ROYAL GIFT AND OLDEN TOKEN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 228, 28 September 1935, Page 12

ROYAL GIFT AND OLDEN TOKEN

L wonder it, ironi among all th everyday things we use any of yoi «ould choose one that has a more inter esting history than the handkereheif The handkerchief is of ancient honou and renown, it was used as a gift fo Queens and also as a token of love Glancing through some very old book th© other day .1. chanced to come upor the following which I thought might in terest you as much as it has me: No item of dross has had so humhh an origin. Beginning as a rough piece of doth, the “clout” or rag changei at last into the most delicate lace be girt article of the toilet. Then it be came a gift for queens or a token o love. The corner of an apron stil suffices the workadav woman for tear and furtive sniffs of the nose, whit a very dingy and unsavoury article i the solo joy of the schoolboy. Carcfu matrons in Scotland show a sacre< pride in the folded handkcrchie around their Bibles, which thev mi wrap and shake out. of its folds ii church with an air of performing a re ligious rite. The handkerchief attained to honou and renown in the cast long before it humblest manifestation, the ‘swa cloth”, was in use* in England. Ii Egypt it was counted as an amule and among the Moors a love token. r l'h< Greeks have left no written record o it. But on vases and other picture' history there are Greek women niusin; pensively, with a, rather large clotl in the right hand. The Romans seer to have been accustomed to handker chiefs of a strickly ultitarian kind, fo .hivenal makes its too frequent use ; kind of reproach. The Anglo-Saxons used their “swa cloths” openly, but the Normans hi their handkerchiefs a/bout their persons Pockets there were none and it coul not conveniently be attached to thei girdles. Nevertheless by Edward IV' day a certain tardy interest in th A

handkerchief had arisen, for that monarch had his made of “Hollands cloth,” and ordered no less than four doz(\n to be made by a certain Alice JShapstone, tu whom he paid twopence apiece for making them, equal to about two shillings. It is said that the empress of Russia paid £5OO for a single handkerchief. The c m broid cress who made it wrought seven years and lost her eyesight over it. It will be seen from this how much the handkerchief has grown in importance. In the sixteenth century the handkerchief began to be. in more general use at. court for men as well as women. Hendy VIJ L was part ieular about handkerchiefs and expected the lord of his chamber to be provided with tnem. He himself paid Mis*ross Armourer £5 for eleven dozen ha nd kerchiefs, to be givvn out lo those who served his person- And now it was that the handkerchief began lo take its rightful plavc as a thing of particular importWilh Elizabeth the handki'rchief like all articles of the toilet, was much lo be considered. It was trimmed with lace and decked wilh embroidery. But in her youth she was not, so well provided for. Lady Brian, Elizabeth's guardian, was forced to eomplaiu to the King that her royal charge had “no handkerchers” to her nose. In her reign tiny handkerchiefs, finely worked, edged with gold lace and folded neatly, were made on pudpose for tokens of love and were given bv gentlewomen to their lovers, who wore these dainty tokens in their hats. And of all the strange places whore handkerchiefs are kept, 1 think the hat the strangest! Gan anv of you imagine us wearing handkerchiefs in our hats those days? Why, even “Madcap” wouldn’t do that! And that does remind me. I wonder what can have become of her of late. Snrolv thp gobblins have not treated her like thev did “Little Orphan Annie.” You all re member what happened to her. don’t you? And now I must bid you all cheerio until we meet agaiin. Yours as aIways—“GRANDADDY JIM.”

“IT .IS .NICE TO HAVE .TEA .BEFORE DARK,’’ SAYS “ALL PAINS. ’ ’ , 4 , t , Dear Wendy.—Thank you very much for putting my request on the .Notice Board. 1. bad two answers which were very nice. How is everyone? 1 only see an occasional Hut page, as my mistress dosen’t always manage to get it so at times I’m quite ignorant as to things concerning the Hut. Yesterday week my mother and L went through to Taranaki because my grandmother had died. J didn’t get back till hist Thursday. What is the weather like in the city? The last two or three days here have been lovely sunn- days. The little lambs will love. it. Are not the days getting longer, Wendy ? It is light till about 6 o'clock in the evening now. ft is nice Io be able | l( have tea before dark. Oh, well, dear Wendy, ] think 1 will say cheerio. Hoping everyone is in good spirits. Love From “ALL TA.INS,’’ C.W.K., Taihape. .1 am so pleased to have your welcome letter, dead, and to hear that von have received a response to the request on the N.H. The weather has been simply splendid here and summertime has really arrived at last, There is lime for a game after tea in the evenings now, too isin't there? I am sorry to hear of your grandmother passing awav. Al v sympathy, dear.— Wendy.

LISTEN TO THIS Two school buys were visiting the Briti-h Museum and on coining to the muniniv ruom one of. them stopped in front of a glass case in which was the embalmed remains of a famous Egyptian. “Look. Bill!” he said, in hushed tones, pointing to a card on which was printed “ B.C. 1500.” “I wonder what those figures mean?” “Why, that was the number of thp motor-car that ran over him!” explained his chum-