LADIES’ GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 3215, 27 October 1915, Page 67

LADIES’ GOSSIP.

The Empress of Russia on one occasion paid £IOOO for a handkerchief, the manufacture of which had occupied seven years. The Korean wife must have an exceedingly busy time, for besides doing the washing for the whole family, she acts as tailor as well; she makes all the clothing for her husband, her children, and herself. —The Hon. Elaine Jenkins, younger daughter of the late Lord Glantawe, is a clever business woman. She has since her father’s death had a great control in the family in South Wales. She has had practical experience of it for some time, as Lord Glantawe took her into his confidence, and entrusted her with his private business deliberations for quite a long time. Serbian women wishing to have their husbands revealed to them do it by means of a strange table custom. They put aside the first and last crumbs of bread. They bind these together with a piece of wood, and lay the whole under their pillows. The future husband is then said to appear in their midnight dreams. As he may be across the sea, the piece of wood is included in Ore charm to serve him for a boat. There arc many superstitions attached to the nursery, and one of them is to the effect that if baby be a girl and a beautiful complexion with rosy cheeks is desired for her, a new-laid egg and a scrap of red cloth should be placed in her first bath; while if wealth be desired for the son and heir, silver coins, one of each kind, and any silver spoons, mugs, etc., which may he available, should be placed in the water for his first bath. The Duchess of Connaught is fond of telling of a laughable incident that occurred while she was travelling in Egypt. She received a most cordial reception from the people, and in their enthusiasm some Egyptian soldiers took the horses out of her carriage and drew it themselves through the streets of Cairo. Later on the Duchess thanked the young officer who commanded them for their kindness and said : “I should think 1 must have been very heavy for them to carry.” Ihe officer was extremely bashful at talking to a British Royalty, and for a moment oi’ two he could not find words to reply. “Oh, dear, no,” he stammered at last nervously—“at least, not heavier than the gun they are accustomed to carry.” The Duchess loarnt afterwards that the gun in question weighed half a ton. Even women engineers are in demand now! Miss Clayton Griff (herself a consulting engineer) says that during a recent tour in the Midlands among factories engaged in munition work, many managers told her that women with a little engineering knowledge would be “most welcome.” “And vacancies are likely to arise for women to take charge of the oil engines of threshing machines.” says Miss Griff. “The Board of Trade has already hinted at the possibility of such work for women.” Women will be wanted, too, as electricians; .to attend to the lighting and heating plant of factories and private residences. that the services of women doctors will ere long he utilised at some of the military base hospitals in Australia. Military authorities are ready to welcome women doctors should there be any necessity for their aid. As it is extremely likely that male doctors may not sufficiently fill the growing demand, there is every likelihood of trained women being eventually employed at the base hospitals at Home. The authorities, however, cannot see their way to enrolling them for service abroad. Doctors were recently asked for as medical reinforcements for service in Egypt. In Victoria it now appears that there will be a difficulty in procuring the requisite ouota; so that the case for women doctors for service abroad may be reconsidered.