WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 69, 12 September 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

' (Conducted by " jtneen")

A STRATFORD LETTER. The St. Andrew's Tennis Club held their annual ball in the Town Hall on Thursday evening. • There were about sixty couples present. The stage was arranged as a drawing-room, and was artistically decorated with arum lilies, rhododendrons, and quantities of palms. The supper table was beautifully decorated with quantities of spring flowers and simply laden with delicacies, which reflected much credit on the capabilities of the ladies' committee. The music, supplied by Messrs Rogers and Bamett, was excellent, a.nd the floor was in perfect order. Messrs Douglas and Wood made most efficient M.C.'fl. Miss Brayshaw and Mr. T. Wilson worked assiduously, to make, the function a success. Extras were played by Mrs. Cardale, Misses Morison and McDonald, and Mr. Bamett. Amongst those present were: Mrs. Ashton, Coronation blue silk; Mrs. Cardale, embroidered net, on white satin; Mirs. E. Robinson, peacock green velvet, relieved with cream Maltese lace; 'Mrs. Ivivell, smart white chiffon taffeta, with lovely pearl trimmings; Mrs. Colliston, black velvet, cream lace; Mrs| McNeely, white silk; Miss Young (Hawera), pink silk, with satin bands on tunic; Miss Smith, oyster grey merv, relieved with Honithon lace; Miss Brown, white silk, with silver trimmings; Miss Lewis, very smart gown of green velvet; Miss Drake (Hawera),

pretty gown of green crepe de chine; Miss Cameron, dainty white silk, with silver trimmings; Miss Xeilson, whit* silk voile; Miss Waddell, smart gown of

white satin; Miss L. Header, white silk; Miss Mackay, dainty gown of mauve silk, with tunic; Misses K. and A. Sullivan, white silk; Miss O'Leary. pretty blue , silk crepe de chine; Miss Gardiner, blue silk tunic of cream silk lace; Miss Wishnw (Eltham), pink s-ilk; Miss Wishaw (Eltham), white silk; Miss Tocker, smart white silk gown, with black trimmings; Miss Morison. dainty gown of blue silk; Miss McDonald, blue; Miss B. Morison, pretty frock of pink silk; Miss Brayshaw, maize silk; Miss Brayshaw, cream silk voile, trimmed with cream insertion and lace; Misses Black. Stunners (Eltlnim), Coleman, Wilson (2), Hart and Childs were also present. Mr. and Mrs. M. Hodgins, of P.rtmerston Xortli, who hive been visiting their daughter (Mrs. J. Lyons) have returned to their home.

The Stratford Operatic Society will produce "Trial by Jury" in the Town Hall on the 20th in aid of the Boy Scouts' funds. A good house is Anticipated. The new Parish Hall will be officially.; opened on Wednesday evening next by the Bishop of Auckland, wiio will also conduct a confirmation service oil Thursday evening. Tke concert given by the school children at Midhirst on Thursday was an unqualified success. The Horticultural Show is to be held in the new Parish Hall on September 21. Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Ward leave for a long holiday early next month. .Miss Orbell lias returned to Stratford. .Mrs. Clark is the guest of .Mrs. Copping, Opunakc road.

FASHION NOTES FROM LONDON.

London, July 14.

The English summer is. indeed, doing itself proud this year, and the feminine world goes abroad in light silks and linens and all the delightsome tritles that sunshine permits. Men—Loudon men. at least—seem to dislike making any radical change, in their clothing, and the poor creatures go about in lumpy-looking tweeds not much fighter, in appearance, than when there is frost on the ground. Why they do not do as New Zealander* in summer and clothe themselves rationally is hard to say. Probably because no one is sturdy enough to brave public opinion and wear what he'd like to! One large dressmaking firm this week has had groups of mannequins, for women's eyes only, parading their show rooms (got up to represent the seashore) in bathing creations, and just how much would be left of these delectable dainties ater an hour's battling with the waves I leave my readers to guess. One very smart gown shown at this affair was of scarlet serge, trimmed with white braid. With it were worn white stockings, scarlet satin shoes, and a delightful little scarf cap of white spotted scarlet silk. Another very smart French model on a pretty fair girl was of black silk stockinette. Black silk stockings and black satin boots accompanied this gown. The single revr is still in fashion, and gives u very eifcetive note to a dress. This week, oh a brilliantly sunshiny morning, one of the coolest-looking women I met 'had on a coat and skirt of pale pin,k-and-\vhite striped linen, faced with pink linen. One side of the coat had a rever of the plain material and at one side of the skirt, proceeding from a band of pink, round the wide hem, was an upturned single pink rever held with three pear buttons to match those on tiie coat.

Cheap Sachets.—Does meadowsweet grow in Xew Zealand? I forget. It if does, here is a use for it that may not be generally known. The flower, it should be noted first, retains its odor when dried. The simplest way to make wardrobe sachets is to tie the flowers in bunches and hang them to dry. then to tie squares of muslin over the heads. These bunches will scent the linen cupboards until next summer's supply of meadowsweet comes.

Suede, as trimming, is, of course. by no means a novel idea, but introduced, as it is just now, to give the only touch of color to a costume, it is, I think, new. One pretty coat and skirt shown last week was of black-and-white striped tweed, the edge of the coat revcrs, round the lmck only, having a strap of dull blue Miede attached, and the cull's edged with it also. Small talis of suede were let into the bottom of the wide revers in front, ami the neat holiday hat. for wear with the dress, was of blue straw to match the suede.

Whether American women are more terrifying and heartless in their passion for fashion than Englishwomen, who oltcn. .astound colonials by their obedience to the capricious dame, [ am not in a position to know, but the foil owing notice concerning the hobble skirt is cut from a recent Xew York journal, and appears to tell a mournful tale:—"Although the reign of the hideous hobble skirt is practically over, it leaves a record of misery in its trail which is unparalleled in the whole historv of fashion. 'lllrough its disgraceful vogue IHWMI mill girls are now without work, owing to the closing down of the mills. The demand for cloth has so decreased through the small quantifies needed for the hobble skirt that, ncurlv half the mills in the State of Uhodc Island have completely failed. So great, is the power of fashion, anil so thoughtless the women who pander to it." Cameo Trimming.-~C'ameos are nowused as ornaments on some of the smartest hats, whilst other cameos are n°ed to catch up the draperies of .skirts, or as the fastening ornaments for sashes. Hotter than a liodkin.—When running ribbons through lingerie insertions, it is a good plan to use a small safety pill', fastened to the end of the ribbon, in-

stead of a bodkin. There is then no fear of the ribbon becoming unthreaded, and / the pin will not catch in the inser- J tion. \

Soie-serge.—The newest fabric on the dress market is soie-serge. In appearance this is a kind of bengaline or Ottoman silk. The color is almost invariably black or navy blue, but the silk does not really belong to either of the varieties named, but much more resembles serge of a peculiarly fine twill, to which a siiken surface has been given. A toilet hint for those worried by the fine creases appearing on their brows is the following:----To a basin of hot water add a few drops of ammonia. Soak in this some strips of flannel, wring them out, and lay them on the lines, covering them with a warm flannel. After a few minutes take off the flannel and dry the face with soft linen. The lines must never be rubbed, but only patted when drying or applying cream. But olive oil should now be patted thoroughly in, ten minutes being given to this treatment, then wipe off the oil and pat in pure wool fat, patting on the lines, not along or across them. Allow the wool fat to remain on the face for an hour before removing the superfluous grease for the night. This treatment must be persevered in for a fortnight, by which time the underlying tissues should be plumped and the forehead be smooth and white.

Hand-embroidered veils are among the latest present made to friends in Paris. Cruel Millinery. —In the fashionable shopping streets of London this week the progress of a troop of 10 sandwichmen bearing posters illustra-ting the cruelty caused by the smart society woman who insists upon having her millinery trimmrd .with the delicate ospreys of the egret, caused much interest. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is responsible for the crusade. LADY FLIER. There is a general tendency, amounting almost to a passion, among aeropianists to make frequent experiments in flying at high altitudes (writes a London correspondent). Tt seems to be the chief explanation of the large loss of life among them within the last few months. The latest case is that of Miss Denise Moore, whose death at Etampes has been mentioned in the cablegrams. For some time Miss Moore had been known to the Paris public as a daring amateur, and she decided recently to qualify for i the pilot's certificate issued by the Aero Club of France. She used a biplane, and learned to handle it cleverly, but persisted against repeated warnings from her instructors in attempting high (lights and sharp turnings. Aeroplanists. both French and English, say that with increasing experience in aviation the desire for these exploits becomes irresistible. After flying on several occasions at between 3(10 anil 400 feet, Miss Moore decided to rise to GOO feet, and it was while attempting this altitude that, her aeroplane collapsed and fell to earth like a 9tone. She was found mutilated and dead beneath the wreckage of the machine. The unfortunate lady was a native of Algeria, and about 35 years of age. She is supposed to have been the daughter of Scotch or Irish parents, but, curiously, little is known of her personal histpry in Pitris, though she had resided there for several vears.

WOMEN WORKERS. In no other country in the world are there so many women workers as in the United States. The population of London is just over seven and a quarter millions, and that of the entire Commonwealth is elose oil four and a half millions, but in the United States alone the number of women engaged in the various industries and employed in domestic service reaches almost ten millions. That is to say, the army of women wage-earners in the United States is more than twice the whole population of Australia, and over a third more than the population of Greater London. In America the woman worker question is considered one of the most important of modern life, and at the same time the most baffling, nml, according to Mrs. John Hays Hammond, who is chairwoman of the Women's Welfare Department of the National Civic Federation, no less than three million "home-women"—that is women whose first interest is not that of earning wages—aro devoting their i time and energy throughout the States to adjust the new conditions evolved by « rapidly-growing civilisation. This federated body of women, whose object is to get better conditions for women workers, find that tact is their best weapon, and they work from the top downwards, first interesting the employers and so gaining concessions from them. From all parts of the country reports arc made that a large percentage of those who employ female labor are willing to improve conditions in factories and workshops. The main idea of the National Civic Federation workers is to make ''Uncle Sum" a model employer, and in three years no end of excellent reforms, beginning in the different Government departments, have been effected.