NOTES FOR WOMEN

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 16302, 30 November 1918, Page 5

NOTES FOR WOMEN

The death is announced' of one of the oldest New Zealand-born resident s, Mrs. John M'Elwain, daughter of the late Rev. J. Whitcley, a 'Wesleyan missionary, who arrived in New Zealand in 1830, and was afterwards killed by the Maoris in the White Cliffs massacre at Taranaki on February ■ il3, 1839. Mrs. M'Elwain was born in the Hokianga district in 1835. She was married’ to the late Mr. John M'Elwain, who for many years was a well-hnown resident of Auckland. Deceased is survived by three sons, two daughters, and three grandchildren. Another grandson lost his life at Mons.

Lady Plnnket, who started » creche for the children of working gentlefolk in the spring, has met with such extraordinary success that when the last mails left England, other ladies were contemplating opening similar nurseries. Princess Mary and' Princess Arthur of Connaught are both working in babies’ hospitals, and this work is daily becoming more popular with young girls. This information should he distinctly encouraging to the Phinket Societies of New Zealand, and to the various creche and kindergarten associations.

HOW THE HEALTH WORKERS ARE FED. Not the least important, and certainly a very popular branch of patriotic activity, is that which is attending to the commissariat department of tho workers on behalf ot “the Public Health.” This is a veritable hive of industry and is managed by a band of most enthusiastic ladies who, from nine in _ tho morning till six at ’ mght—sometimes oven later still—are unremitting in their labours. All ages arc represented, and among them there arc no better workers than three very young girls ,—Alice, Myra, and luiby. 'this “dauntless three,” each wearing her yellow armlet, are ever at their post and greet with ready smiles each fresh trayload of cups to be washed, or urns and cans to be tilled, or messages to be run. And there is, in truth, much for all to do. if you consider it a light task to feed from six hundred to seven hundred people .every day mst try it for yourself and see. Squads ot men workers are continually dropping in for cups of tea and something to satisfy the cravings of hunger. Many are in haste, for there is an urgent call to a ease in the country and “We have no time to go homo first and would you please give us a basket of sandwiches, as we may not bo back to-night and goodness knows where wo will find our next meal.” Some have just returned, tired and hungry after a harassing day, and sit and rest awhile sipping their tea and chatting about their various experiences. Then comes a group of the women workers who have been looking after stricken homes. They are tired, too, but undismayed and much enjoy the rest and refreshment provided. “Will you please make up a big basket for tho Plunket nurse and staff,” is a frequent request and then a box is filled with nice things, including cakes, and at once dispatched. Then come the matters of invalid cookery and are attended to, but perhaps the most strenuous time of all is when “Griffiths’ Buildings,” tho headquarters of the men workers is visited, and this happens twice every day for morning and for afternoon tea. Quito a procession of ladies may be .seen wending their way thither, bearing trays of cups and baskets of scones and sandwiches, jugs of milk, cans of water. Perhaps when the. goal is reached there may not be many m evidence but in a trice in they stream through every door till tho whole place is like a hive. Motor-cars hurry up, the inmates fearing they may be too late, scout boys wait hungrily in a long line, country people ask anxiously, if there is a cup to spare for them and so on and so on. Times are changed indeed: since tea and gossip were considered the prerogative of the women! “And how is all .the food provided?” may he asked. All day long a generous section of tho community (and a largo one, too) is sending in supplies, great joints of ready cooked meat, beautiful cakes for convalescents and workers, piles of butter, gallons of milk, pies galore, and every bit is needed. Little beside the bread for sandwiches is bought, nearly everything is given, and it speaks well for the public spirit and liberality of New Plymouth that this is so. It is to be hoped this disastrous epidemic may soon be stamped out, but even it has had its uses, for it has trained many in the community to unselfishness and self-sacrifice.

HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS. When cream is only slightly sour it may bo made delicious to servo with puddings, etc., in the following way:— Put it into a basin with the juice of a lemon and a tablespoonful of sugar, and whip until stiff. To clarify dripping put it into a bow! and pour on boiling, water to cover. Stir well and allow to cool. The purified dripping will then form a solid cake on the top. which should bo taken off and wiped dry, when it will be ready for use.

Yon can make a door-mat look like new if yon put it into a bath of warm soapy water. Scrub with a scrubbingbrush, then rinse thoroughly in cold water, and leave to dry. To keep butter firm in hot weather fill a large basin with cold water, put as much kitchen salt in as water will dissolve, fold butter in grease-proof paper, and drop in. Stand basin in cool place. Tinned foodstuffs should not bo eaten if they are the least bit fermented, or if a rush of air meets you when" the tin is pierced.

Tan shoos can be cleaned and stains removed by rubbing them with a rag dipped in petrol. Kid gloves can also bo cleaned in this way.

If when boiling milk you are unlucky enough to let it burn, take the pan from the fire, stand it in a basin of cold water, drop a pinch of salt into the milk, stir it well, and the burnt taste will entirely disappear. Burnt Enamelled Pans.—Wien you have the, misfortune to burn an enamelled saucepan, don't scrape it, or it will break and chip. Fill the pan with cold water, to which some soap powder has been added, and let it stand (if possible) for two or three days. Then pour off the water, and rub inside thoroughly with a isoft rag. Rinse in clear hot water, and you will find that all the burnt marts have disappeared. Dried fruits are all terribly expensive just now, bnt even hero a saving con lie effected in the amount required if the fruit in question—no matter whether it be raisins, currants, or sultanas—is first thoroughly well washed, then put into a basin, and enough boiling water to just cover poured over. Put a- plate on top of the basin, and leave till next morning, and you will find your fruit

(■V QISTKR ANN)

quite twice its original size, and Infinitely nicer in every way. When water and soda is of no avail in the cleaning of lamp chimneys where the insides are smoky, a few drops of alcohol rubbed on the sooty surface will remove all trace of it. As chimneys are more liable to break when new, it is advisable to keep a few in the house; they should be stored in a warm place, as they are. then less brittle. Washing lamp chimneys by immersing them in water sometimes makes them brittle. A safer way to clean them is to hold them for a few minutes over a.steaming kettle, then polish briskly with a soft cloth.

Oilcloth is being put to new uses. To save tho washing of damask cloths for their dinner tables, oven the daintiest of women are using light blue, pink, and mauve oilcloths. Tho effect of silver and flowers, more especially on the light-blue cloths, is charming. All that is necessary to clean the cloths is to wipe them with sponges kept specially for the purpose.

Flemish Salad.—Required: Equal quantities (about) of as many different kinds of cooked vegetables as procurable. To a pound of the above allow two tablespoons each of chopped pickled gherkins, grated cheese, chopped parsley, and nuts, lettuce, cucumber, etc. Creamy salad dressing. See that the vegetables are thoroughly cooked, and cut them into neat shapes. Mix them with the gherkins, cheese, nuts, and parsley. Blend with plenty of dressing and add seasoning, if needed. Heap in a glass howl, and arrange round tho mixture tho lettuce or whatever salading you arc using. N. 8.: Tinned or bottled vegetables can be used, also cooked beans, peas, or lentils. As cadi kind of fresh vegetable comes, into season, use it in preference to anything preserved. Creamy Salad Dressing.—Required: A gill of cold white sauce, one tablespoonful of lemon-juice, one tablospoonful salad oil, one teaspoonful of scraped onion-juice, two teaspoonfuls of chopped parsley, two teasponnfuls of grated horseradish, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste, pno raw white of an egg. Put tho sauce into a basin. Mix it well with all the other ingredients, and whisk together. Just at the last add the' stiflly-whisked white of egg. Stir it in lightly but thoroughly. Pour over tho salad ingredients and serve at once. This should bo used as quickly as possible after the white is added. N. 8.: It is very good without tho white of egg.

Indian Mince,j—Pass tho remains of any cold meat—several kinds, if to be had—through the mincing machine. A little bit of bacon or ham is a great improvement for flavouring purposes, and should also bo minced. Sprinkle tho prepared meat with flour, and mix with it sufficient curry powder to season, moisten all with good gravy, and stir in a small saucepan until boiling. Make a neat border of mashed potatoes or rice on a hot dish, and place the mince in tho centre. Servo very hot, with chutney as an accompaniment.

Baked Gooseberry Pudding.—A delicious pudding can bo made with green gooseberries as follows:—Stew one pint of berries, taking car© not to let them break, sweeten them and stand them aside to cool. Make a batter with 6oz of flour, one egg, and three-quarters of a pint of milk, and add one teaspoonful of baking powder and a little sugar. Put loz of butter in tho dish in which the pudding is to bo baked and warm in the oven; then pour in tho batter, and lastly the stewed gooseberries. Bake for half an hour.

A Tasty Rabbit Dish.—Cut rabbit into joints, clip each picco in flour, and fry in butter; also two small onions. Cut up Jib. of pickled pork into small pieces. Put rabbit, onions, pickled pork, into a casserole (or, failing that, a deep pie, dish) ; a baking tin will do nicely for lid-cover with hot water, and cook in oven, slowly, for an hour and a-half. Make some forcemeat balls, and fry a nice brown. Thicken the gravy with a little flour, add a little browning, pepper, salt, adding the forcemeat balls just before serving. This is a nice dish.

Bean and Tomato Pie.—This is a very substantial dish, one that can quite well be served instead of meat at any time. Required: Two pounds of mashed potato, 11b. of tomatoes, Jib. of butterbeans, Jib. of onions, two teaspoonfuls of chopped parsley, saltspoonful of powdered herbs, loz. of dripping, seasoning. Soak the beans overnight in cold water to cover. Then boil them with the onion till they are quite soft—about one hour and a-half probably, but it depends on their ago. Don’t use more water than necessary for cooking them, as it means weaker stock. Dip the tomatoes in boiling water for about half a minute, then peel them, which the scalding renders easy, and slice. Grease a piedish, and line it throughout with some of tho mashed potato, after carefully seasoning the latter. Then fill it with layers of beans, tomato, onion, parsley, • herbs, and a little seasoning. Pour in half the dripping, after molting it, add about two tablespoonfuls of the vegetable stock. Cover over with tho rest of the mashed potato, as if making a shepherd’s pie. Put the remaining dripping in small bits on tho top, and bake until brown.

KEEPING FOOD FRESH. To waste food is an offence, with a heavy penalty. To let food “go had,” when a little cafe and a few precautions would have kept it fresh, is, if not a legal offence, very wrong. So read, mark—and remember. Don’t put meat on a plate in a larder or- safe. Hang it up. And hang it in a muslin bag which has been dipped in vinegar. The bag keeps away flies, and the vinegar acts as a preservative.

In your safe or larder have a plate of charcoal. It will take to itself all the bad odours, and keep things absolutely sweet. Keep your larder window wide open with a piece of muslin tacked across. This does not' stop the fresh air, but blocks dust and flies.

If you have a portable meat-safe, see that it is fixed against a north wall. Keep your thread moist by having a good, deep bread-pan, and pouring in. twice a week, three inches deep of water. Get a bit of board to fit in the pan 4in or Sin over the water, and place your loaf or loaves on that. Vegetables can bo prevented from wilting if you have a broad, shallow tin with an inch or so of water in it. Lettuces, cabbages, beans, etc., if placed with their cut ends in the water will keep fresh for days. Marrows, too. respond to the water treatment. Butter should be stood in a dish which stands in another dish filled with water. Put a piece of guessed paper on the butter, and on the paper lay two or three lumps of charcoal-

If you have suspended! kitchen fives, tile oven ia often, one of the coolest spots in the house. Many a wise, old housewife ‘keeps her hotter tin the ovon.

CONFESSIONS OP A BEAUTY. I always say a hair in the head is worth two in the brush. When I breakfast in bed I do not wear a boudoir cap, however dinky I might look in one. For boudoir caps can cover a multitude of neglect. I wear my hair loose, hanging down my back whenever 1 get the -opportunity.. I have a secluded garden, so 1 often gave my tresses an airing, and in the warmer weather always dry them in the sun. Also, I go without a hat whenever I can. There is no surer tonic for falling hair. I am sure worry and trouble react on hair. So when I found it literally corning out in handfuls I tried to cultivate' a little more serenity and built up my general health by taking plenty of nourishment and sleep. Hair reflects one’s physical and mental condition to a most alarming degree. I suppose you want mo to recommend ypn a tonic. Well, mine rs a hairbrush and plenty of patience and elbow-grease. 1 never use a whalebone of bristle wire-brush. They would take the hair off a collie dog. I nave a nice, fairly firm, real, bristle brush. 1 brush my hair in long, even strokes night and morning without fail. I find that a. course of systematic brushing will restore any deranged lodes to their normal condition in a surprisingly short time. It will also remove dandruff and tone up the scalp more effectively than any electrical appliances for sale can do. I wash my brushes and comb every day. I cultivate a-simple, easy coiffure. I don’t puff, frizz, or load iny head down -with pads and combs and packets full of hairpins. I uso boho pins. They are lighter and more comfy, look hotter, and less are needed. Bono or horn are a little dearer, but are worth it. If you do use tho ordinary wire hairpins, try and get them the shade of your hair. I sixain poo once a week, because I go hatless so much I find my hair is always more or less grubby at the end of the week in spite of a midweek dry shampoo with orris root powder. (This should make you brush your hair well, if nothing else will, for it is not easy to remove). I find a, safe rule is to shampoo when really dirty and however often. Certainly once a week for very fair hair. I make my own shampoo. I shred half a tablet of good coal tar soap in a hot water can, and pour a quart of boiling water thereon. I cover it after whisking it about, and when cool 1 use it in the same way as an ordinary shampoo. This hint was given to me by a West End hairdresser, and I have always found it most satisfactory and refreshing. I rinse my head thoroughly in many waters, and then I put it under the cold tap and get a thorough ice cold sousing. I feel fine when Ido that. I dry with towels always. Hot ones. Gas heaters and electric dryere are tho worst enemies of well -kept hair. They cause dandruff, split hairs, and innumerable headaches. To me they represent an excuse for laziness. I find that constant brushing keeps my hair in good order, hut if at any time I want an extra polish without tho aid of hriiliantine (which I never use), I rub strands of my hair with my hand tied in a silk handkerchief. This gives it a beautiful gloss.

SUMMER FASHIONS. Wherever possible fur is mad© us© of on summer clothes. It has even been seen on a sports suit of white satin, which would seem, to bo rather an extreme case. Capes are frequently trimmed with fringes of monkey fur, and it is also the edging for a dress of tan tricotine.

, Dresses which look like suits, . and suits which look like dresses, are hard to tell one from tho other, but both are considered smart and a groat variety of them are being worn. Fringe has sprung into prominence again, and is used for flounces and for tho bottom of tunics and on one dress as a neck finish, laid straight across tho shoulders and fastened on each side with a fancy buckle.

Blouses in lavender are shown in tiny check, trimmed with the smallest of ruffles, and a white organic blouse is stitched in lines in colour's giving tho effect of stripes. Another blouse shows hand-painted garlands of pink and blue flowers upon a ground, of white georgette. Lingerie blouses have apparently com© back into favour and much hand embroidery and lace are used in the exquisitely made models.

Hats continue to feature the wido brim, and transparent models in pastel shades with flower trimmings are most often seen.

Sweaters button on the sh on Idem and are very straight; otherwise a smart kid belt is usually worn with them.

Tire new neckwear, shirt fronts, and collars, which look like shirt waists, indicate that suit coats where worn are not meant to, be taken off.

JOTTINGS. Buttons are' a small item in a dress, but frequently are the only attempt at trimming on many of the new dresses. Pall frocks show a return to tho high neck, and are chic indeed if finished wdtli a wide flare either of the material of of satin. Organdie is even seen on some of them, which are made otherwise of serge. Embroideries appear in large motifs on many of the georgette and chiffon frocks, but for tailored dresses braid is more frequently combined; with the embroidery. Tho panel so lately seen on dresses has transferred itself to capes. Long and flaring suit coats are observed over straight arid narrow skirts shown as a new note from Paris. Black satin is still very much liked for tho afternoon frock of well-dressed women who are wearing it in combination with ecru. COLLAR SCHEMES. As for the collars, they are coming in multitudes, and are so useful as ronovatory touches. I like those made of sponge-cloth in colours, and find the neutral shades, such as grey and sand, particularly charming. A well-known firm of “art” frock makers is selling soft silk collars patterned 1 all over and hemmed with a little silver or pewter tracery. I am sure we should all be encouraged to rummage among our odds and ends for short lengths of anything that would make collars to freshen a last year’s tailor-made. EVERLASTING BUTTONHOLES. They were made of everlastings, dyed in bright but not garish colours, and packed together closely in tho form of a rosette. One little nosegay—only the word is not deserved, for the tiny flowerets have no scent—-had a white centre surrounded by violet and completed by a scarlet border, and there was another with a golden centre and blue

and white surrounds. Stuck in the lapel of a dark coat this touch of colour makes a good effect.

NEW HANDKERCHIEFS. The novelty in handkerchiefs is the treatment of the hem. Instead of a hem-stitched border, narrow or broad,, the handkerchief must have scalloped edges or rounded corners to diversify it. Futurist devices of quite startling originality, in solid colours, and bold ones too, make a deep border to a tiny handkerchief, or the whole of the cambric is of one colour, such as coffee brown, brick red, or steel grey, and there are narrow bands of black at the hem to provide a contrast.