WOMAN, S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 240, 16 February 1911, Page 6

WOMAN, S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen"). BREACH OF PROMISE Except for a certain amount of amusement afforded to tlie public, it is difficult to see what gooa is done by breach of promise cases (says the I'etone Chronicle). For a girl to have all her love letters read aloud by counsel for the people to snigger at must be most repulsive to any »Irl of niouest feelings. Such cases are always most fully reported, be-1 cause they make light and often enter-, raining reading. But they give the id.a that marriage is a mere contract, whatever faults may be found to exist on either side- and that a woman is injured in her chance of capturing the male animal by having an engagement broken. The engagement should be looked upon as a time'' when two people can get to know each other, and either of them should be free to draw out of it if they find their characters unsuited. In a reI cent case in Auckland the defendant said he was too busy sowing grass for marriage to take place on the day fixed. Tlifs merely showed that he was a practical man, but the girl seems to have resented it, and the Judge expressed surprise. Marriage can tike place at any time, but grass must be sown in its season. For this reason the young lady should have been glad to feel that she was engaged to a man who put business first. But it is difficult to conceive a breach of promise in cases of true love, and if there has been no real love'it is surely bettej to P art than to live in married misery. Does any woman in her senses want to be tied for life to a man who does not love her? If she does not wish this, where does the damage come in of a broken engagement?

NEW NOTIONS IN NECKWEAR. AMERICAN FASHIONS. New York, December 25. The short compact fichu may oust the Dutch collar from its hold on public favor. . It gives the long, slender V neck not obtainable by round collars, and is in a line with fashions that are comingfashions of days gone by when everybody turned in the front of the dress waist to form a V which was then ornamented by lace bands laid on flat or filled in by flat lace or ruching and often finished only by a velvet band or one of silk and a huge round broocn. The younger set still cling to the round collar which last fall threatened to enlarge into a cape. The same collar has, in some instances, now diminished in size until it is merely a narrow curved band about two inches wide and is called the "Jane Eyre," because of its resemblance to the neckwear of the period in which the novel of that name was written.

Some of the latest round collars showmore embroidery than lace. In this variety the'Madeiro collars are attractive, and combinations of hand embroidered with Irish lace are also extremely rich in effect. Jabots and tics are in many instances provided to match the collars mentioned.

Considerable color in the way of Persian and plain silks is seen in, the first neckwear for fall and appears in pipings and sometimes in the jabot portion entire with either chiffon or net as a combining feature. Stocks that are separate are also combination of chiffon, lace and colored pipings, and can be fairly well matched up to jabots of the same class. Fancy bows of satin or silk in white or colors are in many instances finished at the centre with tiny colored blossoms made of narrow ribbon and are smart to wear either with stocks and jabots or with plain or embroidered linen collars. In the bow line the assortment is not only large, but dainty in its examples. A DAINTY DWARF'S ROMANCE.

One of the smallest ladies in the world has heen staying for a few days'at th< Savoy Motel, London. She is only 2(iin in height, and her years are just asi many. Her name is Mademoiselle Anita, and'she comes from Hungary. She is engaged to be married, and one of the objects of her visit to London is to buy her trousseau. Pretty and vivacious, she will no doubt make an exceptionally attractive bride. Apart from her shopping. Mdlle. Anita is visiting the metropolis for the purpose of arranging a £50,000 insurance on her life. She has learnt from her travels that London is about the best place at which to carry out such a transaction. She is not engaged for exhibition anywhere, and it would indeed be a large oll'er that would tempt her. She purposes visiting one or two other British cities, and afterwards she will go on to Paris. From there she will proceed to tialicia to meet her fiancee. Mdlle. Anita speaks four languages —English, French, German and Hungarian. She is, perhaps, the most perfectly formed little person the world lias ever seen. Since coming to London Mdlle. Anita has been photographed in a black evening gown, with one hand holding her long train, and the other clasping a white feather fan —and very dainty she look*. —Home exchange.

WOMEN DRINKERS. The religious papers of Xew York are waging a righteous war against the drinking habits of the women of that city. It is alleged that the practice, which is of comparatively recent: growth, is gaining a wider and wider hold. Thus one prominent paper: "The women not only drink cocktails before dinner in NewYork City, but they drink strong wines and much champagne. It is no uncommon thing to see them so Hashed with drink that they say tilings—bad enough in men—that sound horrible coming from women." It is said Unit last New Year's Kve was a perfect orgy at some fashionable hotels and restaurants. Morc's the pity, because it's true—only too true. This constant dining out and participation in roof garden entertaining ii|i to midnight are ruining the constitutions, and, alas! too often the morals, of American women.