wood, ebony, or silver, as the case may be. Combs should be washed quickly with a fairly hard brnsh and not allowed to remain wet longer than is absolutely necessary. Diy with a soft cloth and stand with teeth downwards until all moisture has disappeared.

Marriage is often a failure because men and women do not understand each other. Here are some things which please a woman : To be called a sensible little woman. To be complimented on being a welldressed woman. To be told that she is fascinating. To be told that she improves a man by her companionship. To depend on some man and pretend she is ruling him. To be treated sensibly and honestly, and not to be treated as a butterfly, with no head nor heart. To be loved and admired by a man who is strong enough to rule and subdue her and make his way her way—to lead her and take care of her. To find happiness in being ruled by an intellect that she can look up to .adnuiingly, and one to whom her own mind bows, in reverence. A man is pleased: To have a woman love him. To have a soft, gentle, magnetic hand alleviate the pain of an aching head. To have a woman's hand smooth aWay the careworn expression and wrinkles from his brow. To have a woman's strength to help him over the weak places in life. To have a woman lead him in the way he wants to go. To have a woman sometimes treat him as a big baby, to be cared for and caressed.

(By Florence Stacpoole, Lecturer to* the National Health Society.) Everyone who has the care of children should know that inflammation of the eyes is a complaint which should never be neglected, even for a short time. The eye is a very sensitive organ, and if the inflammation should be of the serious kind knorvn as " purulent ophthalmia," not an hour's delay must occur in treating it. The reason why the utmost promptitude in treatment is so urgently, necessary is because the discharge which gathers in this kind of ophthalmia is of a corrosive nature, and if it is allowed to remain on the eyeball it may corrode and so injure the structure of the eye itself that the Tight m-ay be permanently lost. 3,'h.ere are two kinds of ophthalmia —one which is easily cured 1, the other —the "purulent ophthalmia" just mentioned —which requires the treatment of an experienced doctor, and the most vigilant nursing, both by night and day, becatise until the secreting of the corrosive discharge is irrested the eyesight is in very serious danger* lUigj)-}4ie£ kind jfftfrahjgJa TjpartlL ffiS-_

ceeds from cold, particularly in delicate children who suffer habitually from weak eyes. This kind every mother .should understand how to treat. Symptoms of the. Dangerous Form op Ophthalmia. Puffing and swelling up of the eyelids so that they open with difficulty, a thick discharge of a creamy or it may be a. greenish or pinkish colour oozes between, them, and this coloured discharge is significant of gieat danger. The treatment, which, of course, must be directed by a doctor, consists in keeping this discharge from resting on the eyeball by wiping it away without a moment's delay, as any sign of it arises. This needs constant vigilance. It has been said that in the treatment of this complaint "a good night's rest has cost many an eye." So corrosive is the discharge that 24 hours' neglect may destroy the eyeball. The eyelids must be gently separated, and the secretion wiped away with bits of cotton-wool (antiseptic wool is btsi) dipped in the lotion ordered by me medical attendant. If there should be any delay (as in a country place, for instance) in obtaining the services of a doctor, the following lotion may be used safely until he comes: — Boiacic acid, loz; boiling water, 1 pint. Mx; use cold. The eyes should be kept covered with piecps ot lint wet with this and kept wet, and the pieces of cotton-wool wetted with it before wiping away the discharge. They should be burnt directly after use, j and the patient muat be -very careful to wash and disinfect her own hands, as this kind of ophthalmia is fearfully contagious. The air out of doors at night always makes weak eyes much worse. They may be bathed with advantage with either of the lotions given above, or with strong tea, hot or cold. This is an astringent, and very good for weak eyes. Styes ox the Eye. These are generally an evidence of debility of constitution, or of health lowered by living in a house where the drainage is b<id. When styes on the eyes are frequent among children, the drainage should be suspected R?ading in bad light, want of exercise, constipation, and sleeping in stuffy rooms predispose to styes. The eyelids and lashes should be washed well every day with soap ai^d """water, as want of cleanliness in this respect often causes styes. ■ A good pure soap causes little smarting of the eyes; they should be well rubbed then. Healthy eyelashes cannot be rubbed out. A lotion of subacetate of lead with a drachm of laudanum, if applied at the first symptoms, frequently will prevent a suppurating stye forming. A poultice of chopped parsley in muslin bags, applied cold and wet, is very soothing for inflamed eyes. j !

Do you see that?—l do see that. What is it'^A lady. What is a lady?—A woman, by a different name. How?— All ladies are women, but all women are not ladies. Urn—who is this lady?— She is a society person. What is that?—A person who is in society. What is society?—An aggregation of individuals each pos«e«sing the necessary re-quisite-s for an equality of association. What are the requisites?— Money. Nothing but money?— Well, it would be absolutely impossible without it, which means the same thing. How aie the candidates admitted?—By common consent. Immediately on application?—Oh, no, it takes tune. Are candidates placed on probation? — No, they work their way into the sacred circle by degrees. Are there set forms to be followed? — Not at all. Sometimes they get in one way; sometimes another. Is membership permanent?—As long as the money holds out society holds on. What of bad behaviour?— Judiciously conducted it adds piquancy to the peccadillo and interest to the individual. Is it always judiciously conducted? —• Some of the more daring have characterised their acts by a certain swagger which has given a title to their set. And society dearly loves a title?—lt does. With all the advantages of wealth, are not society persons quite superior beings? — In their own estimation. Not in that of others?— Wait till you have met a,nd tried to talk to a few of the glittering exemplars of the real thing in society. What's the matter with them?— Heaven only knows, and it won't tell. Are they all alike?—Oh, no; some of our highest and best types oi men and women are in it, but you know a needle hasn't much of a show in a haystack. How about a little leaven leavening the whole lump?—Oh, well, there are lumps and lumps, don't you know. Are society persons happy?— When they are on top of the heap. How do they spend their time?—As they spend their money. How is that?— Trying to be happy. You mean trying to keep on top? —> Mostly. How old is society?— Not so old as the grandfathers of most of its devotees. Thanks.—Don't mention it.—William J. Lampion*, in an American journal.