WOMEN'S WORLD

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15152, 27 January 1923, Page 13 (Supplement)

WOMEN'S WORLD

Miss F. Jolly is the guest of Mrs E. B. Heywood, at Wanganui. * * * *

Miss Linda Major (Auckland) is staying with Mrs W. H. Miiliken at Morrinsville.

Miss M. McNicol is visiting Mrs A. G Whitehorn at Tauranga.

Miss Marjorie Manning, who has been visiting Morrinsville as the guest of Miss Dora Miiliken, has returned to Hamilton. *** i * Miss Mary Beale, wh 1 o has been holiday-making at Kawau, is now the guest of Miss Kathleen Bagnall at Mt. Eden. „

Miss B. Jolly has returned to Hamilton after visiting friends at St. Heliers.

Mrs A. E. Manning returned to Hamilton this week after a pleasant holiday at Orewa. * * * *

Mr and Mrs Ed. Jones and family of “Avoca" Hamilton, are spending the holidays at Cheltenham Beach. * * * * Mrs F. H. Cumberworth is visiting her mother Mrs Provis. * * * * Mrs Messenger is the guest of Mrs Baker at Huntly. * * * * Misses McDermott and Nicol are staying with Mrs J. Gray. *** ' * Miss I. Chadwiok is staying with her mother, Mrs A. Day. * • * * Miss T. Ring left to-day for the week-end at Hlnuera. 9. * * * Miss Rogerson spent the weekend at Pukekohe. o * * * Miss Walnutt is spending this weekend in Auckland. * * * * Miss Eileen Cussen has gone to Okoroire. * * * * Mrs M. Nilsson of Petane, who has been visiting relatives m ilie Waikato ieft on Wednesday night for Napier. * * * * Mrs H. T. Gillies, who is recovering from her : ecent illness has gone to the Thames coast. * * * * Mrs F. C. Bunyard has. returned from her seaside residence at Raglan. • * * * Mrs J. A. Young and daughter are back from a fortnight’s holiday at Raglan. * * '* * Haeata Surgical Hospital is temporarily closed, and Mrs Watkins and family are spending a fortnight’s •holiday at Mount Tauranga. * * * * Mr and Mrs Ovenden who have been travelling around the world for some time arrived last week from Canada, and are the guests of Mr and Mrs Ellicot.

Mrs J. Gray entertained a few friends at Bridge on Wednesday evening. All present passed a happy time. Mrs Matthews was victorious when the counting-up time arrived and was awarded the prize. Amongst the guests were Mesdames Geo. Hyde, (Dr.) Fraser, H. Hopkins, T. Jolly, A. Beale, Matthews, P. E. Stevens and Misses McDermott, Nicol, Jolly, Walnutt, Stevens, and Nathan.

Dr. Frances McAllister, formerly of Stratford, has been offered! by the Taranaki Hospital Board the position of resident surgeon at the New Plymouth Hospital. Dr. McAllister won a Taranaki scholarship, and pursued her studies at Otago University, qualifying in both surgery and medicine at the end of 1921.

* * * * A special message to the Vancouver Sun from Ottawa states that Prince

'Eric of Denmark is engaged to Miss Louis Booth, a granddaughter of Mr L J. R. Booth, the wealthiest Canadian lumber man. The parties met when Prince Eric was farming at Calgary. * B * * . Writing about “politics and shirtcolours,” fashions for men, in fact, the correspondent of an exchange says: To the black shirt of the Fascisti in Italy have been added the blue shirts of the Nationalists, the khaki shirts of the Liberals, the white shirts of the Catholic Arditi, and other colours. D’Annunzio has organised the “Red Shirts,” an anti-Fascisti organisation, which is spread.ng rapidly. Since it has become the style for men to wear shirts to match their political beliefs and no coats, the streets present the aspect of a medieval fair. * * * * A Wanganui mother, who travelled from Auckland to Wanganui recently in the special carriage reserved for women and children, suggests that by the expense of a few pounds the Department could make a wonderful improvement to this car, says an exchange. Hammocks could be provided where the children could be put to rest at night. It would be a matter of the greatest simplicity to have these so that they could be taken down during the day time and hooked up at night, and they would not in the least interfere with the seating accommodation. She felt sure mothers using the car would be only too willing- to pay a reasonable amount extra /tor the use of the hammocks, and the Department would recoup itself of expense in a very short time, and make a profit out of this juvefiile sleeping accommodation, and incidentally help to make the railways popular with mothers.

The fact of the subdued, or neutral, colouring in dress having reached this country, which is so far from the centres of fashion so quickly, is emphasised by the fact that the newest magazines arc just mentioning the reaction from the intense and vivid colouring of the East, which has set in at the other end of the world. The latest pictures and their descriptions tell of the tailor-mades in all variety, mostly in black, brown, neutral greys of all shades, and a few pastel blues—the universal “navy” having, for once, a rest. Black evening gowns, or white ones, seem equally liked, but the embroideries in bright-toned beads, either burnishe’d or dull, add touches of colour to a sad-coloured world. Last season the sudden and vivid notes of colour in the form of featners and velvet swathes were in excellent taste, and il is likely that soon something in the same form will be de\isled. The “Puritan touch” is little 'likely to prevail for long in the new century. * * * In the Balkans, where women tend goats and cattle in the mountains, it is necessary for them to wear trousers: skirts would be too cumbersome o-u> rooks in Albania, how-

(By “Gipty”)

ever especially at Scutari, writes a contributor lo the “Illustrated London News,” women wear trousers m aocordance willi an old custom. Albanian woman takes a pride in wearing trousers as voluminous as possible, and as a result Hie garments do not in the least resemble the ordinary masculine attire with which we associate the word, but appear like tremendously full, heavy skirts. The richer the woman is the more extensive are her trousers, and it is not at all uncommon to see women wearing trousers that are made of ninety feet or more of cloth. When an Albanian girl is about to be married all her relations contribute to provide her with trousers as well as with the full costume of an Albanian woman, including caps adorned with gold and pearls, and with gold ornaments. Ihe complete dress weighs more than sixty pounds. It is no wonder, therefoie, that to take quick steps is impossible, and that when the women are at home they sit cross-legged. !jt * * Sir Alfred Yarrow, the shipbuilder, who is BO years old, was married recently at Sti Bartholomew’s-lhe-Great Church, Smith field, to Miss Eleanor Barnes, of Greenmeadows, Hants, daughter of the late Mr Goodwin Barnes, of Fixley, ■ Bishop’s Stortford. The officiating clergyman was the Rev. A. E. N. Simms, vicar of Grayshott, near Hindhead. Viscount Knutsford acted as best man. Although every effort had been made to keep the ceremony quiet, the church was well filled. The bride was attended by Miss Yorke-Scarlett and Mrs J. M. Cooke, her sister. Born in 1842, Sir Alfred Yarrow originally possessed shipbuilding and engineering works in Poplar, but in 1906 the firm transferred to the Clyde. The bride, who is a wealthy woman of middle age, has lived at Lower Clatford for about two years, and is well known as a philanthropist. She is the author of “As the Water Flows,” a charming work on English rivers. * * * } The big Paris fashion houses, with the help of the police, arc carrying on a vigorous campaign against the fashion pirates who reproduce exclusive Rue de la Paix models and sell them at cheap rates to foreign customers (states the Paris correspondent of the “Daily Mail"). With search warrants' police inspectors and court officials have bepn visiting wholesale dressmakers suspected of stealing models. In one workshop an alarm bell sounded as soon as the police entered. A hurried inspection of the showrooms and workrooms revealed empty cupboards and bare tables. The police, however, continued their investigations, with the result that in secret hiding-places, skilfully concealed behind mirrors and wall panelling, they found more than 100 costumes. These proved to be copies of new designs by the best-known Paris fashion creators. Fashion pirates are brought into court and usually condemned to pay fines and'damages. The pirated models are confiscated. MUSICAL AFTERNOON. Mrs A. 11. Ellicott gave a musical afternoon in honour of her guest Mrs Ovenden, on Thursday at “Arundel” Notwithstanding the weather there were only a few defaulters amongst the invited guests and those present thoroughly enjoyed the’lime spent. v Musical items were rendered by Mrs Ovenden and Miss Mathieson and Mr Ovenden, while the elocutionary part of the programme was ably filled by Mesdames A. W. Green and T. B. Dillicar. Afternoon tea was dispensed and proved deliciously refreshing Mrs Ellicott received Ihe guests in a frock of blue cloth prettily embroidered and sleeves and neck of deep creaip georgette embroidered to match. Mrs Ovenden was wearing a„ jazz silk in Bulgarian colouring. Amongst the guests were: Mesdames J. W. Walsh and daughters, F. Burley and daughter, J. A. Young and daughter, Allen Bell and daughter, T. B. Dillicar, A. W. Green, Johnstone. Provis, F. C. Bunyard, and Misses Mathieson and E. Norris. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

In answer to a correspondent from Bruntwood re White Vinegar. —It is not made from citric acid but from acetic acid and the proportions are of ordinary ate tic acid 1 part to 7 parts of water. .If, however, you are using glacial acetic acid mix it 1 part to 24 of water. Either of these makes a perfect vinegar especially adapted for pickles, eLc. “T.G.” —Your query for the best flour paste is a bit vague as there are several methods for different purposes. However,' I will take it that it is for wall papering or jam covering. Take as much flour as you expect to require and mix thoroughly with cold water until it is easily workable and perfectly smooth, then pour in enough boiling water to bring it to a clear thick paste. Until it becomes clear it is not cooked and will not last as well. A little alum added helps with the drying. WEDDING. POPE—BARLOW. A quiet but very pretty wedding was solemnised at St. David’s Presbyterian Church, Te Aroha, on Christmas Day, when Miss Doris Myrtle Irene Barlow, second daughter of Mr and Mrs J. L. Barlow, of Te Aroha, was united in the holy bonds of wedlock with Mr William Joseph Pope, eldest son of Mrs and the late W. H. Pope, of Tauwhare. The officiating minister was the Rev. J. A. Ryburn, and the church was prettily decorated by the girl friends of the bride. A large wedding hell hung above the happy couple during service, while a floral design of a true lover's knot hung in front of the altar.V The bride was prettily attired in fuji silk and shadow lace, with silk net overdress hand embroidered and scalloped, with embroidered veil and orange blossom arranged cap fashion with three satin bands. She was attended by her sister, Miss Elsie Evelyn Barlow, a.s bridesmaid, who wore lemon crepe de chine finished with liny glass beads and lemon organdie muslin hat, with touches of heliotrope. Mr Walter Pope, brother of the bridegroom, was in attendance as best man. Mrs Robert Eastwood (sister of the bride), officiated at the organ, rendering the Wedding March as I lie bridal party left the church. Both bride and bridesmaid carried beautiful flora! bouquets, the handiwork of Miss Geiselcr (a friend of the bride). The bride’s bouquet consisted oi Christmas lilies, white carnations, asparagus and maidenhair fern: the bridesmaid’s bouquet was of lemon abd white cacita-.

tions, heliotrope, larkspur and maidenhair fern. After the ceremony about thirty guests (chiefl-y relatives of the contracting parties) were entertained to a delightful wedding breakfast at the residence of the bride’s parents. A feature of the handsomely decorated fables was the huge wedding cake—a very artistic creation. The 'customary toasts were enthusiastically honoured, and the happy couple congratulated. Later in the day Mr and Mrs Pope V; ft on I Indr honeymoon, on route to Rotorua, aurd showers of confetti. The bride’s travelling suit was a neatly braided dark grey costume and a peacock blue-hat with lemon trimmings. Their future home will be at Ongarue. WEDDING OF LORD PLUNKET. On Monday, December 4, at St. Mary’s, Denham, Bucks., England, Lord Plunket, son of the late Lord Plunkct, Governor of New Zealand, the nephew of Viscountess Novar, better known to Australians as Lady Helen Munro Fergusson, was married to Mrs Jack Barnato, tile widow of Captain Barnato, R.A.F. Captain Crawford Caslobadie, M.C., Rifle Brigade, was best man. The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a gown of powder-blue chiffron-velvet, and carried a bouquet of red roses. She as attended by Lady Veronica Blackwood. Miss Patricia Lyon, Miss Virginia Barnato, and Miss Diana Barnato, who wore long Kate Greenaway dresses of cream lace, with lace* bonnets, and carried nosegays of forget-me-nots. . A reception was held at Brook House, Denham, by Lieutenant-Colonel Braithwaite and Lady Victoria Brailhwaite (mother of the bridegrooms), after which lh e bride and bridegroom left for San Remo, the bride wearing a blue velvet hat and a coat of black crepe marocain embroidered with silver blue, and gold. The guests included, among others:—The Marquis of Dufferin and Ava, the Dowager Marchoness

Of Salisbury, the Dowager Countess of Airlie, Muriel Viscountess Helmsley, Viscount and Viscountess Novar, Lady Hermiune Blackwoodi, Lady John Hay, Lord and Lady Carnoek, Lady Ardilaun, Lady Carson, the Hon. Mrs Benjamin Plunkett, the Hon. Kiwi Plunket, lh e Hon. Moira Plunket, the Hon. Mrs St. Aubyn, the Hon. Mrs Lyon, the Hon. Mrs Whidborne, Hie Hon. Mrs Arthur Crichton, Sir Charles Russell, Mr J* Lewis, Captain W. Barnato, Mrs Braithwaitc, Miss Carey, and Captain Cunningham Reid. —British Australasian. A DELICIOUS FRUIT. An Australian lady, resident in Wellington, who read in the Post a paragraph about the American fruit, the “pawpaw,” has written to say that the fruit is well worth cultivating, and that it is a mistake to suppose that it is not delicious, or that it is necessary to gel “messy” when eating it. The writer says: “Writing as an Australian, 1 am able to refute this, as it is much esteemed. One of the shows is to take visitors to see in Brisbane Hie pawpaw farms. The fruit can be fried or baked, and mixed with mangoes makes a pickle that with cold meat charms the epicures. One can also eat the fruit with dignity, and without Hie ‘spitting’ referred to. A ripe pawpaw lias a rare, delicious flavour. 1 have eaten it at a dinner party, seeds removed, and flavoured with grated nutmeg. It is dried and prepared in crystallised form, and sold as a sweet, the same as pineapple or ginger, and is truly a ‘bonne bouche.’ Multon or beef that is newly killed when wrapped in .pawpaw leaves becomes quite tender. Beatrice Grimshaw, who testifies to' the excellence of pawpaw, has been eigliL years in Papua, and speaks of its effect on meat in one of her recent stories. The writer of the article, presumably an American, says it is not pickled, preserved, or dried, whereas I have sampled it in all these forms. Australians so far from America, and people know very little of its methods with regard to vegetables. Take the choko, a small vegetable marrow and which grows readily over fences, arbours, etc. This, cither hailed or baked, is nice eating, and als > makes good preserves and a nice chutney. it is a sturdy vine, and very easily propagated!” It is probably a fact that many of these delicacies would grow readily in New Zealand, hut the gardening world is rather a conservative one, and needs a good voucher to be given before making a new venture. H is possible that with so many good words for the pawpaw and Hie choko, some may venture to lev to grow them, l)iit probably lhe funner would need more steady heal than can he obtained I here.

If patrol is used in conjunction with ordinary furniture cream, a lasting and brilliant, polish, which does not .Jlngci'-mark, will result.

HOLIDAY MANNERS. A writer in the London "Daily Telegraph" discourses interestingly _on holiday manners as follows: —It is a bad plan to pack away one's best manners when starting on a holiday with one’s best clothes for use on special occasions. 'Wear the very best you possess: they will improve by wear, and help in the enjoyment of a good lime not only by their owner, buL by other people. Often the temper of a number of people in a railway carriage is spoilt by one passenger, usually—one regrets to say in this page—a woman who enters in a fuss and fusses all llie others. Instead of civilly seeking the co-opera-tion of the fellow-travellers in stowing away her packages, she finds fault with them for having any, and mutual recriminations lead to general discomfort. If this disturber of the peace gets out at an early stage her departure is hailed with expressions of relief which would not form a pleasant epitaph if she were getting out of life instead of out of a tram. It is an epitaph, too, that she would probably not really deserve, for she has only put away her nice manners for where she is going instead of using them en route. Bad manners are more apparent when holiday-makers are returning with their good time behind them. This is quite comprehensible, but none the less disturbing A day or two ago a lady was driven into expressing herself in unladylike language because a man opposite her would sit cross-legged, and, the carriage space being narrow, his dusty boot was being gradually cleaned by her skirt. Politely she pointed out the fact, but the possessor of the boot asserted his right to sit in any position he chose. Words led to more words, tempers grew less and less controlled, until an old lady in a corner remarked: “You’re both coming back after your holidays, I think, and taking it rather hard.” She had hit the nail on the head. Other pas-

sengers laughed, llic man grinned and uncrossed the offending log, the lady brushed a bit of dry dust off her dress. The fine manners of the old lady in the corner had saved the situation and restored good humour. A source of ill manners which has a particularly far-reaching effect is forgetting that other people are on holiday, and seeking to secure the best of everything for oneself. The man in an hotel or boarding house who prides himself on getting the best value for his money, hustles for the most comfortable chair, seizes and holds on to the earliest newspaper, and complains of his helping of food if lie sees others have what he thinks better, is never a popular person. Popularity on holiday is largely a question of manners, and good ones make for personal and collective pleasure. There is no ill more infectious than ill manners. SOJVIE RECIPES. Stuffed Potatoes.—Select six longshaped potatoes with smooth skins, wash and scrub them well until thoroughly clean; cut in halves, and take out tlie middle to make “cups” about half an inch thick. For Ihe slufllng take ioz of cold minced meat, 2oz of breadcrumbs, a leaspoonful of chopped onion, one Leaspoonful of chopped parsley, pepper and salt to taste. Mix all well together with one egg; stuff the potato-cups and place each half evenly together and Ije (Irmly with tape. Bake in a hot oven for one hour; remove Ihe tapes before serving.

Alexandra pudding. —Required: 3lb of cooked carrots, 4oz of suet, fill breadcrumbs, Alb raisins, jib currants. Joz of brown sugar, 2 eggs, pinch of salt, milk, a very little nulmeg. Mash the carrots, stone the raisins, clean the currants, shred Ihe suet, and mix all the dry ingredients. Beat up the eggs and stir in with sufficient milk to make all into a stiff bailer. Pour into a well-greased pie-dish and bake in a moderate oven for about one hour. Serve, plain, or with melted butter or jam satire.

Imitation Preserved (linger.—lngredients: i vegetable marrow, lib of loaf sugar, loz of root ginger, A pinl of wider. Method: Peel the marrow, remove the seeds, and cut it into cubes; bruise Ihe ginger. Put the sugar and water into a pan, stir until lhe former lias melted, Ih• ■ll boil without stirring lo the thread degree, 2.'io degrees Fa.lircnliml. To lest, this, dip a piece of slick inlo cold water, then into the syrup and had; into lhe water. Pinch the syrup mi the slick between lhe flnger and thumb and draw them apart. If a thread is formed which snaps as il is pulled mil the right degree is readied. Pul the cubes of marrow and tin- ginger into this syrup and simmer until the marrow lookdear. Pour all into a basin, cover with a piece of muslin, and leave il for 24 hours. Strain, boil up the syrup again to the thread degree, return the marrow and ginger, and birn-

mer for an hour. Again put it aside, find the next day repeat the operation, take out the marrow, put it into pots, and cover like jam.

A correspondent has kindly sent in a recipe for grape-fruit marmalade, in response to an inquiry in this column. The following is the recipe:—Method: Cut up three grape fruit iinely, same as for marmalade, carefully removing the pips. Put in large bowl, and pour water over (three pints of water to every pound of fruit), stand for 24 hours, then boil quickly for one hour, then add sugar, allowing lib to every pint of water and fruit. Put into hot jars, and seal at once with gummed papers. This is a well-tried recipe, and keeps indefinitely. The addition of oranges is agreeable; one orange to each grape fruit. As plums are in full season now, probably one or two good recipes for preserving them will be welcome. Here’’ are two: —Plum Jam: Any kind of plums may be used for the following recipe. Choose just ripe, unbruised fruit, peel, and either cut in halves and remove the stones, or make a slit in them and remove the stones as they rise to the surface when boiling the jam. Allow a pint of water to each six pounds of fruit. Put the plums and water into a preserving pan, bring to the boil, skim, and simmer gently, until the fruit is soft. Add threequarters of a pound of sugar to each pound of fruit, stir until the sugar lias melted, then boil fast ten to twenty minutes or until the jam sets when tested. If liked, a few of the stones may be era,eked and the kernels added to Hie jam about four minutes before it- is ready. Put it into clean, warm jars, and cover. Preserved Plums: Scald and thoroughly dry jars or widenecked bottles, and lilt them with.dry arid not over-ripe fruit, unsloned, but wiped on a clean cloth. All but the bottom layer should be pricked with a coarse darning needle. Place the jars or bottles in a cool oven, standing them on cardboard or several folds of thick paper, and cook slowly until the skins of the bottom layer begin

to crack. Bring out the jars or bot- ! ties one at a time and till up with boilj ins' water, leaving a little space for a ' layer of hot mutton fat. Make good i any cracks in the fat when cold, and I cover with parchment or paper. When | fat is not available, damp and dry the I parchment before use, or substitute ! softened bladder. In either case the j cover should be made strong enough j to resist air-pressure by having pasted I over tw ; o or three layers of ordinary j white or thin brown paper. Gum ; or flour paste may be used, and the lirst layer allowed to dry thoroughly i before adding a second. j i BLISTERS ON THE FEET. Blisters on the heels are often due to friction at tlie heel after new shoes have been worn. They are always the result of inspiration, and when so caused may be relieved by the application of spirits of camphor on a piece of cheesecloth. Genuine blisters should be painted with collodion to protect them from tiie air and the friction of the hose.* An army preventative is to rub a little soap on the slocking. Too short shoes and stockings Joree the joint of the large toe out of place, and no remedy may be hoped for without corrective shoes —shoes that are long enough and wide enough for a normal spreading of the toes. In an early state the joint may be bandaged into place with the aid of adhesive plaster to bring il into a natural position. The following ointment may lie applied night and morning: Ung. llydrag U.S.P.; Gng. Belladonna; each of Aoz. Sometimes even expensive shoes have defective linings. Til slightest unevenness causes discomfort, and probably a blister. The cure is to rub Hie uneven place with a thimble vigorously; or I he piece can he cut out and a patch put in, tiie 'edge of the hole being lirst stuck down with strong adhesive plaster, and then a piece of soft leather, such as can be cut from an old glove, stuck over it. MALE NEEDLE PUSHER. The champion fancy work artist of Canon City, Col., U.S.A., isn’t a gciv.le, ! white-haired old lady. Part of lie description is right, lull the reference to sex is all wrong. The leading embroidery needle wielder is gentle and white-haired, but die artist is a “lie.” (). Lundberg, who is 78, claims Hie distinction of beating woman at her own pastime. ills embroidery work j and fancy needle accomplishments | have taken numerous prizes at' lairs i and exhibitions in 1 adnrado. Lundberg, a resident of the Gtd ■ Follows’ Home, has sold much of his wares to women who are unable to ’execute the intricate designs on linen so suecessfnlly as Lundberg. He lu*- ; gan embroidering eight years ago. .should he removed from ilic salt at the end of each meal, ether. ! wise {tie spoon will become coated with 'vcrdigrin, which is poisonous.

THE CURE.

(By Holloway Horn.) I had never mel him before, nor, for that matter, have I since. One of the attractions of the Palette Club, however, is that you are continually meetins interesting people there whom you do not. want to meet again. The type is more common than is generally supposed. He was a man of that indefinite age spoken of as forty. 1 all and thin, with just a touch, of grey at the temples. What made him talk so intimately to me I cannot say. Perhaps it was because I'm the sort of man to whom people do talk of intimate things; possibly because the Club had touched the cords of memory which made it imperative for him to talk to someone. "Quaint little place, this,” he said, by way of introduction. “Meretricious, though, like most of these funny little CIUbS.” , X J ... , "It's amusing!” I protested. And you can get a drink here a bit later than at most places. Those two virtures cover a multitude of sins!

A little silence followed before he spoke again. “I don’t suppose that three of these people,” he indicated the swaying, absorbed dancers, “are genuine artists.” "That is so!" I admitted. “Most of us live in Garden Suburbs or places like Kensington. But it’s a jolly little club, and no harm is done by pretending it's foe Artists. Gives the Committee an excuse to put these mad pictures about.” “Talking of mad pictures, have you ever heard of an artist called Mayhew, Russell Mayhew?” "I’m afraid I haven’t!”

"Such is fame! He was very well known in his day. I knew him well. He was about twenty-eight at the time of which I am speaking . . . but I don’t suppose you are interested in a man you never heard of!” 'Please go on,” I said, more, I am

afraid, from politeness than from in-

“Mayhew was the most offensively introspective Artist I ever knew,” the stranger continued. "He had more Artistic Temperament than the whole Slade School. It’s always a pose, of course,. .

He stopped and looked at me. “Mainly, I suppose,” I said, directly challenged. “There was one person, though, who suffered mure than lie did from that awful ‘Temperament.’ It was his wife.” “Was she an artist, too?”

“Good gracious, no! He wasn’t so mad as to marry an Artist. There were limits even to his idiocy. What I mean is that she suffered abominably from his Artistic Temperament.” “Oh, I see!” I laughed. “Poor little woman! I knew her awfully well. Indeed, once I wanted to marry her myself!” I began to be faintly interested. It was rather startling, however, to discover that the stranger had ever contemplated marriage in any but a philosophic sense. “You’re sure I’m not boring you?” he asked.

“Not at all 1" I insisted, for he seemed to dread the thought of boring me. “Even at breakfast Mayhew would pose,” he continued. “He would hold out his hand Tor his coffee with a farawav look in his eyes. The least noise would distract him, drive away every vestige of inspiration! How the work of that house was done was a miracle. It was impossible for them to keep a servant; they simply refused to be huffled. Most of the housework was done at night when Mayhew was in places like this, seeking fresh inspiration with which to make a nuisance of himself the, next day. “She was a plucky little woman. She had married him and was determined lo make the best of her lot- but in those days lie was a tartar! He would 20 off for weeks at a time if the mood took him. She would hear vaguely from him in Provence or Italy. . . . It upsets a woman abominably, you know, such conduct. “\s Ihe months went by the Temperament grew worse. He became intolerable, unbearable. What that hemic woman put up with cannot be described in mere words. She was fund of him; indeed, in a way, she loved him, or if would have been impcssiblo for her to have stood him as long as she did .... “Tins is where you come in,” I said with a smile. “Hardly . . .” he said. “But 1 will toll you What happened. The awful strain was reacting on her health.” lie paused a few minutes, as if he were thinking, before he continued. “In my opinion. Artistic Temperament is merely another name for Damn Selfish-

ness. "Thai b ralher sweeping, surely.” I protested. “I can quite understand that you did not love Bussell Mayhew hut you seem to he generalising from a particular instance. It's not good loffie.!” “You’ve side-tracked me,” he said.

"To continue my story, however. It was only a matter of time before she came to breaking point. One night he returned to his honfe in St. John s Wood after having been away in Cornwall —r m speaking of the days before the unhappy country became an Art School—to find . . . that she had gone!” "With you?” I put. in. He ignored the question. “She had sent a letter to the great Artist. It was brief. She said that she could stand it no longer and had left him. She hoped he would be happier than she had been able to make him, and that he would find someone who understood him more than she had done. The letter was three dajs old when he found it. The postmark was ‘Coombe Beach,’ a tiny village on the Dorset coast.” , "He took it very badly. That silly nonsense which he had called his Temperament oozed out of his finger-tips, leaving behind it a very scared man. He went ramping mad, and although he had only just reached home, he was on his way to Waterloo —and, as he thought, Coombe Beach —within five minutes. There was no train, however, until the morning. But the night he had to spend in London did him good. It gave him time to cool and see exactly what he had done. He fought shy of his usual haunts . . . "The next day saw him on his way, but he did not reach the tiny village from which his wife had written until the late afternoon. Coombe Beach possessed only one hotel. The clerk admitted at once that Mrs Mayhew was staying there. . “It was a delicate matter to ask him if Mrs Mayhew were alone, and Mayhew did noj. no so. When he signed the Visitors’ Book, however, he found all he needed to know. Immediately below his wife’s name, and in the same handwriting, was written ‘George Trefeaniin.’ ■ , . "The hotel lounge seemed to be swimming round him. He had no Idea what he should do. Create a scene? He an Artist! What would the papers say? If he had bolted with someone else’s wife there would have been an element of Romance. ./But it was his wife who had bolted. “And deep down in him he knew that she had more than sufficient justificalion. "In an illuminating moment, Mayhew, sitting there in that stuffy little lounge, saw with startling flash-iike clearness !hat his wife meant more to him than his precious Art. And—herein was slie bitterness —it was not the Artist in him which had lost her, but a stupid pose which he had allowed to grow and grow until it became a habit. "Like most of us, at one time or another in our lives, he wanted desperately to turn back the clock, . . "But it was too late. The best thing he could do, he decided, was to go. He could not force her to return with him if he waited. Besides . . . there w*as llie other man A beastly phrase, I always think! "He had actually risen when he saw her enter the lounge. She stopped os she uoliccd him, and as he rushed to her side.

•Marv!’ he gasped. “‘Well?” she, asked, not nervously or coldly, but just casually. “‘Come back!’ he begged. ‘lt was all a mistake.’ “‘I cannot face it again, she said. “ ‘l’ll never paint another picture, if only you’ll come back. I’ve done with all silly drivelling things like ‘Temperament’ ... I love you.” “‘You make it hard to refuse! “ ‘But you can’t stay with this . . . man!’ “ ‘I could,’ she said with a smile, ‘but lie’s getting married next week.’ “ ‘What on earth do you mean?’

“ ‘Here he is,’ she said, and turning to the door Mayhew saw that a man had entered and was crossing to them. “‘I think you’ve met before!’ said Mrs Mayhew with a laugh. “And they had! The man was her

l brother! The name he had used was i a false one. Rather mean, but, by Jove, it taught Mayhew a lesson! He had his hair cut the next morning! Ah, well! 1 must be getting along. Thanks for listening. I don’t know why I told you, or why you bothered to listen." I watched him saunter out of the

Cabaret Room. “Who is that?” I asked the Secretary, who was passing at that moment. "Let me see —what's his name? He’s not here very often . . . Mayhew, that’s it, Russell Mayhew.” WORTH KNOWING. * Glass vases which are much stained should not be cleaned with a gritty substance, as this may scratch them. The best cleaner for this purpose is bran, to which some water has been added. Hold the hand over the mouth of the vase and shake it vigorously, and eventually the glass will be perfectly clear. It is quite common to And among cinders in a grate an orange-colouved substance. This should be collected and crushed to a fine powder. The material, which is commonly known as “crocus,” is most useful for imparting a fine polish to steel. It shou'd be rubbed on in a dry state, and the article can then be polished with a leather or soft cloth. Footwear which has been worn in the rain is not easy to polish. No ■difficulty will be experienced if before the ordinary polish is applied the leather is very slightly moistened with a little paraffin. Apply the paraffin with a rag, and then without delay rub on some good polish, and finish in the ordinary way. To restore the colour of wash leather gloves which have become very faded, put some orange peel to sxik in water overnight, and next day put the peel into the water which is being boiled for washing the gloves. A delicate colour will be imparted to the leather washed in this water. The sides of a rubber hot-water bag which has been stored away sometimes stick together. No attempt should be made to force the sides apart. The best plan is to pour in some hot water to which a few drops of ammonia have been added. Leave for a few minutes and then with a straight, slender stick, such as a wooden skewer or a pencil, work the sides apart. To prevent rubber bags becoming stuck together when they are not in use, it is always a good plan to blow some air into them.

Much time, worry, labour and trouble may be. saved by giving due care to table knives. In many households they have been neglected a little during the stress of the past years. If the bone colours have become discoloured they should be sand-papered and then polished. Ivory-handled knives can have their discoloured ivory made as new if cleaned with lemon juice and salt. Never in any circumstances allow knife handles to soak in water. It does them more harm than years of use. Ivory will turn yellow, bone becomes very discoloured, and composition becomes a very dirty hub. g tains on knife blade may lie quickly removed by rubbing with a raw potato. A quick and effective way of cleaning knives is to rub them up and down a few limes in the earth. Good quality knives should invariably tie cleaned with good quality charcoal.