WOMAN'S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 176, 30 August 1909, Page 1

WOMAN'S WORLD.

SPLENDID GIRLS WHO DARE. THE COUNTRY POSTMISTRESS. (By Jenny Wren, in The Dominion.) Tile girl who secures a position under the Government as a postmistress must be prepared to meet with many varied J experiences, both in connection with her work and with her places of residence. I She may, if she be lucky, have charge in j ' an office in a town where her frwnds j may bo all round her, and where inte::-1 ests with which she fills her hours whenoff duty are plentiful. On the other j hand, she may he sent away back into some tiny remote township—a township! consisting of perhaps a store, a smithy,! a couple of hotels, a school maybe, and I a few small cottages scattered about at | wide intervals—hardly an exhilarating prospect. Still there are few Maorila-id- I crs who do not manage to get a fair • share of enjoyment out of life, no mat- ] ter what the conditions are. Perhaps ', one would hardly hanker after the ex- < perience of one girl who, when sent to J a place very inland indeed, found that it < was almost entirely cut off from all outside communication during the winter. She only got there after many hours of cold, weary riding' through endless miles of mud, where every footstep of h.-r steed threatened to leave them both for ever planted in the slough of despond. All her household belongings, which had to> he limited in number, and luggage generally, followed on a pack-horse behind. No store was near, and once a ' week groceries and supplies had to be sent to her on packhorses. Great was the anxiety felt if they failed to appear in due time. In a good many of the country postoffices there are now three or four looms added on, where the lady in charge lives her independent " bachelor" existence, often quite by herself, and far too busy to feel any loneliness. From nVtlt fn five Bho ic n'uialh, nt, J,,<-„ „„J

« then back again in the evening till about eight. Much, however, depends upori whether there are coaches running, as they usually have a heart-breaking habit of starting at most unearthly hours in the morning, and, of course, the mail must be ready for them to take away. Somehow, till one has'seen the sad real- ( ity one's imagination will insist on nicturing the coach that carries his Majesty's mails as a dashing, sensational affair, with a team of mettlesome, freakishly-disposed horses. Never docs imagination have a greater fall I Tho reality usually consists of about four very spare, resigned-looking steede, the expression on their faces telling of nn utter weariness arid disgust at the rapacity, unkindness, and stupidity of man. '•Kismet, who can fight against it?" they almost say.

If .the amount of work justifies i'.. the postmistress will .have a messenger boy, who makes himself generally useful—ewecping out "the office, delivering telegrams, nnd so on; if it does not, sh<> has everything to do herself, even to the taking of the telegrams to the people who are near at hand. If they are 6ent to people who live some distance away other means have to be taken for their delivery. Country people get nearly all the weekly papers that are published, and on the days that they are due there is, of course, an e.raa heavy mail to sort out. During the day the postmistress is kept busy -with telegraim, attending to people who call for their letters, or for stamps, or w.lo wish to place money in the Savings Bank. There is often a telephone uureau to see to as well. Altogether ii? comes into contact with many people, and sees many types, from the tanner and the man about the town to the rahbiter or the shepherd from "away back." in for his treasured mail. Strange little glimpses into human nature and histo-y arc given, and much is trusted to her discretion sometimes. After all, she and her little post office are the little nerve. threads of the great 6ystem tfiat links the countries into one—even she can feel the "pulse of the world," and that is

something.

HINTS. Blisters on the lips are often troublesome and unsightly. Try applying a little compound zinc ointment,"which fan be obtained from any chemist. Celery, when eaten freely, produces alkaline blood, and when this exists the.'e is neither gout, rheumatism, nor nervous prostration to any extent. When cooked it is more healthful than when eaten raw.

When lining a basin with paste for a beefsteak pudding, cut a small piece of the paste away about the size of a twoshilling piece. Then iput in the meat as usual, and it will be found that the pudding will take an hour lc6s than if lhed in the ordinary way.

In the making of lemon-cheese be sure and rub the loaf-sugar on the lemons, instead of grating the rind off with n grater. The cream will then be qu.te smooth, instead of ,being made up of small grains. When making apple pastry, if instead of sprinkling .water on the apples, little, pieces of butter are placed on them and the sugar, it will be found to greatly improve the flavor, and the juice will not boil out, as when water is used.

Stains on the hands.—After you have prepared either rhubarb or apples, rub the hands carcfullly before washing them with the surface of a cut lemon. Wasli thoroughly with good soap and warm water, and all trace of the stain will have disappeared. A few drops of vinegar rubbed in the hands after washing clothes will keep them smooth and take away the spongy feeling that they often have after being ing in water for a long time. For the removal of grease-spots from woollen dresses salt dissolved in alcohol is excellent. ' '<i "'

Stoppers that get wedged.—When you put the stopper hito a decanter or bottle give it a little twist when it is in. This will prevent it from becoming wedged too firmly in.