LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 3524, 27 September 1921, Page 50

LADIES' GOSSIP.

TROUBLES OF AN INDIAN NATIONALIST’S WIFE. It is a cardinal principle of the Indian Nationalist and Non-co-operation movement, led by Mr Ghandi, to repudiate everything that comes from the West—manufactures as well as political systems. Mr Ghandi is distributing spinning wheels over the country so that the faithful may clothe themselves in wholly Indian-made garments. But he meets with opposition, even in his own famiv. “New India,” the moderate Indian journal, of which Mrs Besant is editor, quotes a passage from one of his own appeals to the people:—“Only the other day his wife had told him that she was unable to cook his food and do the household work in the thick Khaddar cloth she was wearing, and she wanted his permission to wear something lighter, something thinner. While he gave full liberty to his wife in all things, as lie had full liberty to do what he liked, he was naturally unwilling to tell her to do anything. But he had to tell his wife that if she could not cook his food in Khaddar, then she had better not cook at all for him, for he would not take anything cooked by her while using unholy foreign things or wearing foreign clothes.” What will Mrs Ghandi do about it ?

ROYALTY AND MODERN DANCES.

' The Queen, who dislikes ail extremes of fashion and anything outre or in the least savouring of indecorum, has until lately banned such dances as the fox-trot and j the tango from tije State balls and all I tlie palace dances, and would not allow Princess Mary to attend any dance where they were on the programme. Lately, however, she is said to have yielded to the Princess’s persuasions and consented to allow them at some small -palace dances, which are arranged bv the Prince of Wales and Princess Mary, who act as host and hostess. The Princess, who is fond of active exercises generally, is particularly fond of dancing. REDUCiNC HOUSEWORK, The troubled housewife who hankers 1 after a “lady’s life” should migrate to | Dundee. In connection with the developi merit of that city’s housing schemes, frams | houses and labour-saving houses are now |in course of erection. The labour-saving I house is being built at the West End, and according to a statement issued there will | lie no hies to set, coals to carry, or ashes ! to remove, no taps or knobs to polish (rust j less steel being used), no hot or cold water :to carry, no distance to carry food. Cook ing, ironing, and washing are done by electricity, and water pressure will be j utilised for vacuum cleaning, dish washing, j and potato cleaning, and dust is transI mitted direct to the house drain. The | frame houses, it is claimed, can lie built. quicker than brick or stone houses, and | will be at least £6O cheaper. THE PRINCE OF WALES’S NEW ESTATES. I These are the Scilly isles, which have | lately been taken over bv the Duchy of ; Cornwall from Major Dorien Smith, whose , family has for long been in possession of I them. ! They are true flower islands, the mildixjss of the climate enabling sub tropical

plants to flourish in them, while spring flowers come on long before those of tlie mainland. Most of the inhabitants make their living by growing flowers, bulbs, etc., lor sale in London and oilier English towns. QUEEN ALEXANDRA’S FRIEND OF FIFTY YEARS. It is close on 60 years since the Princess of V\ ales, as she then was, asked the Hon. Cnarlotte ivnoiivs to be her resident lady-in-waiting, anu this was tlie beginning of a life friendship between the two. miss Knollys, scarcely out of her ’teens and of a retiring disposition, was diffident about accepting the post, and told the Princess that, though she would greatly like to accept it, she (eared she was unsuited. ‘Try it for a month, ana see, urged the Princess. So next week Miss ixnoiiys joined the Royal Household and has continued a member of it ever since. Her brother, Lord Knollys, was previously an equerry to Q.ueen Victoria, and Miss Ivnollys had stayed as a guest at both VV incisor Castle and .Buckingham Palace. Very soon a friendship grew up between the Princess and her new lady-in-waiting, of that intimate kind that elfaces all difference of rank. For years Miss Knollys has addressed Queen Alexandra as “Alix,” while to the latter Miss Knollys was “Charty’’ almost from the first. This was Prince George’s pet name for her before he could speak plainly, and in later years Miss Knollys has been known by it among all the members of the Royal Household. She has always called all the children of the late King and Queen Alexandra by their Christian names, and a photograph standing on a table in King George’s writing room is inscribed. with the words, “from Charty to Georgia. ” This photograph was a pre-, sent to his Majesty just before he started on his voyage in the Bacchante. Miss Knollys is of very simple tastes and an early riser, working at Queen Alexandra's correspondence for an hour or more before breakfast. cjjmts '"nFSTIONS Scrub the inside of an oven once a week with hot water and soda, and scrape off any burnt matter with an old knife. A beefsteak pudding will take an hour less to cook if, before the meat is put in, a small hole is made in the bottom of the suet crust. This enables the heat to reach the meat quickly. When there is "fro shoe polish in the house, lemon-juice makes an excellent substitute. A few drops rubbed briskly on black or brown shoes gives a brilliant polish. Tea-water is a capital cleanser for varnished and stained woodwork. This can be made by pouring boiling water on spent tea-leaves, and straining the liquid through a cloth or muslin. HOW TO LAUXDi.±i CHIFFON. Before washing valuable lace, cover a clean round pickle bottle with white muslin. Tack the lace to the muslin, soak, stew gently, and rinse well. Allow’ to dry on bottle. If it has been tacked smoothly on to the muslin, the lace will require no ironing. Shake lace and tack long lengths into folds, as otherwise the lace would go stringy in the water. Tack linen or cotton with wool, and wool lace with cotton, as it is easier to pull out afterwards. Dirty white lace may bo steeped first in borax and water. Wash by squeezing and kneading in warm water with dissolved soap. Rinse —and if very dirty, stew—white and creme lace (separately) for two or three hours. Stew in a jar containing water, dissolved borax (one tablespoonful to the quart) and dissolved soap (two tablespoonfuls to the quart). Stand the jar in a large pan of boiling water. Rinse in warm and then cold -water. Dip white lace in faint blue water and wring slightly. Tint creme lace in—(a) Made coffee, (b) Coffee essence, (c) Weak tea, if the colour of old lace is desired. If desired, the starch may be tinted or ecru starch used and the lace dipped in it. Stiffen, if required, in—(a) Starch, one labjjspconful made starch to one pint water; (b) Borax, one teaspoonful to half pint hot water; (c) Gum water, one teaspoonful prepared gum to half pint water; (d) Sugar, two lumps to half pint water. Wrap ' n a cloth and pass through tlie wringer, afterwards taking out the tacking threads. . Shake out lace, roll up right side outside and points to the right, iron on the wrong side over a flannel pad, pressing out points. Work from right to left and roll up as ironed.