WOMEN'S INTERESTS

Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1933, Page 3

WOMEN'S INTERESTS

PARENTHOOD’S COMPLEXITIES

THE YOUNGER GENERATION

When- old people shake, their heads at the “young generation,” and wonder whatever they are coming to, they nr.- only doing what old people have done since the dawn of time! And though what passed for powder, lipstick and rouge even back in the days •cf ancient. Greece was hardly of the type favoured by Miss 1033, still it was there,, and just as heartily frowned upon and denounced by the Greek elders as it is to-clay among certain sections of the community. So there is nothing really new, except in the changing attitude between parent and child.

For even vet, after the passing of all these centuries, parents are only ijust beginning to realise that however they try to suppress their children, every individual sioul will eventually work out its, own salvation in its own way, and that no amount of preaching will ever stop flaming, triumphant youth in its search for fulfilment. Of course children must be trained, just as young trees must be trained. Rut just as surely as a selfish, dominating parent tries to force a child into channels unsuited to its own particular temperament and- learnings, just as surely will trouble and misery follow'!

Most of us know cf at least one ' outstanding example of a “round peg j in a square hole.” Perhaps it is a boy I forced into the Church because his parents wished it, to become a most indifferent parson, whereas he would have been a. splendid mechanic, if left to his own desires; and what is more, ho would have revelled in his occupation. Few' ehldren are horn into the world W'ithout some talent, however humble, which is a means of making a living later in life. The w'liole danger nowadays to be that a large percentage of. intelli-<-rnt parents, while honestly doing their best to follow' out the new teaching, err too much on the side of leniency. Thus we are presented with households where the children ride Ircugh-shod over all the opinions and feelings of their elders, and grow up to he thoroughly selfish and uncontrol,hd men and women. At least in Victorian times, cramping and paralysing as thee: system was there was a fixed standard of behaviour, rigedly pouformedMo ; ’’and '-pßrent&’-’vcfere '*»o« ’ harassed to death wondering whether their children were developing “inferiority Complexes” and “inhibitions” of one sort and another. It makes ,us seretly wonder whether 1 advanced knowledge makes us happier, or simply brings along a host of bugbears in its j train.’!- -- . '■ - " -

•CHILDREN AND POCKET-MONEY

TEACHING A SENSE OF VALUES'

The pocket-money problem cOmiot be 'treated lightly by parents', who -take piiy thought for the future happiness of their offspring. Money,-in:-present-day society, is too important for this. The man or woman- who is vague about mousy—who has never ■ ''learned to handle! it and has wrong 'ideas of its vplue— is unfitted to cope with the •diificuljties of i&vteryday il-ife.-v This being so, it is quite obvious that the sooner a child 1 -learns how to .handle this necessary stuff the better. If he learns-about'the honest acquisition and wise spending of- money -gradually, as ja matter of course, he (and this means she, too, every time) is far less likely to get unbalanced and exaggerated ideas about either poverty or riches. Nor is it only the children of affluent parents who are cruelly handicapped by this lack of equipment for dealing with life as it is. Ordinary middle--o,lass parents are just as guilty of ,spoiling their children in this respect. ‘■‘Let’s give them as much as wo possibly can.” they argue, ‘‘They will find out soon enough how difficult it is to make—and keep—money. It is meant in all kindness, hut it is a cruelly mistaken policy, which leads inevitably to disillusionment when the children find but that money does not just drop from the skies. No one wants to make a child mercenary or graspjng) but some day he has got to learn that honest work is the only kind which deserves payment. Why not, as soon as the small person 'is capable of learning that,' pennies are things which you can ~x ehan;l*. for other things, teach him or her that {jennies will not always qome from the inexhaustible pockets of parents, but must be learned by an agreed-upon and properly-done job of work? Why not let the money, whatever its total and t ; he age of the child, he payment for some piece of work upon which a definite price has been set and which has been done to the best of the child’s ability? '

With the very young yen naturally begin gently. It may be that the small lady or gentleman is merely given a duster and one piece, of furniture to deal, with. But no corner or convolution is to be left undusted. There . arc dozens . and dozens of things you can think of like this, Some regular -jobs every week, so that the small person can count upon a certain.; , Regular income, however small. ; V. ? , Once these things, are -'clearly understood all you have to do is to withhold payment; if the work has been skimped

Mints from Mome and Mbroad.

or neglected, and produce it at once for a good job.

NEW MILLINERY MODES

From the beginning of time women have loved to put alt kinds of extraordinary objects on their heads. They call- them hats, but * n times past they leave been mitres, toques, tricornes, helmets, .skull caps,, bonnets and a dozen other things. These are usually evolved from the uniform cap of some profession.. which is exclusively male, and this season it is the “iez,” which is generally worn by the Zouaves of Northern Africa.

The styles of . cap evolved from the fez are legion, for it is easy to experiment with a piece of cloth or linen and poise it o\ er one ear. One sees it slanting to the right or the left, pitched lorward over the eyes; hard or sott, smooth or draped, trimmed and untrimnied, and in every material. But, this is also a season of many ideas, so the fez has dozens of rivals, both large and small, with and without brims, with high crowns and flat crowns. There have been several extraordinary styles, like the jockey cap, which, as its name suggests, fitted t-e head closely and had a wide peaK, rather suggestive of a tennis eye-shade. This is usually softened by a tied bow of ribbon in front, and, of course, worn at an angle; It is best made in tween, velvet, or some woollen fabric to wear with tailor-mades.

Tile American sailor crops up in many different materials, and one of the prettiest I have seen had a dark brim and white crown, and was trimmed with a single gardenia. The “Robinson Crusoe” cap, draped to a high point, ha s made a successful jehut late, in ti e season. In n ataletasso corded silk, corduroy velvet, and even pique, it has all the charm of novelty and can be. softened into becoming lines. The beret still remains popular, but 1S worn pulled forward, and sometimes has a bow on the top of the crown.

Sports felt hats, show the same tendency to high draped crowns. These may be made in sections or just pinched up, to give the high effect, which has a rather masculine look. In Paris they have been wearing a modified version of the coster’s cap. This has been made in black, white and natural linen, with the crowns fastened to the brims bv a golden key. 1 cannot imagine this model having a big success, for it is far from becoming and the first duty of a hat ts to flatter the face.

Eye-veils chosen with care, can add a great deal of charm and style to a very simple hat. The newest are made of stiffened horsehair, some circular, standing out round the face like a halo ; others small, half-circles that cover the eyes like a visor.

SOME TASTY DISHES. Chocolate Nuts. —The most delicious of many sweet sandwiches is called the chocolate nut. It is made with two shortbread “cookies” or biscuits spread with a chocolate icing mixture. The icing is then covered with chopped Avalnuts, and the two halves are pressed together. ** * # Cocoanut Kisses.— Put a small cupful of water into an aluminium pan, add llh loaf sugar and stand over a gentle heat until incite V then boil and stir quickly for 10 minutes, or until the syrup thickens. Remove from the fire, and stir in 4ozs desiccated cocoanut and mix well. Press half the mixture into a shallow greased tin, colour the remainder with a few drops of cochineal and place it on top of the white. Press together and when- partly cool cut into small bars. Wrap each in greaseproof papefl and store in a tin.

** * * Scotch Eggs.— Three hard-boiled eggs, |ll». cold potatoes, 3oz grated' cheese, salt, cayenne, one beaten egg, breadcrumbs. Mash the potatoes, and season highly with the salt and cayenne. Add the grated cheese and sufficient beaten egg to produce a fairly soft paste. Boa t very thoroughly until smooth. Shell tile hard-boiled eggs and Hour them slightly,- turn the potato mixture on to a floured board, divide into three. Flatten out each piece, put one of the eggs on each and fold around. Foil and shape neatly. Cloat with beaten egg, then toss in the breadcrumbs. Fry in fat from which a faint blue smoke is rising until golden brown. Serve hot or cold.

Rhubarb Jam. —Many people like rhubarb jam for breakfast, as a, change from marmalade. To every pound of rhubarb allow lib of loaf sugar and the rind of half a lemon. Wipe the rhubarb perfectly dry. Take off the string or peel and weigh it and P u t into a preserving pan with the sugar. Mine* the lemon rind very finely, add it to the other ingredients and place the preserving pan by the side of the fire. Keep stirring to prevent the- rhubarb from burning. When the sugar is well dissolved put the pan more over the fire, and let the jam boil until it is well done, taking care to keep it well skimmed and stirred with a,wooden spoon. Time, if the rhubarb is young and tender, three-quarters of air hour from the time it simmers. Old rhubarb takes one and a-quarter hours to one and a-half hours. Pour in jars and cov6r with oiled pager.