WHAT IS MOST NECESSARY TO A WOMAN'S HAPPINESS?

Otago Witness, Issue 2848, 14 October 1908, Page 75

WHAT IS MOST NECESSARY TO A WOMAN'S HAPPINESS?

What is most necessary to a woman's happiness? Is it money, and the things ; that money buy? Cynical people say that ' it is. These same cynics also advise women to marry for money, because they I say that in a little while romance is bound to fade and illusions be shattered, and then ihat the rich woman has her establishment to console her, whereas the poor woman has nothing. But if you started out to paint a picture of happiness you would never select as your model the disillusioned wife whose existence is " bounded, on. the north by clot Iks;- and on the; "east by, bridge.^ and on.ther'souilLby s^y'aEht ? ,aty|;on 7 vthe;/s?,est ) ' ' byafjnotbr. cajr..' V, ' You. cannot pile enough rose > point and •'. diamonds above an. empty heart to stop ,its aching. . , . - In spite of , -all 'this, however, probably j ninet-tentbs of the women in the world j think that if -they just had plenty of money they would be perfectly happy. Other women think if they had fame and success they would be perfectly ' happy. [ They think that to see their name in L j print, or to hear the plaudits of an ' ! audience, would bring them complete bliss. But fame never satisfied anybody ; least of all a woman. The woman who is eminently successful has to buy her laurel crown at a great price. She must give up all the sweete of home j and domesticity. [ She must either live a solitary life, or I else turn over to hirelings all the dear I little familiar services that a woman loves J to do for her own. , Hired hands must put her babies to | sleep ; hired ears must listen to their j prayers; hired watchers must sit beside ' their bods when they are ill, while the • mother toils with pen, or laughs and ! grimaces upon the stage. S Still other women think that if they • had only love they would be happy, but ; love alone does not suffice. I It is a strange contradiction, but it is ! true, that as a general tiling the people I wTio love us best treat us with least con- , sideration. i All know women who have lived for , ' V'fars with husbands who never paid them ! a compliment, or grave any more indica- ! tion of the state of thpir feelings than if 1 , they had beon graven images ; yot when ' '■ their wives died, the ni-en were broken1 i heart-ed over their lo^. j All know men who spend their lives ' - slaving; to indulge their wives in luxuiiei>, I but who never show the slightest affection ' in any other way. ! Any woman with such a husband can ! sit down and br leasonins can convince ' herrelf that her husband lovfis her, but . ! that sort of loeic only satisfies the head. ' It does not feed the hungry heart. j j The one thing that makes a woman » ! happy i»s tenderness. Give* h«r that, and ■ she can make shift to do with very little • else. She may be poor and have to wear { I made-ovei clothes and last year's h-nts. ( ' j but if • her husband is sory for her , ! because she cannot "have the things that , 1 she ought to have, if he tells ber how he would like to dress >er if he could— she will wear her old clothes over a heart j that is ten times as light as that of many lady who has on the latest thing from Paris. . And the man who swears his devotion ' £o his wife at cverv turn need do little j else for her. She has got the kohinoor

of happiness, and she feels that she cai afford to dispense with all smaller jewels. — From the Hew York American. WELL-SHAPED HANDS. Nature has not endowed everyone witt well-shaped hands, but v it is quite pos sible for those whose hands are rougl and ugly to do A great deal towards im proving their appearance. In the firsi place, great care must be taken 4n regarc to the washing— only rainwater should tx used, or, failing that, water softened witt a little oatmeal or borax. If the oat meal is used, it should be put in little coarse muslin bags, and allowed to remaii in water overnight, or for several hours. It is always better to use boiling watei tc , pour over the bags ; the boiling tends to soften the water still further. Nevei use any but the best soaps. There it nothing that destroy the texture oi the skin more quickly than inferior soap. After washing the hands, and before drying them, rub a slice of lemon over them, and if bhere is any tendency to roughness add a few drops of pure olive oiK Then dry the hands thorougUy on a soft towel, and afterwards rub over with a little toilet oatmeal. When household duties hav< to be done, gloves should always be worn — old kid gloves, two or three sizes toe large, are the best for the purpose. When the hands have to be put in water, wear a pair of rubber gloves which can be bought of any good chemist for a comparatively small sum. These are almost invaluable to the housewife who wishes to have pretty, well-kept hands. Glycerine should never be 'used pure on the hands. It is apt to coarsen the texture of th€ skin. Used with an equal quantity oi rosewater or lemon-juice, however, it is an excellent remedy for a very rougt skin. It should be rubbed well in, and the hands dusted over afterwards with a little almond, or oatmeal.