LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 3332, 23 January 1918, Page 57

LADIES' GOSSIP.

even half the care and foresight and enthusiasm and administrative _ genius given to nursing our soldiers during the war could be given to "Saving the Babies" after it, Great Britain would repair the ravages of the war, so far as population is concerned, within a very few years. Women munition workers have so much money that they are buying a far better quality of gloves than they were in .the habit of,wearing. "Price," said the manager of one of the great London stores, "is quite "a secondary consideration. The women are out for quality and style. We had some difficulty at first in meeting tibis development, for it was the custom to stock small sizes in the better grades. Munition workers' hands, however, are not small, and it became necessary to make larger sizes of high-quality gloves. The difficulty is to find materials in quantity for the big demand." "culture" as well as its practice, should have fallen into such disrepute. Good manners, tmless inherent by birth and breeding, must be cultivated, aind lioav many of the present-day business girls and others endeavour to acquire culture? "No time" —and so they lose one of the most gracious charms of real womanhood. "Manners," we have been told, "make the gentleman"; the lack of them mars many a woman. I do not mean to say that the business girl is rude or selfish, but the good manners do take up time, and sin the rush and hustle of her commercial pursuits she is apt to relegate such details to the limbo of bygone times. Why is it necessary to emphasise the fact so continually that so-and-so was such a charming girl, so different to others? For tie simple reason thai she thought "manners" worth while, even if not a business commodity. Women jostle and push along with 'men nowadays, but I doubt if they get there any quicker; if they do the question is, was It worth losing so much to gain so little? Miss Maude Roydew, who is now assistant pastor ai the City Temple,

I London, must find it a little strange to be speaking to people who cannot .very well answer back. For most of her speaking hitherto has been done where her hearers can answer back, and very often do. Sometimes standing on a chair 1 at a street corner, or in the Albert Hall, ' or at a mass meeting of girls—or even at a ruridecanal conference of clergy. Some of Miss Hoyden's most striking sermons have been about the new world that must arise out of the ruins of the old one —"this new Jerusalem, this holy city, this better world for which so many lives have been sacrificed. How are we going to build it, for build it we must, unless wo are going to be inconceivably false to those who have died for that better world. ... Do you sometimes wonder if those who do not die, but come back to us maimed or blind or shattered, do you wonder if they in the long years to come, will be able always to feel that it was worth while? To die is one thing ; to come back the wreck of a man, and live tfhrough all the long years after the wa r—will they be able, do you think, always to feel that it was worth while? j "Only if they see of the travail of their souls and are satisfied. Only if the new world is so fair that no one can doubt it was worth that sacrifice." Backward Children. Amongst other things that are being learnt by the study of child welfare, which is such a feature "of the present time, as ! the fact that children who are advanced i either mentally or physically do not

alwaysi keep up to the promise of ,their earlier years, more normal or even backward and delicate children often turning out better in the end. Nature is often slow in her working, but the results will come in time. The long dreary winter of 1916-17 in Europe was preparing the way for one of the most glorious summers. The hidden life, animal and vegetable, sheltered below ground, and in cracks and crannies, was preserved all the time, and merely conserving its forces to burst forth in a riot of growth in the hot May and June. Doesn't this suggest patience to the mother of a. backward child? Precocity often flickers out in childhood. To bo normal, or even temporarily backward, is a more promising condition. Baron Liebig, the great chemist, was regarded as an incorrigible dunce at school, where his master one day, after questioning him in vain, flung down the book and cried, "What on earth will you be?" The boy drew himself up and answered with dignity, "I will be a chemist!" The idea appeared so ridiculous that all in. the room burst out laughing. Another clever man classed as a dunce at school was Sir Walter Scott. And many instances might be given of slowlydeveloping powers. We rely on the normal children to do the future work of the world. All honour to the mother who rears a backward or delicate child to become a competent man or woman. Hints and Snorsresfions. A pinch of salt added to starch will prevent the iron sticking. Put all odd pieces of toilet soap into a little bag, and use it for washing your hands. It makes a splendid lather, and you will use the soap to the last bit. Add a teaspoonful of small sago for every six pounds of fruit when making jam. Don't put it in until after the jam has boiled, and continue stirring till the sago looks quite clear. A little vaseline applied to the hinges of a door which creaks will stop all noise. It is far more' satisfactory than oil.

Rub a dirty light-coloured tweed with a block of pipeclay. Lay the garment on a table, out of doors, rub well with the pipeclay, roll up the garment smoothly, and put away for a day or two. Then well brush and shake in the open air. When boiling a pudding in a cloth, put plenty of orange peelings in the watei. They collect tlio grease, and the cloth will be easier to wash. Stained flower vases may be quickly cleaned by mixing a little vinegar with some salt, and pouring it into the vase. Shake well, allow it to stand for four hours, shake again, and wash in tha ordinary way. • To clean a white felt hat, mix magnesia to a paste with cold water. Allow to stand for a few minutes, then apply evenly to the hat 'with a brush. When the paste is quite dry brush off the magnesia with a clean stiff brush, ana the hat should be quite clean. If very soiled two applications may be necessary. To prevent boot and ehoe laces from always coming undone they should be tied in the following manner: Start by tying in the ordinary way, but before pulling the bows tight bring the right loop towards you and pass it through the centre, then pull both- loops tight, care being taken to get the two little knots well in the centre. This can be easily untied by pulling both ends at once. Don't forget that the inside of the gas-oven needs a good cleaning occasionally. Rock potash will make it quite bright, almost like new. Get a pennyworth, moisten it with cold water, rub on, and leave all night. Don't let it touch your hands, or it will burn them. In the morning merely wash it off with cold water. If you can't get potash, pour boiling water over a handful of common soda, add a handful of unslaked lime, such as is used for white-washing, and paint this over instead. It wul peel off when dry if you give it a little help, bringing the dirt with it. I find it a good plan to rub the oven over inside after cooking with a pad of newsEaper. If done while the oven is still ot, this removes all grease; and it is this grease that, if it is left on to burn next time the oven is used, makes it so soon look dirty and discoloured.