LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 3102, 27 August 1913, Page 65

LADIES' GOSSIP.

For the first time in the history of Texas—possibly the United States —a husband and wife, both grandparents, have graduated from the same class at a

university. This happened when William Porter, aged 50, and his wife, aged 45, received their diplomas at Baylor University. The ceremonv was witnessed by their grandson, Lefand Rock, and the child's great-gandmother. The pair long ago attended a co-education school, when a little god of love interfered with their studies. After coming to Texas they for a while taught school, and a few years ago they decided to finish their interrupted course.

Miss Gwynneth Buchannan, M.Sc., and Miss Mabel Muntz, were passengers to London by the R.M.S. Drama recently. They were fortunate enough to secure the nomination of the University of Melbourne for two of the three free passages to London provided each year by the Orient line for graduates of the Melbourne University. Miss Buchannan has done a splendid course in science, and now proposes to continue research work in biology at University College. London. She will probably visit some of the German laboratories later. Miss Muntz gained first-class honours in each year of her course at- the University Conservatorium of Music, and also an exhibition. It is her intention to continue her musical studies in Europe.

Mrs Henry Fawcett is the widow of the late Mr Henry Fawcett, who was the blind Postmaster-general in Mr Gladstone's Government of 1880. and to whom we are indebted for the establishment of our parcels post. Mrs Fawcett, who is president of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies, is a lady of considerable literary ability, and has written several excellent treatises on the subject of political economy and kindred matters. Miss Philippa Fawcett, who a few years ago came out the Senior Wrangler in the Cambridge Mathematical Tripos, is. her daughter. One of Mrs Fawcett’s most attractive productions in more recent years has been a charming little volume entitled “Five Famous Frenchwomen,” which appeared about six years ago. Joan of Arc, Louise of Savoy, and her daughter, Jeanne d’Albret, and the Duchess of Ferrara were her selections, and their lives are treated in a manner admirably suited for its objet.

—ln remote Alpine hamlets and vil-

lages, especially in the Bernese Oberland, there still exist ancient and pretty customs of proposing marriage hy the language of flowers. If a maid accepts a bouquet of edelweiss from a man she at the same time accepts him as her fiance, the idea being that the man has risked his life to obtain the flowers for the woman he loves. Another method which exists in the Canton of Glarus is for the young man to place a flower-pot containing a single rose and a note on the window-sill of the girl’s room when she is absent from home and wait—perhaps days—for a reply. If the maid takes the rose the young man boldly enters the house to arrange matters with her parents, but if the rose is allowed to fade away the proposal is rejected without a single” word having been exchanged between the couple. Somtimes a fickle girl will keep a young man waiting a day or two for an answer, but whatever it may be it is considered final. The Baroness Bertha von Suttner is the foremost woman pacifist of the day, and not only has she this distinction, but she has also that of having written one of the two most widely popular novels ever produced by a woman writer, as well as that of having been the only woman to receive the Nobel prize for work in connection with international peace. Strangely enough, this protagonist of peace is* a soldier’s daughter, her father having been an Austrian Field-Marshal. The novel which made her world-famous was translated into English under the title “Lay Down Your Arms.’’ Before writing it, she studied the history of the last

European wars and the documents of the Red Cross Society, but what most deeply impressed her were Florence Nightingale’s descriptions of her experiences during the Crimean war. . Although already well known as a writer the Baroness had much difficulty in getting it accepted by a publisher, hut after much hesitation, it was eventually accepted by a Dresden publisher, and appeared in book form at the end of 1889. Its effect was extraordinary. Long articles appeared about it in the newspapers, signed by the best critics of the day. School for Servants. The first trade school in the world for servants was opened by the English Minister of Education recently. It has equipment and accommodation for the complete training of 60 servants, and is situated in extensive buildings in the borough, not far from Southwark Cathedral. The training-schools consist of model villas; four students live in each, under the supervision of two mistresses, each villa being run as an ordinary household. All new domestic mar bines and laboursaving appliances are tried at the school in order that the students may be made familiar with the most 'Up-to-date household mechanical aids. In order to make the training additionally encouraging, spare lime is to be given to literature, history, and novel reading. The school, in short, aims at making domestic service as attractive as possible to the modern girl. Value of Meat Diet, A diet of vegetables only is insufficient, for the reason that the most important producer of energy —albumin—is scarcely represented in it. If the vegetables be supplemented with plenty of eggs, cheese, milk, and butter, then the diet 1 ecomes almost ideal. But there are vegetarians who will not eat even these, says a writer. Cows and sheep live on a- purely vegetarian diet. But in order to get enough nutrition cows and sheep have to spend their entire time eating. Man cannot eat

fron early morn to late night. His stomach is not big enough. He has only one stomach, a cow Las four. No man on a strictly vegetarian diet can take in enough food to maintain his strength. He has to spend most of his waking hours at work, and can devote only a small part of his time to eating. Then, again, to get the full benefit of his vegetable food he must masticate it as thoroughly as a cow does. If his teeth ■were like a cow’s and had as much saliva and pepsin, and could regurgitate the food he had swallowed and then spend hours rechewing it, like a cow, he might subsist on vegetables alone. The small quantity of albumin in vegetables is enclosed in cells of cellulose, which the human teeth are incapabe of mashing fine enough and the human gastric juice incapable of digesting. The result of persistence in such a diet is intestinal trouble. However, there - are certain diseases — gout, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, and obesity, for example—which are benefited by a vegetable diet, but it must not be persisted in for too long a time.

Hints and Suggestions. If milk is kept in a large, shallow basin it will remain sweet for a longer time than if kept in a deep jug. Jewellers often keep a piece of gum camphor in the cases with their silver goods. It keeps them from tarnishing, and should be equally useful for the housewife. Equal parts of unslaked lime and sand, rubbed well in, will remove stains from

the kitchen table. Rinse well with clean water afterwards, or the lime will leave white marks.

If the taste of dripping is objected to in cakes or pastry it should be beaten to a cream and thoroughly mixed with the juice of half a lemon to each pound.

Shabby leather bags may be improved in appearance by being rubbed over with well-beaten white of an egg, and then polished with beeswax and turpentine, the final rubbing being given with a soft, oleain cloth.

After washing and drying wmollen blankets hang them on a line in the open air, and beat them well with a carpetbeater. This raises the fluff, and the blankets will look almost as good as new for years if they are treated in this way every time they are washed.

To Keep Towels Soft.—To keep Turkish towels nice and soft they should never be put through the mangle after being washed and dried, but should be well shaken and folded. It will then be found that they will keep their softness. Mangling only hardens them.

Boots and shoes to be kept in good order ought to be cleaned, whether they are worn or not. care also being taken that they are not left in a damp place oi- put too near the fire to dry. In cleaning take care to brush and not scrape the dirt away from the seams.

When lining a basin with pastry for a beef-steak pudding, cut a piece of the pastry away from the bottom about the size of a two-shilling piece ; then put the meat in. and the pudding will take an hour less to cook than if there were no hole in the paste. “Dont’s’’ for the Laundry.— Don't leave water in the boiler after washing is done, hut rinse it well out. and it will dry before the boiler is cold. Don’t dry your wooden tub after it has been used. Place about two inche® of water in the bottom till you want to use the tub again This prevents the wood from shrinking. Don’t leave the rollers of the wringing machine close together. Put a duster in between them and let them be rather loose. If the roller's always drv miicklv. find they laat twice as long.

Descriptions of balls, etc., must be endorsed by either the Witness correspondent for the district or by the secretary of the ball ocunnittee The MS. of any correspondents who do not comply with this rule will be sent to the scoretary for endorsement prior to appearing.—ELlZAßETH. To ensure publication in the forthcoming issue letters should reach the Witness office if possible on Saturday night, but on no account later than Monday night.

BAI.L AT EDENDALE. A moat successful invitation dance, given by the Edondale Tennis Club, was held on Friday, August 16, in the Public Hall, which was prettily decorated for the occasion. The stage was arranged ns a drawing room, for the use of non-dancers and those who wished «nj°y a game of cards, and portion of the hall was screened off for a supper room, , ~ being profusely decorated with daffodils, the work of Mrs Niven. Music was supplied by Mr Sutherland’s orchestra. The whole of the arrangements were under tha directions of the committee of the club, and reflected great credit upon all concerned. Dancing was kept going until 3 a.m.’, when a most enjoyable evening came to an end. Amongst those present were:—Mrs Horace Niven, in moss green satin; Mrs John Sawers, wearing a handsome dress of black corded silk draped with black lace: Mrs J, Sinclair (Ota Creek), white silk with draped overdress of white mousselino de soie. embroidered with black velvet and pale pink and green tints; Mrs C. Fowke, black silk; Mrs Nichol (Mataura), pale blue eilk; Mr* John Milne, black silk; Mrs D. Caldwell, white silk; Miss Dorothy .Porter (Wyndham), pretty dress of draped blue crepe de chin* outlined in dull gold ; Miss V. Pauli (Wyailham), cream dress with, corsage of scarlet geraniums; Miss M’Lauchlan (Wyndham), pretty dress of tangerine satin caught up with deep shaded roses; Misses Price (Invercargill), cream satin and pale pink satin; Miss R. Kingsland. lovely dross of deep cream satin, the bodice draped with lace and finished with a largo red lose; Miss Auni* Paris (Invercargill), exquisite dress of deep blue satin, the .skirt trimmed with an insert of blue lace, and caught up with bunches of tiny pink losebuds; Miss E. Descliler, a pretty dress of cream satin relieved with touches of deep pink; Miss Clarice Smith (Dunedin), grey silk frock with touches of ruby velvet; Ward (2). pick . drosses ; Miss Sco'ular, cream; Miss Norland, cream silk; Miss Cochrane (SpUrhcad).'. very- pretty dress of blue crepe dc chine trimmed with fine white lace and broad bands r»f silver embroidery; Miss Stuart, handsome dress of amber satin trimmed with a darker shade of lace; Misses Stuart (2; Brydone), pretty white dresses; Miss Cranatoun, pretty tussore dress; Miss ft. Cranstoun, white; Miss Stead, white dress with cherry sash; Messrs Niven (president of the club;, Fowke (captain), Macrae (secretary), Price (M.C.), Iliddleaton, Sinclair, Lament, Drummond* (2), Bogue (2), Valentino. Pyle. Robertson, T. Secular, Sawers, D. Palmer. Wilson, Laverty, Nichol, Stewart, Stead, W. Cranstoun, Marshall, Milne, Chaplin, etc.

A’EDUIKtJ AT W AIK AKA. A very prottv wedding was celebrated at Waikaka on Wednesday, August '2O, at (bo residence of the bride's } arents, the contracting parties being Miss Janet Pollock, only daughter of Mr and Mrs VC. Pollock, and Mr Thomas Keating. The ceremony vrae performed by the Rev. Mr Evans, in the presence of relatives and intimate friends of tire biidu and bridegroom, and took place on tW-spacioiiM verandah. The bride who was given away by lier father, wore :i beautiful dress of white radisnta trimmed with silk insertion and braid edgings, and an embroidered tulle veil arranged on a spray of orangu blossom. The bridesmaid. Miss Annie Pollock, niece of the bride, wore cream radianta trimmed with s;lk insertion. Air William Gilmour acted a» I vent man. After the ceremony a very dainty wedding breakfast was served in the dining room. The usual toasts wore honour on. the Rev. Mr Evans proposing the health of the bride and bridegroom in an admirable speech. The toast of the bridesmaid was responded to by the best man, in a very neat speech. Mia W. Pollock, mother of the bride, wore a pretty black dress; Mrs Gilmour, mother of the bridegroom, wore a brown costume; Airs John, Pollock, lovely lilac-coloured dress; Mrs Jas. Pollock, pretty cream dress; Mrs A. Muir, white silk blouse, gray skirt; Mrs Potter, 1 pretty black dress; Mrs Alatheion, black dress; Mrs Burns, prey costume; Mrs Cameron, pale groan dress; Miss ’Juneau, pretty blue dress, lace collar; Mbs M. Pollock, cream Wouse. brown skirt: ecveral other guests were also present. 1/ftter in the day Mr and Mrs Thomas Keating left by motor car. amid the usual shower of rise, en route for Gore, to catch the express. The bride’s travelling dress was a navy blue serge tailor-made costume, end a pale green hat with blue flowers, also fox furs. - The presents were beautiful ami valuable. CABERFEIDH BACHELORS’ BALL. The Caberfeidh bachelors’ annual hall tm hold in the Kihnika Public Hal! on August 22. The music was supplier! by Miss .Puller and Messrs. M’Lennan and Elliott, of Owaka. Mr Charles Medder made a very efficient M.C., and was ably supported by Mr Thomas Cairns. The bali was started at 8.30 with the grand march, led by Mr C. Medder and Miss Emily M’Cnllough. of Caberfeidh. The latter was dressed in a cream silk Empire gown trimmed with silk laco and silver gimp, with a silk cord sash, cream siik and shoes. There was an attendance of < couples, many of whom came a long wa£a over very bad roads. During the evening songs were rendered by Mrs Wilkinson, Air J. Greenfield, and Mr J. M‘Lachlan, after which Mr Robert Fraser gave a splendid exhibition of a sailor’s hornpipe. Mr also gave a step dance. Mr J. M'Culloup.h. jun.. "who made a very efficient secretary, .called for a hearty vote of thanks for Mrs Wilkinson, who had very kindly lent the ••iano for the occasion. The catering waa done by the White Stores. Owaka, who excelled themselves. Tire ball broke up ct 5 a.tu , after a very enjoyable evening.— G UEST.