LADIES' GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5690, 8 October 1896, Page 2

LADIES' GOSSIP.

[" Canterbury Times."] The suggestion made the other day at a meeting of the Industrial Association to form a ladies' section is a most excellent one. The chief end and aim of this most useful society is the encouragement of local industries, and the promulgation of information about them — valuable -work which is being done chiefly by means of Industrial Exhibitions. It is tobefeai-ed however, that women, who are the real household purchasers, are influenced only indirectly by the Association's work and aims. A woman's section, at whose meetings papers dealing with the various loca 1 industries might be read, would undoubtedly be an excellent extension of tho Association's influence. Lectures on special branches of the subject might from timo to time be given, with good educational results. Tho question of demand and supply requires a thorough elucidation, in order that women may comprehend how they injure our own manufacturers when they buy an inferior foi'eigii article srinply becaixse 'it is a trifle cheaper ;'. than rcolonial-tfiade:' goods. 'Thefts is much .to bo done in'this direction^-, for since women are the household purveyors, they should be better informed than they are as to the extent to which they may depend on the country in which they live, to supply their needs. We are threatened with a revival of the earring— a relic of barbarism, which we thought had long ago been left behind us. Probably the cry comes from the jewellers, who are ever ready to invent new uses for their gems, yet there is no doubt that many women "of questionable taste still exist, who aro ready to deforiii ; their ears bypiercingthem, and then decorating them, savage fashion, with some gewgaw. Ib is really a great pity that they should stop at tho earrings. If they wear them, why not a nose-ring also ? It would be quite as becoming, and would be a veritable novelty as novelties go, since such a long interval has elapsed since last our ancestors beautified themselves in that fashion. It is one thing to wear jewels clasped round throat or linger, but quite another matter when the flesh must be torn or cut to receive them. We might just as well tattoo our faces and hands, so as to be entirely in keeping with our barbaric ear ornaments. And yet we might do worse. We mightnay, we do, for is not a sealskin coat still one of tho most acceptable/'oT^winter wraps ? The possession of sycli a garment is synonymous with luxurw<aud wealth, and few women have yet become so humane as to refuse to wear a skin? of such undeniable beauty as that of tne unfortunate seal. If the animal were first killed and then skinned one miglit pardon the sealhunter, but this is not done. In an article in the Century, Borchgrevink, the wellknown Antarctic explorer, describes a hunt at which he was present, in words of startling plainness. "The seals," he writes, "are killed either with guns or pikes. There is very little sport attached to seal-hunting, especially in Antarctic waters, as the seals there are tame through ignorance of man's bloodthirstiness. Generally they were asleep when we approached, and many of them died without seeing their murderers. But, as a rule, the slaughter and skinning of the seal wero most barbarous, bloody and hideous —unnecessarily so. Specially cruel is the task when seal-pikes are used. Only rarely does a seal die from one or two blows of the pike, and if it is not dead it is generally considered ' all the better,' for it is easier to skin a seal while it is half alive. In the utmost agony the wretched 'beast' draws its muscles away from the sharp, steel which tears away its skin, and thus assists in parting with its own coat." Every woman who wears the skins . of these poor creatures participates in these, horrors quite as surely as does the hunter himself, brutal though he seems to us. Too much cannot be spoken or written on this subject, for the inhumanity practised by women on the brute creation is full of awfulness. It dogs her footsteps everywhere and impedes any real progress she may make. It was pointed out recently with many smiles and nods that a foremost pioneer in reform work in London had an osprey in her bonnet, and was not ashamed to preach reform and progress while wearin^ plumes that had been torn from the quivering body of the beautiful mother egret. When shall we learn to make haste slowly, and begin ever at the beginning of things? The want of a room where bicycles can be left while the cycling woman is shopping, has become an absolute. need. It is far from safe to leave Wheels at shop doors, for very often to do so is to invite their removal or damage by malicious people. Shopkeepers themselves have not yet provided their customers; with a storeroom, and it is full time that something was done in this direction. The suggestion has been made that the use of a room for storage purposes should be ono of the privileges accorded to membership in the only Women's Cycling Club Christchurch possesses — a club that has been in existence about five yeai-s already. The idea is an excellent one, and it is certainly to be hoped that it will be carried out. Another plan which lias been mooted also is a club-room, where members living at a distance from town might be able to rest and find plenty of cycling literature, with, of course, a bicycleshed for the safe keeping of their precious wheels. . The suggestion is a most excellent one, and deserves the fullest support of all women interested in ridiiig. Of course a large membership would be required to enable the Atlantans to carry it out, but as the subscription to the club is almost nominal, we may hope soon to see the club-room; an accomplished fact. The quality in woman that calls forth* love, says a writer in a contemporary, is noti beauty, attractive as it certainly is,

m*mmmmmmmmmaaamvmmiimmiimmmmmmm - - but kindliness and sympathy. These are beauties that belong to the mind and soul, and, therefore, they appeal to the soul as no meraly external beauty can. Shakspeve wrote that ." kindness in women, not their beauteous looks, shall win my love," giving in those few simple words a most happy though indirect definition of what constitutes true womanliness. Who, continues the firßt-mentioned writer, has not experienced in his or her lifetime a woman's plain face beautified by kindliness of expression ? We instinctively feel that the woman is kind andlovable, and on further acquaintance we learn to love her r for her kind, sympathetic nature has satisfied the one great want in human life — " kindness " and " sympathy " her plainness of face and form is no longer a fault in our eye» ; we love her for what she iB. Even though we would not like to be without lovely women to admire, whose' beauty may hide a cold, selfish, unsympathetic nature, yet all honest, thoughtful,, soul-loving people know that the beauty which makes life worth living, and lives on. when all nature's graces are fading, ib • kindness, not beauteous looks, bo that in the end kindness in woman must win the day. We have heard of the tea habit, nnd teadrunkenness among women, but. according to American nnd German medical men the coffee habit is just as pern iciouß and almost as common. A New York doctor has been making a study of the subject, arid from the number of cases that have come under his notice, he is convinced that chronic coffee -poisoning is actually increasing much faster than most people might s .ppose. He says that' the symptoms resemble those ealised by alcoholic dyspepsia. There is the same disgust for f pod, with morning ekpectora- ..." tion,. which iricreasoß in severe cases until the patient" can tak6cbiiee b^y,;br elsevl»g*i r soaked in coffee. Dr MendiJ.of Berlin^EliV other doctor interested in the coffee habit, has had under constant observation a whole community of coffee-drinkers — the working women in and around Essen, and his pamphlet embodying the result of these observations is full . of interest. He found that many of the women consume over a pound of coffee a week, and they suffered, as might be expected, from profound depression" of spirits and frequent headaches, with insomnia. 'To reliove the two former ailments they would have recourse to a strong ( dose of coffee which relieved theinio^atime, arid enabled theni to proceed with their work until the stimulating effect ceased, and they were driven afresh to their poison, The muscks soon got weak and trembling, ihe hands remaining tremulous even when at rest, arid yet the suffering of the victims was so great that they dared riot give up their coffee for fear of death itself . The very latest kind of emlroidery is pretty and at the same \ time simple enoilgh to make it . popular Y with those who like, dain,ty needlework. It consists of lace work, or, rather, flowers and leaves or arabesques, worked in honiton braid on a ground of silk or satin. There need be very few or indeed no lace stitches at . all introduced, the whole design being worked out ' ia plain or fancy lace braids.' A cushion cover of pale green satin in-, tended for a bride, has a very graceful design worked in pale cream braids with the most charming effect. For handkerchief and glove Bachets, nightdress cases and the dainty bags for holding the fan and gloves, few kinds of ornamentation could be more suitable. The satin should always be first bound, and lined with larletariVor paper, iind-^hen .theleaveisand •steins' are'madebf ttie straight braid b}mdstitclied on, -'tlie'jflbWe'rs being put {in "With the oval or pear-shaped braid. The little ovals of lace can, of course, be cut arid, sewn on as the petals of tho flowers, each one, being caught and held down by a sequin or spangle. Iridescent or crystal beads can be introduced with good effect also, and for the vest or re vers of a dress, would make a handsome garniture.