LADIES' COLUMN.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 658, 12 August 1921, Page 6

LADI ES' COLUMN.

(By “ Ru-ru.”) * “Dora’"' has written to “Ru-ru” saying - that she is to be married at i:o very distant date and as she is a country girl and has seen very few weddings, would be grateful it “Ruru” would give her a few hints and suggestions as to the wedding breakfast, etiquette of the wedding, etc. “Dora” does not say she intends having a morning, afternoon or evening wedding, but “Ru-ru” will conclude that it will be either of the latter. Evening weddings are much in vogue at present and the ceremony .by gas or electric light is certainly' a very petty one. The orthodox wedding breakfast seems to have become quite a thing of the past, nad has been superseded by the wedding tea. “Ru-ru’ would suggest that the menu for afternoon tea in week’s issue, with a few extras added, would be quite suitable for the wedding repast, also wines could be added if desired to tea and coffee, and of course the bride-cake is the special feature of the tea. (If “Dora” is making her own wedding cake, “Ru-ru” can give her, or any other prospective bride, an excellent recipe of one and icing for same). The following recipe is a very nicg sweet suitable for the oeca-. si op:— Chocolate Squares. Two eggs, % small breakfastcupfu! sugar; beat well. Add te cup butter,i.» cup milk, 2 cups flour, 2 small teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 ditto soda (sifted in with flour), saltspoonfu! salt. Bake in square shallow dish; when cold cut in small squares and cover with chocolate icing as below:— Icing: 12oz icing sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls cocoa (Bourneville), 2 tablespoonfuls boiling water and 3 of melted butter! Spread this icing all over and roll in either finely chopped almonds, walnuts or dessicated cocoanut. These are not only a pretty sweet but are delicious. Dainty Almond Biscuits. One breakfast cup flour, 2oz butter, yolk of 1 egg, 1 tablespoonful sugar, J ;.<2 teaspoonful cream of tartar, *4 ditto carb. soda.. Cream butter and sugar together, add egg yolk, mix cream of tartar and soda with flour, and sift well. Mix with dessertspoonful of milk, roll out thinly and ice with following: White of 1' egg, 3 drops ess. almonds, enough icing sugar to mix to proper consistency, sprinkle, with almonds and bake in moderate oven a pale brown. An Excellent hladiera Cake. I 3 ; olb but'terl 1 large ! >eup sugar (level), 2 large cups flour (level), 4 eggs, cup lukewarm milk, I level teaspoonful carb. soda, 2 ditto cream of tartar, a little lemon rind. Mode: • Cream butter and sugar, add wellbeaten eggs gradually, then -the mill: [ and soda together, then flour ana creapi of tartar sifted well together, j Bake in moderate oven for two hours. ! Pretty Cate Cake. ' lib flour, %lb butter, %lb 'sugar, 7 j eggs, 1 teaspoonful baking powdet, 1 j •saitspoon salt. Mode: Cream-butter j and sugar, add eggs one at a time j and beat. Mix the baking powder and j salt with' flour and sift well, and add j to other incredients. Take lib dates, remove stones and place an almond (blanched) in each. Add to mixture and. bake in shallow tin in moderate oven.

Pate tie foie gras sandwiches ancl

celery and mayonnaise sandwiches would be a nice addition to the menu. Also meringues to serve with iruifc salad. WEDDING ETIQUETTE. Wedding invitations are issued about three weeks before the wedding and they are always printed. Everyone who receives an invitation is supposed to make the bride a present whether they accept the invitation dr not. Presents are always sent to the bride, even by the bridegrooms friends and relatives. The modern bride may have as many or as few bridesmaids as she pleases, but the bridegroom is supposed to require only one of.his fellow men to support him. (The bridegroom always provides the bride’s bouquet also stbose of the bridesmaids). The bride’s mother should arrive last thing before the bride. The bridesmaids wait in the church porch till the bride arrives with her father. She takes his right arm in walking up the church, the bridesmaids following her in c'ouples. By this time the bridegroom will be waiting at the. altar rails, his best man standing behind him rather to the right hand. The- bridegroom takes her place at the- bridegroom’s left hand, her father standing, at her left hand. The chief bride stands as close to the bride as convenient in order to be ready to take her bouquet and gloves at the right moment. The other bridesmaids are only required to look pretty. The best man looks after the groom and sees that he does not sit down on, his hat or do anything else that is unnecessarily rash or forgets the wedding ring (a contretemps that has taken place at many weddings). But this is not all—he has to pay the clergyman, etc., the usual fees and make himself generally useful. At the conclusion of the ceremony the bride takes her husband’s left arm and they proceed to thfe »vestry to sign the register and then they walk down the isle to their carriage or motor, followed by the chief bridesmaid and best man and the other' bridesmaids. The bride’s mother comes next escorted by the bridegroom’s father and after them should follow the bridegroom’s mother and " bride’s father. At’ the house the bride’s* parents and newly married couple ' receive the guests. As each guest arrives and shakes hands with the host, hostess and happy couple, they pass on to inspect the presents and so make 100 m for others arriving. When all those invited have arrived tea is served. It is the bride’s duty to cut the cake. An incision should* previously be made, a knife handed to her which she puts into the cake and succeeds in getting a slice on to a plate. This is cut into small pieces and handed round and of course everybody is expected to partake. A very nice way that “Ru-ru” has seen at several weddings of managing to easily serve the cake is by cutting a slice right out of the cake before hand and placing a broad white ribbon round and replacing it, tying the ends of the streamers into an-artistic bow.' Then all the bride has to do is to gently draw the piece out on to a plate ,which simplifies matters, as occasionally the icing hardens and so makes quite a difficult piece of work getting the first slice cut. In the country a bride’s first appearance at church is taken as a sign that she is “ At Home.” Upon the occasion of a first call upon the bride, wedding cake is offered with afternoon tea. GOBS AND ENDS. Whv is a wedding ring worn? The

custom of wearing wedding rings comes to us from the Romans, who probably obtained it from the Greeks. Among the ancients a ring, being endless, was the symbol of a bindingcontract, and when a man betrothed a maiden he gave her an iron ring as a pledge that he would carry out his contract to marry her. From this custom developed the practice of using a gold ring at the marriage ceremony. The ring- has always been worn on the finger next to the little finger, because in olden times it was supposed that there was a vtin in this finger that communicated directly with the heart. It was placed on the left hand because, as this hand was less used than the right, the ring stands less chance of being worn or damaged there. “Help! Help! We’re drowning.” Young Man (looking at the two ,girls in the water): “All right, I’ll save you both, but promise me first that I shall not have to marry one of you afterwards. Jackson: “My brother is living in Belfast now—he writes to tell me he is delighted.” Johnston: “What! delighted to he living in Belfast?” “No, simply delighted to be living.” A cynic is a person who discovers mean things about, himself and then says them about the rest of us. - WHY IT WAS SOFT. A lady famed for her skill in cooking was entertaining a number of her friends at tea. Everything' on the table was much admired, but the excellence of the sponge cake was es- . pecialy the subject of remark. “Oh!” exclaimed one of the guests, *‘it is so beautifully soft and light. Do tell me where you got the recipe.” “I am very glad,” replied the hostess, “that you find it so soft and light! I made it out of my own head. A parson from the back blocks meeting one of his flock when on holiday, said: “Well, Mike, and what are you doing.so far from home?” “ Shure sor, I’m on me honeymoon.’ “On your honeymoon! And wheres your wife?” “ Well, you see, parson, she didn’t come.” Her mother was ill so she stayed to nurse her and I thought it was a pity for both of us to lose the chance of a honeymoon, so I came by meself.” THE NEXT THING,” “Suppose you got Hdme Rule for Ireland, Pat, would you be satisfied?” “Oi would not,” replied the patriot. “What would you want next?” “Oirish 'Pule for England shure!” The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. m Power itself has not one-half the might of gentleness. Let us be silent as tp each other’s weakness, helpful, tolerant, nay tender towards each other. May we put away from us the satirerwhich scourges and the anger which brands; the oil and wine of the Good Samaritan are of more avail. Ye may make the ideal a reason for contempt, but it is more beautiful to make it a reason for tenderness.