WOMAN'S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 93, 10 October 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD.

(Conducted by '• juieen"). MALTESE LACE. A report of more than ordinary interest has just been issued by the American Government from their Consul in Malta, which sets out the past history ami present position with sympathy and fullness of the famous lace-making industry of the island (says a writer in the London Telegraph). Its practical purpose is to warn American visitors to the Mediterranean that a considerable amount of imitation Maltese lace is now being manufactured in Germany, and is sent to unscrupulous dealers and hawkers, who otter it to unwary tourists at lower prices than they wouid have to pay for the real article." The hint is well timed, for Americans are keen admirers of this particular make of lace, and buy it extensively. It is stated that two of the large Transatlantic ships, carrying altogether over 1000 passengers, had made purchases at Valetta, worth fully 7500 dols., and of this by far the greater sum had been spent upon lace, one purchaser alone taking more than £4O worth. In its present style, Maltese lace is of comparatively modern origin, and was inI troduced to the island by Lady Hamilton Chicester in 1833 . It is an adaptation of that which was then made in Genoa, though it omits certain of the Italian characteristics. But it retained the idea of the "grains of corn," which arc grouped by fours in the design, and it usually represents somewhere in its pattern the eight-pointed cross of St. John. The industry is essentially a 'home one, and the little girls begin to learn it at about seven years of age. Technically, it is described as a "pillow lace, hand-made with bobbins," and the equipment of its production is simple and inexpensive. Linen or silk thread is employed, and the best of the former is brought from Scotland. In actual working much skil\ and dexterity are required to avoia drawing any of the threads too tightly, by which an uneven effect would be imparted to the surface. In some cases the workers are paid by the piece, and in others they work for the dealers a! a fixed rate of wages. Flounces, scarves, fichus, parasol covers and handkerchiefs are among the items most frequently offered, and these lend themselves well to fashionable requirements. The Queen I possesses some fine pieces among her collection of lace, including a very hand- | some mantilla presented by the women | of Malta on the occasion of the Royal colonial tour.

LONDON SOCIETY CRAZE. According to a correspondent writing to the London Standard a remarkable recrudescence of occultism has manifested itself in London society during the past few months. During the entire Coronation season perhaps the most popular feature of the most fashionable gatherings was the palmist or "Egyptian for-tune-teller," engaged for the evening to entertain the guests. This feature was found to be the surest way to draw a crowd, and when invitations were sent out the special engagement of some particular seer was invariably mentioned as an extra inducement. At these functions it was no uncommon sight to see a long queue of distinguished persons waiting their turn to enter the booth of the gifted one and learn What destiny held in reserve for .them. Lectures on occultism and the mystic religions of the East were also quite popular attractions in many of the best houses in Mayfair and Belgravia, while the theory of reincarnation contained an element of romance that made fashionable people eager to discover if they had known each other in some previous stage of existence. Certain professional mystics made a specialty of this branch of occult knowledge, and it is even said that the calm assurance that a well-favored young couple had met and loved in ages past led to more than one marriage in high life. Throughout the Coronation season the palmists and fortune-tellers of London reaped a golden harvest from society women of all ages who called to consult them about love and marriage. But the women are not alone in their enthusiastic belief in occult powers and divination. Men of prominence in many branches of life have taken up the fad with equal fervor. A certain managing director of a powerful corporation cmploys a woman mystic at a regular yearly salary to advise him in all his business transactions, and he declares that he lias never made a mistake or lost a shilling since he adopted this policy. Another well-known financier was told by an "Egyptian" adept that the reason why certain ventures had turned out disastrously was that the mystic number of his house-name gave out adverso "vibrations." The matter-of-fact London County Council would not permit him to change the name of his residence, so he sold it on the advice of the seer, and bought a new home with the right kind of "vibrations" in its name. Strangely enough, he claims that he has since besn successful in all his business dealings. A revival of spiritualism has also followed in the wake of the general rcscrudcscence of occultism in London. Every few weeks the arrival of some new medium with abnormal powers is heralded among the elect, and every seance is crowded with believers and "seekers after the truth." *Most of these mediums come from the United States, and though they have been highly recommended very few of them have succeeded in producing anything beyond the familiar manifestations of table-tip-ping or the delivery of trance-given messages of an unimportant and unconvincing character.

KING GEORGE AND THE BABY. AN AUSTRALIAN INCIDENT. A charming story of King George's kindness of heart has just been related by the Rev. Henry Howard, at a children's festival at Adelaide. The occasion was the King's first visit to Australia as a cadet, with his brother, 'the late Duke of Clarence. In the course of this visit the two Princes went to Melbourne by coach from Mt. Gambler. The young Prince sat on the box seat during the long and dreary drive. The driver told them all about the kangaroo and the wallaby, ami explained filings they bail never seen before, and ills hearers were greatlv interested. He mentioned that he had a little two-inontk-wdd girl in his home near to I'astcrton. and Prince George expressed a de-ire t,. -re the baby. The n,nch was. therefore, pulled up at. the rural home, and the infant having been -hown to the Prince, he took it in hi.- arms and kissed it. Having handed I be babv back to her mother. Prinre George fool; a sovereign from Ms pocket, and asked the coachman to give it to the girl when she grew older, and to tell her I hat Prince George had presented it to her. Twenty-one years later Prince George,, as Duke of York, was again in Australia.. I Having ascertained that the old coachman was alive, he sent a message that he was tr. come to Melbourne. The old man readily accepted, and found that his fare hail been paid. The Duke met him nt Covcnnneiit House, and immediately asked after .the little girl. The old man's eyes dimmed with teajs

and his lips quivered as he said that the \ child had died. The Royal visitor was / distressed by the news, but consoled the ■ friend of his boyhood, and linsisted that j he should remain for a week at Govern- j meut House as his guest. j During that week, amid all the en- 1 gagenwuits for the Commonwealth fes- j tivitics, the Duke of York, for one hour every day, guve his time to the old , coachman.. . i

A FASHION SPREADING. j

A London exchange says the fashion for lace veils is spreading in every direction. Certainly the most effective of all is a new kind made in palest cham-pagne-colored lace, with a large but not a disfiguring pattern. Some very becoming new washing veils, which form a complete protection from the sun, are of lightly-spotted net, with a heavy lace border. These are much cheaper than the ordinary lace veil, and 1 look particularly well if the border is worn over the crown of a summer hat.

SWEET PEAS. Sweet peas have been, this season, in glorious profusion in England, and the following hints—on table decoration—given in the Queen, may be useful when the slimmer comes to us. A most effective, becau.se natural method of arranging sweet peas on the table consists of an erection of miniature "pea-sticks" of twigs and branches of beech, fashioned to appear just as they do in the garden. The sweet peas, with, of course, plenty of their own foliage, are trailed and twined upon the, "sticks" as if growing* and climbing naturally . A fairly large clump of blossom is used as a centre, with smaller ones placed along the middle of the table on both sides to balance it, whilst on the cloth are strewn, j with artfully studied carelessness, fine j bits of sweet pea foliage and blossom, j great care being taken that every bit' touches water. In the decoration shown most of the blossoms and all the greenery was provided with water. In-' deed, it is the-foliage of sweet peas that requires water more than the blossoms; flowers will last fresh and crisp throughout a dinner, provided they were quite fresh to begin with, but the greenery, especially the delicate little tendrils arid tips, are almost certain to show signs of distress unless the end of the stalks are j in water, and nothing but the sweet pea's own beautiful foliage must as a rule be use<l if the best results are to be obtained. Another pretty way of j using sweet peas for the dinner-table is to form a lightly constructed hedge of twigs standing upright down the centre of the tabic, with the flowers and foliage climbing naturally upon it. Needless to say, the floral hedge must be neither so high nor so thick as to impede the free conversation of the guests across the table, for nothing is more disastrous to the success Df a dinner than in impenetrable zareba of foliage and blossom, even a hopelessly incompetent, cook being scarcely more fatal to the harmony that should exist at a well-managed dinner | party than this. Perhaps the simplest way to arrange sweet peas successfully is to use clear glass or silver bowls filled with the fragrant, dainty flowers, though it is by no means within the power of everyone to arrange a bowl of sweet peas as artistically as it should and can lie done, with taste and care. The commonest failing is to use too many flowers, and to crowd them into a solid mass resembling far too closely the ordinary domestic pin-cushion, and to entirely ignore the charming light effect of a' few bits of foliage. A somewhat loose, almost careless, effect should be aimed at in arranging bowls of sweet peas, avoiding, of course, anything in the way ot untidiness. For a dinner table one color, or two at the most, should be kept to, though the one color need not by any means be restricted to the one shade. For instance, several shades of mauve or of pink, so' long as the right tone is selected, make glorious schemes for bowls of siveet peas, the iieompanving ! folage being deftly aramged tumbling. | as it were, out of the bowl of blossom | on to the cloth. Groups of silver bowls j or old silver decanter-stands filled with , s\yeet peas in the way described is a most effective method of beautifying the dinner-table.