OVER THE TEACUPS

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVII, Issue 16, 20 October 1906, Page 51

OVER THE TEACUPS

BOUDOIR GOSSIP FOR LADY READERS . . .

Lawn Tennis Lessons from Lady Champions.

What players can learn from Miss Sutton and Miss Douglas

Lady lawn-tennis players are gathering from all parts of London and t"ne provinces to see the Wimbledon championships this year, says a writer in the “Daily Mail.” Some are there to be amused, but by far the most of them go t > learn the separate arts of the game, American, and English, which are shown in apparent perfection by Miss D. K. Douglass and Miss May Sutton who won the championship last year without the loss of a set. Miss Douglass, whom she defeated in the final, was not thoroughly

recovered from an accident. This year she is in perfect health, and beat Miss Sutton in the Northern Ladies’ Championship at Aigburth. She is to be seen playing through the singles. Miss Sutton is practising every day. A few hints on how best to learn from tdie champions will be useful. If I were tall I should copy Miss Douglass. Watch the long clean sweep of the racket With ■which she makes a drive off the ground. How she, or indeed any great player, moves easily over the ground, always, if possible, anticipating the placing of her opponent’s shot. ' Eirst-elass lady players qever get tangled up in their skirts. Yolk never hear them say, “if only I were a man!” If I were tall, too, I should watch Miss Douglass, to see on what kind of shot she came up to net to use her reach for a volley. I should see that it was a strong stroke, of good length, which her opponent had to take when well on the run and preferably with... her back hand. When she volleyed 1 should notice that even if the stroke apparently .beat her opponent she did not half turn to walk away from the-.net. but kept her eye fixed on the ball; until it had actually passed out of possible play. If I were of medium height I should study Miss Sutton. I should try to ."learn her wonderful forehand drive. It is ]>erhaps -because of her stature and her sturdiness that she has such a command over the ball. She’ swings her racket with all her strength at a rising ball, and hits it on the top. wifh a that produces the most marvellous ‘stjroke a lady player has?-yet cultivated.' Among men players’‘perhaps only A. F. Wilding and S, H.lHmith can <To e'ftnsistentH welt with a similar stroke. Ido not know that I dkould copy her backhand shot, but I r^Jjl 4 .jmitate

ner in which she refuses to be beaten on it, making the best use of her extraordinary activity. One of the pictures shows her getting up an*apparently hopeless backhander. One characteristic of all great players that all little would-be big ones should watch with the most earnest intention to emulate is their behaviour in the court. Bad hick does not put them out, save on the rarest occasions, and then only for the moment. They do not question the umpire. They arc without

self-consciousness. It does not matter who is looking on. They do not wish to score a point straight off, but wait their opportunity, thinking (like a billiard player making a break) two or three strokes ahead. Knowing this, long rallies become easier to understand. Miss Douglass, we

will say, goes up to the net and volleys one of Miss Sutton's returns. What led to it, the looker-on, learning with intelligence, will remember, was the stroke two or three weeks back that- first got Miss Sutton “on the run.’’- It is t?.is side of the game, this automatic precision which marks first-class play, and it is the occasional departure from it, a change of tactics if yon find things are not going well, that upsets your opponent. - The faet that Miss Sutton’s service is not strong, or fast, or very tricky, will give a great many more heart. A strong service is undoubtedly the monopoly of the men. It takes more out of a girl than a man, and is not worth the loss of energy it entails. Neither Miss Douglass nor Miss Sutton would ever think of trying to serve like Norman Brookes, last year's Australian wonder in that department of the game. o»» a o Pretty Faces. It seems a pity that so much time should be wasted in endeavouring to persuade children that beauty is a thing of no consequence—a moral fallacy which well-meaning mothers strive vainly to instil into the infant mind. There is no denying the fact, that all women would like to be beautiful. History tells us how Queen Elizabeth, with all her ability, made a fool of herself because she was not willing that any other woman should be thought better looking than herself; because she could not be content with greatness. Mdme.' de Stael, if history is to be believed, sighed often, in spite of her brains and the fame which she won thereby, for the personal beauty which was so hopelessly beyond her reach; and one may’ read between the lines of every one of George Eliot’s novels her admiration and covetousness of physical good looks. A fair face is a pleasant thing to behold, and they who are so fortunate as to possess it should be taught to look upon it as on any other talent, to use as not abusing it. Every woman has the right to make herself as good-looking as she can; nay. more, she owes it as a duty to society to do so. Yet beauty, which is purely physical, is a frail thing at best, fading soon and surely' under the hot suns and fierce storms of life; and the faded beauty which has nothing behind it, which is only a wreck, is pitiful indeed. The woman who, having been taught that not being pretty she must, in order- to hold her own with the world, learn how to be entertaining ’ and useful, and who has taken the lesson widely to heart, has much the advantage of such a one in the long run. For Time is a merciless artist in faces, and as the years go by he carves a line hero, softens an outline there, until at last under his touches the soul within. be it good or evil, shines out clearly through the fate. ' THE BEAUTY OF KINDNESS. The peculiar fresh and animal loveli- -: ness whieh the-French call “beaute du diable’’ owes its -fascination chiefly to -. the -magnetism which’ overflowing vitality ami tlie perfect physical health of youth exerts upon us all ;■ the charm ■ which King David ’.calls the “dew of thy .“.youth,” a idiarm which fades with tlie heat, and. burden of the day. but whieh While it lasts' never fails' to render its possessor admired. ■ »* , HhWson says that “a beautiful woman is a picture which drives all beholders nobly mad.” Bnt we cannot liang a benu tiful woman upon the wall as a picture, not stand her upon a pedestal as a' . alatuo.; therefore, pleasant us lieputy of

feature aud symmetry of form are to the eye, we require something more from those who are part and pareel of our daily lives. We all know pretty faces for which we care little or nothin*;, and homely countenances which are fair io our sight because of the sterling soul which underlies them. There is a medium in all things, if one can find it, and the true lesson for children is that which teaches both the worth arid worthlessness of personal beauty. A precious jewel shows to far greater advantage when handsomely set, and she whose culture of heart and mind adds rare personal attractions is wellnigh irresistible. Yet the jewel is still valuable even if the setting be plain and the connoisseur appreciates it, although the ignorant may not be dazzled by its light. Some of the most beautiful women in the world never marry, or fail of happiness when they do. LOVE AND HAPPINESS. It is an undeniable fact that beautiful women often make most unsatisfactory wives. The truth is, that a beautiful woman wins admiration so easily that she often fails to realise that there arc other qualities which must be cultivate;! in order to retain- it. She- is almost certain to be spoiled, and in eonsoqueneo to be selfish. A beautiful woman, for instance, is the recipient, not the donor. Iler lips are accustomed to the phrase “Thank you." When two woriicn. one pretty,'the other plain, enter a crowded street ear, the pretty girl seldom, if ever, has to' stand. Some man is alincst e.'rlain to rise with alacrity and offer his seat ; while the homely girl may, or may not, meet with the same courtesy. The beauty is in the habit of receiving attentions' instead of bestowing them. She is ami able usually, but her good humour is the result of perpetual sunshine. Remove the zunshin?, and—alas! Therein lies the root of th? matter. Marriage is not perpetual sunshine any more than life may be. And in marriage b.'auty is not enough: in fact, in the wear ard tear of daily life it counts for nothing against the qualities which, the plain woman is forced to cultivate in self-defence. CHARM VERSUS CHARACTER. Apart from any vanity, or from any question of the fugitive quality of beauty as a foundation for love, a beautiful woman has in most cases, been so spoiled by adufation,’ that she cannot realise, as her homely sisters do, that she must exert herself after marriage even if she Ims never been called upon to do sb before. How should she realise it? She lias had no practice' in being useful; all that has been asked of her has been to be ornamental. There arc certain qualities in a wife which the vast majority of men demand, and must have, or there will be trouble, in the family—gentleness, sympathy, honour, courage and helpfulness. The' woman who possesses the highest attri-. butes to character,. womanliness, unselfishness, w.ifcly affection and common-' sense, will make a far better wife than she who has only a lovely.face and win-' nihg ways. There are times when pot:i- ! toes are fiiorc {b be'desir&t th:iii roses! A Handsome Dowry. Fraulein Barbara Kiupp. whose l<etrothal to Baron ’lyirivqn Wibnowski, a young nolilenthn who Has just’ entered t,he Prussian Civil Service, was recently; announced, receives a dowry of £2,000,000 on her wedding day.—“St, Junie's ■Gazette.”

Afternoon Calls. IHIGEHTIONH FOR THE INEXPERIENCED HOSTESS. i /I'his article does not pretend to deal ♦*ith the etiquette of paying calls and leaving cards. It is merely an attempt f<t suggest some ways in which the teremony of “calling” may be made more pleasant and friendly. Amongst married women of the middle glasses calling takes up a good deal of /lime, and- is an important feature of Social life. As a rule, calls are too fortnaL Of course, when people are making acquaintance for the first time, there jpiust necessarily lie some formality and vTestraint in the interview, but to be stiff and “stand-offish,” os to rush on \ihe other extreme and be ‘'gushing” or - (desperately anxious to create a good impression, makes the call anything but pleasant to either side. We all know the hostess who prelends to be something she is not. This is the sort of person who is “flustered” i>J a visit which has not been previously announced, and who, by her inartistic efforts to conceal the fact, places the unfortunate caller in as acute a state pf discomfort as herself. The reception at the door is also a point which is too frequently neglected. has not met with the young and inexperienced maid-servant, who, in response to the visitor’s summons, cautjiously opens the door a few inches and fepeepa round the aperture, as though defi>ating the caller’s claims to respectability* Often, indeed, bashfulness or lanxiety leads her to shut the door in the visitor’s face, white she seeks her (mistress’s instructions. Though this reflbeption may appeal to the sense of Siumour of some callers, it is certain to strike less 'favourably otliers who are qnore tenacious of their dignity! ft is unreasonable and foolish of a jnistress to expect a raw maid servant Ao bring in afternoon tea nicely served, jif she is not accustomed to do so on Wther days. It is much better to offer ?Wo tea at all than to have it badly arranged. i Every hostess has met with the caller who, when the house-mistress touches the bell protest, “not for me please!” This, remark is tantamount to an assumption that, under ordinary circumstances. the hostess would not indulge in such a luxury as afternoon tea! I It is extremely bad form for a visitor to assume that the tea-tray has been ordered for her especial benefit, though. Where a certain amount of cordiality txista in the relationship between hostess and caller, it is permissible for the fatter to protest against a fresh pot of Uea being ordered for her if she is late. sKet it is on the whole much safer for the caller to politely ignore little domestic arrangements like these, and silently |o acquiesce in all the hostess’s wishes. It is the supposition that special arrangements are made for the benefit of visitors, and the fact that such is so ofien really the case, that makes the eeresnony of calling so uncomfortable on both pides. It is a pleasure to call on a who is natural, who does not pretend to be “finer” than she is, and who as not disturbed by the advent of a rasual visitor. This sort of woman Aeejts her drawing room —or her “best” Jfoom, however she may label it —in general, everyday use, to the greater refinement of herself and her family. «■ .What sense is there in keeping the fJii-est room in the house consecrated to th« entertainment of probably infrequent visitors’ It ought to be used, if possible, every day,. If, however, in Winter time, it is inconvenient from considerations of economy or for any other treason, to have a fire in the drawingdoom, the hostess should invite her visitor to the family sitting-room, and give her a comfortable cup of tea there. 1 One word in conclusion to hostesses, young and old—never apologise. The habit of apologising for one’s clothes, or bne’g household lielongings and arrangements, is fatal to all claims and aspirations to good breeding!—Silsdena. 0 0 0 0 0 .Where Poor Giris are Lucky. fA club exists in Vienna the memlters T>f which are pledged to marry poor girls. Jf, for any reason, a member marries a ich girl, he is fined £4OO, which is bestowed on some respectable but iniJpeounious couple about to be married, last year more than forty members marFiod girls from the poorer quarters ol the *ty. ' .

What Burglars are Really Afraid Of. A ONCE FAMOUS BURGLAR TALKS ABOUT HIS PROFESSION, AND GIVES SOME TIPS WHICH SHOULD BE USEFUL TO HOUSEHOLDERS. I know' of nothing a burglar hatfcs so much as a nervous little house dog. Creatures of this kind have cost house burglars thousands of good hauls. These little animals are set on hair-triggers, and put the whole house in an uproar at the slightest sign of danger. There are half a-dozen breeds of small dogs well adapted for service as burglar alarms, but not one of them is better than the fox terrier. The hearing of this little animal is so sensitive that it is almost impossible to enter a house in which one of these dogs is sheltered without arousing it, and the whole household as well. BURGLARS HATE ELECTRIC LIGHT. Other things being equal, a burglar will always pass a house lighted by electricity for one ""lighted by gas. The reason for this is that houses lighted by electricity are now wired in such a manner that the turn of a switch or the pressure of a button on one floor will illuminate another floor. Then, electrically lighted houses are much more likely to lie equipped with modern burglar alarms. Houses so wired are practically traps for the burglar. He may be working on the ground floor, for example, when some member of the household in a chamber above is aroused and fancies that he hears someone moving about below. At once the man of the house reaches for the electric switch and turns on the light for the lower floor, so that the. burglar suddenly finds himself in a blaze of light, while the man of the house, a gun in his hand, is screened by the darkness. BREAK IN THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR. Whenever possible, the front door is the point of the burglar’s attack. 'There are two reasons for this: First, because he can ring the bell there, and make sure that no one is at home; second, to be seen at the front door arouses no suspicion in the minds of passers by or policemen. On the other hand, to be seen walking around the rear window, would, in itself instantly attract attention and an alarm would be given. A certain modern invention makes the opening of front doors comparatively an easy matter. This a steel tool called an “L.” When it comes to manipulating a front door it is a wonder-worker. The best of modern locks are vulnerable to this little instrument, and the householders who relies on any lock operated by keys is bound to come to grief if a clever burglar gets after his house. The householder can place his whole reliance on bars, bolts, and chains, and should take good eare that tlu-se are of the most simple, effective, and substantial sort. Many people seem to think that a bur glar will avoid a house that has a baby in it. but so far as my experience goes, this is a mistake. In hundreds, if not in thousands of instances burglars have been completely literally to stop their work and rock the cradle. If a baby in the room seems to be disturbed by his presence the skilful burglar takes the same method to soothe it that the practical mother or nurse would use. A cry from the baby does not necessarily mean an alarm, and the if the burglar is able to quiet the little one readily the chances are ten to one that he can continue his work without interruption. sasso The Englishwoman Who Travels Recent years have brought one happy faet to light—that Englishwomen now know how to travel without making what our American cousins call “real sights” of themselves. The typical British dame on voyage, enveloped in a dingy macintosh, her ill dressed hair, crowned with a hideous felt hat, is, happily, a thing of the ]»ast, and the terrible female protrayed with projecting teeth and spectacles in the Parisian Cowie papers has now no possible connection with the average Englishwoman on her travels.—“ Tattler.” ..

A Little Vanity. - . "It - * useful to have a little vanity,’’ said a woman touching up her hair before the glass. "That’s a very unorthodox sentiment, my dear!” “Perhaps it is. But I shouldn’t be able to faee the people 1 have to see today—• at any rate I shouldn't be able to get them to do Avhat 1 want them to do—if I didn't feel that my hat was becoming, my gown well-fitting, and my shoes and gloves irreproachable. I want to look my best, so that people may see I really am a capable sort of person. If they see I make the best of myself thy will see I appreciate the importance of attention to details. Now, do you call that vanity’” “Well, there may be some new name for it now, said the looker-on, “but when I was small they called it vanity if I found pleasure in looking at myself in the glass.” “Well, dear. I’ll tell you what I think. It is vanity. But I don’t believe it's wrong to try to make oneself pretty or to look in the glass to see how near you are getting to it. I believe it’s far more wrong to do the other thing—not to take any trouble. It’s hard on the people who live with you if they have to look at an uneared for object from morning till night. Lots of people I know wouid be charming if they’d only make themselves look as niee as they could. It wouftl give them confidence. They want developing, and to make themselves look as nice as they can is the first step towards it. So there! Never mind if it is vanity. A little vanity is good for you and for me and for everybody my dear! Be very sure of that.” Q Clubs in Billiard Rooms. Women are complaining that the billiard room is becoming a club, and the extravagant sums which are now being spent on furnishing billiardrooms—sums which would have struck out grandfathers dumb with amaze—seem to point this way. Fifteen hundred and two thousand pounds is now a frequentn figure to spend in furnishing the billiard-room with every comfort luxurious man requires. And the result is that men are now discussing over the cues and the balls just as much petty scandal as ever women have done over the drawing room tea-cups. « « » » c Colour Blendings. Colours disagree, just as men and women do. Most shades of red go together. and violet can be continued with any shade of black but is not very effective with white. It goes well with certain shades of red. Greens are most effective when combined with other tones of green. The different shades of brown combine charmingly. Blue and brown is an old but somewhat fashionable combination. The gold and silver that are in the lead of all trimmings just now are used with any and every colour. There are some combinations, however, that are particularly effective. Black and silver is preferable to black and gold, but white and gola is in first fashion.. #s# » « Flippant Brides. There are many English girls now who take immeasurable pains to train themselves for the purpose of securing a husband, but seem to imagine that after marriage their acquirements and accomplishments are of no further use. “I am married and want to amuse myself!” “Home! I had enough of that before I was married; now I want to have as little of it as possible!”—‘•Marmaduke" in the “Graphic.” O » » ». » Hem-stitched Notepaper. The latest fad in notepaper is to have the border hem stitched like one’s pocket handkerchief. Some very pretty effects are obtained in this way. For instance, a blue-grey linen paper with a narrow hem-stitched border of plain white or dark blue, or a very deep cream paper with a brown border, while the address is invariably stamped in the exact shade of the edging.—“ London Opinion.”