WOMAN'S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 87, 3 October 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD.

(Conducted by "mieen"). INCURABLE'S PRESENT TO THE queen: Ait inmate of the Home for incurables at Putney (England) recently wrote to l.ady Eva Dugdale asking whetlier there would be any chance of Queen Mary accepting a hand-embroidered bag over which the poor woman had spent much time and thought. Sine has been a patient in the home for more than 4(1 years, and well remembered the visitsto the incurable patients Queen Mary and the late Duchess of Teck used to pay when living at White Lodge, Richmond Park. Tile Queen, on hearingthe particulars, not only accepted tilebag, but on meeting Lord Northampton, who was about to visit the home at Putney, charged him to be sure and see this particular inmate and to tell her that be had seen her Majesty using tli-e bag she had made. It is thouglitfulncss like this which especially endears the Queen to the less fortunate of her subjects. and makes her name a by-word for nnobtrusvc kindness. The poor bedridden patient at l'utney now says she is the proudest woman in the kingdom.

WOMEN AVIATORS. Though the complete "conquest of the air" is still a dream, and ilving is not by any means without danger, on the list of courageous aud daring aviators are the names of many women. Miss Harriet Quimbv has just succeeded in securing a pilot's license from the Moisant school at Mineola. In order to do this she made two flights, cutting in cacti live "figure eights," and landing within 7ft of a given spot—a record performance. Another famous aviator is Mrs. Hewlett, who, in partnership with M. ISlondeau, has. for the last year, directed' a most, successful flying school at Brooklands. The names of Mrs. Martin, Mtne. Franck, Miss Edith Meeze and Mrs. Palmer arc well known in the flying world, while Mrs. De Bcauvoir Stokes, who has only just begun, has i displayed such skill and courage that ] it is predicted she will gain her pilot's . license within three weeks. WOMEN IN. SPORT. Women are beginning to take a pro-1 minent part in the domain of general sport. At the recent International Horse Show at Olympia (London), one of the finest riders in the jumping competition was a Mrs. F. D. Lewes. Owing to the limited amount of space available, the jumping at Olympia is peculiarly difficult. requiring a great deal of nerve, as well as skill . One, a wall jump, led up 1 to by a steep path, brought many a rider to grief. English officers, foreign officers and hunting men all did badly; rarely did one complete the course without knocking down one of the gates. Mrs. Lewes took the jumps with the greatest ease, and cleared the difficult wall in good style. When she had finished the round only a top brick and a top bar were displaced. Miss Vera Morris also did well, and was abie to hold her own among 15 male competitors in the riding horse class. Splendid scores, too, were made by women at Bisley. Mrs. Alton made 34 at the 200 yds range, and at the 000 yds range she started off with a bull's-eye, and then promptly proceeded to reach the excellent total of 30 at this range, thus scoring 04 in all. Mrs. Charman and Miss Sharp made 04 and 63 respectively. All three women entered the Alexandra against all-comers, including many of the best shots in the country.

A HARMFUL BEVERAGE Girl workers and women who do nothing more strenuous than stay at home, or take an occasional sally in shopping or social realms, have learned to stimulate their nervous force with a cup of strong coffee. The extent to which the use of this false invigorator is carried by many who substitute coffee for nourishing food in order to cut down their luncheon cheek is really quite alarming when the results of the continuance of such a practice are considered. The excessive use of coffee so affects the nerves and digcsLive organs that eruptions of the skin often result. In some cases the complexion becomes muddy and sallow, while in others the eves are seriously affected.

Careful nourishment and plenty of rest are the only solution of the problem of retaining freshness and strength for the girl who taxes both with daily work. . Rest and nourishment mean 110 grey hair sprinkled through the hair at 30, and no tell-tale lines to mar the freshness of the face. Milk or food is the best substitute for the over-estimated cup of coffee. This is as certain an alleviation for fatigue as coffee, and there will be no nervous exhaustion later. If milk is disagreeable, the malted variety may prove better, or hot milk may be taken where eold fails. A hot bouillon or a pure fruit juice, especially grape, are beneficial. Tea is less harmful than coffee, but should always be taken with a bit of solid food. Crackers, toast, a small piece of bread and butter will be sufficient to neutralise the tannin in tea. Iced coffee is even more harmful than the hot cup, and should be taken sparingly.

ADVICE TO GIRLS. When the girls leave school, many mothers make a great mistake in refusing to resign their position as housekeeper and supervisor, letting their daughters do what they can to fill up the time, which must necessarily hang heavily, when they have been accustomed Id each hour being fully occupied. \\ e hear a great deal about the domeslie incompetence of many marriageable girls, and where such does occur I am perfectly convinced that Ihe mother lias only herself to blame, by a mistaken idea that "she objects to have her nose put mil of joint." or that she "still prefers to be mistress in her own house," and therefore she will not permit her girls to become familiar with everyday household duties. Imt leaves them to find occupations for themselves, which, alas! rarely help them to qualify for the position of good wives and mothers.

Hit the other there is no need to make drudges, or a sort of general -'•rvanl of l:iilI know some houses where the housemaid is discharged upon tlie arrival of the daughter of tile liou-e from school, and file girl is expected to do (he lighter duties, the heavier Ileitis relegated to a cook-gen-eral. Cut (lie daughter receives no mnnetiiry compensation for such work, she i» -upposcd to "stick to it just for the hue of the thing." At (he same time she is considered dissatisfied if she shows a predilection for hockey, tennis, linking or some other form of amusement which takes her away from home two or three times a week.

f hope, however, that such cases are I tecum rarer every day; and. though T do not in any way deprecate the girl a-Miming the duties of a housemaid—such experience is decidedly good for her- I most assuredly think she is entitled to some regular remuneration for her services.

i ) THE WAY OF LOVE. TRAGIC AFFAIRS IN" PARIS. Henri Rochefort, who is becoming quite a moralist in his old age, writes m the P&ris Patrie:—"Love is being ■practised in an original fashion in France to-day. A young mail loves a girl, and to prove the intensity of his affection he puts a bullet, or two into her head and then blows out his brains." Various examples of these tragic amors have been given us within tlie last few months. A boy of nineteen thus disposed of himself and a girl of thirteen. Then a dragoon stationed at Tours- oamc to- Paris for & similar exploit. He was deeply in love with Suzanne, and this is why Suzanne died with two bullets in her head, and her lover, tlie passionate dragoon, is dead, quite dead. The dragoon had all the qualities of a good soldier, apart from his; passion.. He had enlisted as a volunteer for five years, and was doing wonderfully well until he fell in love with Suzanne. She would have none of his love unless he promised to marry her. He promised'.

After this no barrack walls were too high for him. He scaled them all to se« his Siizanne, and this led to a courtmartial. He obtained a quasi-acquittal, but his escapades continued to such an extent that Suzanne herself became tired 1 . She broke off the proposed marriage, and the dragoon completely lost his head. In vain was he sent to another regiment far off in the colonies, lie took the first opportunity to make a break for Paris, and sent her a letter, which began as follows:-—"Do you want me to kill myself at your feet to prove that I adore you? How can you be so cruel?" Suzanne took fright, and avoided seeing him. A friend found the dragoon with a revolver, and hid it out of his sight. But the dragoon found both the revolver and Suzanne. Two shots were aimed at the girl's head and a third at himself, which streched him dead on the floor. He left two letters, which reveal what M. Rochefort calls wonderful originality. In the first he says:—"As I am on the eve of being a deserted, I do not wish to fail in my duty." His duty, as he explains, was not to be subjected to a second court-martial. In I the other letter he says:—"l am going I to die, but I want, above all, to give my ) impressions of the army. lam far from I being an anti-militarist. The idea of an army is right, but I blame highly what I goes on in it. This is written with all l> my lucidity of mind."