WOMEN'S WINDOW

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17227, 5 April 1930, Page 12

WOMEN'S WINDOW

NO MORE MOTHER'S DAY. IF FA HAS HiS LNNINUS. NEW YORK. Pob. S. As I'.'ir us New York state is concerned 'mothers, who basked in the attention of their children for one Sunday :i year arc going to be asked io include "jm" in the celebrations. A member of the State assembly has introduced a bill that provides for '■Parent 's Day," to replace "Mot Iter's Day,'' usually celebrated the second Sunday in May. "For several years," the sponsor o\' the bill stales, "the day has been celebrated as Mother's Day. It may he that many who have been accustomed to honoring mother on that date will be jealous of. having any part of the day devoted to anyone but mother. ] believe, however, that the mothers of the State will not complain.

"I feel convinced that, the mothers will be gin ( to share with the fathers in whatever good may come both materially and in tributes. Surely nothing i> ! to be lost atH much to be gained by honoring Ik.Hi together. It will tend to remind children of the unity of the family ami that they should be a little more thoughtful, more considerate of both their mothers and their fathers." fr THE ACHIEVEMENT OF BEAUT*. LONDON. Jan. 22. it doesu'l mutter whether you are born with beauty or not these days. You can always acquire it, or you can acquire the modern idea of beauty, which is really smartness. Some of the methods involved are decidedly drastic, but it seems that women will do anything nowadays lo be in the fashion, and even the surgeon's knife holds no terrors for them, for ill Paris the surgeon's knife is wielded quite often in the cause of beauty. One of the newest schemes, for instance, is to carve your way to loveliness. A certain Mirgeon says he has perfected this method, that there is no danger in it, and that it has permanent results. Hi' has designed special knives for his work, and is ically happy when he is carving a slim figure out of it fat one! litis puts face lifting quite in the .shade, hut pioneers have not been wanting to make the trial and quite a number of women have had their superfluous contours neatly pared off. And again, in Paris there is a beauty surgeon who slices off whole toes or pieces of toe if they make your foot just too big for beauty. We have our own medieval torturers, disguised as beauty specialists, in London. One woman, for instance, has devoted the last fourteen years of her life to cutting eyelids in a special way which makes the eyes look bigger --she sews up the lids afterwards with" a buttonhole stitch, which .sounds most domestic. And now the very latest idea is to have a wax bath. I would hate to think what would happen to you if the wax set too firmly. For you are laid in a large cradle and are covered first with soft, warm wax and then with bedclothes of waxed paper. The wax hardens gradually —it must make you feel exactly like a mummy—and an attendant, meanwhile gives you water to drink at intervals, and winds cold water bandages round your neck and head, alter which your face—the oniy part of you which is uncovered — is given :i beauty cure, cleansing cream, anti-wrinkle cream, eye lotion pad.s, skin food, and cooling lotions arc all applied. When the wax pack is finally melted, for fortunately it does melt in the end. you are given it hot shower and then a cold shower, after which you are weighed, and if you have yielded to the treatment .successfully you should have lost several pounds. And in addition to this the treatment is said to be exceedingly good for rheumatism, bad circulation, aeulitv, and nerves!

It is quite difficult to keep up with I all the beauty fashion,*?, they change so rapidJy. Only last season it was considered the smart thing' to he suni burnt, ami we spent hours as the beauty specialists being "tattooed" I the right shade on our arms, Shoulders, i and face. Nor did the tattooing la.st 'long, it had to be done quite often. 'Now sunburn is out of favor, you

should look interestingly pale it' you are to be truly fashionable.

As for linger nails, we thought we were rather daring when wo adopted scarlet lacquer nails, but scarlet laequi r ones are as nothing to the new vogue which decrees that our nails should be gilded in silver or gold, or painted in green, blue, purple, or yellow— any vivid color which will harmonise with or provide a striking cont.ra.st to our frocks. So Fashion goes on from one eccentricity to another, until we can really be pardoned if we begin to feel a little nervous at the thought of where her vagaries may lead us in the future. AMERICAN CAMP-FIRE GIRLS. Americans have a school summer vacation .scheme which is so admirable that it is a wonder it hasn't been copied. I; is a system of properly organised and controlled spoils camps for both hoys and girls. The camps are separate, not mixed. "Camping over home doesn't mean what camping here means," explained an American lady visiting Sydney. "Wo don't go into the bush with a frying-pan and a tent, We have specially built log- huts screened with gauze to accommodate up to I".*! girls, and a staff .of 200 or so councillors.

"Camps are in full swing for about three months of the year, and are generally designed to appeal to girls from better-class homes. Of course there are gatherings for shorter periods, which provide great (opportunities for 1 raining leaders in social service.

"These camps, generally pitched by mountain lakes, specialise in sports, and parent* realise that under slrict supervision it is quite safe to lei girls of nnv age attend. Social life, a.< generally understood, is absent, and there is a vigorous physical training, lmlh wilh 'jerks'' and sport. There is one hour of enforced relaxation each dav."

THE PERFECT GUEST. SHE IS NEITHER LATH NOR KAMA'. Hosts right through the ages have had their perfections lauded by poets and writers in verse and prose; guests, on the other hand, have rarely, if ever, achieved that distinction. Mr. Max Beerbohm, that very amusing f-atirist, once wrote an essay, in which he divides people into two classes —hosts and guests. He declares that it is far easier to be the former than the latter. And, giving the matter due consideration, it seems that probably Mr. Bcerbohnt is right, for the virtues and social graces of

:t guest are quite overwhelmingly many.

One of the first essentials, for example, is punctuality. "A punctual guest is a rare guest," says Mr. E. V. Lucas, and ho suggests that the importance of punctuality should be instilled into every child at a very early age, through his stomach. "tf a child

who was late fur meals were, before beginning to eat, made, to wait for a period equal to his own defalcation, it would soon break that bad habit, and he would grow up into that rare creature—a punctual guest." Thus would the digestions and tempers of the future benefit.

A punctual guest, however, must remember thai punctuality does not; mean a t'<>w minutes early; that would be almost as serious a defalcation as being some miuutes too late. What, for example, could be more embarrassing than to encounter one's hostess in the hall, duster in hand, giving the floor a final polish, or meeting an irate husband searching feverishly for a missing .stud? There are tine points about ii guest's punctuality that suggest many pitfalls for the unwary. Then the hour of leaving is almost, if not quite, as important as tin; time of arrival. There is just one particular crucial moment when a guest would do well to depart; it must not be too early, and yet it must not be too late. for the first person to break up a party is always as unpopular as the last. It seems, therefore, that the perfect guest might perhaps do well to follow the small boy's example, who, when asked how he would cross one of the main thoroughfares in town, said he would just put himself in the middle of the crowd.

There are other amenities the perfect guest should observe; she 'must be amiable, for example, and yet, not gushing; she should do justice to the food, and yet she must not gorgeshe should —but the list of virtues must not grow too lengthy, otherwise the perfect guest may remain in future the rarity she has been in the P«>st. ' THE FIRST WOMEN'S CLUB. There are so many women's clubs these days that some of their members may be interested to hear how the firs) women's club came into being. The oldest women's club probably in the world, certainly in England, was organised 1.18 years ago last June. 11 is still held at Hridgewater, Somerset. England. Strangely enough it was a man who formed the first club, a great man, too, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, tho poet. At first the club was held in a small village a few miles distant from its present habitat. Every year its members have a parade and still carry the banner, inscribed for them by Coleridge, at, the head of the procession.

The first meeting oii this club was held during the midsummer of 1807. The Jirsr parade of its members (attired in hoop skirts and poke bonnets) almost caused a public scandal. But as every woman in the village, from the titled lady of the manor to the humblest villager's wife; was a member, what could the poor men do but submit was as good a grace as possible. Every year the parade is held. As far as is possible it is similar to the first one, even to the costumes. The youngest member leads the procession', carrying the precious banner, each of the othc* members carrying a small bouquet. Last summer a girl of eight was the proud banner bearer, while the older girls scattered flowers in the village streets. A church service is always held at the close of the parade, followed by an entertainment at the village inn. to which the men and boys are invited. RETURN OF THE BLOTJBE. Those who can remember the untidy blouses and skirts of pre-war days will see but little resemblance between then and now, when present-day fashions have definitely brought back the blouse into favor. ' In its newest

form the blouse is mostly tucked inside a skirt band, which follows the higher waistline. There is never a gap between blouse and shirt or any need for tapes and safety pins. Today blouses are gathered into a band of their own at the waist. The shirt blouse of men's shirting in cotton or silk seems the correct choice for the tweed suit. ISo arc white or pale cambrics and linen lawn, which are mostly cut on the lines of the man's shirt, and have a plain collar, worn with a tie and linked cult's. For the revival of the skirt ami blouse the jeweller presents all sorts of lovely trifles in cull" links, tiopins, shirt buttons, and brooches. A r»(l and white striped shirt has tiny links and shirt buttons of red enamel, with a surround, of small diamonds.

For 'he afternoons the lace and lingerie blouse is worn with the more dressy coal aad skirt in cloth or velvet. The blouses are soft and feminine, beautifully cut, and put together by delicate hand-stitchery and insertion!-. A blouse in while crepe do chine or satin, cut with a lilting yoke, ami all in openwork stitchery, is finished willi a half-collar of crepe ami lace; the neck has the daintiest jabot, and frilled cuffs that fall over the hands from beneath the coal sleeve complete it. A white chilfon and hiee blouse may have the fichu caught with a diamond and onyx brooch, with cuff links and buckle of the same. Then the dainty little lace brooch has also come back. It makes u.n ideal bridesmaid's present. Sometimes in the form of initials in diamonds alone or mixed with colored stones, or the little bow-brooch in diamonds of "Louis" trend. With cliil'l'ons and laces the pearl string is back in place, and the spoils necklet id' metal must be severely relegated to wood.

LONG GLOVES. WILL WOMEN WEAK THEM'.What arc Sydney women going to do about Ihe glove question this .season, asks the Sun. Will tliey follow the dictates of fashionable women mi "the other side'' and encase their arms in long black or white kid gloves wi keeping with tne long formal frock or will they listen to the voice of economy and refuse to add an extra LNs (id or so and innumerable cleaning bills to the already high cost of their evening attire? lie that as il may, the glove sections in the various shops have got in extra supplies of the black and white 20-button gloves—to be just right thoy must reach above the elbow —and are confidently waiting for the demand to set in.

It only needs one or two notably smart dressers to take the lead and the rest will follow like sheep. At; a big city fashion revue being held at present, a gasp of surprise, always greets the mannequin who appears on one occasion wearing long white gloves. One must admit that they add considerably to the old world charm of her ankle length floral taffeta frock. LADY SEAFIELD'S ENGAOHM ENT The engagement of the Countess of iSeafiold (a Now Zoalander), and Air. Derek Herbert, now officially announced, will profoundly interest the whole North of Scotland, states the London Daily Telegraph. Though in receipt of a substantial allowance from the trustees of the Scottish properties to which she ,is heiress, Lady Sea/icld does not become fully possessed of these until she attains the age of forty.

Obviously, however, it is desirable that she. should marry before then, for it is difficult for a girl to carry out effectively the many duties which must devolve on any great landowner.

At first her linnee may not lie able to give her the fullest assistance in tins direction,ffor lie has no Scottish associations, ami, having been acquainted with Lady Keatlcld for only three months, cannot as yet have become familiar with the tenants on her properties. Doubtless, however, that disadvantage can be remedied, and Mr. Herbert will find no lack of friends in the .North ready to welcome the future husband of so popular and attractive an heiress.

The do's and don'ts, the must, and more especially the must nots, that haunt childhood's days have been given a great deal of attention by modern poets, whose poems for children have attracted the notice of grown-ups too. One attractive verse

dealing with the "Must Nots" has been recently published in a book of poems for children, entitled "Cheery Chan tings/' recently written by a Melbourne woman under the name of Jessica .Tessop. This is how it goes:—■ I 'must not stand upon the seat. Because of dust upon my feet. I must not breathe upon the pane, Because I make a smudge like rain.

J must not open buds to see The colors that the ftow'rs will be,

Or dig within the ground below To see if seeds have tried to grow—■

Not even if they're very slow— And vet I wnut so much to know!

An American writer deals with the other side of the matter, the do's, in a little poem called Hardships, which recently appeared in the Women's Homo Companion.

Comb your hair and brush your teeth, And fasten up your shoes, Wash your hands and clean your nails, Where did you get that bruise?

Hang up your clothes and shut your books. And put your tilings away; Now go and practise half an hour Before yon go to play.

I hear these things from morn til night, And try to give them heed— Sometimes T think that children'; lives Are very hard indeed.