WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 58, 28 August 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

, (Conducted by "Eileen"). THE BEAUTY SEEKERS. A woman who advises otlier women on the all-important,question of good looks luts been describing some of her experiences, and writes as follows: The, letters from beauty seekers range themselves in my mind in varying degrees of importance. Instinctively I feel that to strike a spark of interest in the mind of a lonely woman is not to be regarded as utterly futile. Next in consequence come the letters of women engaged in business. These letters, as every writer on this subject knows, have been the cause of endless argument and discussion. They generally run in this wise:

"Unless I am young and pretty I cannot hold my position. My work is hard and I am beginning to look tired. Lines are appearing on my face and my hair is turning grey . What shall I do to hide the ravages of time so that I can still .make a living?" Personally, I do not believe that a woman who works faithfully will ever be dismissed for wrinkles. It is undoubtedly true, however, that it is much easier for a pretty young girl to secure a new position than it is for a woman whose face shows the touch of midle age; but in the long run good work outweighs x in the balance and beauty rarely wins. Sometimes these-letters have a note of real tragedy in them. i "I am growing old," a woman writes. "I found out one day that my hair was streaked with grey and there were crow's-feet around my eyes. For the love of heaven, help me! My husband is still a young man. I am afraid of growing old before he does." Nothing is more, pitiful than, such an appeal as this. A woman fears to lose her husband's love when her own wrinkles begin to show. Often she unburdens her soul and discloses the bitter secret.

"I make a last desperate appeal to you." she says. "Show me what, to do to smooth put my wrinkles. My husband is growing cold to me."

One letter that I received was written by a girl whose career has since been one of gradual but assured success, although when she wrote to me she was, as you will sec when you read the letter, groping in the dark. "I am," the letter ran, "too tall for my age. My feet and hands are overgrown. My face flushes when anyone speaks to me. My eyes are too small, my nose too big; and so is my mouth. I have a muddy complexion and oily hair. Now, dear madam, will you tell me what to do to make my eyes larger? Could my nose be operated o"? It is like a beak. Is there any cii'e for a big mouth? I hate my hair. I do so want light, curly hair. I want to be changed. Other girls are pretty and dainty. I am ugly. I know it and hate myself. If nothing can be done for me I would prefer just to die, because I don't think I can stand this for ever."

My went out in pity to this suffering child, for she was only sixteen, and I invited her to come and see me. She was touched, indeed, with a plainness that is lacerating to the feminine soul; but her small beady eyes flashed at me intelligently and gleaming through the parted lips of her rather large, wellformed mouth were two rows of fine, strong teeth. It was a fact that her "hair hung down her pallid cheeks like seaweed on a elam," and her complexion was discouiagingly sallow and eruptive. Her figure was gaunt, her feet and hands overgrown. She was, as someone once said, "of a paintable ugliness," and she had not one feature that would call for admiration; in short, she was the picture of neglect. Yet there was something indefinably interesting in the girl's appearance, a hint of future possibilities. Undoubtedly it was her brooding, morbid and unhappy thoughts that tinged her face with yellow; an apathy of dullness hung about her like a mantle of drab. The sudden flare-up of her sombre mind, which bad induced her to write to me, might have died out for ever if I had not answered her letter promptly and asked her to call. Such natures, witlvit encouragement and sympathy, vhieh are as meat and drink to them, will sunn shrivel into hopeless pessimism.

Courses in deep-breathing and physical culture, warm baths, scrubbing brushes and shampoos, and a tactful hint regarding the right books to read, produced a lightning change of attitude in my ugly duckling, and the results, as time rolled on, have been gratifying in the extreme. It was then I realised that a beauty adviser might be a factor for groat good in her department, and for the first time I began to take my work seriously and to pursue it with whole-hearted interest.

Wrinkles, another- cause of much concern on the part of women, are more often than not the tell-tale imprint on tfio face of bad temper, worry, brooding and unhappiness; with a mind at ease, tlie tendency to wrinkles is overcome. Happiness also leaves its marks; but laughing wrinkles are not unbeautiftil like those left bv dissatisfaction.

If the beauty doctor, afte- smoothing j out wrinkles, would only follow up the treatment with lessons in thought-con-trol and mental poise, the cure would be complete; but the woman who seeks beauty is like the woman speculatorshe is impatient for immediate results, and the .•■.lower mental process would not satisfy her. PRINCESS OF WALES? POSSIBLE BRIDES FOR THE HEIR TO THE THROXE. The Prince of Wales attained the age of seventeen on .June 23 this year, and, although there is plenty of time before he need seriously consider the question of marriage, yet already, on dit, the matter is occupying the attention of more than one foreign Court. As a matter of fact, if the Prince is to marry a princess of iMjiial rank to himself, his choice is somewhat restricted, though, from an international point of view, of extreme interest. The four Royal ladies of suitable age

1. Princess Victoria Louise, born 1892, and the only daughter of tbe Kaiser. Kit recent visit to Kugland made her a popular favorite on account of her sunny disposition, her extreme simplicity, and the wonderful tact she displayed on many occasions.

She is reported to have said that she would "like to be English," which was interpreted by some as a bint that some day she might be an English princess. It is, however, rumored that the Kai3er lias stated that politics shall have nothing to ilo with her betrothal, and it is well known that she has admirers in plenty in her own country. Otherwise, such an alliance between the English and Prussian Royal families would be quite feasible, there being only a difference of two years of age, and would be fraught with tremendous oonscquences.

2. Princess Eudoxie of Bulgaria, born in 1808 and eldest daughter of the Czar of Bulgaria. This lady is four years younger than the Prince of Wales, and, though the marriage might not loom

large in the popular imagination, it would have a very appreciable effect upon the political situation in the Near ! East, and England's interests in Turkey ' and Asia Minor.

The new Kingdom of Bulgaria is making great strides commereially, and its army, equipped and trained on the German system, under the command of its ambitious ruler has attained a high pitch of efficiency. It is, moreover, an acknowledged fact that the new regime in Turkey has been a great disappointment to its supporters, and at any moment a crisis may occur in the portion of Europe when Bulgaria will undoubtedly act with promptitude and probably control the situation.

3. Princess Elizabeth, daughter of the Crown Prince of Roumania, and of the Bame age as the Prince of Wales. Politically speaking, such a union would possess less importance than that with Bulgaria. Though possessing an excellent army, it is unlikely that Roumania will ever play again so conspicuous a part in the world's affairs as it did in the RussoTurkish War. for at that time Bulgaria did not exist as a separate kingdom. 4. The Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna. eldest daughter of H.M. the Czar of Russia, and a year younger than our Heir Apparent. At first blush such a marriage might not appear advisable. There is in England a certain undercurrent of disapproval anent the Czar's rule in Russia, and the masses are proverbially difficult to convince when once they have made up their minds. Misunderstanding is nearly, invariably at the base of international prejudice—misunderstanding fostered by complete ignorance. For years Russia was regarded as England's bugbear, with designs on the Indian frontier and elsewhere; but, thanks to his late Majesty King Edward VII. and to the efforts of Ministers of both nations, all such suspicion has been swept away, and to-day Russia ; stands as a friend to England. She is rapidly recuperating from the effects of the disastrous war with Japan; ) advantage has been taken of the internal peace reigning in the Empire to push on with all possible speed much-needed reforms, and, commercially, it may almost he said that the Colossus is just awakening to life. Hence, speaking again from a purely political standpoint, a matrimonial alliance between England and Russia might possess even greater advantages than one between England and Germany. But, maybe, when the time arrives, !, the Prince of Wales will be allowed to ) choose a wife for himself, not necesj sarily the daughter of a reigning monarch, hut, of course, a lady closely allied by family ties. T* is almost pathetic this loneliness of kingship. - 'i

All else he may choose to the utmost fulness of his will, with the one exception of his consort. She belongs to the people as much a3 he, hence he is hedged around with State considerations, and is often unable to follow the dictates of Ms heart.

Fortunately for the Trince of Wales, Queen Mary is essentially a mother and a woman as well as a Queen. She may be relied upon to use all her influence towards obtaining for her son a consort, who, besides being able to maintain the dignity of her exalted position, shall also bring with her as dowry a disposition that shall promise long years of happiness for the Prince arid herself. PAPER BAG COOKERY

One of the interesting developments in connection with the propagation of the new cookery gospel is the way a number of chefs are taking it up (says the London Daily Chronicle). Although he does not, as a rule, hasten to adopt new methods, there are not wanting indications that the average French chef is realising that for many dishes at least the envelope provides a perfeot means of securing the retention of the natural juices. The appetite is a master that he cannot always fight against, Recently at a West End hotel Soyer bags were used for the first time. Fish, chicken and lamb cutlets were cooked in them for a company of twenty. The cutlets, about which the chef expressed some doubts, were declared extremely savory. Only one person out of the twenty present dissented, and he had to admit that his salmon chop was done to perfection. Considering that the chef who superintended the cooking was not at all enamored of the innovation the succes.may be certainly called remarkable.