WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 224, 4 January 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen").

PERPETUAL YOUTH. Every woman is ambitious of keeping young sis long us possible, anil her ambition is quite a legitimate one. But a resort to artificial . methods of appearing youthful is a great mistake. The retention of youthfulness is largely a matter of mental direction. In the first place, a woman should never surrender herself to the idea of age. She must keep her mind fresh, strive to interest herself in things that interest her youthful friends, and avoid the carping, censorious manners which are apt to develop in women of advancing years. She must try to retain not only mental, but bodily buoyancy, resisting tile tendency to slow and laggard'steps and the wilted and weary air to which weak-spirited womoi sucI cumb. By aiming always to be cheery land companionable, and taking a sympathetic interest in all around her, a wo-! 1 man will not only look young for years after her actual youth has passed* but when the signs of age actually appear she will still seem to have preserved a youthfulness of soul.

FOR THE NEEDLEWOMAN. I It is very often difficult, when mending) a large hole in old linen, to prevent the 1 darn from, puckering. To remedy this put a piece of tulle or fine net over the hole and tack it 011, and the darn made in the meshes will keep it very flat. The best darning medium for the purpose will be tin cads drawn from another piece of linen of equal thickness. A pretty pincushion cover is made of lilac linen in the form of a pansy embroidered in deeper shades of purple, with a heavy outline composed of long and shoi t stitch. Several loaves of the pansy embroidered in dull green should be placed underneath the flower, which must be tacked in the centre of a circular ruffle of embroidery or lace. The cover is fastened to a round pincushion covered with lavender silk.

Sachets are so easily and quickly contrived, and are so acceptable as" gifts,! that they make delightful work for .the bazaar stall stichor. Odd bits of flowered ribbon folded over like an envelope and filled with cotton wool, on which Florentine pi-rig, fa nvMcE a little violet or heliotrope sacEefi powder is added, has been thickly sprinkled, are effective. The ribbon can be edged all round the sides and points with the tiniest gold and silver braid, and initials can be embroidered on the flap, if the sachets are intended for gifts. Another simple sachet is made of white linen about six inches Ion? and four and a-lialf wide. Cut a strip of the linen 12in long, and on one side embroider a few sprays of violets, heliotrope, lavender or rosebuds, according to the scent used. a

For a chest of drawers make an uncommon looking spread from four law handkerchiefs. Embroidered ones can fie u.,ed with excellent effect. Join them together by putting an insertion of torphon ' lace between each handkerchief and a heading of the same lace round the whole. Finish the edge with a ruffle of narrow torchon. run washing ribbon thiough the beading, and add a rosette ot ribbon at each corner.

EDUCATION IN HIGH LIFE. An appMcatiou filed at Mlneola bv All's. Ennly Ladenbunr, one of the bestknown horsewomen of the Meadowbrooki Hunt for an allowance of £3400 yearly from her father's estate "to enable me to finish my daughter's education in Europe, has aroused an interesting discussion in society (writes the Ne\v°York correspondent of the London Dailv Mail) 1 Generally speaking, Mrs. Ladenburg's estimate of the expenses necessary to n-ivei a complete European polish to'a younr American lady of fashion seems to be regarded as most moderate. Her daugh- 1 ter, Afiss Eugenia Marie, is sixteen years' old, and as the application to Mr. Surrogate Jackson, v who in terms of her father's will has the deciding voice in all matters of extraordinary expenditure points out, a young woman of the Meadowbrook set cannot be "finished" with an expenditure of less than several thousand pounds yearly. She must spend three or four years abroad. This means an establishment in Paris' and perhaps one in London; music, painting and dancing tuition from the most expensive teachers; the acquisition of French Italian and German; riding, driving and swimming lessons; and numberless other accomplishments. The cost of a wardrobe and of horses, harness, and carriages is also included in the "finishing" allowance, which also lias to cover the expenses of a "grand tour" of the principal resorts in Europe, followed by the preparation of an elaborate Parisian outfit 111 anticipation of the youn<r lady's debut in American society. The daughters of many American plutocrats absorb for their education and maintenance many times the sum mentioned in Mrs. Ladenburgs application. It is reported that Airs. Astor devotes £BOOO of her income to her daughter Muriel, and that a smaller amount is allotted for the expenses of Helen and Dorothy, the two little daughters of Air. Frank Gould. One young lady prominent in society keeps her own stables mid her own suites of rooms in each of her mother's many residences.

THACKERAY'S DAUGHTER William -Makepeace Thackeray's' oldest and only surviving daughter, Ladv Ritchie, is the distinguished editor of the new centenary edition of her father's works (says M.A.P.) Thackeray had an- | other daughter, who became the first' I wife of Leslie Stephen, and died thirty | years ago. Lady Ritchie is the wife of an India Office official, Sir Richard Thackeray Ritchie, and she has a son and daughter to perpetuate the famous name. She and her sister lived at home with Thackeray for many years before, her marriage in 1-877, making the novelist's domestic life exceedingly happy for him. In his bite Squall" ballad Thackeray lias a verse referring most charmingly to his ''smiling little girls making the prayer; at home for me." Lady Ritchie has many j intwi sting m -nnries of Landseer. Tennyson. Rnskin anil Browning. Some day, indeed, htr autobiography will make

fascinating reading. She helped to sooth the last hours of poor Landseer. Lady Ritchie has inherited a good deal of Thackeray's literary faculty and not a little of his splendid style. She is the iirdior of about a score of books, chiefly novels and memoirs. HIGH COMMISSIONERS' WIVES.

The colonial High Commissioners' ladies have been much more beard of this season in London society than ever before (states an exchange), One of the most charming of these representatives of (Ireater Britain is Lady Keiil. A unique incident marked the arrangements for her departure for home, her servants entertained her to dinner! This was an improvement 011 Lady Aberdeen's tea parties to her servant's, at which the mistress of thu house remained the hostess. At Lady lleid's domestic farewell banquet the cook was in the chair—an arrangement that seems as if it must carry disaster in its train! The housemaid-guests left their places to serve the table when the courses were changed—this can be understood; but who dished up in the kitchen? This is one of the most important operations of the whole art of cookery, and could it bo left to the kitehenmaid? At the same tinie. the cook is decidedly .the most important of the domestic workers, and who else- should take the chair when the staff dine the ladv of the house?

WELCOME CHARACTERS The wet-blankets of society are among its recognised ami familiar features. But there is another set of people whose influence is all the other way. One word expresses them; they are inspiring. How do they manage it? What is the magic of their charm? Should it be ascribed to magnetism? Certainly the influence is powerful enough and stranse, enough to make such an idea seem not improbable. | Whatever the power proceeds from, it is certain that most of us are liable to bo affected by it, and the influence is always pleasant. We . arc the -brighter for it, the readier for action, the fuller of hope and energy. It is an influence which is exerted unconsciously.

The people who have the gift of inspiring others are always sympathetic and they are invariably good listeners. Above all, they have an unerring capacity for extracting the best that belongs to any character tliey have dealings with. Inspiring people invariably possess strength of character and are steadfast and selfreliant. Whatever their aims in life may be, they are clearly defined. Apparently without effort, they win trust and faithful service. The force of example. may be, doubtless is, one element of inspiration; eloquence and enthusiasm are others. But the inspiration we are speaking of is more constant, more abiding, more subtle. It is an atmosphere with which some homes and houses and societies, as well as certain individuals, seem charged. The commonplace is banished ; triteness, that deadly enemy of inspiration, is unknown. We should be j very grateful to the small and delightful company of inspiring people.

THE WOMAN IN HER PRIME It is very remarkable that of the two, artists prefer the beautiful face of the woman of 48 to that of the girl of 18. See hoiv they paint their mothers' portraits! A woman is not in her prime until she is 48—if you count women a's spirits and not as bodies. Nothing is move ridiculous than that a person getting old should be concerned to appear young. We may be absolutely certain that a person intending to be voung need have no concern at all regarding the appearance. The vouthfulness will not be kept a secret. As a mail of genius said to me, the most terrible tiling in life is to see people losing their interest in universal, truth and beauty and settling down snugly to a good home, a good fortune, and a secure social position. It is one of the commandments of the ethical religion' that we should 'keep young—Dr. Stanton Coit.

DON'T BE "CHEAP." Men think little of the girls who are for ever running after them. They are too ''cheap." The girl that turns her head every time a man passes, and that talks to lier friend of Tom, Dick and Harry, is a ''cheap" girl. Of course, men make her believe that she is the life of the place; but, when these men look for a wife—for a life-long companion—they pass by these "cheap" girls. Every girl has been given a casket of charms. If she easts them before everyone it will not be long before she loses them.