WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 175, 3 November 1910, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen.") WHAT EVERY WO .MAX SHOULD KNOW. Apart from the fact that women are ; "discovering themselves," and are not so j prone now to accept the order of things in which man 'was admittedly the head of creation—the woman in particular — the average man still loves the woman who restores his belief in his own superiority! He is buffeted, by day in a world of business, where he must naturally soften the arrogant notion of his being such a supreme creature, thus it were obviously better for him to marry a woman ihe knew to be a fool than one who would be clever enough to u.scover him one!

Discuss the problem as to whether. clever or stupid women are greater in | demand, and ninety-nine men out of a hundred will declare for ihe woman who is not particularly clever, nor yet unpleasantly stupid —the happy medium, in fact; but their preference, let it be said, will be found to He on the side of the stupid women. Though the clever woman is generally the who who can understand and sympathise best with a man's hopes and ambitions, and though men have no hesitation in voting her charming, because in her company their powers of conversation are more "oily," for the simple reason that she is clever enough to appreciate their wit and masculine charm, it must not be forgotten that the clever woman has the unpleasant habit of saying all the witty things herself, and very often the additional tendency to look down on those who are not quite so smart. She may express disdain and pity in this respect for her less favored sisters, but for men her feelings are nothing short of contempt for their inferiority; and this is a failing which few clever woman can avoid—and men know it!

Consequently one is inclined to think that there is a little touch of rancour—and even pathetic fear —when men agree with the French wit who announced that "one must have loved a woman of genious to understand what happiness there is in loving a fool." The ordinary man likes to think he knows considerably more than the woman he is talking to. If he only thinks he does, that will do just as well. The really clever woman, then, is she who is intelligent enough to conceal it, or, better still, who gives man the impression that she is clever, but he is still cleverer; and that is the greater compliment of the two.

But that kind of woman is unfortunately very rare, and it can be readily understood why men turn from the clever woman who always keeps tliem at a tension, as it were, who prefers to talk of theosophy or evolution than to listen to the Teports of the latest cricket or football match, and seek for the woman who does not require a man to be nothing short of a demi-god, a paragon of intellect, or who goes to the other extreme and regards man in the light of a complete nonentity. "Life," men aver, "especially married life, is too apt to be that of a swiftrunning stream with the clever woman, while existence with a stupid or simple woman is like the cool .placidity of a gentle backwater." There is no necessity for a man to tax his brains while in the company of the latter women; and they are naturally inclined to thinlc, after having met a few brilliant women, that the cleverness of all feminine creatures lies in their simplicity.

A stupid woman is more likely to prove the most congenial companion Jor a man whose intelligence does not reach/ a very high water-mark. The wever woman would "probably make things "unpleasant" by her faculty to see through her husband's ternal excuses; she would be inclined to usurp his position as head of the household. It is essential that one should take the lead, and the wife, being the cleverer of the Wo, it is more likely that she would take it, and that would mean utter annihilation of the man by the most gaiTing of means—ridicule.

On the other hand, a simple woman would accept the (statements of her husband in a more credulous and agreeable manner, and so long as she° attended to his wants and was intelligent enough to understand her responsibilities. her husband would regard her as an ideal wife, because too much would not be expected of him, and, as has just been said, she would restore his faith in his beautiful superiority. Ladies, never desire to be perfect! Eemember that it is not the most clever nor yet the most beautiful woman who is the most loved. On the contrary, man's most ardent devotion always falls to those for whom lie has something to excuse. And isn't that just like a man? THE RICHEST INFANT. | Baby McLean enjoys the reputation' of being 4 the richest infant in America, and, judging by the space devoted to him in some magazines, he is about the, I best advertised babv in the world. It 1 is estimated that Baby John Rocke-. I feller ITT. is heir to about £12,000.000, but Baby Vinson Walsh McLean has .£530,000,000 to his account already (according to the Xew York World), and that sum is steadily increasing. He trets his millions from his late maternal grandfather, a very lovable Colorado goldmine owner, and front his grandfather on the paternal side. Colonel John McLean, a capitalist and newspaper owner. Article writers for the American Sunday papers have long ravelled in descriptions of the world's richest baby, and photo- j graphs of the infant and his mother. Mrs.

Edward Mi Lean, have been printed galore. A New York correspondent writes to a London jounu'l: "L have before me as I write a photograph of little McLean in the gold cradle givin to him by King Leopold, and a full-paie description of 'his six nurseries and h : s farm.' I will not answer for the accuiacy of all the details, but they are just < .f that romantic and picturesque kind for which the readers of American Sunday newspaper editions always crave with an appetite which seems to grow upon what it feeds. 'He has certainly several exclusive homes Hv sea, land an ; river. In Bar Harbor, Maine, he lvis qui", a farm, and almost a menagerie, -locked for his benefit. Sheep from Colorado, dogs, ponies, ducks, turkeys—everything in the animal line that a baby heart can crave for, and all 'warranted not to bite.'" This plutocratic baby travelled in California in a private railway car elaborately fur- i nishen for him and his parents. He has j (says a New iork World writer) an automobile as "big as a circus waggon," in | which is a complete nursery. He has doctors, nurses and private detectives, and! the nurseries in which he plays have many toys of "solid gold." FASHION FADS. How long will ladies go on tying ropes and ribbons round their ankles? asks a London journal, and the writer adds: Prophecies are conflicting. One soothsayer foretells that the shackle skirt is dying out. "A fashion that is dropped by the stage is dead, and you will see no more hobble skirts on the stage. What the ne ,: fashion will be we cannot disclose. But one thing is certain — the shackled skirt is > dead." Another prophet says exactly the contrary. His alarming forecast is that the ladies will tie their ankles and knees round more tightly than ever: "Skirts will be so n . o\y that in order to enable women to waiic at all we are now devising a system of expanding folds." The improved shackled skirt, more shackled than ever, will apparently be built somewhat on the lines of a concertina. CLEANING HINTS.

To Clean Holland Blinds—Holland blinds which are only slightly soneu can easily be dry-cleaned at home. Remove the blind and roller from the brackets and brush the blind on both sides with a soft brush. Spread the blind on the kitchen table and rub it hard with the white part of a thick piece of stale bread. Sailed Paint. —The mistake is often made of cleaning white painted lintels, •doors, and wainscoting with hot soap and water. The heat of the water has the effect of -destroying the outer coat of varnish, the result being that the paint soon wears awaj. For this reason a lather should be made with hot water, and the suds then allowed to cool till just lukewarm, when it may be safely used. Cleaning Delicate Fabrics.—The most delicate fabric can be successfully washed at home by using soap jelly with a little ammonia and rainwater. A clear day must be chosen for the operation, and colored articles must be dried in the shade to prevent fading. Stained Marble.—lron stains may be removed from marble by wetting the spots with oil of vitriol, or with lemonjuice, or with oxalic acid diluted in spirits of wine, using, after, a soft linen cloth. Oak Furniture. —Dust the furniture thoroughly, wash it well with vinegar and water, and, when dry, rub them with a little paraffin oil on a cloth, and finally polish with a clean duster. It will then look like new.

A Good Cleaner. —uooking-glasses may be cleaned by first washing the glass all over with clean lukewarm soapsuds and a sponge. When dry, rub it bright with a buckskin and a little prepared chalk finely powdered. , Removing Chemical Spots.—White spots which are formed on furniture by dropping certain chemicals upon it, and which are almost move unsightily than any other defect, can be removed by the application of camphorated oil. This must be vigorously rubbed over the spot, sufficient time being expended upon it to take due effect, and should be left to dry, the spots being treated some little time later to an equally careful application of olive oil. A .polish with selvvt or leather will finany be required. Soot on Carpets—lf soot is spilled on the carpet it should never be wiped with a cloth, for it is sure to smear over the carpet and make an ugly mark difficult to remove. Scatter salt'thickly over the place and sweep it and the soot together. By so doing the soot will come up quite cleanly (without leaving any mark at all.

Dirty Ceilings.—When a white-washed coiling has become blackened, apply a layer of starch and water to it with a piece of soft flannel. Allow it to dry, then 'brush off lightly with a brush. The blackness will have disappeared, leaving no marks whatever. °

Wicker Furniture.—This should foe cleaned with a strong solution of salt ajid water. Scrub it well, and rinse with fresh water. Soap should not be used on wicker as it encourages a yellow tint. T\ hen veiy shabby-looking, '"'cker may be "refreshed" by being painted. The paint used should be well mixed and to the proper consistency. If too thick it is apt to remain on thewicker in lumps.

Damp Floors and Carpets.—?!otlieatcn carpets are often the result of covering the floors while they are still damp after scrubbing. The floor should oe dry before the carpet is relaid, and it is a good plan to sprinkle a little insect powder between the carpet and the boards by way of protection.

When "turning-out'" a room it will be ,'found a good -plant to rub over the polished wooden surfaces of chests of drawer.;, tables, etc., with a cloth wrunoout 111 vinegar and tepid water, the pro°-

portion being half a gill of vinegar to two quarts of water. This has the effect of cleansing the wood effectually without injuring the varnish, a good polish with ordinary furiture cream being, however, a necessary sequel.