LADIES’ GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 3111, 29 October 1913, Page 65

LADIES’ GOSSIP.

Very few women have ever been down a coal mine, to say nothing of working,in one. But Miss Marie Stopes, a Fellow of University College, and a specialist in coal, wasn’t satisfied to get her knowledge second-hand, and has don© a good deal of work underground. She has just been appointed Lecturer of Fossil Botany at the London University. The Duchess of Newcastle is keen on racing and hunting, but she also shoots well, and once went to the States with the Duke, and shot big game in the Rocky Mountains. And she has another pet pastime—fretwork—and makes many dainty articles on her fretwork machine, and often jig-saw puzzles, which she sella at bazaars, to much advantage. The Duchess favours the coat and skirt style of dress, and would dislike to he described as a beauty. But she is tall and straight, wears fine jewels, and makes an effect at Court entertainments. Her ornaments include a true-lover’s knot, and a big bird with outspread wings, both in fine diamonds.

Butterfly-farming is a new industry in America. One lady tells that she made 50 dollars (£10) per week during the 11 weeks of the butterfly season last year, and she says that other girls could do as well, or better, on this side of the Atlantic. She sold 11,500 butterflies and moths to one millionaire collector; but the trouble is that we have not many people of that Kind in this country. This lady farmer rears most of her stock, and does not rely upon the net for her specimens. More than half the butterflies and moths captured with a net are, she avows, nicked, damaged, and worthless.

A watch that is such an excellent timekeeper that it enables one to earn a living by it is something of a novelty. But there is one lady in London who possesses one. For the last 21 years she has made a living by supplying absolutely correct time to high-class clock' and chronometer makers in the City and West End. Her mother did the same thing for 40 years before that, always using the same watch. Miss Belville, the lady to whom it belongs, is the only outsider who is privileged to enter the transit room at the Observatory at Greenwich and correct her watch by the standard time. This she does nearly every day, and then starts out on her round to customers. She is very proud of her watch. Miss Winifride Borrow is a kinswoman of the author of “Lavengro,” her father and George Borrow having been cousins. She is much interested in the poetic drama and in the revival of the old folk-songs and country dances in the rural parts of EVigland. She has herself acted in mystery plays and pageants, and hopes one day to produce a dramatisation of the incidents in “Lavengro.” Much satisfaction is felt at the signal honour given to Viscountess Wolseley by her admittance to the honorary freedom of the Company of Gardeners. Viscountess Wolseley is the second lady who has been admitted to the freedom of this guild, the first being the Hon. Mrs Evelyn Cecil, who did much for gardening on the literary side. It is, of course, well known how Viscountess Wolseley has worked practically and directed operations since 1901 at the School of Gardening which she established at Glynde, Sussex. At this school practical instruction is given to girls who desire to take up gardening as a profession. After the ceremony of admittance to the guild, Viscountess Wolseley was entertained to dinner by the Company, and the Master gave the toast, “The Health of Our Youngest Member,” to which the Viscountess briefly replied. Lady Violet Brassey is a daughter of the Duke of Richmond by his first marriage, and own sister to Lord March and Lady Evelyn Cotterell. In 1894, when onlv 20, she married Mr Leonard Brassey, and has four sons, the eldest of whom is about 17. She is fair and tall and slender, rides well to hounds, goes racing, and has many house parties at Newmarket. Mr Leonard Brassey is a fine sportsman and a member of Parliament. He owns Apethorpe Hall, near Wansford, a lovely old place, which once belonged to Lord Westmorland. The gardens at Apethorpe are most beautiful. 'There are thick yew hedges, trees that are many and luxuriant, and nowhere in the world is there a lovelier greensward. The number of firs is a health-giving feature, and in the north-east corner of the lawn are a group of conifers said to be the finest in the kingdom. Where Man Markets. In Greece it is often the custom for the man of the house to go out early in the morning, and not only order ’ the day’s food, but to send along with the boy who delivers it explicit orders how he* wishes to have it cooked. In this connection it should be remarked that most Greeks can cook any Greek dish. Grecian women sometimes do not know how to cook as well as their husbands. These people eat very lightly in the morning, the meal consisting of fruit. At noon comes the first meal —the breakfast. From noon until 4 o’clock they sleep. This is a midday siesta. At 4 o’clock a light luncheon is eaten. The dinner, or heavy meal, is not eaten until the evening, sometimes as late as 9 or 10 o’clock. lalntlous Table Animals. When one comes to think of it, it is surpiising how many fabulous animals come regularly to the dinner table or supper table- Among them, of course, the most familiar is the Welsh rabbit, which,

in its original form, "was merely toasted cheese. Some folks declare that the name is a corruption of “rarebit,” but this has never been proved. Scotch woodcock is two slices of hot, buttered toast, with an anchovy on each slice, and a sauce made of a half-pint of milk and the yolks of three eggs poured over them.

The mock turtle is one of the most familiar of fabulous table animals, being served in the form of sotip. In “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” will be found a striking picture of this remarkable reptile, represented with the body of a turtle and the head of a calf.

Mock turtle is a roll of chopped meat and breadcrumbs baked. Mock crab is made by mixing equal parts of grated cheese and butter, seasoning with salt, pepper, and vinegar, and adding a few drops of anchovy sauce. The paste thus prepared is spread on slices of dry toast, or sometimes served in crab shells. Women Warriors. The German Emperor delights to surround himself at the grand parades with four “colonelles.” These noble warriors are the Empress, his daughter the Princess Victoria Louise, the Princess of Schaumberg-Lippe, and the Grand Duchess of Hesse-Darmstadt. Accompanied by these four Amazons, the Emperor passes before the regiment, and the crowd gives voice to its admiration. The “colonelles’’ are, in fact, superb attractions in their striking uniforms. The Princess Sophia of Prussia, sister of the Emperor and wife of King Constantine of Greece, shares the military taste of her sister-in-law, the Empress, and ha-s retained her title of colonelle of the grenadier regiment of the Prussian Guard. The Empress of Russia-, born Princess Alix of Hesse, is chief of the regiment of Uhlans and of the dragoon regiment of the Prussian Guard; Princess Marie of Roumania is “colonelle” of the Rochiori regiment, and the Queen Momer, Marguerite of Italy, does not conceal her pride that she is chief of a battalion of Prussian chasseurs. Female Admirable Crichton, Miss Marie Marvingt is known in France, her native land, as the first sportswoman in the world. She has the astonishing record of being able to swim, ride, shoot, fly, climb, fish, and drive a motor car, and she does everything perfectly. It is nothing to her to scale a mountain, to hunt big game; she rides bicycle better than most people; she skates and skis beautifully. In 1902 she was the best shot at a great international congress, and carried off the prize from hundreds of competitors; three years later she won the gold medal of the French Sports Club, a distinction to which very few men have attained. At the age of 10 she began to learn to swim, and she once succeeded in swimming 10 miles two minutes short of Miss Kellerman’s time, says the Daily Telegraph. Many interesting experiences fell to her when she climbed the Matterhorn, the Jungfrau, and Monte Rosa; but her Alpine achievements are as nothing compared to her feats in the air. Miss Marvingt has been up with several weflknown balloonists, including Mr Granier, with whom she went from Nancy to Southwold, about 600 miles, including 150 over the open sea. This intrepid sportswoman lias also turned her attention to aeroplanes, and her dream is to invent a model that might be used as an ambulance to convoy wounded soldiers from the field of battle to the base hospital. Hints and Sujrtostions. Don’t leave milk uncovered. Don't blow milk to cool it. A cut lemon rubbed on the forehead will frequently cure a severe headache. French chalk applied to grease spots on flannel suits brings out the grease if the garment is held near the fire. _ When the baby cries, perhaps it is because he is thirsty, or because he is lying in a cramped position. Don’t alwavs jump to the mistaken conclusion that'he is hungry, as so many mothers do, To prevent custard dishes or glasses from cracking when pouring boiled custard into them, place the dish ou a damp cloth. This plan is most effective. Soap that is allowed to dry and harden lasts twice as long as if used when fresh. Therefore it is cheaper to buy it in quantity and keep it in a dry place. Tomatoes should always be skinned before being used for salad. To do this easily, place the fruit in a basin and pour boiling water over; let it stand a minute. You will then find that the skin can be removed without any trouble. When, there is no shoe polish to be had, lemon-juice makes an excellent substitute. A few drops sprinkled on black or tan shoes, and rubbed brickly with a soft duster, will give a brilliant polish. Don’t brag about your gardening exploits—it is so dull for listeners, who don’t want to hear about (even if they believe in them) the “masses and masses” of flowers in your garden, or the enormous height to which your sweet peas grow. It often happens that new kid gloves are split the very first time they are tried on. This can be prevented by placing them between the folds of a damp towel for an hour or so before they are worn. The damp softens the kid, so that they will stretch to the required shape without splitting. All wallpaper fades, either little or much. So if parts of it become soiled or term and want replacing, it is a good plan I/O icave paper rcfluaOu xor mending It in the sun, until it matches the shade on the wall. Then, instead of cutting a piece to patch the wall with, tear it. It will not show the join. Nothing is more unpleasant than to get a fishbone stuck in one’s throat; but if you suck a lemon, letting the juice trickle slowly down the throat, this will give almost instant relief, as the acid, dissolves

the fishbone. If you haven’t a lemon handy, the raw white of an egg, swallowea at once, will very often carry the obstacle with it. To Mend a Mackintosh. —Prepare a cement by dissolving some sheds of pure india-rubber in naptha to a stiff paste. Apply a little of it to each edge of the rent, lay the mackintosh on something flat, bring the edges together, and place a weight on them untu the cement is hardened, when it will bo neatly mended. When ironing afternoon tea-cloths, keep a basin of warm water and a clean piece of rag by you, and after ironing the lace or embroidery—which, of course, should be done on the wrong side—wring the piece of cloth out of the warm water, and rub over the linen on the right side. Then iron with a hot iron on the right side, and a beautiful gloss will be the result. There are two good ways to boil eggs. One is to place the eggs in cold water and bring it to a boil, not too quickly, and not too slowly, when the eggs will be found to be cooked about right. The other way is to heat an earthen pitcher with boiling water, place in it the eggs to bo cooked, and refill with boiling water. Wrap the pitcher with a towel or a piece of flannel or other fabric to aid in retention of the heat. At the end of 15 minutes remove from the vessel. The best way to work buttonholes, especially large ones for coats, etc., is to mark the position and then put two rows of machine stitching. Afterwards cut between the two stitchings and, you will find the hole much easier to work, as this prevents all fraying of the material. Put a sheet of tissue paper into a small cardboard box; over this shake a good layer of fullers’ earth; then lay the article-- to be cleaned on this, put more fullers’ earth on top of it, and a layer of tissue on this. Then put the lid on the box and leave it for three or four days. After this shake the blouse well, and it is perfectly clean, at the small cost of threepence or fourpence.

Descriptions ol balls, etc., must be endorsed by cither the Witness correspondent (or the district or by the secretary of the bull committee. The MS. of any correspondents who do not comply with this rule will be sent to the Mortterr for endorsement prior to appearing.—KLlZAßKTH. 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. HAKATABAMEA BACHELORS’ BALL. A strong committee of bachelors, with Mr John Gilmore as chairman and Mr W. C. Gemmell as secretary, gave a most successful ball in the Hakataramea Hall on Wednesday, the 15th. The hall was prettily decorated with evergreen and flags. About 8.30 Mr W. C. Gommell and Miss Winnie Gemmell (Maheno) led off the grand march, followed by between 20 and 30 couples. That number was more than doubled later in the evening, some coming as far as Oamaru and Waimate by motor, and others from as far back as Otematata. Mr H. Waters, well known throughout North Otago,' carried out the duties of M.C. in his usual courteous and jovial manner. The music, supplied by Messrs Williams and Hazelwood, and an extra by Miss M’Kenzic, left nothing to be desired. The floor was perfect, and one and all thoroughly enjoyed the dancing. The catering was in the capable hands of Barclay Bros., and they are to be congratulted on the dainty supper they had served in the adjourning supper room. The members of the committee took turns at waiting at the tables, and some looked as .f they were old hands at the game. During the evening Mr Mtirtagh gave a step dance, Mr Gilmore a song, and Mr Conlan a recitation. The various coloured dresses of the ladies lent a brilliant touch to the scene. Some I noticed were: —Miss W. Gemmell, daintily draped cream frock; Miss Delaray, cream; Mias Munro, Miss Baker and Mrs Smart, cream silk; Miss E. Downey, pink vehet; Mrs Welsh, pale blue; Miss Valintine, pink; Mrs Barclay, black; Miss Park, pale blue; Mrs Park, blue; Misses Milne, cream; Miss L. Milne, cream, with touches of pale blue; Misses O’Brien (2), Fraser (2), Miss L. Hogg, and Mrs Uunstan, cream; Misses M’Kenzic, green and white; Miss M’Leod, while, with touches of scarlet; Misses Hogg, Menzies, Ranen, and Mrs Williams, pale blue; Miss O’Connor, biscuitcoloured embroidered frock; and many others. Dancing was kept go ; ng until the early hours of the morning.— Onlooker. A WEDDING AT DIPTON. On Wednesday, September 24, a wedding of more than usual interest was celebrated in Dipton Presbyterian Church, the contracting parties being Mies Peat and Mr W. J. Sinclair, both local residents. The day was bright and beautiful. The bride looked sweet and pretty in a rich cream silk, which fell in soft, graceful folds, shimmering through the bridal veil, which was surmounted by the usual orange blossoms. She carried a handsome shower bouquet. The bridesmaid (Miss Bessie Rosa) was attired in a very dainty cream frock, with a liecoming hat to match. Mr Sinclair, brother of the bridegroom, was best man. The ceremony was impressively performed by the Rev. John Miller, the bride being given away by her father. The church was tastefully decorated with a profusion of lovely spring flowers by one of the bride’s girl friends. A sumptuous breakfast was prov’dcd by the bride’s parents, after which the happy pair left by motor for Lunrsden. en rout© for Queenstown, where, the honeymoon is to lie spent. The bride’s travelling dress was a navy blue costume, and a smart crcam-and-pink hat. The wedding gifts were varied and choice, and Mr and Mrs Sinclair left amid showers of rice and good wishes of all. Prior to Miss Peat's marriage the members of the Presbyterian Church presented her with a handsome marble clock in recognition of her services as one of the organists. The presentation was made after the close of the service on Sunday evening by the Rev. Mr Miller in a happy speech, and was responded to by Mr A. Prat, jun., on behalf of his sister, in a few well-chosen words.— Own Correspondent.