Feminine Interests

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 565, 18 January 1929, Page 5

Feminine Interests

RAJAH BROOKE’S STORY TO BE TOLD ON FILM

SUBWAY MOVING PICTURES The Ranee of Sarawak is going to ! Hollywood to act in a film which will j tell the romantic story of the white rulers of 500,000 savages and head hunters in Sarawak, Borneo. The story starts in 1539, when the Sultan of Borneo made an Englishman., Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, in gratitude for his suppression of a rebellion among the natives. The ranee, who is the wife of the third rajah, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke, will take the part of her husband’s ancestress. Like her husband, she is an authority on the native life of Borneo, where she has spent many j years of her life. She is the younger I daughter of Viscount Esher, and a sister-in-law of the Hon. Mrs. Maurice Brett. who was Zena Dare, the actress. The Paris subway system, the I Metropolitan, is to provide moving pictures for its passengers. Lantern projectors are to be fixed on the roofs of the coaches, and during the journey these projectors—there will be two on each car—will throw con-stantly-changing pictures on the walls of the dark tunnels. Each lantern, which will operate automatically, will be provided with SI pictures so that each carriage will be capable of giving 324 projections. Passengers will ibe provided with an unaccustomed j form of entertainment, while some j national advertisers will benefit. The stage charwoman has probably influenced everyone’s idea of the patient worker, who commences to scrub and dust when for most people the homeward trail commences about 5 or 6 p.m.; and who is just taking off her apron before, the doors are opened again at 9 p.m. Of course, she doesn’t spend all night at the job, but realising that the charwoman has the same troublous matters of fares and travelling distances as the rest of the working world, a meeting was held in London recently to consider such items. Armed with brushes, brooms and dustpans, nearly 4,000 lined up; that number alone is employed in the Whitehall offices, and their homes are scattered all over London.

FLOATING-BOWLS AGAIN

USE FOR COLOURED GLASS "In the home beautiful in modern Paris we find floating bowls are being used again a great deal,” says a Parisian correspondent. “They are often in that dull Bohemian crystal which is so effective. Glass is practically the only thing used at present for table decoration. Fruit dishes, candle-sticks, finger-bowls, and coffee cups are all in matching crystal. The centre bowT is often square or triangular following the modern geometrical lines. Sometimes we find hidden lighting cleverly arranged to come from the sides of the bowl, thus throwing an attractive subdued light over the table. In the bowl float wonderful flowers. Surely they

; are real; what marvellous colours! I No, they are made of a special new and very transparent rubber which ; has just appeared, and which is a [ great vogue for making flowers for float bowls. One well-known hostess had great success at a recent dinnerparty with her table set of coloured glass. Two candlesticks were made of spirally winding tubes of glass. Coloured glass snakes held the place cards, and several holders of twisted glass held cigarettes. We find millinery rather amusing just now, as Paris is looking more or less like a naval parade from a musical comedy scene. That is to say, there is a sudden craze for berets, which resemble the French sailor’s cap. They come in light colours with a bright pom-pom, usually red, on the top. We expect more sober colours will appear for winter wear.

IDEALS OF BEAUTY

PAST AND PRESENT Since Helen of Troy, who drew the eyes of men to dazzle them to their undoing, since Cleopatra, whose features were beautifully cut, and whose mentality was on the highest level, since Ninon D’Enclos, who preserved her ravishing beauty until she was 70, beauty has been regarded as the

sceptre most desired, writes "Elaine” in an exchange. The idle beauty of the past lingered in the perfumed bath. Fragrant unguents and exotic scents were employed, and slaves and servants ministered to her needs, dressing the luxurious hair, massaging the indolent limbs, tinting cheeks and lips, darkening eyes, and placing glittering jewels upon the beautiful form. Women who were beautiful spent their lives, spent fortunes, in maintaining their beauty—feeding it, yet starving mind and soul to enhance it. It is all dust now!

To step from the past to to-day seems a big step indee<j. ’jVe in new lands are hampered by natural conditions —sun and dust and glare and hard work in cities; harder work,

more dust and pitiless sunshine in the country, and in small towns. No slaves have we to minister to our needs. So being practical modern women, we turn our handicaps into our slaves! For we revel in the sunshine, we keep ourselves physically fit by hard work and hard play. Strenuous games are played for the joy of playing—and what more beautifying than joy? Dust we eliminate by cleansing ourselves with soft creams and plenty of water. The average colonial girl is known to be among the most beautiful in the world. See her on the beaches, her w'ell-formed and shapely limbs suntanned and supple. See her in the water, diving gracefully from heights —putting elegance, not to mention speed, into the “trudge.” See her at tennis; back-line play all the time. At golf; with a force behind her drives such as many a man might envy. Then watch her as she walks with perfect carriage through the streets of the town, almost Parisian in her choice of clothes with their fit and fitness! She dances fax* into the mox-ning hours with easy step and perfect rhythm—and, of course, never a yawn! What if she is not perfect in features? She makes the best of the materials on hand, hides the defects and concentrates on the best points. Her beauty comes from within, for she sees to it that her health is pei-fect, that her mind is healthy, that she is sound and sweet and infinitely as charming as her well-endowed sister. So to the world is given yet another beautiful woman!

Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, Ninon D’Enclos and all the othei's may have confounded Empires with their languorous beauty. But we moderns (much maligned!) need something more vigorous and splendid—and simple, for our standard of beaut}'.

A new floor polishing brush carries its own supply of wax in a container on top; Acting like the familiar automobile grease cup. a turn of the threaded plunger in the container deposits a supply of wax on the polishing surface of the brush. A little cold tea mixed with warm water aud applied with a soft woollen cloth will make stained woodwork look fresh and bright, says an exchange.

In papering a room, broken plaster presents great difficulties. Here is an excellent recipe for repairing holes, gi eat or small. Make a very stiff paste of flour and water, and press tightly into the hole, levelling off the surface neatly. Next take a piece of calico larger than the hole, saturate it with the paste you are using for papering the room, and stick it firmly over the mend, finally papering over all. The mend so formed is quite unbreakable.

The day of the monotonous chandelier is gone. Reflected lights, lamps and side attachments are coming into their own, and they may be had in a multitude of styles and finishes. Lanterns and candle brackets are particularly popular. Finishes are usually protected by a thin coat of lacquer and need no attention other than dusting. Iron offers a wide range of choice. Spanish, Swedish, rusty iron or old Iron being available.