WOMAN'S WORLD

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2951, 24 November 1900, Page 1 (Supplement)

WOMAN'S WORLD

The wife of Li Hung Chang is said to be the most liberal of all thojChinese women of her position. She is now qfty-five years old. After her marriage to the Viceroy she continued her studies under his direction, and has always been the most accessible of the, titled women of China.

The Duchess of York is one. of the members of the Royal Family who is not keen on music. Unless it is of the very best order she does not usten' to it. Her favourite after-dinner amusement is a game of cards—and she is the best whist player of the ladies of the Royal Family, one of her boasts being that she has constantly beaten the Duke of Cambridge, who is a veteran in the game.

The rumour that Princess Henry of Pless is the authoress of " Elizabeth and Her German Garden,” and “A Solitary Summer,” is quite without foundation. The authoress is an Englishwoman, wife of a German nobleman, well-known in politics. It is difficult to understand why she remains anonymous, ns the honour accorded to the writer of such charming books would be most ready.

In spite of her groat successes in the literary world, Ouida is a soured and disappointed woman. She has made vast sums by her writings, yet she is very poor, her yearly extravagances having plunged' her very deeply into debt. She is. of small stature, with a seamed face, and grey hair. Her sharp tongue gives her a rather unenviable reputation, but a redeeming point is her intense love of animals.

The excellent health of the Queen is in no small degree due to the very simple diet and daily exercise in the fresh air to which she has always adhered from her early .childhood. The Queen never changes her gastronomic methods. The Prince of Wales is also very conservative in the matter of eating and drinking. He dislikes long lists of comestibles, and, as to beverages, only certain wines arc acceptable to him.

Queen AVillielmina, of Holland, who reached her twentieth year recently, nearly always we ars white. Shs is not pretty, Although she lias a. good complexion and fine fair hair. Already she is growing stout, and her waist is said to bo about the size of her mother’s. But sho inspires no less enthusiasm and admiration among her people, who would be much surprised to find anyone who did not consider her beautiful.

Tho fiances attributed to young Queen AVilhelmiua of Holland are so numerous that it is more than possible that the latest supposed suitor will in turn be denied. However, there seems somewhat more foundation in fact in this case than hitherto, and it is .announced by several papers that the engagement is almost a matter of fact. Tho fortunate man is Prince Adolph Friederich of MccklenburgSchwcrin,'who is twenty-seven years old, and very good-looking.

Tho Queen used to bo a good pianist, and is said to have delighted her admirers particularly by the facility with which she road at siglit and the correctness of her ear. These musical gifts were inherited only by Princess Beatrice and tho late Duke of Coburg, although most of the Royal Family are fond of music. Tho Queen had been so well taught by Signor Lablache that her voice retained its power and freshness long after the time at which women arc supposed lo cease singing.

A French waiter bra talk with a journalist has defined the English woman as the only woman who is really independent. Her exact opposite is (ho Parisienne, who falls an easy prey to the waiter. He has only to enumerate a. number of dishes, as though convinced that a- lady of her quality cannot be contented with less and she orders three or four courses, which she scarcely touches; but they serve to swell the bill. The English woman, howover, interrupts the enumeration with a decisive " No," orders what she wants, demands the sauces supplied without extra charge by the establishment, and is not to ho enticed into further expenditure.