WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 205, 9 May 1912, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen"). > MME. FALLIERES 5 "The Widow of an American Diplomaj tist" has published her impressions of society in the chief capitals of Europe, under the title of "Intimacies of Court and Society." She expresses her astonishment at the severely quiet liffe of Mme. Fallieres, who is scarcely ever seen at the theatre, never attends the great art exhibitions, and has actually never been outside France. "The President's wife," she adds, by way of explanation, "is descended from a long line of mothers of the South —quiet, upright women, whose existence revolves round one centre—the home. Here she keeps everything in order, supervises the work of the servants and monopolises the training of the children. This type of mother is no more affected than the Sphinx by external events. Their feeling for their home has a religious tincture in it. Their life is almost conventional. All this does not prevent Mme Fallieres from being supremely happy, and when I chanted the praises of her husband .she was as pleased as if she had been a young girl just engaged."

WELL TAUGHT GERMANS. Women are remarkably well taught in Germany. Girls' .schools are excellent, and practically all the universities receive women. There is a type of welleducated, thoughtful girl, who is known as a "higher daughter," from the name of the secondary girls' school (Holiere Toehterschulen). But with all that, domestic life is considered a woman's only sphere of happiness and usefulness. According to orthodox German views, the 400,000 superfluous women ought to seek a quiet corner in somebody else's home, where they can devote themselves to others in a proper manner. Those who do so are called Stutzen der Hausfrau (housewife and they are generally success—not like the English lady-help of a German lady residing in Londjon, who sweepingly described her as "neither ladj r nor help."

A NEW PROFESSION "Welfare worker" is the title of a new profession for women in America. The new profession has nothing to do with philanthropy, but its object is to so take care of the workers that the best may be got out of them. Some examples of the work of the welfare worker are quoted in the New York Tribune:— "The welfare worker in a large engraving factory employing 1500 girls saw that considerable time and some material—in a year amounting to thousands of dollars in value—was lost every day because the girls did not keep their hands clean enough. Every forewoman in the factory knew this, and spent much time in bresth scolding 1 about it; but it took the welfare workers to get at the root of the matter and institute a system of soap and two clean towels a week for each employee. In another big factory the girls were always slower and more careless when they came to work on a rainy morning. 'Wet feet,' thought the welfare worker, and by instituting a of supplying dry stockings to the employees on rainy days the rainy mornings were made as profitable as the sunshiny morning in the factory. Still another welfare worker s:uv 'that the girls of her employer's factory frequently caught colds after rainy days. She induced her employer to lay in a supply of umbrellas, waterproofs and rubbers, to be lent to his employees when needed, and as a result the factory saves many thousand dollars a year in mote efficient work. So, you see, although the welfare worker draws a good-sized pay-envelope, if she is on to her job she is worth many times what she draws."

j CARELESS COOKING. I The San Francisco Call gives, in writI ing of club criticism, an example of a ) calm and consciously hopeless protest against careless cooking. The extract may not be quite relevant to the ladies' column, but it sufficiently appeals to all the better feelings of feminine readers—who sometimes imagine, from what they hear from the men-folk, that club menu is perfection—to warrant insertion:— "Gentlemen: I have no desire to be captious about the service at our club, but I have the honor to inform you that I took luncheon here -to-day with three friends of mine who are inclined to be a little particular about their food. Among other things for luncheon an omelet was served. It contained only three flies. I am one of the oldest members of the club and jealous of its reputation, and I found this omelet embarrassing. In order to make an equable division of the omelet, it was necessary either to divide one of the flies—which is a test of skill—or else forego a fly myself . I respectfully suggest that in future when an omelet is served for fouv persons it should be with either (a) four flies, or (b) with no flies at all."

AMERICAN LADIES AT COURT There was something like a panic among the American ladies in London (writes the Argonaut) when it was announced that Mr. Whitelaw Reid was too ill to present them at Court. These presentations must be performed by the Ambassador himself. No one else could take his place, and if absent treatment had actually the virtues ascribed to it Mr. Reid would have renewed his youth in about ten minutes. It is estimated that about fourteen ladies wrestled in prayer for his recovery, and it is -strange that Providence should have remained indifferent to so much wealth and social distinction. But the King played the part of Providence to perfection. The groans of the agonised ones reached his .ears, and 'the British Constitution was spent upon one side with a stroke of the Royal pen. He issued an edict to the effect that for presentation purposes Mrs. Reid should assume all the functions, powers, perquisites, prerogatives and rights of the Ambassador himself, and then peace settled upon the distracted cohorts, tears gave place to smiles, and the milliners and dressmakers set to work with redoubled energy.

LOVE POWDERS." A strange story of how a woman who frequented a cheap restaurant put "love powders" in the sugar comes from New York. The woman, who savs her name is Helen Claims, aged about forty, was observed mixing a brownish powder in one of the sugar bowls at the restaurant where she was accustomed to take meals. Several men who had sat at that table during the past few days had complained of illness after eating there. The woman protested that she did not intend any harm, but was merely seeking a sweetheart. A fortune-teller had given her powders warranted that they would • make any man who partook of them fall in love with her. So she mixed 'love powders" in the sugar, inttmding to offer the bowl to any male patron to whom she felt attracted.