Mona of Maoriland

NZ Truth, Issue 1204, 27 December 1928, Page 14

Mona of Maoriland

PHARMING, oh, yes, is the pensive lady m the picture, who is, m fact, none other than the celebrated Mona Tracy, wife of Lawyer F. Tracy, of Christchurch, and herself a great lady of New Zealand letters. How Mona Tracy ever manages to get througn the amount of literary work that she does, and yet remain a, i\ 'Tie-maker and an individual woman, filled with human kindness and understanding, is one of the picture puzzles which her many friends nave not yet been able to solve. But accomplish the task— or, rather the series of tasks — she does. Mona has written some very delightful verse, and particularly occupies herself with old Maori . history, on which she is probably the best woman authority m the Dominion. Her style of writing 1 , either for verse or "for. prose, is not pretty-pretty, and her Jegends and ancient moa-and-mat yarns adapted not for the infant — or puerile— mind, but for the world at large.' Consequently, her work commands a very fair hearing from overseas editors, as well as on the local markets. Mona Tracy has a similar taste for the rugged m Nature and will chat for hours about the wonders of Westland, concerning which wet and wild district she is something of an authority. Holiday time usually sees her, with husband and young family m tow, back to the primitive, or. as near to it as she can get, at Arthur's Pass. A lover of new types of people, a charming and. sensible conversationalist, i-eady ito explore any subject under the sun, or to turn the flashlight of a quick intelligence on those more obscure— all these many and pleasing things constitute the Mona Tracy who is one of the most popular and successful of our New Zealand periwomen.

Cookery Nook

"fOOKERY NOOK" recipes will be supplied for "N.Z. Truth" exclusively each week by Miss Marion Christian, demonstrator at the Wellington Gas ' ; Company. ' . Mincemeat — Ingredients: l%lbs. chopped apples, lib. beef suet, lib. stoned raisins, % nutmeg (grated), lib, currants, lib. sugar, lib. stoned dates, lib. sultanas, rind and juice of 1 lemon, V2VO. mixed candied peel, rind and juice of 1 orange, 4ozs. sweet almonds, 2 glasses brandy (optional). Method: Put the chopped suet, apples and sugar into a bowl, add the stoned and chopped raisins, minced dates, cleaned currants, sultanas, chopped peel, blanched and chopped almonds, . ' grated nutmeg, lemon and orange rind, strain m lemon and orange juice, and add brandy. Place into jars and keep airtight. Strawberry Shortcake — Ingredients: lib. flour, little salt, %lb. butter or margarine, 1 egg, 1 teaspoonful baking powder, little milk, small strawberries or strawberry jam. Method: Put flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl, rub m butter, and mix stiffly with egg and milk. Bake m two round cakes and when cold split each open and put m a layer of picked strawberries and sugar or strawberry jam. Sift sugar over the top and serve with cream. ■ * «= « Light and Airy TF Pat Schmidt— Pat Buckley now— ■*■ wanted to keep people's minds on higher things, she couldn't have clone so better than by her proposed wedding day ascent into the blue. For honeymooning by air is a new one on New Zealand. However, alterations were made m plans, and the little flutter has been postponed until Captain, and the new Mrs., Buckley return from Christchurch. But it was a vqry bright little bride who, from an ordinary car, waved good-bye. to the few intimate friends invited along to her wedding. Pat's dress was of mushroom pink georgette with a big pink crinoline straw turned up m front and fastened under the chin with a strap, ;>nd me bridesmaids, Tekla Smidt m azure blue georgette and Rhode Smith, m nasturtium color, did their respective bits very well.