WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 302, 16 May 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen.") THE REAL HAREM SKIRT. In a London paper a writer discourses, with emphasis on the real harem skirt as compared with the modern mutilation. The so-called "harem skirt," which the Parisian dressmakers are now trying to introduce, in reality bears very little resemblance to the full, wide trousers which are worn by Turkish women. The "harera skirt" is not much more than a hobble skirt split up and fastened round the ankles, and in most cases seems to be contrived with the idea ot displaying almost as much of the wearer's legs as that monstrosity. Needless to say, such a display would be considered by the modest Turk as worthy of the sack and the Bosphorus, for to him the idea of any of his womankind wearing «ny sort of dress which outlines their shapes is horrible, and to his simple mind '.i woman's dress is meant to conceal her form from other men's eyes, and not to show off its beauties. The average untravelled English man and woman lpoks on the pantomime and burlesauc costume of Morgiana in "The Forty Thieves" as the real Turkish trouser, and imagines that the Turks allow their women to wear a transparent and diaphanous sort of bloomer dress with two fairly closely fitting trouser legs, knickerbockered at the ankle, and emphasising in the most unblushing manner the fact that its wearer is bifurcated. The true Turkish trouser is the exact opposite of this. More successfully than any skirt it conceals and ignores the possession of legs by women. It is quite unlike the ■Prankish idea of a trouser, and is more like a skirt drawn together at the base, or a huge bag with two holes through which the feet are thrust. Turkish trousers are enormously full, and gathered in by a string round the waist. They roach from the waist to the ankle, where the openings for the feet are finished off with a sort of heavy cuff of stiffly worked embroidery on cloth, which is tight enough to make it impossible to pull on or take off the trousers except with stockinged feet. The slack of the breeches, as the sailors say, hangs down between the ankles, and the unnecessary fullness of the stuff gives the wearer a most ungraceful waddle when ahe walks. In fact, she looks like a perambulating sack with a couple of feet sticking out of it, and the veil or cloak thrown over her head and shoulders, when she is in the street, completes the illusion. Before a great feast there is a general laundry, and in any courtyard in a Turkish city these garments may be seen hanging out to dry. It is only on such occasions that the enormous sifie of the trousers, and the vast mass of stuff in which a Turkish woman is clothed, can be realised. From foothole to footholc the pantaloons stretch along the clothes line for several vards.

DAXCE ETIQUETTE. '•Queen Boo" in the Australasian, discourses nn 1 reaches of social etiquette connected with dances. When attending a dance, more often than not abounding with sumptuous preparations, little do we realise (unli'-:s having once been behind the scene) the many difficulties a] hostess has lo contend with in the maticr of making up her final li-f of arceptances. Last winter it was astonishing to hear the frequent complaints about the lax way the people treated invitations. In fact, it was quite a common tiling to hear a dance-given say. ''l do wish people would answer, as T cannot get on with tlie arrangements for my dance." These remarks were quite often heard after invitations had been out for a fortnight and more. Speaking in the strict sense, the answer to an invitation, no matter whether an acceptance or refusal, should be sent by return of post. This is only common courtesy, and, after all is said and done, a very small return for the outlay made and the trouble taken for the enjoyment of those invited. Action in such a matter cannot be too prompt, and answering invitations is one of the hard and fast rules of etiquette that cannot be relaxed. It is curious how lightly many people regard this matter, looking upon being entertained as a "matter of course." Under the circumstances it is a wonder that invitations are ever answered at all, and hostesses may think themselves fortunate if they get an answer even the day before their entertainment. There is no doubt at all few give etiquette much consideration in any way. This especially applies to yojing folk. They do not intend to be rude, but are apathetic. So long as they are going to the dance little else matters. They never think'for a moment of a hostess waiting patiently for their reply, wondering whether they got their card, and being desirous of filling their places in the event of a refusal. However, let us hope for better things this winter, and that those who enter into social matters generally will recognise that tliey have a great deal to thank a hostess for. and for that reason will see she gets a reply to her invitation in twenty-four hours after receiving

would do well to think over, and that is the habit of encoring a dance. Surely twenty dances, and often extras, arc enough for one evening, and it only needs a small amount of restraint to re train from what is a very doubtful cus torn, and one, to say the least of it that savors of '"Arry" and "'Arriet.' Quite recently at a dance given by a visi tor in one of our large halls this wai put into practice. Never having seci such a thing done before, the hos thought the dancers had for the moment taken leave of their senses, until, on real isation, a good laugh was got out of tin matter; but at the price of the lookers on, who felt "miserable sinners" in eve having allowed such a habit to grow However, that good old saying: "Out o evil comoth good," is a very true on< and rightly used now it will bring auou the necessary reform.

NEW AND CURIOUS ART. Madame Penso, a well-known French artist, has invented a new and curious art. It is that of making artificial flowers from bread-crumbs. Stated baldly, that Hoes not sound attractive, but, according to the London papers, her flowers arc exquisitely beautiful. They are modelled from the crumbs of French rolls, and the gluten in the French bread gives them a solid consistency and hardens them. Xo tools are used, except the artist's own fingers, and it is wonderful how all the finest parts of the flowers are shown. Violets, apple blossom, and hawthorn are portrayed, as well as larger blossoms, and in every ease, say the critics, they bear the closest examination under the magnifying glass, and even the veins of the leaves are depicted by means of the artist's finger-prints. Before the flowers are colored they look like delicate ivory carvings, but the artist colors them so exquisitely that they are quite life-like when finished. They are highly valued as works of art, and' as much as £ls lus lias been paid for a single spray. Mme. Penso is the wife of a wealthy banker, and all the proceeds of her work go to charity, and so interested is she in her hobby that she is going to give free lectures on her art in London, so that other women can take it up, either as a pastime or a means of making money.

A PRIZED SOUVENIR. | One of the most prized souvenirs of I the Coronation year will be the Coronation napery. Tin's, says the Pall Malli Gazette, takes the form of double damask] tablecloths, and table napkins, which.have been specially designed to commemorate Kino; George's coronation. The centre of each tablecloth shows the Crown, the Sword of State, and the Sceptre; on the border winch surrounds these are depicted the emblems of Jamaica, ilie l.'nhm of South Africa, Gibraltar, the Commonwealth u: Australia, and Malta. Surrounding this is an outer border, in the design of which are woven the emblems of India, New Zealand, Newfoundland. Canada and Ceylon, while the Royal Arms appear in the four corners. Throughout the design are interspersed the Rose, the Thistle, the Shamrock, and the Leek, while the leaves of the tea plant, the maple, the palm and the gum represent India, Canada, South Africa and Australia. The only shop at which these cloths arc to be bought has received several large wedding orders, as the new Coronation table is the latest idea for wedding presents.

MOW ZEALAND WOMAN ON LOCAL OPTION. Hiss A. Anderson Hughes, of New Zealand, was one of the speakers at a meeting held in Aberdeen a few nights ago I under the joint auspices of the Scottish I Permissive Bill and Temperance Association and the local branch of the British Women's Temperance Association. Miss Hughes spoke of the organization of temperance work in New Zealand and the efforts made, particularly among women, to awaken public opinion to the evils of the drink traffic. Most of the women of New Zealand were against the drink traffic, she said, though there were women who could be got for payment to go round and advise the people to vote in favor of the brewers. She spoke of the power they had in New Zealand through legislation to deal with the drink traffic. She explained the nature of the voting cards and the three-fifths majority that was required before licenses could be abolished or reduced. She described the election fights over the drink question, and the . intensity with which both parties entered upon and conducted the campaign. If this temperance legislation was not an advantage in New Zealand, did they, think she would come there and advocate it? If it was not the proper thing for dealing with the drunkard, would it be wise for her to come and ask them to adopt it? They found that the legislaI tion did more than prohibit; it had, what they desired, the effect of uplifting their fellowmen and making their conditions better, and it was because she saw the conditions improved in New Zealand that she wished to see similar legislation in Scotland. She hoped they would have I the Temperance Bill for Scotland passed into law before she came back. (Applause.) She thought Scotland would be likely to go further than England in the( matter, and would set an example to other parts of the British Isles. Think what they could do with local option in their hands; but that power could never i come unless they were united. Thev had a bigger foe to tight in Great Britain than in New Zealand, and they needed to bo more zealous and more earnest j than ever in this old country. She callI, ed them to lend their voices 'and their influence in this special work.. They could j at least make up their minds that where they had the choice of supporting the right they would do so, and hasten the day when both Scotland and England j would be free from the drink curse." She I was glad to see so many women present; she felt if they had the women on their side the battle would be won. It was j not that there was much opposition; it I was the indifference of those who stood ,' alnof that was the serious problem. They ; must organise their forces and fight tin's I evil. They bad God on their .side and I they must win. (Applause.)