WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 301, 17 June 1912, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by " Kilecn"). j SOMETHING LIKE. A TROUSSEAU " ; ennese deiig»»r« lent off some beautiful toilettes to Munich for the trousseau of the Archduchess Isabella Marie, who has just been married to Prince George of Bavaria. Brunels lace of traditional value is used for the bridal robe itself, along with satin imperial and bands of rare fur. Forming a fichu on the bodice and draping the skirt in the ' shape of a tunic cut open in long lines ' in front, the laee falls away to show satin embroidered in pearl and crystal stitchery of exquisite elaboration. Silver embroidery outlines the train, which is nearly four yards long, and of the richest satin, -on which the light falls to throw up tints of white shading to cream color. The whole train is outlined with a band of silver fox fur. One or two of the trousseau gowns might be instanced to prove the lavish skill expended on their creation. A gown of cherry-colored velvet has the bodice and insets composed of Malines laee worked with silver and studded with jewels. Another evening gown is white satin delicately trimmed with Malines lace, and one more white satin one, over which falls a tunic of silken muslin as fine as a cobweb, has long lines of tiny sequins powdered on it shading from silver into dull gold. The gown worn by the young bride when she arrived in Munich was charmeuse in the palest shade of blue, with a draped bodice and' a front of rose point lace. Black embroidery on shot taffetas strikes a novel note, and j a green ribbed silk gown is rathej un- [ usual, for it is richly wrought in ChinI ese embroidery, in which gold and the | favorite jade tone mingle with other i hues. It is interesting to. English readers to learn that English tweeds are largely used for tailored suits, as well as for the numerous sport and hunting c»stumes made for the, occasion. Shades of blue and grey have been chosen, and the workmanship of the Viennese tailors has done justice to the beautiful material and the severe line known as the "English" cut.

A NOVEL IDEA A novel proposal is put forward by Mrs. Eustace Miles, who suggests that women should have an assembly of their own corresponding with the House of Commons, elected by women voters. Mrs Miles • says:— I think the time is now come for all the women who believe that they should take their place equally with men in helping in the government of the nation (as they now do equally with men in their professions and education) to take the law into their own hands—not by violent methods, but by quietly establishing for themselves a woman's House of Assembly or permanent Council Chamber, where they could meet on their own ground, discuss public and social matters, propose "new measures," and suggest new methods and reforms for the benefit of their fellow creatures and for the betterment and amelioration of the lot of women and children, and then to recommend these measures to Parliament.

For why should women wait until the vote be given them? Personally, I consider that the actual vote will be a very small part of woman's power in the world. Perhaps a woman would only have a chance of expressing herself through the vote once in five years, and then, supposing it ever came to pass that women were represented by women members of Parliament in the House of Commons, only a very few would have a chance of speaking at a debate. Whereas if women had their own House of Parliament, and elected their own members, and if each constituency were represented by its own woman member, they would then have a far better and wider opportunity of being useful, and of showing their capabilities as wise advisers and counsellors. , The Woman's House of Assembly would be worked on purely constitutional lines, and would have its own parliamentary procedure and debates, and would pass its own measures and discuss all vital public questions, such as unemployment, strikes, the bringing up and education of children, public health, sanitation, the diet of prisons, workhouses and mad asylums, the sweating system, the servant problem and religious teaching. I think that in this Woman's Parliament there should be not more than 070 lady members—the same number as there are of members in Parliament—and these lady members should be ratepayers, and they should be voted for by ballot. I quite agree with Lord Helmsley, who says that a "mixed Assembly of men and women can never deliberate in the same way as an Assembly of men only or an Assembly of women only. Therefore I believe that a Women's House would be a far better thing for the women's cause than if a few isolated women were admitted to the House of Commons on equal terms with men."

GENERAL Sotheby's salerooms were invaded by the fair sex when the Gretna Hall register and marriage, certificates were sold for £420. These ralics of Gretna which came up at the instance of a descendant of John Linton, who celebrated nearly all the marriages between 1835 and 1854, included nearly twelve hundred certificates, almost down to the year when the Legislature stepped in and stipulated a three weeks' residence in Scotland before marriage. In Lapland garments made of reindeer wool are famous for their moisture-re-sisting property as well as for their warmth. The hair, unlike that of many animals, is not hollow throughout its length, but is divided into many watertight cells filled with air, which appears to be under compression, so that when the garments are placed in water the hair, or wool, swells without breaking, and the wearer is buoyed up and does not readily sink if he falls overboard. Such garments are in common use among the Swedes and Norwegians. Queen Victoria retained to the last her love for simplicity in the laying out of gardens. Above all she favored the old-fashioned garden with trees, paths, beds and flowers reminiscent of the sixteenth century. Her taste was generally known among her friends, and there were few among them who on visiting them did not arrange in the grounds of their estates some "hook" which exactly suited the aged Queen's taste. Of these perhaps White Lodge, Richmond Park, the present residence of Lord Farquhar, stands out most prominently. There is one corner of the grounds still called "Queen Victoria's Garden." Quaint little paths, oldfashioned little beds filled with tie colored daisy—the late Queen's favorite flower —all go to present a picture wmch speaks more eloquently than words of tke love and simplicity which characterised Queen Victoria.