WOMAN'S WORLD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5454, 4 January 1896, Page 3

WOMAN'S WORLD.

Madame Sarah Grand is one of the latest converts among literary women to the joys of the bicycle.

England is enthusiastic over a new" animal painter, Miss Maud Earl, who is expected to prove a second Eosa Bonheur.

Tvette Guilbert, the famous prima donna of the music-halls, earns a night. She has earned £40,000 already, and has gained .£6OOO more by speculating in goldmines. She intends to retire in two years and live on her income.

A shoe-blacking parlour has been established at Chicago by a woman for the convenience of ladies who require to have their shoes, polished. A brigade of tidy boys do. the work, and men are frequent patrons.- The bnsiness is said to be a decided success. ... •■ ' ■ ■ . . •

Theiiinpresa of Austria enjoysthe distinction of being the best royal housekeeper in Europe. Everything in the Imperial household is under her care, and she issues ordere to lxep^emnts-h^getf • . $&§, s£s& -$Mi

in the culinary art, and often invents new dishes.

Miss Alta Rockefeller, who is heiress to about 40,000,000d01, and, who will be richer than any- of the VandeVbilts, epend6 her summer at the magnificent eetate-her father has recently boupht on the Hudson. She . is very retiring, and , docs much good in a quiet and unobtrusive manner. •

Madame Deschamps the oldest of the Paris market women has just, died .at the age of ninety-four: She used to supply the .Tuileries "with -vegetables in 'the days /of Charles X, and Napoleon -III: and aheitoagined for years that the Emperor was in love ivith her. She was the inventor oi ! Julien soup. . '

- Jliss .Helaine Baroody, who has been lecturing in England on the manners and customs of the Holy Land, is about to return to ,her native Lebanon and tafet* up medical work among her country , women. An Irish lady is to accompany her, and together they intend to. establish a school, a surgery or dispensary, and provide beds for some of the worst cases that come under their care. '■"■■■ "'*

Waiting-maids ai*e preferred to men in English homes. They are often in livjery ; at one house the uniform being eoldiewed crepon frocks, with white Normandy, cajra and muslin bib aprone, with silver brooches. Another set of maids wore dark, purple moi'ino di'esses with vests and facings of white cloth, regular plated livery buttons. white muflin aprons, and small . ■white lace caps with purple cookades ,-ixt them. : .-..■••..

' Mrs Charles T.. Yerkes, the wife, of -a well-known American miUionnaire.haA.a single diamond which cost her „£20,000. -Her friends tliink that no. woman, could wear such a stone with safety ; but!. .^experts, disagree with this -view, sayiiiEf tifrat as the stone is known by repute alLoyer the world, no man would . bo .so ■fooKsh a» to 6teal it. \lt would b£ a white, elepluutb, and can be worn . by Mrs Yer-kes; vftM ar greater security than less . important jewels. ■■• ', >• " ••••• . •'.'..... . / .;

Women are often twitted with.extravagance in dress, but they are nothing to some Eastern potentates. It used to be said that the late Sultan of Jehore,iwhen in.bis..6tate costume, the collar, epaulette, belts, cuffs, and shoes of which blazed with diamonds, was worth a couple of million pounds as .he stood. Of course much ,of this Buni' was represented by stones,.ashewor© bracelets and many rings, and the handle and scabbard of his -sword were thickly studded with ,gems— but, after all, theso were all part of his " make-up."

The Empress of Germany ? fully shares the . military enthusiasm of her husband. She appeared. at the. Stettin review recently as colonel of "iihe Cuirassiers of Queen Louise," a regiment of which she has been the honorary commander for some years. In a very soldierly \iaifovm, a white cloth habit, with, scarlet facings and gold lace on collar and cuffs, and mounted on a splendid charger, she rode at the head of the regiment, leading them first at a trot, then at a' gallop before the critical eyes of the Kaiser, the Emperor, of Austria, and the, King of Saxony.

Mrs J. G. Scott, an English lady, is an interesting traveller. She is the wife of the English Commissioner charged with, the difficult. task of fixing the area of the "Buffer State" between Bumab. and the French territory east of the Mekong Biyer. Though fragile in appearance, Mre Scott has a fine physique, and about two months ago she completed a journey of nearly 2000 .miles with, her husband. She b < as i spent four dry seasons in the jungle.; she has swum- rivers on horseback, and. witnessed numerous ■ border battles, and- she ..Has ridden calmly in the immediate neighbourhood of tigers fit to rank with Kipling's "Shere Khan." She. impressed her husband's Ghoorkas co much' that they told him they wanted* no better leader than hit wife in case he happened to get killed.