WOMEN'S CORNER.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16435, 31 January 1919, Page 2

WOMEN'S CORNER.

The Lady Editor will be pleased to receive for publication m the "Women's Corner" items of social or personal news. Such items should be fully authenticated, and engagement notices must bear the signatures oi' both parties. Correspondence is invitod on any matters affecting, or of interest to, women.

Mrs "W. H. Parkes, of Auckland, passed through Christehureh yesterday cfn hor way to Dunedin. Mr and Mrs Norman Macintosh (Auckland) are staying at "Warner's. They leave for tho north to-night. Lieut.-Colonel and Mrs Bernau arrived from Hanmer yesterday, and went north in the evening. Mrs and Miss Rutherford returned to Mendip Hills yesterday. Mr and Mrs A. I. Johns (Auckland) arc staying at "Warners. Mr and Mrs Seifert (Palmerston .North) are visiting Christehureh. Miss Kathleen Rogers, Coldstream. Hinds, is visiting friends at Amberley. The Christehureh branch of the Women's Christian Temperance Union held i's first meeting for this year on Wednesday, Miss Roberts presiding. Mr I'ortuno, of Canada, was introduced, and gave an interesting address on 'Tho Total Prohibition of the Liquor Traffic."

A wedding of interest to New Zealand people took place at Drumlanrig Castle in November, when Mr George Walter Kells, of Gisborne, New Zealand, was married to Miss Ida Campbell, se?ond daughter of Isabella, Lady Campbell. The Rev. C. R. Ramsay, of Closeburn, officiated, and the bridesmaid was Miss Moire Campbell, sister of the bride. The groomsman was Corporal J. V. Mills, R.A.F., of New Zealand. Mrs Kolls, as Sister Campbell, had been for two and a-half years in charge of'the Auxiliary Hospital at Drumlanrig. Among the guests at the wedding was the permanent staff of the hospital, and a great-number of V.A.D. nurses, as well as patients past and present.

It will be difficult for those men who were in camp at Featherston during the influenza epidemic to forget tho splendid work of tho nurses and lady residents who did so much for them while in hospital and during convalescence. The artillerymen in particular have decided to give some recognition of the noble work, and have devoted part of their Canteen Fund to the purchase of gold brooches, miniatures of the Field Artillery badge. Some 51 brooches have been already sent, oach accompanied by a letter of thanks.

It was stated that there were 68 English and two French wives of New Zealanders who made the trip out on the Briton. The first impressions of Lytteiton of those who came to" the port could hardly have been good, on account of the weather, and when several of them landed from the ship early yesterday morning the outlook • was bleak and miserable. A fetf babies were in evidence, and one stalwart warrior was observed calmly pushing along the wharf a "double-seater" go-cart containing twins. The appearance on the gangway of the Marama as the cot cases were being disembarked of a naval officer with ia baby in his arms was greeted with/cheers, aqd one of the laughing crowu called out: "What, another cot case!" r MRS ROLLESTON'S Course oT H»ir Treatment, »* her charmingly appointed Rooms, has surprised many ladies by the modesty of its cost. The "course, however, is very thorough and complete, comprising five separate treatments; . cair-cutting,- v and singeing; massage, with scalp food; shampooing, with friction vibro and hand maesage; besides all necessary preparations used, and aleo a lesson in hairdreseing. Especially beneficial in cases of falling hair, dandruff, and premature greyneas. MRS ROLLESTON (qualified London, Paris, and America), Dominion Buildings, Cathedral square, Christchurch. 1 dress in~america. soaringl>rices. Mrs E. J. Tait, wife of Mr E. J. Tait, of the Tait theatrical • management, returned to Sydney from America 'recently. In conversation with an Australian Press representative she gavo some interesting sidelights on America during the last months of the war. ' She was much impressed with the* enormous increase in the cost of food and clothing even during her brief stay. For the simplest breakfast—just tea and toast and the usual homely fare — ono would pay at least two dollars! Think of it! Eight shillings for breakfast for two! As for dress fabrics, they soared at least 75 per cent, during her short visit. But the New York women continued to be elegantly turned out. From the last hair of her coiffure to the tips of her shoes, she was smartness itself. Mrs Tait struck New York in winter, when everybody was enveloped in fnxs. Arid such, furs! long coat had been passed out of consideration, and short, smart coate were universally worn, finished at the edges with hundreds of little tails as trimming. Skirts t were narrow enough to be sheath-like)! and reached right down to the ankles. And the ankles were silk-clad. The fable that the American woman had discarded the silk stocking for the currency of the war in favour of the highly mercerised article was unsubstantiated. She wore silk, all silk, real silk, and nothing bnt silk! But sho wns working as well as dressing. Almost every woman was engaged in war, work—for tho Liberty Loan, collecting in the streets, all kinds of -work that had the war for a background i It was almost an impossibility to walk along tho streets without being "bailed up" by dozens of women, each interested in her own particular fund. Mrs Tait also chatted interestingly regarding Australian theatrical folk in tho States. The Castles girls—Amy, Dolly, and Eileen —arc all three in America, she said, doing excellent work, the youngest sister appearing in Gilbert and Sullivan .operas in New York with much success. DANCE DRESSES. Imagine the joy of wearing a real dance dress again, something sleeveless, and shimmering, a frock to treasure yes, even to kee;j for future generations to see, just as one gazes now with brightening eyes upon something quaint and old-world that beautified someone at the tainpus ball on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo (says a London paper of December 6th). The ilivsses that are seen now are as delicau , as a butterfly's wing, aua ono designed by Miss Bessie Ascough suggests the fllmy loveliness of one of those exquisite creatures. Pale yollow tulle is used for it. embroidered I with tiny crystal heads, and the double \ belt"of blue and silver shot tissue that! holds the fragile folds together has an I applique band of shot taffetas and . tissue flowers upon it :ind is weighted' by dull silver tassels. j <

New frocks for the thes dansants that are pleasurable events of the happier times in which we -Jive now ar*e delightfully pretty, and many of them show little points of\ daring novelty. For example, there are dresses wicn on.:- sleeve only, and that sleeve so important as to resemble a shawl falling froim a shoulder. Then there are wonderful scarf draperies w-iiich make the whole corsage and extend into > floating train. One. vaguelt--:resemb-ling a with an apron front Vina » pleated skirt, suggests almost a fiancy dress, and is verj wearable and chai'hiinfc. s

DAME MELBA. EN ROUTE FOR ENGLAND.

AUCKLAND, January 29. Among the through passengers bythe Viairara to Vancouver, en route to Eng. lanTTf Dame Nellie Melba, etffl tWnk•mtt 'of ways and means bv which to augment the Red Cross funds. In spite of her long-continued efforts in the past in this direction, she has lost none of her enthusiasm for the good cause. Upon her arrival in England, Damo Ueiba will appear in the Albert Hall in aid of the Blind Soldiers' and Sailors 7 r'und, after*which she will tour the provinces on behalf of the Red Cross. Returning to London, she hopes to have a *ea<on of opera at Covent Garden during May, June, and July. She expresses the opinion that, should peace be concluded in May, this will be ono of the most brilliant seasons of hor experience. Dame Molba thinks of touring France and Italy on behalf of the Red Cross Society Tn the autumn. With I>ame Melba is Miss Peggy Center, a young Australian of whom she has groat hopes. Dame Melba also mentioned that, two Auckland singers— Miss Jessie Gcdtles and Miss Laura Walker—are making good progress at her couservatorium. THE IMPORTANCE OF MANTELS. Fiop.crs and candlesticks are really groat friends to the woman who would nial-e the best of the mantels in her rooms. As for flowers, they are especially lovely on a mantel shelf behind which there is a mirror. For so the flowers aro« emphasised. One must use discrimination in placing flowers on a mantel, of course. For instance. ii the mantel is flanked by two tall candlesticks, a tall vase of flowers in tho centre would not look well Far better wcrujd be a flat bowl. On the other hand, if at the ends of the mantel are low ornaments, then a tall vase of irregularly arranged flowers would be effective. A mirror is good over a mantel. It emphasises the size of the room, .and placed above fi mantel also emphasises the importance of the fireplace. If just slightly tipped it sometimes gives lovely pictures of the groupings of furniture or family in front of the fireplace. In a living room, made charming largely by the personality of its mistress.'because she knows just how to arrange her furniture to the best advantage, she has worked out a truly beautiful mantel arrangement. Tlio mantel is simply a brown stained board shelf. Above "it she has hung, flat against the wall, a beautiful and expensive reproduction of one of Rombrandt'e single figures. At each end of the mantel stands a tall Flemish brass candlestick, in which there is a tapering, Ion" candle. And that is all—the two candlesticks on the shelf, tho big picture on the wall. But the rich browns of the picture, the dull gilt of ths Jrame, the gleaming- lnetal of the candlesticks, all flash and sparkle in the dancing light of the winter fire beneath, ana produce an effect that is restful and pleasant. The very simple treatment adds size to the rather small room.

Another good mantel arrangement is ihis. The mantel itself is one of those rather ugly white marble relics of the mid-Victorian age, when they were considered beautiful. The woman who fell heir to this mantel in a rented house decided to ignore its period. So she went about making a really lovely spot of her mantel. Behind it she fastened, , flat against the wall, a mirror, just the length of the mantel, in three divisions, framed and divided with Japanese laoqnered wood, on which there was just a tracing of dull gilt in an uneven pattern. In the centre'of the mantel she placed two Japanese figures in pottery that she had received as a gift from the flowery land of the East.

At one end sho placed a iino little bronze incense burner of Chinese origin. At the other end sho placed a vase of Chinese porcelain. In this vase she sometimes placed flowers —plum blossoms or cherry blossoms, when they were in bloom, wistaria, a sprays of iris, a couple of chrysanthemums, flowers that are associated with, China or Japan.

So, by ignoring the original period of the mantel, and by going boldly to work, she created a truly lovely focus for the whole living room. Th 6 dining-room mantelpiece presents a slightly different problem from that in the living-room. It may be furnished with less variety. A clock in the centre is sometimes a good plan. Candlesticks flanking Ihe clock may bo used. As for the bedroom mantel, when the room is used also as a sitting-room the mantel generally furnishes itself in a very intimate manner with photo- , graphs and books, a favourite bowl of flowers, and even a work basket or knitting paraphernalia placed upon it for convenience. TO ALL LOVERS OF FURS. GOLWTLL, THE FURRIER, has a Largi Stock of FURS and PUB COATS. Latest Styles {or the coming' ssasou Belling' at Pre-war Prioee. CALL AND INSPECT MY STOCK. Skins of all descriptions Tanned and Dressed. 298 205 HIGH STREET. WASHING OFF ItOUGE. (NEW YORK, December 6. The -women mombers of the police force of Newark, New Jersey, have added to their duties that of arresting girls with dazzling complexions, washing the rouge and powder off their faces, and sending them homo. Thoy are' acting under orders from the Chief of Police, Mi 1 Thomas Corbally, who following the arrest and forcible ablution of 10 girls, was interviewed by reporters regarding the rea-.

sons lor his novel ox tension of the I functions of i-he police. "I get my authority," said Mr Corbally, "from the common law, and I feel also I am acting in place of the parents of these girls, who would want me to do what 1 am doing if they knew what was going on." Mr Corbally has stationed >. several policewomen outside the railway ttnt.ions of - According to linn, Newark ha# recently been plagued by girls from IS'ew York, who lay on their dangerous complexions in tho ladies' waiting-rooms, whither, before their return home, they repair for the purposo of removing their high facial colour. The victims of the new terror of £he, law submitted for the most part quietly, though with tears, to forcible police washing. TO-DAY'S RECIPE. Haricot Mutton: Cut lib neck of mutton /into chops, melt a little dripping in an iron saucepan; when hot put in the chops and fry until a nice brown, then remove them; peel and slice two onions, fry them, _ sprinkle in loz flour. Let it brown slightly, then add half-a-pint cold water gradua.ly, and sth" until it boils. Wash and peel the turnip, scrape the carrot, an<i cut both into nice pieces; return chops to saucepan; add the vegetables, and pepper and salt according to taste, and simmer for about one hour.