AS SEEN THE WOMEN'S EYES

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXII, Issue XXII, 3 June 1899, Page 784

AS SEEN THE WOMEN'S EYES

SOME WOMEN’S OCCUPATIONS. Many women who live at home and are not obliged to support themselves entirely are yet glad to be able to earn enough to clothe themselves, and so be in a measure independent. Earning a living is seldom, if ever, an easy thing for a woman, and even in this age of independence there are some who shrink from the stern struggle and will not embark in its unless by absolute necessity. Many more would be glad to stay nt home if they could devise some means of gaining there the income which they require. There is always room at the top, and the woman who can do any one thing superlatively well can generally make the doing of it pay. Before deciding to go out in the wide world, let the needy woman turn over in her mind the demands of her own neighbourhood and see if she cannot supply her own wants by filling one or more of them. Much depends upon whether she lives in the city or in the country, in a small town, a village, or on a farm; whether there is a market near at hand or whether she must seek one at a distance, and more—much more — on her own tastes and capabilities. To succeed in any undertaking she must have a certain amount of business capacity, be punctual in fulfiilling her engagements, and give good work in return for the money she receives. If people find that they cannot depend upon her, or that the results of her labour are uncertain they will not employ her. Providing Desserts.—As food is a prime necessity of life, and in the luxurious days in which we live people like to gratify their palates and are always ready to purchase good things to eat, the woman who has a talent for cooking should try to develop a specialty in this direction. Competent service is difficult to get, and a cook who understands the composition of delicate desserts is too rare in the kitchens of persons of moderate means. If the house mother is too busy, too frail, or too ignorant to supply this want herself, she would often be very glad to know of someone upon whom she could call to do it for her. If the young woman in want of occupation would say to the housekeepers in her neighbourhood, ‘I am prepared to furnish ice cream, Charlotte Russe, or cream pies" —or whatever delicacy she decides upon —‘on a certain day, at such a price, if I can get enough orders,’ she could make it pay. There is one important point to be observed —she must have everything of the best, and must introduce novelties from time to time; for instance, not confine heiself to vanilla, strawberry. lemon and chocolate in me cream, but try peach, apricot and pistachio, brown bread, and almond to stimulate the desires of her customers. Frozen fruits, water ices and frozen puddings can easily be made when one has an ice cream freezer. Dainty cakes may be furnished to be eaten with the ice cream, the delicious confections for which recipes are now so plentiful. Teaching Cookery.—lf a woman has a talent for cooking, a pleasant manner. and the ability to impart what she knows —a gift that is not possessed by everyone—she would do well to save her money until she has enough to get competent instruction in the subject. If sh“ can have n course at one of the large technical schools in the chemistry of food and in practical cooking, she can have classes in cooking, or perhaps obtain a situation as a teacher of cookery that will enable her to become entirely self-supporting. Dressmaking for Children. —Next to food clothing is the prime requirement of civilised beings. Its making, repair, and adornment furnishes occn-

pation to a great many persons, and the woman in want of employment should turn her attention to one off these branches. Those who have a taste for dressmaking will find in the making of children’s clothing, particularly dresses a remunerative outlet for their ability. Children’s dresses do not require the skill in fitting that is necessary to make successfully garments for grown persons, and yet the time which must be spent over them prohibits a professional dressmaker from making them cheaply. If the prices are moderate many mothers will be glad to take advantage of the opportunity of having them done outside the home. There are so many pretty materials for children’s dresses nowadays that there is room for the exercise of taste and fancy in making them up in striking and appropriate designs. The Liberty, surah and foulard silks, Japanese wash silks and the figured India silks are all particularly suitable for little girls’ dresses, while the variety in cotton material is endless. Suits for little boys are made as daintily as dresses for little girls, and they are not beyond the power of the skilful home dressmaker. Many of the materials used for wash suits are very pretty, as the tan linen crash, pampas linen, Irish linen, Marseilles, and the striped English galatea. They may* be combined in many different ways —a tan linen suit with an admiral collar edged with broad bands of cardinal galatea, or a white Marseilles blouse with a blue or yellow sailor collar of the same material. With the help of good patterns boys’ clothes are not much more difficult to make than those for girls. Mending.—Many busy mothers who cannot afford to keep a seamstress or have not room for one in the house would be glad to employ a person who would come for one day’ in the week and do the family mending. It would be an enormous relief to many women to have this necessary duty’ taken off their hands, and they would gladly pay- well for it. If it were known that a woman would undertake repairing at home, such as renovating skirts, mending children’s clothes, darning rents in cloth garments, etc., her services would often be eagerly sought. There is a way’ to make very neat repairs in worsted materials by darning- with hair matching as nearly as possible the colour of the cloth. It is finer than sewing silk, strong enough for the purpose, and always invisible.

Renovating.—The woman who knows how how to clean gloves, ribbons, and lace in a thoroughly satisfactory manner can turn her knowledge to good account by’ doing these things at home. The white furs, so much used for children, require frequent renovating, and this is easily done by an experienced person. Restoring black lace to its original colour and stiffness is another small art that can be practiced. Popular Trifles.—lt is sometimes possible to manufacture trifles at home that meet with ready’ sale. It is a great achievement to please the publie fancy. Taste an ingenuity are required, as well as skilful fingers to carry out the design, and there may be’ many disappointments before success is obtained. The scented apples made of painted silk that were so popular not long ago brought a great deal of money to the clever woman who invented them. Where progressive whist is in fashion there is a demand for the boards on which the cards are arranged, and they may be made home and sold at a profit. A certain kind of lamn shade, representing a ballet girl with fluffy skirts, was.made and sold in large numbers by the woman who devised it. A quick-witted woman need not despair of finding employment, that will

pay wherever her lot is east. The most unpromising materials will yield it to her if she studies the needs of her neighbours and devotes herself to supplying them acceptably.