GIRL BACHELORS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 41, 8 October 1892, Page 1011

GIRL BACHELORS.

HHERE is something about housekeeping, if onlyon a small scale, with a good, congenial companion, that is very charming ; there is that feeling of comfort and independence which one has only when * under his ow n vine and fig tree.’ It is so much more preferable than boa: ding in many ways if, as I said, your companion be a congenial one : but if not, you might as well be burrowing at the North pole, or camping in the midst of the Sahara, for all the comfort you will get, for I speak from experience and think I can now understand why those of opposite sexes cannot always live happily together. But that belongs to another story which I will tell some other time if anyone would care to bear it, and go back now to my ‘ girl bachelors.' It is so pleasant to have a home, w here one's friends can be received. I remember how we used to combine sociability and improvement, and if there are any ‘ girl bachelors ' who have their evenings they might get some ideas to improve □ pon from the way in which we conducted our society. There were five young ladies who used to visit u.% and we became well acquainted, and liking each other s society were frequently together. Thinking we might do something for our improvement instead of spending our evenings in idle conversation, we concluded to form a little socieFy of our own, yet not knowing bow we would succeed, and not wishing to oe criticised by our friends, determined to have it our very own way. As all girls are of rather a romantic turn, and love mystery, we unanimously named it ‘The Mystic Seven.’ We seven girls were all of different vocations : there was a dressmaker, a teacher, an artist, a musician, a student, a milliner, and an elocutionist. A motley lot you will think, yet all congenial, and therein the secret lay. W e thought it best to have a few by-laws, which read something like this: ArftcZe 1. This society shall be known as ‘ The Mystic Seven, and shall have for its officers a president, secretary, and treasurer, to be elected every month, and shall meet once a week at the home of the president. ArfieZe The aim of this society shall be mutual improvement, and no gossiping, spiteful criticism or faultfinding will be allowed. Ar/ZcZ*? -A The president shall appoint a committee for programme every week, each member in duty bound to comply with the directions of the committee. . J. Any member failing to comply with the directions of the committee, or the rules of the society, will be liable to a fine of sixpence. Absence of a member makes her liable to a fine. You may wonder in regard to the last article, but that was added after our first meeting, as the girls thought it pleasanter to meet at our rooms, as they enjoyed our little ‘ coffee fests, as they called them, as much as we did ourselves, and more than we should have done a more elaborate meal. So they thought it no more than right that they should help bear the expenses, and all fines were used in this way. But I will say, our treasurer was not entrusted with a very large amount from that source, as fines were never collected for absence, except in one or two cases of sickness, for all enjoyed the meetings so much, they made it a point to be present.

Our meetings cornu enced in the autumn, and continued through the winter into the summer, when we were broken up for the vacation, as some of us went to our homes. Our programmes consisted of recitat ions, music, speeches essays, stories told and stories read. Readings were taken up tn Longfellow and Dickens, as they >eemed to be the favourite authors. Our little dressmaker often surprise us with her offhand speeches, while our milliner had such a store of comical and amusing stories, all her own to > . we calied ber our Baton Munchausen : our artist de.ighted us with her chalk talks, and sketches from life tach showed some characteristic distinctly her own and after tue first timidity had disappeared, our members <-ained self .on tmer.ee, and showed an independence which the freedom of our meetings allow ed and encouraged After our literary programme was finished, two small tables were brought out, covered with white cloths, and refreshments were served. These varied with the season In the autumn we had our ‘coffee fests,'which usually consisted of coffee, cinnamon rolls with butter, snowball’s and apples or bananas. Sometimes we had } otatoes roasted in the allies. Everything was so little trouble that I must tell you how we did it Our baker supplied the rolls and snowballs, oar grocer the trait. We were fortunate enough to have a large wood heater one of those old fashioned ones with a deep hearth that we bought at a bargain. M e managed to have a good bed of coals which we raxed forward, and on which we boiled our coffee, cooked our oysters and roasted our potatoes Such shi« OUS C ° ffee ’ ° ysters and P° tat o« I have never tasted My companion was a capital coffee maker, and also conceived the idea ot toasting the potatoes in the ashe* They were washed clean and wiped very dry, so that no would adhere to them. Ashes were placet! in the hearth then the potatoes, then more ashes, then hot coals then more ashes. It reqrires more time to bake them in this wav than in an oven, but try it and it will repay your waiting. Evenings that we had them we put them to roast before our programme, and they were generally >eady to be wipeu with a dry cloth and placed on the table when we were reauy for them. When the days grew colder, we had oysters instead of rolls and coffee. M ith them we always served pickles and celery, biscuits, and fruit. During the warm months we lemonad e e:hlQg relreshln b’- either ice cream and cake or Many delightful evenings were spent in our bachelor apartments which some of our readers may remember, if they nave not forgotten ‘The Mystic Seven.’

Casseo Magoon.