AS SEEN THROUGH WOMAN’S EYES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIV, Issue II, 13 January 1900, Page 89

AS SEEN THROUGH WOMAN’S EYES.

CLEVER WOMEN INVENTORS. Men acquainted with the Held say that fully 75 per cent, of Itne patents taken out by women in the last five years are yielding profitable returns. The woman who invented sachelbottomed pa-ner-bags, for instance, had an offer of £4OOO for her patent before she left Washington. A simple glove-buttoner is bringing to the woman inventor an income of £ 1000 a year. A woman clerk in a department store invented a parcel delivery system which netted substantial returns. One milliner herself an inventor, enjoys the right to several patents that represent the ingenuity of the women operatives in her employ. She shares profits with the inventors, and one of the devices first put in operation in this factory brings in £4OOO a year. It often happens that a woman employer, from familiarity with the machinery or business methods in use thinks out sometime and labour-saving scheme. She shows the model to the manager of her department. He tells the firm of its merits, and they arrange Wi... the employee for the exclusive use of the invention. The employee goes on quietly who her work in the store or mill. The public never hears of her, but success has been a stimulus, and she keeps on the lookout for further inventive opportunity. Much of woman's present activity in inventions is ascrtoed to the better educational facilities now obtainable. The college standard in 'high and popular courses in sloyd and manual training have taught women to use their hands as well as brains. Notwithstanding this a large proportion of the more successful women inventors are those who 'have had only medium or limited educational advantages, but have been daily toilers in the various lines of industry. A Rhode Island woman invented an improved button-hole cutting machine that measures the distance between the button 'holes automatically with much profit and convenience to garment makers A lock with 3000 combinations is a woman’s invention, also a letter box for the outside of homes that shows a signal to the postman to collect, an invention now in constant use. A woman has just perfected a valuable apparatus for removing wool from skins by electricity, showing that women are quick to- aaont the modern facilities of the age to practical purpose. The first woman to take out a patent was Mrs Mary Kies, who in 1809 invented a process for weaving straw with silk or thread. During the next twenty-five years only fifteen patents were granted to women. In the next twenty-five years thirty patents were granted, and it was not until after the civil war that there was any marked increase in the number of’ women inventors. There were 152 models of women’s inventions exu.oited at the Atlanta exposition, and since then me Patent Office has had a specially classified list of women’s inventions prepared for public inspection. ® ® ® THE LATEST THING. FADS, FASHIONS, AND FANCIES OF THE MOMENT. The Latest Fad.—-The fad is to place your faith in dreams, and to order your day by what you have dreamt about at night. If you dream of elderflowers, thorns, thistles, or plum trees, either in fruit or flower, you are supposed to have bad luck for twenty-four hours. If, on the other hand, your wanderings are through oak and apple trees, ami you should meet a fig-tree on the way, you will have a very long life. To dream" of a four-leaved clover is to have good luck, both in marriage and cards.

For an Unused Doorway.—There is a very good way of making a cupboard for china or books out of an unused doorway or recess. You take a piece of Utrecht velvet or velveteen, and line the recess. Then you have some plain deal shelves made, which you cover with the same velvet. Then drape the opening* with two Oriental striped curtains; and. if you have a spear, you can pass it through the top drapery and hang at one end of it a Chinese lantern or Oriental lamp. Then place l>ooks and china unevenly upon the shelves, and you will find the effect extremely good; and the whole thing can lie done for about thirty shillings. If you prefer it, you can hang a little

curtain on a rod on the bottom shelf, which you can draw at will. It is a wise, addition in London, for then the books and china on that particular shelf will be somewhat protected from the blacks.

A New Use for Lace.—To be quite correct at the present moment you must decorate your hair very much in the evening; and the last new idea on the subject is quite charming. Everyone has some cherished bits of old lace —too sma.i to be of any real use, and yet too valuable to be put on one side. These little pieces are made into bows, and stiffened and tucked into the hair, standing up like butterflies; and the younger you are, or the greyer, the more becoming will be the effect. A New and Artistic Wall-hanging.— Many of us who are condemned to live with ugly and unattractive wall-paper, which untoward circumstances forbid us to get rid of, and so to hide the eyesore, must use hangings of some kind. A most beautiful new drapery of this kind has just been brought out. It is woven in neutral-coloured linen, witsh a deep frieze of stags in blue. Between their antlers is a deep green fleur-de-lys. Against old oak rafters and with oak furniture the effect is charming, and looks like valuable tapestry.

The Cut of our Skirts. —The tight, eel-like skirt that we have been miserably wearing all this past year, and have been thoroughly uncomfortable in, is likely to go out as quickly as it came in. No less a person than the prince of Paris dressmakers has declared that he considers it in the highest degree unbecoming, and that graceful folds that softly fall from the waist are much to be admired, and in the face of such an opinion fashion cannot but bow. Englishwomen at present are of far too active habits to endure such an uncompromising skirt for very long, and will hail this change with heartfelt delight.

Our Shoes. —What woman who has a small and pretty foot is not justifiably proud of it? And no one blames her if she chooses to put on it the daintiest and newest footgear she can get hold of. A very eharming fashion for shoes is just now in vogue. This is to use tooled leather for shoes and slippers, of the same kind that is used in bookbinding. Coloured straps, worked with beads, cross at the Instep, and look most attractive. Another idea is to have green and black leather shoes, with silver buckle and big bow of ribbon. Another idea is to use violetscented leather, of the same colour as the former, and worked with gold sequins.

How to Utilise Lace Handkerchiefs. — Who of us has not got one or two cherished and delicate handkerchiefs of priceless old lace that we keep among our most cherished possessions? and how often we pine for the opportunity of showing them to our admiring friends! A new use has come in for them which is attractive in the last degree. This is to remove the cambric centre and to use the lace as a yoke on a costly frock. Then, again, we can wear them as a frill at our neck, as a knot, or fold them so as to use as a collar to a silk or muslin blouse. ® ® ® OUR FEET GROWING LARGER. SO SAY SHOEMAKERS AND HABERDASHERS. Shoemakers and haberdashers who eater to the wants of the elite assert that their patrons this year demand hosiery and shoes averaging from one half to one and a half sizes larger than they did five years ago. The majority of the dealers believe that the average length and breadth of men's feet have been steadily increasing since the wane of the fashion which demanded a pointed toe and tight-fitting shoe. This they explain by saying that the effect of the style in vogue six years ago was to cramp and distort the natural development of the feet. When the style changed and comfort became the criterion of fashion nature again exerted itself. Feet which had become distorted during the reign of the narrow shoe and pointed toe slowly began to broaden and adapt themselves to their new surroundings. The change being gradual, went for a long time unnoticed, and not until the merchants recently began to compare their sales of five years ago with those of to-day was it found that the

average increase has been approximately one size.

Several well-known shoe dealers s • ' ' that when they first began to notice the apfKirent change they became interested and studied the problem. They found that when fashion demanded the use of narrow shoes feet were closely confined and by degrees became small. As styles changed and an easy fit was alone desired the feet seemed to expand and grow steadily larger until the fashion again required a small, neat foot, when the process would be repeated. One merchant, versed in ancient and Oriental history, pointed out to me the fact that in countries where the sandal or other loose foot covering is generally worn the feet of the inhabitants are comparatively large, and in countries where a big shoe is in poor taste small feet are in the majority. A well-known Broadway hosier, when I told him the theory advanced by other haberdashers and shoemakers, smiled incredulously and said:—“l’ll tell you what my experience has been; perhaps it would be interesting. When times are hard I notice that men order large socks, and when there as plenty of money that they prefer close-fitting ones. It can all be reduced to a question of economics, in my opinion. Large hose wear longer than those of perfect fit, but they are not so comfortable. Most well-dressed men are the first to feel the pressure of hard times, and then they begin to economise. They would probably deny it if you should confront them with the statement that for the sake of saving a quarter they were wearing a pair of misfit socks, but under those conditions nine times out of ten the accusation would l>e true.” ® ® © TAKING CARE OF CATS. One of the most interesting discoveries made by the Cat Club of Chicago is that the love of a cat “can be won by merit only. A dog,” these experts scornfully add, “will love any wreck of humanity that chances to own him, but one needs to be selfrespecting to earn the love of a cat.” Animals so sensitively organised that they can judge of the “merit” of human beings are bound to have troubles of their own. The Cat Club’s pamphlet, which we quote, tells how to guard against these afflictions. High-bred cats, it says, are peculiarly liable to indigestion, resulting from overfeeding. It is best to allow them only two meals daily. A light repast in the morning and a hearty dinner at night is the prescribed system of diet. The breakfast should consist of cream or bread and milk, varied with boiled rice. A bit of lean meat now and then is allowed, and for an appetizer an egg or an oyster. The evening meal may include plenty of raw meat, mutton being preferred, with asparagus, corn on the cob or any vegetable which i nss may relish. Boiled liver should be added several times a week. Fish should be given sparingly. Kittens should be fed every three hours with scalded milk, sweetened or salted. When six weeks old they should be weaned and taught to lap warm milk. A bit of scraped raw mutton or beef once a day conduces to strength and vitality. Sour milk should be given once or twice a week to prevent the accumulation of worms in the stomach. Cats reared in a flat should have an occasional saucer of freshly- ent grass. Fresh water, to which has been added a rusty nail or a lump of sulphur, should be accessible to the cat day and night. Cats should not be washed oftener than once a month, otherwise their fur will be harsh and brittle. ® ® ® WOOLLEN VERSUS COTTON. I was asked lately to say whether I prefer cotton or woollen underclothing, and to give my reason for the preference. My correspondent kindly adds: —“1 may say I have been accustomed nil my life to linen and cotton things, but one is never too old to learn, and I shall lie glad of your opinion. What you say is always to the point, and so sensible.” Now, my readers, even at the risk of appearing egotistical and vain. I could do no less than give my reply to such a nice letter the first place in our page this

week. Besides, 1 consider the subject itself a very important one, especially at this time of the year, when changes in underwear are to be thought of. I have, however, no hesitation in deciding in favour of woollen underclothing. which. I consider, infinitely prefi ruble to cotton or linen. Of course, if people like my kind correspondent have been accustomed to the latter class of garments, and if they find they suit them, there is no reason at all why they should make a change; but for the ordinary person, woollen is greatly to l>e advised. And the reason for this is not far to seek, it is also based on scientific grounds. For as woollen materials are “bad conductors” of heat, they keep the heat of the body in, and the excessive heat of the sun out; cotton, on the other hand, is a good and rapid conductor. It lets the heat escape freely, and for this reason it is good neither for winter nor slimmer —at least, not as underwear. For in summer, when we easily get over heated, it allows the heat to go so quickly that we feel chilly and cold afterwards, especially as the cotton garments themselves are left damp and clammy afterwards; while in winter it is also unsuitable, as it does not help ns to retain the heat we possess in our bodies. Woollen garments absorb the perspiration, and thus they keep the skin dry and comfortable—a very different effect to that of the damp, elaminy cotton underwear. I have no hesitation, therefore. iu giving my vote for woollens, especially for anyone that takes cold easily, or is inclined to rheumatism.