Women and the Home

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16919, 19 December 1922, Page 10

Women and the Home

CONTRIBUTIONS BY SPECIAL WRITERS

EVERYDAY GUMMIDGES. Mrs Brown preceded lier husband along the front row of the stalls, with a faintly suffering expression—and in a very smart evening frock. At a particularly jazzy clang from tne orchestra, she shuddered visibly. “I should really bo in bed.’’ she announced, as she sank down next «.o me. t£ my head is .just frightful—and my nerves! But, then, as .1 said m my daughter, we all have our afflictions. and 1 mustn’t let my pain spod Bertie’s pleasure.” And she sniffed sadly at her lavender salts and spoke in a low faint voice to Bertie ” and me until the play began. The musical comedy wa§ fresh and amusing, but never a laugh escaped

her lips; Bertie, eager to share a joke, would turn to find his wife, with eyes half-closecl, smiling sadly. The music, she told me. “made her’head throb” the bright lights and gay frocks “hurt her eyes”; and she “supposed it was a good show®if we said so, but she really couldn't concentrate with her bead aching so.” By the second interval, she had made ur both miserable, mid I was not sorrv when the chorus performed its final hick and the curtain dropped. If a person “really wishes to qualify for the role of martyr, 1 wish lie 'or she !) would remember that cheerfulness is an essential part of it. ’ and that any suffering that is to he done should he done in silence. There am only too many people who “enjoy had health,” and discomfort, and persecution; whose- perpetual delight it is to harp on their afflictions and thei • wonderful patience and cheerfulness ai tribulation. Yet the only ones win benefit are the martyrs themselves. Who can enjoy a dance if mother’s parting words are: “Oh! don’t bother about me. My dancing days are over; wo old people must get accustomed t / being left alone.” What pleasure can there be in relating your latest frivolities to a friend who only comments, with patient cheerfulness.

1 Well, we mustn’t envy those more fortunate than ourselves; I always trv to be happy in others' happiness.” And vet such people would indignantly deny that they are the most depressing “ wet-blankets ” in the world ! REVIVING A DAINTY ART. MODER X S A3l PL KR S. Who does not feel the fascination of the old sampler ci our great-grand-mothers’ days, with its quaint birds and beasts, and its inevitable moral maxim. laboriously embroidered in cross-stitch, with the name of the poor mite who tiniahod it li in her tenth year’* underneath. To-dav. after a period of oblivion the fashion of sewing samplers is being revived, though it is no longer a means of “ teaching the young idea to shoot.” nor fretting the bobbed heads heads of modern children of- such ten der years. \ merica has had the sampler craze badly lately and has ransacked England lor old specimens to copy, or rather to adopt, for it is the border that Is copied while some more modern sentiment takes the place of the old text or copy-book maxim. A favourite one is: “ The beauty of the house is order: the blessing of the house is contentment . the glory of the house is hospitality. 51 And here is a pretty one which has sur vived from the time when the Pilgrim Fathers built their first homes in the New World : ” Blesse vc Four Corners of ve House. “ And be ye lintel blest; And I>l esse ye hearth and blesse ye Board. “ And blesse each place of R.este. “ And blesse ye Door that opens wide “ To stranger as to kin. “ And blesse each crystal window-pane “ That lettes ye sunlight in. ‘ And blesse ye roof tree overhede, * £ And every sturdye walle. ‘ ‘ Ve peace of M'anne ye Peace of God/- “ Vo peace of Love on alle.” This invocation was often into samplers in America in those carlv flavs of New England, and is still to he found on the walls of old Colonial houses. O.M.S. GARDEN FURNITURE. The modem woman furnishes her garden as artistically as she furnishes he: home. For her cushion covers she chooses cretonnes of the colours that vie with those in the herbaceous bor-

ders. The latest idea is to have no# oni> hammock chairs and cushions but also her parasol, and sometimes eve®' the big sun umbrella, covered with th« same cretonne. ORIGINAL IDEAS. -Most original are some of the newest garden sets seen in the shops, including chair cushions, table cowers, and foot-stools of casement cloth in brilliant orange, royal blue, yellow, or emerald green, and decorated with an applique of fruit, while another idea is to have a large check in casement cloth of two contrasting colours. Great also is the variety in cushion* specially designed for the garden, the round pouf shapes, covered with ruched casement cloth and trimmed with pad ded fruit, being specially effective. At one time much of the pleasure of sitting in a garden was spoilt by the Lack of really comfortable chairs, l>ufc nowadays garden furniture ia constructed with a view to the comfort of the user. The '• hammock ” chairs are the most popular. A double hammock-chair takes the place of a settee, and the lounge hammock with a canopy is ideal for a reposeful hour on a hot after noon. There is also a new folding upright armchair, that is extremelv comfortable and -irong. with a straight canvas seat and back covered with cretonne. A RESTFUL NOTION. A most useful invention for adding ta the enjoyment of a real rest under the trees is a garden mattress. This can be had v ith mackintosh underneath, so that it may be laid on the grass, or it may he used on a small folding bed. These mattresses are in sections, so that they can he folded into a cushion seat. Dutch mats in gav colours to go with the cretonne cushions are delightful for garden use, and it i s a. good plan to have one in a semi-circular shape for each chair, apart- from a larger on© cn which the tea-table or trolly is placed. Long cane footstools are now available to place in front of garden seats. WOMEN AND WALKING. It is estimated that out of everv hundred persons now going on a holiday 80 per cent will travel by train or steamer, and the rest by road. ‘‘The rest ” covers motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. Probably those who go on a walking tour through the holidays arc less than half the original number who made up their minds to t( take to the road.” » hat deters many of those would-be walkers? Probably the thought that fatigue will make enjoyment impossible. Many women make their first and worst mistake in the choice of their shoes. *' Pretty ” shoes are no good un - less they are useful; better still, if they are only useful. ' SUITABLE SHOES. My advice to the pedestrian holiday making is that she should* throw nride to the wind and ourchase a pair of good walking shoes one size larger than she is accustomed to wear, and, if time permits, to use them once or twice before the holiday. The larger size will permit the addition of thick wool sock being worn. The heat caused by the seek may be unpleasant, but it * is to bo preferred to blisters which are often caused by tightly-fitting footwear. Where shall one walk? A good plan for the novice who has a fortnight to spare is t<\ select a destination situated LSO miles from her home, to walk there and travel back by train. CAPE OF THE FEET. If there is time the would-be pedes triau should harden her feet by bath iug them in a solution of common salt and water ; in the proportion of one , part of salt to ten parts of water. Should there he no opportunity to give this attention, prior to setting out (an 1 each morning alter) the feet should be plunged into cold water for a second cr two and while they are wet a lather of yellow soap should be ruhbed between and over each toe, under the ball of the big toe and at the hack cf both heels to prevent chafing. Twenty miles a day is within reach of a healthy woman walker if ten are walked before lunch and two hours’ rest be taken.