WOMAN'S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 75, 19 September 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD.

(Conducted Dy - Eileen"). . STRATFORD NOTES. : On Saturday afternoon Mrs. T. Harry Peiin gave a delightful "at home" at her I residence, "Harbro." the guest of honor being Mrs. E. Stohr, who leaves for a I six months' visit to Australia. The hostess received her guests in a beautiful i gown, of Indian embroidered muslin. Mrs. Stohr, handsome black silk gown, and large black hat, trimmed with ostrich feathers and pink rosos. The drawing-' room looked charming with quantities of choice narcissi and violets artistically arranged in specimen glasses and bowls. Afternoon tea was partaken of in the dining-room, which was tastefully decorated with spring flowers. Mr. T. Harry Penn, in a few well chosen words, presented Mrs. Stohr, on behalf of those present, with a handsomely fitted dressing case as a token of affection and high esteem. Mr. Stohr suitably replied on behalf of Mrs. Stohr. Among those present were: Mesdames Paget, Dingle, Young, Lonergan, Fookes, .1. MacKay, Malone, Reader and C. Penn; Misses O'Brien and Herding; Dr. Paget: .Messrs. Stohr, Lonergan, Fookes, C. Penn, and I Malone.

Mrs. 15. Stohr leaves for Australia on Wednesday next. A most "enjoyable musical evening, under the auspices of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, was held in the St. Andrew's Schoolroom on Friday evening to commemorate Franchise Day. Mlsi McMush, organist for the W.C.T.U., was present, and contributed two songs in her usual fine style. Other musical items were contributed by Mesdames Bona, MacKay, Misses Sangster, Butcher (2), Evans, Messrs. McAlister and Stuart. Mrs. John MacKay. secretary of the W.C.T.U., read a very interesting paper by iMiss Maunder, of llawera, entitled "How Women gained the Franchise," and was thoroughly appreciated by those present. A very dainty supper concluded a most enjoyable evening. CLOTHES AND CHARACTER In spite of strenuous manly condemnations to the contrary, the average woman does not pay nearly enough attention to her clothes. Nine women out of ten utterly fail to realise in how great a measure clothes influence daily life, or how greatly good health and sweet temper is dependent upon what one wears.

Clothes have a far stronger effect upon character than people ordinarily imagine —especially with regard to women. Let those who doubt catch a group of little girls at play unawares. In them they will see plainly the truth of the assertion. As the child is dressed so is the cliild. So in later days will be the woman.

There are some few women who are sufficiently wise to dress according to their mood, and those who are intimate with them can usually gauge their feelings from their dress.

Indeed, it is extraordinary when one gives attention to the matter to find how easily one can tell a woman's main character from her dress upon a very short length of acquaintance. Those women who for ever adhere to one style of dress have a uniform manner which never varies. For example, take the woman who always wears « stiff shirt waist, stiff collar, and hard leather belt, with severely plain hair. How well we know her manner—hard and stiff and uncompromising; their whole life run in certain grooves which nothing will take them out of and alter. It is not Nature which makes women so. More often than not their unyielding manner has been brought about by years and years of such dressing. The woman, again, who always dons frilly blouses and training skirts, without a thought as to their suitability, is invariably a posuese —one of frivolous temperament, who takes life easily and is .altogether superficial. The ordinary woman is too eager to think of utility when buying a new dress, and nearly always regards utility as being synonymous with ugliness. Not at all—not at all. One can dress prettily as cheaply as one can dress in uglystyles. And it is the duty of every woman, no matter what her age or standing, to dress so as to make the best of herself. The greatest mistake a woman can make is to ''dress" for special occasions, and merely put on clothes at other times. Housewives and other working wonieu who complain of weariness when evening comes would find a 'wonderful change brought about by regularly changing their working dress evening evening for a pretty frock. It is worth while, dear women; it is very much wortli while, J assure you. Commonsense alone would show thai a woman cannot be otherwise than weary if she sits down to "rest" in the clothes which she has been working all day in. It is an utterly demoralhjing practice all through. .Sure, many women resort to tonics and holidays and rest cures, when what they really need is a regular change of dress—if only doctors could be .brought to recommend it! The question of colors, too, is more than simply choosing a shade which suits one's complexion. There are colors which so far as "suiting'' a woman cannot be bettered, yet should not be worn. The effect which colors have upon their wearer is sometimes quite extra ordinary, and the matter is one which makes a most engrossing study—especially when one has collected a few personal examples of its truth. Every woman is affected in some way by the color;; she wears, as by her style of dress, though often the effect has become so blended with the woman's character as to bo difficult to differentiate. l!ut it is there —somewhere, and every woman would do well to study the matter a litie. Many women, I am perfectly sure, would be far happier and healthier if they gave more "proper" at-' tentiou to their choice of clothes—if they could only bring themsc'.os to look at the bogey Extravagance in a right manner.

LESSONS IN COURTSHIP. AMERICAN SCHOOL METHODS. San Francisco, August 0. A delegate at the annual convention of the National Educational Association of America, the principal of a big Chicago school, 'brought before the convention the idea of experimenting with courtship lessons in public schools. "We realise that school children will form little attachments for one another," said Miss Florence Holbrock, in describing her ideas. "It has been called 'booby' love and given various other terms which border on the vulgar. The point of the courtship lessons is simply that, knowing these boys and girls are bound to feel attached toward one another, is it not ibetter to sanction the attachments and guide them in the right path than allow them to run along unhindered and probably wreck their own lives and possibly those of others. If a boy wants to hold a girl's hand and talk of the weather, it is better for him to do it under the eyes of his parent or teacher than off in a corner." Miss Holbfook said the experiment would be tried in several Chicago schools, including that of which she is principal.

HELPING YODNG MOTHERS. Four year? ago a society was started in St. Pancras—the first of its kind in England—the object of which was to help young and ignorant mothers of the working classes to look after their little ones. For, although "mother love" is born in every woman's heart, every woman is by no means a "born mother." and most young mothers get alarmed if baby is "off his feed," or at all out of sort's. Well, this society showed the mothers of St. Pancras how to feed and dress their little ones, how to bring them up, and so excellent were the results, that many other districts have since followed the example set by St. Pancras. The St. Pancras school rejoices in the attractive title of "The Mothers' and Babies' Welcome." Baby consultations are a feature of the scheme. Tim babies are brought regularly week by week. They are weighed and examined, and any increase or decrease in weight is carefully noted. The school does not give medicine, or in any way take upon it the duties of the mother, but it gives advice—sound, sensible advice—and it teaches the mothers in a kindly, sympathetic way how to bring up their little ones. A point long ago recognised in St. Pancras is the fact that unless the nursing mother is well fed and nourished both she and the child are liable to consumption, and that the ftaby certainly won't flourish. And one of the mpst interesting features in connection with the school, which is doing fine work of all kinds, is the diningroom for the mothers, where for the tiny sum of three halfpence can be had a plentiful, nourishing, and well-cooked meal. As a, rule, the mothers are very independent';' but if the husband is out of work, and even half-pennies scarce, they arc helped, by gifts of tickets, which entitle them to a week or a fortnight of dinners for nothing! The teaching at the school has done much to decrease the infant death-rate in St. Pancras; and breast feeding, which gives the little ones such a far better chance than artificial feeding, has saved the lives of hundreds of babies. "If baby is not increasing in weight, there is something wrong," is one of the first things to be brought to the notice of a newly-joined mother. There are lectures and classes of all kinds in connection with the school, and, amongst other things, the mothers are shown how to cut out baby clothes, how to cook a cheap and wholesome meal, and various other tilings relating to baby culture and domestic economy.