LADIES’ GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 3596, 13 February 1923, Page 56

LADIES’ GOSSIP.

A SOCIETY LADY’S HOTEL ENTERPRISE. Lady Hollywood now runs three hotels —Bait's Hotel, in Albemarle Street, The Haven, at Shrewsbury, and one at Broc kenhurst, in the New Forest. She likes the work that managing them entails, and the organisation, especially appeals to her. “It’s so much more interesting,'’ she says, “than running a hat shop.’’ The way to succeed in aiiy work, she says, is to be fdnd of it. And she makes her

business a financial success. Recently Lady Hollywood chartered an aeroplane from London and alighted in front of her hotel at Brockenhurst. BRIDE’S ORCHID-HUNTINC CRUISE IN SOUTH PACIFIC. An .English expedition in quest of rare orchids in the Mouth Pacific Islands was lately organised by Dr Lockhart Cottle, who is also commander. He was recently married, and the bride looked forward eagerly to the trip, which it is anticipated, will occupy about three years —a prolonged honeymoon for the newly-wedded pair. EARRINCS UP-TO DATE America has set the craze for enormous earrings. Not only are they large, but so long that they graze the shoulders. They are worn with necklaces to match. Enamel and crystal are being used for daytime wear, when jewels would be out of place. Ail-black earrings are fasmonable, and for them onyx and jet are employed. For evening wear the most splendid jewels . are worn'. Perfectly matched pearls in ah invisible setting of platinum make dainty earrings for a debutante. If you have lost one of a pair of earrings, wear the other; nothing is more fashionable than a solitary earring provided it be; really ja' handsome one. .V warning to the wearer is that earrings detract from the colour of the eyes. Thus if your eyes are .pale blue do not choose sapphires. Diamonds are apt to hike the sparkle out of the. eyes,'.-and pearls se.tiom suit a brunette. NEW ENGAGEMENT RINGS. At present the most fashionable engagement ring is either a three Or a onestone plain diamond. There is a demand for half-hoops of diamonds and sapphires, or diamonds and rubies. Clusters of these stones are in fair demand, and a popular arrangement is a shamrock cluster, “for luck.” A PATRIARCHAL FRENCHWOMAN. Mme. Thivier, owner of a farm at Nevers, France, who recently died aged 94, left 98 surviving children, grandchildren and great-grand-ohildren. . SHELL FLOWERS. The art of making flowers of sea-Shells which was practised by the ladies in Queen Anne’s day, has lately been revived by Lady Susan Birch. Iff her workroom may be seen great clusters of Japanese anemones in shimmering mother-of-pearl ; sprays of magnolias in Oriental pots and flowers—orange, pink, green and mauve springing from Chinese soap stone. Tnese shell flowers are used chiefly in table decoration, but also in millinery, and for making ornaments of various kinds. A HOLIDAY FIND. Instead of taking her children to the coast during the Tecent school holidays, a Kimberley woman elected to take her family to the diamond diggings at Holpan, and in that district, after finding a couple of small stones, she unearthed one of 38j carats, which realised £1260. CONVENTS AS HOTELS. There is a great fashion in France of staying at large convents in summer time, writes Lila HepwortlnDixon in the Westminster Gazette. In these religious hotels you are waited on by nuns, are limited as to food, and you must be in your bedroom by half past-nine at- night. When there is dancing in the refectoire, I believe that girls must dance with girls, and boys with boys, but J have never assisted at one of these singular revelries. The convent at Ploubalay holds some two hundred guests. It is always, full, and there are many English among them. There is a beautiful, shadv garden which gives on to the sea: there are palms and masses of roses and orange lilies, and a fountain crowned with no less a personage than St. Joseph. The French aristocracy approves of the Convent of Ploubalay; fetes were got up in aid of the village folk, and sometimes a revue, suitable to religious, is written and acted bv the French and English guests together. AN INTERESTING ENGAGEMENT. (From Our Own Correspondent.l LONDON, December 20. Much interest has been evinced iii social circles at the news of the engagement of Sir Edward W. M. Grigg, K C.V.0.. C.M.G.. D. 5.0., M.C., M.P. for Oldhain, and the Hon. Joan Diekson-Poynder, only child of Lord and Lady Islington. The wedding is to take place on January 31. at St. Margaret’s, Westminster. Sir Edward was born m 1879, his bride-elect in 1897. Both, of course, have many friends in New Zealand. For some years Sir Edward Grigg was a member of the staff of The Times. During the war he served with great distinction, and eventually became G. 5.0.1. of the Guards Division. After the war he accompanied the Prince of Wales as military secretary during his visits to Canada and Australia and New Zealand. He was political \private secretary to Mr Lloyd George during the last year ; of his Administration. He was returned as a National Liberal at the head of the poll for Oldham at the General Election, with 24,762 votes. “It will be a marriage of two accomplished young people—young people of the future —for Miss Joan Diekson-Poynder has artistic tastes, has spoken at public meetings, is distinctly well read, and is practical besides. Her father bought her a small house near the Sandwich Golf Links at ‘Millionaire’s Corner’—about 18 months ago ; I think it cost, him about £3000; and she has run it herself with a couple of servants. So she has already had some

experience of being a hostess, for she could accommodate three or four friends at a time at the house. Probably it was tiecause there was no heir that Lord Islington sold his Wiltshire house six months ago Miss Diekson-Poynder is, like her father, an fait with most outdoor sports. She rides, she handles a motor car with coolness and skill, and she is a very fine swimmer. Two years ago she gave an example to other wealthy young women by adopting the warbaby of the rather large family of a soldier killed in France.” '1 he latest engagement of New Zealand interest is that between Captain 11. F K. Smith, D.M-.0., 60th Rifles, and the Hon. Moira Plunket, daughter of Lady Victoria Braithwaite and the late Lord Plunket. HINTS AND SUCCESTIONS. To clean a zinc bath, scrub it thoroughly with coarse salt moistened with paraffin. To clean old brass pour on strong ammonia, scrub with a scrubbing brush, then rinse in clean water. Put ail asbestos mat under the pan or casserole if cooking a stew over a gas jet or oil stove. S' To give a scent of violets to handkerchiefs, put some pieces of orris root in a muslin bag, and place the latter in the water in which the articles are boiled. To remove tile musty smell from pans that have not been used for some time, boil some water in them and drop in redhot coal while the water is boiling. When washing chamois leather gloves do not rub them with soap, but gently shake them in a good lather. This will thoroughly clean them, and will keep them beautifully soft and smooth. Grass stains on flannels can be removed by covering the stains with glycerine and white of egg mixed, using equal quantities. Leave on for two hours, and then wash in the usual way. Jet: trimmings, rusty and limp, may be freshened up by placing them in a basin of vinegar and water (equal parts). Allow to remain in about 20 minutes, remove, and leave to drv. As a carpet cleaner bran, slightly damped, thrown on the carpet and then thoroughly swept but, is excellent. Patent leather shoes should never be cleaned with shoe polish in the ordinary way. Keep at- hand a small bottle of black spirit enamel, and when the shoes are cracked and shabby apply a coating of the enamel with, a small paint brush. Should your hairbrush have worn un evenly and" also gone soft, trim the bristles evenly with sham scissors. Then dip tne bristles into hot water and alum to harden them. When dry brush them up and down with sandpaper to take off the rough edges.