Ladies' Column

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 112, 19 March 1892, Page 3

Ladies' Column

By Huia,

I keep his house, I wash, wring, brew, * bake, scour, dress meat, make the beds, and do all myself. —Shakespeare.

A young lady went the other day to a prominent music master for a course of " finishing lessons." " Let me see what you can do," said the teacher, and he placed before her a simple air of Mosart's. She played a few bars, but was interrupted. " Take off your rings," said the great man. A few bars more and another interruption. " Take off your bracelets." A little further on she was stopped again : "Your sleeves are too long, I want to see your wrists." The pupil pinned up her sleoyes with her face on fire, and at last she was allowed to finish the piece. " Do you want me to teach you ?" the instructor asked as she took her hands from the keys. "Yes sir." "Very ■well, come to me to-morrow at this hour without jewellery, and in some sort of dress that you can breath in, 1 dont know at all how you have played this air, because of the rattling of gewgaws and the distressing noise you have made in getting your breath. lam afraid you havu't the instinct of a musican. A musician thinks first of his art and last of appearances, but it seems to me you think the first last and always of how you look." How often is this the case !

FASHION NOTES.

Black grenadine has apparently superseded black tan for 6Tenmg wear. The Tudor caps and mantles with the new "horse guards "hood will be the favourite outdoor covering this winter. Many of the yolks of the longer walking mantles are made of fur. Some of the sealskin mantles have astrachan or sable yokes and sleeves. Muffs are made of the same material as the gown, and trimmed with fur. The small toques trimmed with fur are being revived- again, and as it is by far the most comfortable head gear to wear it 18 likely to become a great favorite. Deep fringes on the edges of bodices still continue to be worn. Corduroys, both in wide and narrow cords, are much worn for house dresses. The new tuyan trimming is rather difficult to make, though looking simple enough when done, soft woollen materials are best for it, the skirt is arranged in small double luyan, or hollow pleats, at regular distances from the waist, about three inches from the foot the pleats open out so as to form a narrow waved flounce, this rests upon another flounce of the same size.

I saw a very pretty bodicfi the other day, it was tight fitting, open in front in the shape of a heart, -with turned down revere at the top, the right side crossed to the left from the chest to a little below the waist where it was fastened with five silk buttons, the opened part showed a silk waistcoat and was finished round the neck with narrow velvet.

WEDDING-DAY SUPERSTITIONS. In the south of England it is regarded as highly unlucky for a bride on her wedding-day to look in the glass, when she is completely dressed, before starting for the church. Hence yery great care is taken to put on a gloye or some slight article of adornment after the last look has been taken in the mirror. The idea, we are informed, is that any young lady who is too fond of the glass will be unfortunate in her married life.

COOKERY. Oatmeal Cakes or Bannocks.— Take for each cake two handfuls of coarse oatmeal, and a small piece of dripping, add a good pinch of salt, and moisten in a bowl with boiling water ; turn out on a board sprinkled with oatmeal, and knead out with the knuckles of the hand, shaping at the same time t Bake on a girdle for about five minutes to harden and then toast on a toaster before the fire until quite hard and nicely browned on both sides.

Peppenment Drops. — Pound and siffc four ounces of refined sugar, beat it with the whites of two eggs till perfectly smooth ; then add sixty drops of oil of peppermiut, beat it well, and drop on "White paper, dry at distance from the fire.