WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 4, 29 June 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen"). DECAY OF CHAPERONAGE. Here arc observations by "Queen Bee" in the Australasian on tin: decadence of the chaperon:—"ln the general sense, the chaperon to-day is hardly known. Force -of circumstances is greatly responsible for this. Even in England and on the Continent young people are now allowed to go about -with more freedom than in the°past, when an unmarried girl was never on any account permitted to be abroad without an elder of some kind. If not her parents, then a brother, or some trusty member of the household. This restriction of movements has never been in force'in Australia. From the very first young people here have always been allowed a great deal of latitude with regard to their going out. But this does not mean to convey that the practice is, or was, a right one. Yet, what is to bo done ? Every girl nowadays cannot be accompanied by her parents to ) all the dances she goes to in a season It is now patent that a certain amount of patronage is necessary at dances, especially by parents, who would make it their business to detect shortcomings. Observations so gained on such matters could be discussed at home. A mother might recount what she saw, and point out how bad it looked. She also has it in her power to .restrict the overflowing spirits of her young people, whifh she should rightly do. At most and especially at what is known as the "small dance," chaperonage is almost absent. This easy-going style means that hostess is generally the only chaperon present. She, as a matter of course, is most of her time seeing to things necessary for the enjoyment of her young guests, and has little or no leisure for observation. Even if she had, she could not well remonstrate personally with the offenders i against good manners, and that is why | more chaperones are necessary at dances. | At the same time, one cannot help re-j marking how often parents disregard some of the most important convention-. alities of social life with regard to theii j young people. very often their sons I and daughters are allowed to wander i about on occasions without the slightest ] control. Their going and coming is seldom questioned, and their independence is rather eneouraged than otherwise. It . no -woncUr that self-respect amongst yo«ng folk is in danger, arid if this most valuable portion of a girl's or boy's personality is allowed to become blurred, all the chaperonage in the country will be of no avail.

ABOUT WIDOWS. .I { Widows exist in all countries, thus counterbalancing the matrimonial decadence 'which might otherwise result from timid men. Widows are clinging, by temperament, and attach themselves readily to any object that can't help i itself.' , , . i It is generally considered unlucky to meet a widow on a dark balcony by the light of tlv- moon. Tn many countries to bo kissed by a widow means endless trouble. . Widows are frequently accompanied by ' children. They roam at large, and , no man is safe when they are near. All the perfect men now dead have married widows, thus forming n continuous contrast to the miserable specimens who still live. It has been said, "Beware of widows, j But this is unnecessary. For no man | can really help himself. ' A WOMAN'S SACRIFICE STRANGE SEQUEL TO MURDER ' TRIAL. A sensational sequel to a great American murder trial was evidenced in New York on April 18, when Mrs. Jane Smythe, of St. Louis, Missouri, a young, rich and beautiful woman, declared that Dr. Haldane Clemenson, of Chicago, who was sentenced to death for the alleged ( murder of his wife, was innocent; and, to save his life, she confessed that practically all the night on which the physician's wife was kiVled she was with the defendant, and lie could not have committed' the crime. As a climax to this event, the husband of Mrs. Smythe, a prominent business man of St. Louis, has declared that ha appreciated tho noble motives which prompted his wife to blast her own reputation and to forfeit all right to hU love and respect, and that he would forgive her for her indiscretion. Learning of the forgiveness of her husband, Mrs. Smythe hurried to the home of her mother, again made a confession of her part in the affair, and again was forgiven, receiving a joint promise then of all the aid and comfort that the husband and mother could bestow upon her in the ordeal through which she must pass to i save an innocent man. ] Now there will be a new trial, and Dr. Olemenson, who from first to last remained silent, will probably go free. Mrs. Smytlio'sconfession, however, does not .solve the mystery of the tragedy surrounding the death of Mr.-:. Clemenson. Two years ago the physician's wife was found dead in her apartments in a fashionable suburb of Chicago, and beside ■iicr, apparently asleep, was her husband. The husband told the police that the house had probably been entered by burglars, am* that he and his wife had been chloroformed. Dr. Clemenson now admits that, he had been spending the night away from home, and that on his arrival at his apartments found his wife dead. j he police rejected the burglar theory. Dr. Clemenson was taken into custody! on suspicion, and maintained absolute J silence. Mr-. Smythe, in her confession, says that the life of an innocent man is, J of more value than the honor of a guilty 1 woman, and she adds: "Any man who is 1 prepared to face death for a woman's good name cannot be bad at heart." She • adds that ehe. repeatedly urged Dr. Clem- . enson to prove an alibi, and, as he perl sisted in refusing, she went personally to the judge wlio presided at the trial and r told him all. USEFUL HINTS. »{ Table Linen Without Stan*.—Dry ' thoroughly in the air,' then dip in boil- | ing water and put through the wringer. I Fold each article in a drv cloth as

smoothly as possible and allow it to remain there for «, couple of hours or so. The irons must be hot, but not scorching, because the linen must be ironed perlectly dry. A beautiful gloss will be put on the linen by this method. To set green, blue, lavender and pink, colorings for . washing purposes, soak' them in alum water before washing thorn, usim? the alum in the proportion of 2oz to a" basin of water. Black, dark blue and grey should be soaked in strong salted water.

To take water marks off polished furniture use equal parts of .sweet oil and methylated spirits. Rub in a circular direction with a piece of flannel, and finish with a silk handkerchief. If not perfect repeat the application next day. •instead of using a cloth or leather to polish brass, take a sheet of clean newspaper, fold it into a pad, as you would a duster, and rub the article in question, when a brilliant" polish ■will be obtained, and thus smears be avoided. As the paper becomes black, change to a fresh place. GENERAL.

Tn order to find out from personal expericnw what stone-breaking is like, Mrs. Sliutt. a member of the Salford Board of Guardians, and who is used to tennis, went to the local stone yard and worked for an hour and a-half among the men undergoing the labor test. At the end of that time she had to give up owing to the blisters on her hands, and came away with the opinion, which she embodied in a resolution presented at the meeting of the Board, "that stone-breaking be abolished in this union as cruel, worse than useless, degrading and unprofitable." Mrs. Shutt, after telling of her experiment, contended that the work was a punishment for poverty, bhe added that traring the last six months the guardians had paid £2lO for breaking stones, which cost £BOO unbroken. As nobody wanted this road metal, it was simply taking up j space. Mr. Bratherton, another guard*ian, who supported the proposal, declarer that the Board were sweaters of the most flagrant type. The resolution was defeated by 14 to 3. Queen Mary is especially gifted in what is known as "white work," from felling seams to embroidering lingerie. She also does very beautiful knitting and crocheting, and, believing firmly that every woman who hopes to retain her good figure should assume a standing | I position for 15 to 20 minutes after eat- j ing, she always employs this 'time with] her knitting or crochet needles. Prin-' cess Marie LonLsie of Schleswig-Holstcin) lias started a deemed interest in the art of enamelling, which she considers especially suitable for young women of the better class who desire to attain independence along artistic linos. Her enamels recently exhibited at the Arts, Crafts and Industries Exhibition were of the lovely, translucent Russian quality m the most beautiful shades of Co.="ick green, <iove grey, blue, garnet and yellow. They were used.to decorate umbrella handles, hair ornaments, buckles, and various household articles. Among the titled women of London there has arisen a hobby for giving personal supervision to tueir city lawns and gardens, and a few have gone in for raising herbs. A magnificent anklet worn by Mrs. Harold F. MeCormick, daughter of Mr. John D. Rockefeller, is the subject of eager discussion among the ladies of "smart" Chicago circles. They are debating the advisableness of adopting the example thus set by their richest member and making the wearing of anklets the fashion. Beyond stating that she possessed an anklet, that she wore it, and was very fond of it because it was so pretty, Mrs. MeCormick declined to say on which ankle she carried the anklet, whether she wore it all the time or only on special occasions. Mrs. McCormick's anklet consists of five strands of beaten gold without ornaments .pr jewels. Several leaders of fashion coir fessed to interviewers that they possessed anklets, but declared that they never ; wore them. |

"One of the things that I am thankful for every day that I live is for my share in the world's work," said a wise and busy woman. "I am thankful that my hands are full."