WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 390, 16 May 1910, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

SOCIETY SETS (By an American Hostess in London). The newcomer into English Society is always puzzled by the many sets into which Society of recent years has become divided. This is an essentially modern characteristic of Society. When I first came to England I remember English Society used to be voted dull because, wherever you went, you met the .same people, who always said the same thing's and talked about the same subjects.

But this is no longer the case. You would not meet the same people, far example, at the Duchess of Bedford's 'house at Welbeck Abbey. To be sure, her Grace of Bedford entertains out little, and the Duchess of Portland—since .her daughter, Lady Victoria Bentinck, came out, at all events —a great deal; but, nevertheless, these two Duchesses move in a different set, and yet both are, of course, in, or, more correctly, of, the best Society. Many similar examples might be quoted. Lady Jersey is a great hostess, and so is Mrs. Asquif?h; but .there are people to be met at the house of the one whom you 'would be exceedingly unlikely to see at the establishment of the other, and vice versa. I need, of course, scarcely .say that all great hostesses have many acquaintances in common, but I am speaking .rather of their more intimate friends, of whom their .particular set in Society is composed. A new hostess with social aspirations has to be extremely careful about becoming identified as belonging to any particular set. Nothing is more fatal to her prospects of social advancement than to become attached to a "wrong".set, and a set may be so classified even though every person in it may be of good .position.

SOCIAL FAILURES. Jn this connection it would be, if not actually libellous, certainly extremely bad taste to mention names, but it is a well-known fact that there are in Society a number of persons who are social failures, and, if a newcomer becomes mixed up with any of these people, others will not know her.

I can give an actual instance of this. The lady in question I shall call Lady A. She married a young, man of great enterprise and business ability who, some fifteen years after their marriage, had become a peer of the realm and made a, considerable fortune. He was far too busy to attend to wnat he would have called the "social business"; that he left in his wife's hands., and she made a mess of it. She knew some very smart people indeed, but somehow got into a wrong set, and she has never got out of it.

She gave a daiwe a lew years ago at which a Duchess was present. Her Grace shortly afterwards gave a ball. It was one of the smartest and moat brilliant affairs of the season; several Royalties were present, hut Lady A. was not among the guests. The omission was too significant to "be noticed, and it 'settled the question of her further social advancement; and so, in spite of a palatial residence in a square in Mayfair, a magnificent country house, and a quantity of super!) ipearls and diamonds, Lady A., through lack of proper judgment and perhaps a desire among not very important people, became a social failure.

Of course, tin's would not trouble n | woman who had no social ambition*; but Lady A. unfortunate for herself, tons, and she knows quite 'well that she will never be able to realise them. A BRILLIANT HOSTESS. ■A'newcomer in Society would not, if she were wise, attach herself to any set. Mrs. Willie James, the only untitled lady wiho ihas had the Queen as a guest at a house party, never did until she became established in the .brilliant circle she now adorns. I have always thought her to be one of the most charming and clever women I ever came across. Her social power and influence are very considerable; greater, indeed, than the influence of many dames of the highest titled rank. In the exercise of I it she has ever been discreet, which is, perhaps, wihy she is able to retain it unimpaired. Of course, once you are socially wellI established, you can afford to have friends and to seek amusement in any ! set you please, and in some sets you will find much to amuse and divert you. In one particular set you will find people whose object in life is to entertain the strangest specimens of humanity they i can find. A savage king, a long-lost traveller, a 'fiery anarchist, 'the latest political refugee, and crowds of other like notabilities may be found in the drawing-rooms of these people consorting with a sprinkling oi dapper young Tories, stately peeresses, and brawny representatives of labor. BADLY HOAXED. There is one well-known hostess who has the reputation of possessing a perfect genius for unearthing what ihcr friend* call the "latest horrors." Something however, the '-horror" turns out to be a fraud, as was the case when she introducad a Russian lady and her husband to her friends as being the latest victims of Russian tyranny, cruelty, and injustice. The precious pair posed as being members of the Socialist party in Russia, but in reality they were simply fugitive criminals and were afterwards extradited in connection with various swindles they had been engaged in in St. Petersburg. People in another set in Society are for ever engaged in forming "leagues" of some sort or another. There are drawing rooms which it is impossible to enter without finding a meeting of some lesuju!'. guilil or fraternity in progress.

Very smart exclusive dames may be seen at these gatherings, though I am bound to say that they sire not always quite clear as 'to the nature or object of them. 'SLIGHTLY MIXED. I remember once meeting a most char-itably-disposed and kind-hearted Duchess at a meeting of a. league formed to spread information concerning the value of milk as food, and the proper methods of testing its purity. Her Grace, to the surprise of all, and the amusement of some, made a little speech, at the request of iher hostess, on the importance of being .kind to domestic animals. She .had promised to attend a meeting that day of a league for promoting kindness to domestic pets, and was apparently under the impression that she was addressing the members of that particular body. Great ladies give their patronage and money to these leagues from a sense of duty, and people of lesser importance follow their example, partly, no doubt, for the siime reason, and partly because they like meeting the great ladies.— M.A.P.

BE SURE TO Leave the over door open .when finished halving for a while. It saves a gas oven from rusting. 'Sprinkle your table before laying down the ironing sheet. This prevents the sheet from slipping.

When starching articles made of brown linen, if a. little tea is put into the starch they will keep their color. To disguise the teste of castor oil or olive oil, pour a tahlespoonful of grape juice or orange juice into a glass; then add the oil.

To cook sweet potatoes, boil them while the oven is heating. When about half done remove the sikins and finish .by baking in the oven. To keep the finger nails clean when polishing the stave, put a little lard under and around the finger nail—that protects them from blacking. Cut a cork to fit into the spout of the coffee pot. It keeps the couee hot and preserves the aroma, which is frequently lost in the steam from the spout. In working an oblong eyelet, if the work is done first around a drawing, and cut when finished rather than before working', the result will be much more satisfactory. Before drawing threads in linen for hemstitching, make a thick lather of soap and apply with a shaving-brush to the fabric. When the linen dries tihe threads draw easily. Use sheet isinglass for picture protection in place of glass. This is 1a particularly good substitute when the picture is 'to be posted to be framed. It reduces .postage because of the lighter 'weight. Washing Valuable China.—Never put soda in the water in which you wash china that has any gilding on it. Soda injures the gilding. Instead, use soap, which answers just as well, and has no ill effects.

Using a warm iron when cutting out clothing will do away with pins and weights on tissue-paper patterns, lay the pattern on the material and ipress it lightly with a warm iron . The pattern will cling to the cloth. Use a coat-hanger 'to dry a sweater, a child's coat, or anything that might pull out of shape if pinned on the line in the usual 'way. Slip the garment on the coat-hanger; then hook it over a rod or line, indoors or out.

A simple and infallible remedy for .heartburn is to take & tumbler of cold water into which has been added half a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, squeeze the juice of a small piece of lemon, and drink while effervescing. In sewing lace which has a good heading on an edge of material where a narrow hem is desired, as for a small ruffle, make but one turn of the material on the right side, and the lace stitched directly over this hides the raw edge. A hint worth remembering.—Avoid drinking the first water that comes from the tap; for it has been in a lead or iron pipe all night, and is, therefore, unwholesome. This caution should be remembered if the water ia to be boiled or not.

Place clothes in two piles when ironing to a.void sorting them later. Those which need mending may be put in one lot, and those 'which are whole in- another. While ironing it is easy to notice a torn place or where a button js missing.

An unobtrusive but effectual way to mark an umbrella, is to write one's name on the inside of the strap with which it fastens when rolled, then outlining it in colored embroidery silk. The umbrella can thus be easily distinguished anywhere.

Instead of making the elastic in a small boy's knickerbockers tight enough to hold them up, make it just tight enough to hold the fulness and tack straight strips of cloth from the waist ■to the knees. Tight elastics are injurious to growing children.