LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 3212, 6 October 1915, Page 70

LADIES' GOSSIP.

Tlie lady ostler is the latest sign of the war times. In short skirts and top boots she is to be seen sometimes scrubbing her own ponies on the cobbles in a West End mews, and every time she passes the scrub down the shiny coat of the animal she emits the rhythmic “whew, whew” sound between the teeth which has been the breezy mannerism of the ostler from time immemorial. She is one of those intensely patriotic women who is determined to serve her country by doing man’s work. Her own o-tler is serving with the Army Service Corps, and she has refused -several offers of assistance from eligible stablemen, to scrub her own animals till the end of the war.

Nova Scotia has already distinguished herself in sending timely help to the Belgians to relieve the destitution caused hv their heroic fight for freedom and right. The members of the Junior Women’s Auxiliary of Christ Church, Windsor, Nova Scotia, are deeply interested in their came, and the devotion of the Belgian Royal Family in this crisis of their country lias aroused their fullest sympathy. As a tangible token of their admiration and esteem, thev have worked for the Queen of the Belgians a coverlet, which has been transmitted through the Agent-general for Nova Scotia in London, to the Belgian Minister for her Majesty’s gracious acceptance. The quaintness and mxantity of the jewellery worn by the Chinese women in their hair are among the first things to attract the attention of the visitor to Shanghai or Hongkong. A careful observer can, simply by looking at these

ornaments, tell not only the rank of tho wearer, but the district from which she come-. Thumb rings are very common in the East. These are often made of precious metal, ivory, jet, and precious stones, but generally they are of fine jade. The cavity is not cylindrical, hut swells out at tho base and middle. This enables the owner to wear it lower down, and also prevents it slipping. The jade is usually polished, but may be engraved or carved in intaglio or in relief. The refined classes use jade exclusively—as pretty a variety as their purses will admit, —but some of the lower classes wear imitations made of coloured glass or porcelain.

A notable scheme for enabling well-to-do women to help in war work has been completed. At Vickers’ works, Erith, a large number of women are employed seven days a week in making munitions, and the idea was broached some weeks ago that wealthy women might offer themselves as workers on Saturdays and Sundays, and thus allow the overworked employees to have their week-end rest. The notion “caught on,” and the first batch of volunteers went into training last week. One of the “general instructions” issued to the would-be workers reads quaintly, by the way. The ladies are “requested to bring only necessary personal luggage; no evening dresses!”

A letter signed by a number of wellknown ladies is published pointing out “tho great inconsistency” between the appeals that the Government is constantly making for recruits and its action in em-

ploying trained soldiers in work which is totally unmilitary in character. An immense number of military clerks (the letter proceeds) are employed, not' only in Flanders, but over- here in England, doing work which women could do equally well. And in military hospitals at home and abroad a large number of active youths may be seen occupying themselves in work which women could do much better. The hospital units which the Scottish women have been sending to France and Serbia have women orderlies, and they are found to do the work perfectly', vet the British authorities still continue to employ soldiers in these duties.

Mrs H. B. Irving, speaking in London, said at the present moment women might be said to have the ball at their feet, and she hoped they would know how to play the game and arrive victoriously at the right goal. Women were really just as dominated by' the spirit of adventure as were the stronger sex, and young girls who would not have dreamt of even peeling a potato here in England in peace time were quite prepared to go to Serbia or anywhere else sufficiently original and volunteer to cook anything anywhere, anyhow, if by' so doing they could escape the dulness of the commonplace. Lady Dorothie Feilding, who has been decorated Avith the Cross of the Order of Leopold by King Albert, has had also the honour of being mentioned in despatches bv a French Admiral commanding Marine Fusiliers, in Avhich he savs he is “giving to all almost daily the finest example of contempt of danger and devotion to duty.” She is the second daughter of the Earl of Denbigh, and went to the front almost at the commencement of the war. She is able to speak French beautifully', and her work has been principally connected with the French Marine Fusiliers. Lady Dorothie Mary is one of six sisters, Avho all have the name of Mary added to any other name they may possess. —A young relative of the Duchess of Rutland", this time it is on her mother’s side, Avhom everyone in Society will Avelcome, is Miss Joan Dickson-Poynder, daughter of Lord and Lady Islington, but so lately Governor of New'Zealand. Lady Islington, who w ; as Miss Anne Dundas

before she married, was, and is, a highly picturesque Scotswoman, gifted with the social talent, who has entertained quite splendidly at her house in Chesterfield Gardens. You could not pass Miss Joan by with the mere remark that she is a pretty girl, for she is something more than that. Her face arrests you, as does the face of Lady Beatrice Pole-Carew, who might have been born for a queen. There is much promise in this stately debutante.

—-Miss Iris Tree, the youngest, the 18-year-old daughter of Sir Herbert and Lady Tree, is a debutante of 1915, who has already made a place for herself. Like Lady Diana Manners, and Miss Phyllis Boyd, daughter of Lady Lilian Boyd, who was the most brilliant debutante of 1914, Miss Tree has studied hard at the Slade school, draws well, writes good verse, and has contributed a war poem to the Times. She bears little resemblance to her sisters, Mrs Alan Parsons and Miss Felicity Tree—the latter, by the way has been nursing the wounded in a Pans hospital—excepting that she, too, has light- reddish hair and a pale complexion.

Under the will of Mr Alfred Vanderbilt, who was a victim of German barbarity, having gone down in the ill-fated Lusitania, three small boys, the eldest five years, the youngest not yet old enough to talk or walk, inherit millions of pounds. The will has been filed in New York, and its clauses distribute something like £10,003,090. Mr Vanderbilt had three sons. The eldest, William, was the son of his fii-st wife. He inherits the trust fund of many millions left to his father bv his grandfather, Cornelius Vanderbilt. The two younger sons, Alfred, aged three, and George, the baby, inherit the bulk of the fortune. To Mr Vanderbilt’s widow, who was Mrs Smith Hollins MTvim, there comes a big legacy, which includes £600,000 and the income of a trust fund of a million.

—■ Society women are taking the threatened Zeppelin raid very philosophically. Fire drill practices have been held in a few town houses, and during the last day or two there has been unwonted activity in the dressing-gown departments of the big stores. Instead of the dainty silken and washing wraps which are usually bought at this time of the year the demand is for mannish-looking dressing gowns of heavyweight material—■ “something suitable for street wear,” to quote the laughing request of one lady shopper preparing against sudden night alarms. Mints and Suggestion*. To keep lemons fresh, place them in a jar of water, which must be changed every two days. To make breadcrumbs quickly, place a piece of bread in a muslin bag, tie the opening, and rub with the hands. The crumbs will be quite fine, and it will only take a minute or two to make them. If you heat lemons before squeezing them you will be able to obtain much

more juice from them and in a far shorter space of time. Grate the rind and use it for flavouring cakes, puddings, etc. If, after cooking, you have the yolk of .an egg left over, put it in a cup and cover it with cold water. Treated so, the yolk will keep fresh for several days. A Useful Knitting Hint.—There is nothing better to hold knitting in than the crown of an old white felt hat. Cut the brim off, bind round with a ribbon, and put two straps across for the handle to sling on the arm. This will hold the wool when knitting. Keep in your workbox a little bag or box in which to store all odd buttons off your old frocks and. blouses before you throw them away or turn them into household cloths. Carried out systematically, this little plan effects a considerable

saving. If your neck is badly discoloured, have you ever tried an oatmeal poultice for it? Mix a little fine oatmeal into a paste with cold milk, spread it on a piece of old linen, and bandage it on to the neck, which should have been well washed first of all. Do this everv night for a week, wash the neck well in the morning, and rub a slice of freshly-cut lemon over it. If you don’t want to crack a glass dish when pouring anything into it, be careful to stand the dish on a cloth wrung out of hot water. To clean currants quickly, place them in an enamelled colander, sprinkle over with a teaspoonful of flour, stand the colander on a plate, and rub the currants lightly about. The stalks and soiled flour will pass through the holes, leaving the fruit clean. SPRING-CLEANING HINTS. White Paint. —The best wav to clean this is to apply a paste of whiting, after washing the paint with soap and water. It should then be dried very thoroughly, and the paint will look like new. To Eestore Leather Chairs. —Wipe the leather over Avith a cloth wrung out in lukewarm vinegar and water. Then dissolve a threepenny bottle of dye. of the same colour as the leather, in one pint of boiling water, and with a soft paint brush go over the whole of the leather, seat, and back of chair. Let it get thoroughly drv. then polish with furniture cream, and the chair will look like new. Mouse-holes can he filled up with nuttv, hut nuttv alone is not likely to do much good. The mice soon make a wav for themselves through it. but if the underside of the puttv, before being put in. can be covered with cayenne nepner or mustard you will find an immediate improvement. At the same time, attempts to trap the mice should be continued. Mice are often an indication of neglect in a bouse. They rarely go where they can get nothing to eat; but if food is left about, or the floors are not freed from crumbs, there mice will appear. Pieces of sponge packed into a mousehole will induce the rodents to permanently vacate the house.