WOMAN'S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 53, 11 June 1910, Page 9

WOMAN'S WORLD.

"MY RECIPE FOR BEAUTY.

Lydia. Kyasht, a renowned Russian beautv, writes as follows, in London M.A.P.:-

A recipe for beauty sounds mysterious* and interesting, but I am afraid that you will be doomed to disappointment if you start reading this with any idea of discovering some marvellous -ml ■hitherto carefully guarded secrets, for 1 really have no set"recipe for preserving youth and beauty, no magic creams or lotions which will work wonders with the complexion, .brighten the eyes, or lend lustre to the hair.

Such things may exist, the beauty doctors tell us thev do; but as I have never tried any. I cannot profess to judge of their efficiency. I should say that quite the most important part of a recipe for .beauty was .plenty of sleep—as' many hours as one can 'possibly spare. I always sleep twelve hours, for the fashionable malady of insomnia does not trouble me in the least.

Although 1 do not get up till twelve noon, I always sleep again from six to eiwht before' coming down to the theatre.' Some people will tell you tnat much sleep has a tendency to make one unduly fat and so spoil the figure, but I do not think this is so. especially when one has plenty of exercise every day of whichever kind one prefers. For my complexion I believe in cold water and soap, which I use whenever L wash my face. Soap, in spite of what so many people say, is excellent for_ the skin, .provided, of course, that it is a good. pure, superfatted soap. Except for stage make-up. I never use cream or grease of any sort and never fend it necessary.

The use of Iream has a decided tendency to make the skin too oily and greasy-locking- and so spoil one's general appearance, for nothing' looks worse than what is commonly called a "slimy'' skin. THE BEST EXERCISE. With the exception of my dancing 1 take no exercise whatever. There is reallv no better exercise than dancing—the real Italian ballet dancing—for it b'.lngs almost all one's muscles into play ar,d°keeps one slim and supple, lending ease and grace to all the movements. Dancing will also be found most exhilarating and invigorating. , I tliink every child should be taught to daive from quite early childhood for these reasons; it will be found far better uir them than any games. In the matter of diet. I like and believe in living well, and, of course. I prefer Russian cooking, which can now be had at all the best London hotels. I don't 'believe in the simple life except in, the matter of sleep, fJive me plenty of sleep, and let who will have the creams, '* and the lotions, and the complexion wailies which are supposed to be such great beautifiers, for sleep is a greater rejuvenator than any of these. X think one's temperament influences one's appearance far more than people think. A (bright, happy disposition will give a greater brilliancy to the eyes than any lotion which was ever invented. There is no beautitier like happiness, and

though I know, of course, that one can't a'wavs make oneself happy, one can at least* be cheerful, which is a long step towards happiness.

WHEN IT IS LUCKY TO WOO AND

TO WED.

SECRETS OF LOVERS' CALENDAR

"I would not give a fig for a man or a woman who is. superior to superstition," Charles Dickens once wrote to a friend; and certainly there are few of us, however sane and strong-minded, who have not a lurking belief that some months and days are lucky and others aie unlucky. What lover, for instance, is quite indifferent to the prophetic jingle of the lines that tell him or iher— Marry in April when you can, Joy for maiden and for man; Marry in the month of May, You will surely rue the day; Marry when June roses blow. Over "land and sea you'll go. They who in July do wed Must labor always for their bread; Whoever wed in August me, Many a change we are sure to see—and so on, through all the montna «>• the year, until When December's snows come fast. Marry, and trae love will last. There are, according to those who profess to know,' certain days of the week or month, and even certain hours of the day, which are luckier than others for any enterprise, from speculating in rubber shares or (petroleums to proposing to the lady of your affections; and the wise are those who pay heed to them. Thus, according to an astrologer whose words carry weight with thousands, the following days are distinctly unlucky "to take any sidkness in, or to become engaged or to be wedded in, or to take any journey upon," if one would speed well:— In April, 6th and 11th. In May, sth, 6th and 7th. In June, 7th and 15th. In July, sth and 19U». In August, 15th and 19th. < In September, 6th and 7th. in October, 6th only. " In November, 15th and 16th. In December, loth, 16th and 17th. These are days in which the prudent, who do not wish to take any risks, will J refrain from starting any new enter- j iprise in which luck can play a part. As I for (proposing or wedding on any one of them, it would, so the experts say, be sheer madness. The weeks, too, like the months, have their days of good or bad omen. Thus we are told on authority (and who are we that we should question it?) Tuesday and Wednesday are days full of promise for any undertaking—certainly the most propitious days of the week to; lead a bride to the altar. For this amiable and important purpose, two days stand out in the year more pregnant with promise than any others of .the iAree hundred and sixty-five. They are : the 4th day of June and 9th day of Octoiber; and the bride and bridegroom wno | choose either day for their nuptials can j face the unknown future with a lig'it ' and confident heart. ; J If these days fall on a Monday, 'i'net, j day or Wednesday, so much the better vf , for these are very favorable days for f lovers, as the old rhyme proclaims— j

Monday for wealth. Tuesday for health. Wednesday the best day of all. Thursday. Friday and Saturday are notoriously days to avoid for the worship of Hvnien. unless, perchance, their illluck should be neutralised by their tailing on the 4th of June or the 9th of October. Thursday, we are informed, has only one propitious hour, and that is the hour before the sun rises, when, perhaps unhappily, most of us are in heA and blissfully indifferent to fortune good or evil. Monday, .Saturday and Sunday are neutral days, when luck, may be. either good, bad," or indifferent, according to or his undertaking.

As for Friday, this day is, bv common consent, an unlucky one; although, curiously enough, it is the favorite" day of the week in Scotland for weddings'; so much so that, it is said, more couples are united on Friday, in Glasgow, than on any other two days of the week—and this without more than the average disastrous results. **

THE BRITON'S IDEAL. What sort of girl does the man-in-the-street-Englishman admire? Naturally, he begins bv considering her looks. Xot being an 'artist bv mature, his judgment of feminine charms is shrewd, even humorous. He does not star? at a girl in the foreigner's insulting way; but be "sizes the girl uir" every bit <as accurately as the foreigner. And the Englishman's preference "may be expressed vulgarly by saying, in costermongers language, that* he"'likes "a girl to be "tasty." whereas the Frenchman likes her to look "chic.''

It sounds an impertinent word, this word "tasty." but it is not used impertinently. The foreigner, with his "chic'' and "charmante," and other expressions of adoration is. often, impudently familiar. The -Englishman, with his ' tastv," is far more respectful than he sounds'. Moreover, though he apreciates good looks, he asks for something more than good looks. It is not asserted that, like the German, he wants a .perfect housekeeper—a girl .who can cook and sew ami dust, and be a drudge to make her husband comfortable, "it mav sound startling to say so. but, honestly, it is denied that the Englishman cares'much for the merely good housekeeper. It is 2-ather a selfish ideal, this of the man who weds with an eye to the kitchen and to his supper; and the Englishman, if he is selfish in other matters, is not selfish m love. But he does insist that his wife shall be a companion. "She's my .pal." lie says, and reveals the secret of all happy marriages. So, though at first he is attracted by the fact that the girl is pretty, he rarely gets the length of courtship' unless she is also companionable. He cares nothing for the feather-head and the giggler. He demands something more than the ornamental. When.he wants to see fashion-plate beauty, he can go to the theatre. He is too sane and level-headed to wish to betiold the .picture-postcard smile welcoming him at the garden gate when he comes home from business in the evening. He knows there are truer and happier brands of smile than that.

A '••ROYAL" MEMORY. Antonia Dolores lias proved herself the possessor of what country people call a ''royal" memory. Sceptred persons are credited .with never forgetting names, faces, or .promises, states a lady writer in the Bulletin. Nearly three years ago I rhentioned Dolores' opinion of a Sydney giro's voice—Miss Vera 1 sier was the girl. The soprano admired, and requested the girl's mother not to let the maiden make her debut till she (Dolores) returned to Sydney, when she would interest herself in the coming-out performance. In the trio of years no word or letters passed between the singer and the youthful songstress girl until a week or so ago, when Mrs. Isley got a letter from Dolores, who is on her way here, referring to the promise and the voice. She will receive a reply at one of our ports telling her that there is no Vera Isley any more. She is married, and the mother of two infants.

t ., : MR. BALFOUR'S ADMIRERS. Mr. Balfour has so far escaped marriage, though he was in peril of a proposal (says a London writer). Long ago, in the days when the police were not afraid to let women approach statesmen, Mr. Balfour was accosted by a lady on his way to the Foreign Office. "Are you Mr. Balfour?" she asked. He acknowledged the fact. Then she handed him a bunch of chrysanthemums, saying, "I want you to accept these from a widow who admires you." Mr. Balfour took the flowers, raised his hat, and passed safely on. Although he has no wife to help him, his sister has laid her whole life on the altar of his brilliant career. She entertains for him both at Whitting•hame and in town, and shares all his favorite pursuits.

DOMESTIC TIT-BITS. To freshen a room, add a little turpentine to the water with which the floor is scrubbed. It will take away that close smell and make the room delightfully fresh. If a fire requires blowing to give it a good start, it will be found that blowing down into the flames makes it burn up more brightly and quickly that if blown from underneath. Laundry tubs should always be made quite clean after they have been used. Wooden tubs are best preserved by leaving a little cold water standing in them; zinc tubs may Ibe cleaned with ammonia, and must be thoroughly dried to prevent rust. If when making children's dresses a double piece is placed under the elbows and under the arms, a lot of trouble will be ,saved when the dress (begins to wear, as the frayed edges can be darned down ( to the under pieces, thus saving the I trouble of patching. \ Brooms and brushes will last longer if given an occasional bath. Put four taiblespoonfuls of ammonia in two quarts j of hike-warm water. iStand the brushes i in this for half an hour, bristles down-' wards. Rinse thoroughly in cold water, j l and hang in a cool (place to dry. When much cooking is done on a gasstove it would be wise to buy a sheet of tin 12in by lOin, and use it over the ■small ring. It is possible to keep three or even four large saucepans boiling at once by resting them upon the corners of the tin after bringing them to the boil. Gold and silver jewellery, when dirty, should be <placed in a wide-mouthed bottle, half-filled with soapsuds, to which a little .powdered chalk has been added. Shake the jewellery well up and down in the suds, then take it out, rinse in clean cold water, dry thoroughly, and polish. It is asserted by men of high professional ability that when the system needs a stimulant nothing equals a cup of fresh coffee, while those who have tried it state that malaria and similar epidemics are avoided >bv those who t drink a. cup of hot coffee before venturing into the morning air. Burnt on hot coals it is a disinfectant for a sick-room. Jlv some of our best physicians it is couriered a specific in typhoid fever.