WOMAN'S WORLD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7667, 28 March 1903, Page 3

WOMAN'S WORLD.

A woman is the chief orchardist in the whole territory o: North Dakota. She grows nothing but npp-o.=, ar.d when she started operations' her neighbours prophesied, failure. She prrseverc-d. and now her apples' have a reputation- of t'hoir own The only woman in America who makes maps [or historical books, 'and also wall" charts for schools and offices, is a Mrs Eugenia Wheeler Gcff. She is a native of Minneapo.is, ami is an enthusiast at flier work, sparing neither time nor effort when employed in it. It is said that- the Queen will •not handle money that has r.ot been scrubbed in •?. lather of spirits of wine, soap and -water. It is e-ven declared that Queea Alexandra will not finger, change received when making a purchase." hut leaves the lady-in-waiting to jiick up ilie coins, which do not enter the Royal purse until they have been cleaned and brightened. The Empress of Russia was once presented with a shawl of a remarkable kind. It is contained in a box only a few inches square, in which it fi:s easily, ye't when it is s'haken oat it is ten yards square. This notable gift was the work of some women weavers in Orenbsrs. Southern llussia. 'by whom it was presented. The box containing it is of wood, with hinges, hoops and fastenings of beaten silver. Cacius-srowing does not sound as if it would lend to a competence, but -a Michigan woman ; li;ts proved otherwise, and does a very profitable trade in it. She row owns one of ihe finest collections oi cacti in the United SUtes. By judicious grafting, she has produced novef varieties which sell to American and foreign growers. -She employs collectors in- regions whore ; ; he cactus <rrow= wi.d. to secure rare -specimens for propagation. The Egyptians were -amongs't. the first to ■adopt Mic" wearing of necklaces, and. curiously enough, tin- ;ir."ient dwellers by the Kile wore necklaces of the sr?ds cf leguminous plants, berries and she'.ls in th2 same form as worn todf.y'by vhc- Piitasonians ard the natives of the Pacific Is'ands. Gradually a change <-ame over the first primitive form of the necklace; art began to-be employed in its composition, ar.d it- was u?ed sometimes as a sacred amulet as well as for ornament. A Jewess from Frankfort-on-lhe-Oder, living in Berlin, 'having read tho story of Mdme Bernhnrdt's birVli as related in the " Sfaatsbers*er Zeitung," believed that she was ( related to the great actress, and wrote to the latter claiming relationship. She received the following telegram from Hamburg: — •• 3rtod;une.— You have <been deceived- by a seandalmongering pauor. I was born in Paris, in the- liue St Ho'nore. My mother, Juiie Bcrnhard;, was Dutch,' ar.d my father , 'a Frenchman. You area child of a- great country, Germany, I am the child of a great country, France." Things arc done quickly in America. Mr P ( eter Martin, a rich JN'ew York business man, rh'o ught he would get married the other d:iy. Ho wrote to the proprietor of a hoot factory: "I have supplied you for some ten years; now I will give you an order. Just look me cut a pretty brunette from your staff whom I can marry. "Will call to-morrow. There was great exritemeii't in the factory when the letter was read. True to his word, Mr Martin did cp.il, spent five mimitcs in looking over the cLirk-hnired fac'.ory girls, selected one, took her out in- his cab, and- married her a quarter of an 'hour later. "Writing in >i'he " Graphic." Lady Violet Greville remarks that in a return to greater simplicity of life alone will be found fhe solution of the strvant question. Formerly, ladies of small means assisted their nraifls i.; their household duties, dusted the china in the drawing-room, and arranged* the flowers and other little knick-krjacks. ICow, this 'has bftcome the parlourmaid's business, and a whole morning might easily be spent 'by her in dusting and cleaning the frippery of the drawing-room. All this means labour, and it is no wonder that hard-worked domestics .lib .at it. Women seem to grow daily more helpless and more luxurious in< their homes. . It is said that the German Crown Prince, who will' be twenty-one on* May 6. is about to be engaged to Princess Alice of Albany, who will be 'twenty next February. If, is well known 1 that the Emperor and the Empress are very fond of the Duc'hess or Albany and both her children, and <; ; hat the Empress has taken a. great de-al of notice of Princess Alice during her several years' stay <al the Villa Ingerheim, close to the new Palace of Potsdam. The fact tl:?i the Crown Prince danced exceptionally oft?n wiiii Princess Alice at the recent court ball given by, "{'heir Majesties for tho young Princes and Princesses has evidently revived 'the rumour, -which, however, has beer, more or less emphatically circulated for a. considerable time past.