Ladies' Column.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 310, 30 March 1878, Page 3

Ladies' Column.

A negro minister who married sooner after the deatli of his wife than some of his sisters thought proper and becoming, excused himself as follows : “My dear brederen and sisters, my grief was greater dan I could bear. I turned ebery way for peace and comfort, but none came. I sarched the Scripturs from Ginisee to Iteloolation, and found plenty promises to de widder, but nary one to the widderer. So I took it dat de good Lord didn’t waste sympathy on a man when it was in his power to comfort hisself ; and having a rate chance to marry in de Lord, I did so, and would do so again. Besides, brederen, I consider dat poor Patsey was juss at dead as she would ever be.” After a Japanese lover has proven false to his vow?, the deserted maiden rises at about two o’clock in the morning, and dons a white robe and high sandals or clogs. Her coif is a metal tripod, in which are thrust three lighted caudles, around her neck she hangs a mirror, which falls upon her bosom ; in her left hand she carries a, small straw figure, the effigy of her faithless lover, and in her right hand she grasps a hammer and nails, with which she nails it to one of the sacred trees that surround the shrine. Then she prays for the death of the traitor, vowing that if her petition is heard, she will herself pull out the nails which offend the god by wounding the mystic tree. Every night she comes to the shrine, and each night she strikes in two more nails-, believing that every nail will shorten her lover’s life, for the god, to save his tree, will surely strike him dead. It is a curious illustration of the hold superstition yet has on the Japanese mind.

FEMININE FRIPPERIES. Garrick capes are seen on nearly all the new suits. Long tulle veils, studded with silver stars, are worn. Bridal slippers or boots are trimmed with flowers. Flat pockets of lane are seen on the most elegant dresses. Coral jewellei-yis again worn by ladies as well as by babies. New silks have a polka dot, or flower, in satin of the same color. The new shaded feathers have three distinct shades of one color. Lace barbes are worn around the neck fastened by a bow or flower. Black and silver gray are tlie colors for elderly ladies’ dress materials. White cluster roses or bunches of violets are worn by ladies In half mourning. Old-fashioned pouches or reticules are worn again for tlie handkerchief and fan. Long graceful loops of ribbon are fastened at the throat in place of made-up bows. A pretty design in the filigree silver jewellery is a tiny opera-fan for pin and earrings. Raw silk materials, like furniture coverings, are used for overdresses of imported costumes. Cashmere stockings in pale shades of blue, embroidered with damask roses, aro exquisite. One of the prettiest ornaments for the hair for the evening is a gauzy butterfly in gold or silver. Low slippers are of the same color as the evening dress, and are worn with stockings of the same shade. Scarf-pins, with the enamelling in very bright colors, and representing Chinese pictures, are in great demand.' Travelling pocket-cases for ladies contain tongues for crimping the hair and apparatus for heating the tongs. Woollen stockings come in the long English shape, in drab colors, and are far handsomer in finish than ever before. Maroon velvet is coming in vogue for bonnets, trimmed with bands of chinchilla and shaded gray ostrich plumes.

Dancing dresses for young ladies have short pointed trains that are easily managed. Sleeves of morning and day dresses are made narrow at the wrist to admit of the outside cuff, now so much worn. For evening-dresses young ladies in mourning wear plain white muslin with white daisies mingled with small black grapes. Square cards, with the name of the writer engraved iu the left-hand corner, with envelopes to correspond, are the most stylish. 1' ashionable furs comprise a flat boa about two yards in length, and a muff of moderate size, made up without stiff interlinings. A new dress-trimming is velvet cut in lace pattern and embroidered with colored silk. Another is silk thickly studded with pearl beads. Tulle evening dresses are trimmed with sea-weed. A pretty conceit in the way of a white felt bonnet has tlie crown trimmed with crimson faille ; one cream-colored feather nods forward over the crown, and a crimson one falls over a cream faille bow iu the back ; the face-trim-mings are crimson moss-rosebnds nestled down among the soft tufts of old Malines lace. A new and very pretty ware for ornamental purposes has made its appearance within the past few months and is called “ Belleek” ware. It is made in the north of Ireland, and has the exquisite delicacy and finish of mother-of-pearl. Its blaze is so brilliant that it is iridescent, while its lustre is that of flat, glass. It is not transparent, but it has the effect of transparency from the delicacy of its tints and the perfect polish of its glaze. BABY SHOW. A grand baby show took place the other day at Midget Hall, New York, and seems to have been a great success. There were babies of all nationalities—American, Irish, Scotch, German, Russian, Swedish, Danish, Dut h, and it was even asserted that Turksh babies were to be found in the collection. The rooms were “fairly smothered under the Strqies and Stars, and ornamented with appropriate mottoes, such as “ What is a home without a baby ? “1 he hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that moves tlie world,” &c. It was left to the visitors to decide as to the mothers and babies who were entitled to prizes. Every baby being numbered, the visitor, assuring himself or herself of the number, filled out the following coupon attached to each ticket : “ Handsomest mother. Prettiest baby. Finest triplets. Prettiest twins. Greatest Novelty. Prettiest two-year-old. Prettiest three-year-old. Prettiest four-year-old. Prettiest five-year-old.” A special committee decided on other qualities. The coupon, after being filled out by each visitor, was dropped into a ballotbox. Some of the babies exhibited were really wonderful infants. One boy of eleven months could stand on his head, tumble about like an acrobat, mew like a cat, bark like a dog, and perform other marvels. The favorite word among the babies was “ gow-zow,” which was supposed to be expressive of satisfaction at the amount of sustenance imbibed. Some babies uttered the word “ mow ” frequently, which it was thought was intended to convey a desire to have the nose wiped with a pockethandkerchief ; but it was discovered that the word was a request for another turn at the bottle. Among the curiosities exhibited were a double-jointed baby and a mammoth baby. This latter infant, aged five months, “rolled in fifty pounds,” and his only rival was a “ redcheeked forty-pouuder of eight months.” The exhibition was considered peculiarly gratifying, as showing that the theory of a degeneration of the American race is entirely founded on error, some of the finest babies (including the mammoth) having been born under the star-spangled banner. THE BOY : WHAT HE SHOULD BE. Different individuals entertain widely different opinions as to what the boy should be. Rome would have him as dignified as a man, looking with contempt upon the frivolities of childhood. Others prefer the rude, boisterous variety. Others again desire to see but not to hear him. Now, the eternal fitness of things demands a mixture of these various qualities ; but, from whatever standpoint the boy is viewed, he should be truthful, honest, civil, industrious and persevering. With these qualities, he may at times be boisterous, dignified, or silent, and yet be what he should be. If it be acknowledged that education exerts an influence upon character, then the possibility of moulding a person’s disposition into almost any desirable cast may also be admitted. It should be borne in mind that the term education, in this connection, refers to the moral,, intellectual and physical development and training. This education is constantly goingon, and its qualities depend upon the educator; and if the natural one, the parent, be wise, and wisely perform his duty, the boy will be what he should be. On the other hand, if the parent provides food, raiment, and shelter, and sends the boy to school six hours daily, considering his duty performed, then manifestly tlie boy will not be what lie should be. The discipline of the schoolroom may be all that it should be, and the home training equally good, while the boy is under their influence; yet if other forces are at work, counteracting all the good that has been done in school and at home, the boy will not be what he should be. The associations outside of both the school and the family circle work vigorously and effectively for either good or bad. Let the parent, therefore, he careful, scrupulously careful in this particular; let him see to it, regardless of time, trouble, and expense, that the boy does not have improper associates. The boy's sport should not be restricted; he should not be thrown on his own resources for amusement, nor permitted to select his own company. The parent should know at all times where the boy is. The place that is unfit for a girl is surely unfit for her brother. When a parent remarks that “ boys will be boys” to excuse his own criminalnegfigence, and tlie boy’s embryo larrikin rudeness, he is guilty of gross weakness; and yet this execrable sentence is the shield which so many interpose between themselves and parental duty.