EVERYDAY TOPICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 17, 15 October 1907, Page 3

EVERYDAY TOPICS.

I ; v yi;: u; ■; MEN'S TROUBLES.:, -i ■ : ;. A. mere man. makes" a sad: complaint'that white dress "ties-and .other ties not-made up ■are ■ invariably made. too ■ long. Other say the same thing; an ugly loop and straggl.mg ends are the result; >An'expert says that the only tray to, find out,how to tie a bow tie-is. to experiment until .the' right effect is ' .°,°. ta . 1 ' le f.': -Only after I'many failures is successattained. -Another malcontent declares-that the thumb's, arid wrists-of gloves-never, fit j. in-: 'an .well-fitting' gldvb '.:tho thumb'', is'too short'and the wrist too narrow. v This ac- , .count's-for. tho numbors.of,-untidy gloves seen ,'on( men's,: hands'at every "dance.'. But it: is .smart'. ;to,-;wcar loose;glove's, tight-fitting gloves' are bad _ form .for'men,' so tho remedymay; be found-, hi taking a;size"larger. . 1 : '■:.' -•; -.'■ STEEL,-'.'-■;'.'.'■: ; ■';-.' ■jThe 'ranks '■ of women'.'suffragists in.' Europe, 'have 'gained-Vnew' adherent iii Mrs. F.>'-A'. Steel; who'expressed her views in'.a letter': to' Lady Frances' Balfour. They are rather interesting as coming from a'loading -woman ..of; the day)', but .her .'.'fighting argument"- is decidedly weak;"/ She. writes :— ''The woman's inability to .defend her country,-' is'often' urged against hor. claim for 'the suffrage. Now, passing by the absolute futility of' such .an from'; a nation which gibes, at, the suggestion'.of national, defonce, can it be forgotten that.women defend their country by creating, it? Their, natural task of child-bearing places; thorn in'the first fighting line: . Tho essence: of military servico is tho'risking of life and'tho'endurnnce'of hardship.for the good of the general ;community.<' •■This - ,, Mrs.'Steel'argues, is supplied'by.the \ .conditions -of-child-bearing arid:rearing: -The "fighting: argument,"- one' thought; had. beendisposed, of; for good and, all'by Professor Goldwiri Smith.' 'In all public 'questions there, comes' a' time'when' the;"last:word" : is said,': 1 '] and, 'that last irord has been said on .this argument.J But hbro'it crops up again/ and .with; a very straiige' twist. Tho fallacy'of Mrs.' F. A..'Stool's claim is obvious. 'Wo'ali' '; learned atschool' about the good old "post hoe, ergo propter hoe," buth'ord. it, is "■" ante hOjC." ' This letter "was "published by "Tho . -Times." ■"• , '-. - ' ;; '':'' '■' -," -." i •HOSTESSES"! TRADES UNION.; ■' "' - • -;What.;is-re , ally,.wanted,in"view of the. in-' ariities'';a - nd';d.iscqurtesies of fashionable yoiing men is, ; accor'diiig'.to an English" observer, "a, hostesses' '.trade,union,'a. powerful .corabina- ■' tioft: .of ; .fasbi.ohablo' jwompn, pledged' to. maintain' 'their own.self-respect and to extinguish socially any.'mah guilty, of'tho' slightest lapse; ' of.the courtesy..which every woman'has. evory. right to'expect.?'' Tho women who riot. only, .tolerate butjwildly pursuo "asinine Freddies" .and.'.;"effeminate Bbbbies" invariably excuse. thcmsolvcs.„oh tho; ground that there are so few.'men, -.'"lf .we'snub .tlioso , bumptious, youths' as they''deserve,'''",th6y.'say'j " we get left without 'partner's.'at; dances' 'ors ariyono to talk to'at-, teas. A'manless society is apparently too., terrible, a,state to, bo contemplated philosophically.;.; ; Not', - every [ , hostess would show tho strength of-,mind of an Irish grande. darhV; ;They. say'that on,-being informed, at, 'ajdahoe in. her own hbuso by, a /supercilious, hussar' that" "the Tenth dbn't dance,", she promptly looked the.- supper-room ; door, remarking, "Then tho Tenth-.'dbn|t'sup.'! ~...'.,;; ;; THE FASHION.' • ■■ .Wdmonkindjiayo''cause, for' gratitude' to'i Professor, Georgo Santayana/who has:had the' courago to expound tho theory that- following the modes is not, more senseless, than' adherence to one type, of costume i "Fashion' : 13 riot,based upon any reason," explained,the professor, who is an American, "and 'therefore, therois no reason why it should-bo por- - manent. .The pcasamVsticks-.tb one: fashion for.the same reason, that the,society, dovotco changes hers evory season, through vanity." ' J ho. much-lauded costume of. the European peasantry lias no charm:for -Professor-San- ; tayana. Thcpcasant costume, which, people think,so quaint, has, in his opinion, no more : referenco. to utility or beauty than ■--that• of the most frivolous woman. : "It iVvery'-much" overloaded," ho points out, "it is very- expensive in comparison -with the means of the peoplo. who woar it. ;And yet the people regard, it with absolute veneration; They havc ; not sufficient imagination to-change.-. Their unchanging. ,dress ; shows their unchanging' . modes of thought m.everything; their lack of progress, their arrested development; their unquestioning acceptance of authority, their vonoration. for whatever is old and cstab- . lished." To chango the fashion constantly is, in fact, evidence of imaginative power. "BRIGHT COLOURS.' ' '~' A plea for bright colours lias been raised in London, where the prevailing groyness of skies, houses, .clothing, and-faces, is evidently getting bri.the public's nerves. It is urged ] . that '-women should wear bright-toned dresses in the "streets,- and that oven men's, dress might bo made moro alluring. I-lonco the groori, bright blue, and cvon violet and tweed and'cloth suits,, which men sometimes favour, Hero in sunny Australia wo have no. need to make such a plaint, Skies and dress aro aliko bright. It is niv undoubted fact that ■ pinks', blues, bright greens,.and yellows tone well with blue skies and sunshine. In a. sunny climate, the brightest colours look not amiss, whore as under darkor skies "glad" hues look .'garish, and the best taste is seen when women clothe themselves in sombre tones of greys, browns, blacks, and whites.