WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 186, 24 December 1912, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen.") A BUTTERFLY BALL COSTS £20,000. Once again has American society distinguished itself by a sumptuous function described in the press as a "glittering golden £20,000 Louis XVI. ball," which seems to have rivalled in splendor the magnificent fetes given by the Grand Monarch at Fontainbleau when he began to reign in fact. Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish, in arranging the ball in honor of her niece, Miss' Helen Fish, of New York, chose the Louis Seize model, and constructed a ballroom at her residence, the "Crossways," Newport. Rhode Island, fashioned and decorated like the Salle de s Glaccs at Versailles, mirrors placed in eacli panel reflecting many, times the throngs of dancers and the beautiful decorations. All along the grand hall leading to the ballroom were rows of formal bay trees and pink and white hydrangeas. The stairway and alcoves of the hall were hung with Louis XVI. garlands and pink and white flowers, and the main drawingroom was done entirely with yellow roses. Round the dancing hall were arranged orange trees in full bloom. One side of the room was left open leading into the gardens, where eighteenth century seats were scattered about. Electric fountains played in rose bowers, and thousands of small electric lights shed a soft radiance in the garden and ballroom. The servants wore Louis Seize costumes. ' Mrs. jnsn received her 400 millionaire guests at midnight into the ballroom. She wore a Louis XVI. gown of white and gold brocade. Miss Helen Fish, in rose-colored chiffon combined with pale green gauzse, received with the hostess. After the reception Mrs. Fish led the guests at midnight into theb allroom. She was preceded by two lackeys in Louis XVI. costumes, who led eight satin-dressed pages, carrying garlands of roses, and one of them playing a piccolo. After reaching the ballroom the pages knelt in a senii-circle before Mrs. Fish and did obeisance.

The lights were lowered ,and each page- held a silver lantern. Then a moonlight effect was produced in the ballroom, with the rays forming a shimmering path to a miniature grove of dwarf trees at the end.

A trio of nymphs in diaphanous "robes then appeared on the border of the grove, and) tripped it lightly in Maud Allan style. their 'dance they liberated hundreds of N snow-white doves and gorgeously colored butterflies, which flew among the guests. The butterflies were dazed by the lighting effects, and (lew about aimlessly. Many were trampled to death, while others were caught by the guests and kept as souvenirs.

The nymphs vanished, and were followed by a troupe of Russian dancers in mad revels. Then the guests themselves took the floor, and danced until morning. Three orchestras were employed to provide continuous music, and a buffet supper was served throughout the evening. Mrs. Fish was showered with congratulations on her wonderful effort to provide something new for the surfeited society of Newport. GOOD EXERCISE FOR WOMEN

All experts in physical training rate I fencing as the best possible means of ex- J ercise for women. It rank, with swim- ? ming and rowing in that it gives all the development needed without making the muscles too heavy, as do some of the other sports. For the woman of to-day who longs above everything else to be slender and supple it is'the ideal-evercise. Those women who are faithful to their fencing lessons have discovered that a i brisk half-hour with the foils is more effective in keeping their figures girlishly { lithe and slender than a half-day spent J at heavier and less graceful forms of I exercise. j

MARYTR TO SCIENCE The French Minister of the Interior ha g conferred a medal on Mile. Marie Wiedemann, who, while employed in the radiographic laboratory in the Salpe'.triere Hospital, had her hands so severely burned by X-rays that after a year's suffering both arms had to be amputated. These operations have not yielded the results expected, and it is on the bed of marytrdom that this victim of duty has just received her medal. WOMEN IN PROVERBIALISMS Woman's loquacity i s a favorite subject for proverbial wit. The French proverb, "A deaf husband and a blind wife make always a happy couple," implies that the woman's most general fault is her talkativeness. The Talmud tells us that "Woman spins her little web while she talks," and a Chinese proverb says that "The most timid girl has courage enough to talk scandal." In the last two maxims there is recognition of the guile and craft which underlie much of the apparently simple talk, A Scottish proverb says that ■'Women and bairns conceal what they do not know," which may be accounted tact or subtlety on their part, according to our point of view. It is pleasant to turn from these maxims of censure and sarcasm to those which testify to woman's worth. "Honor your wives," says the Talmud; "they will enrich you." Another from the same work exalts woman even above man, a singular result in a compilation of Oriental origin. "An old man in the house," it runs, "is a sorrow to the house; an old woman in the house is a blessing to it." A motto on an English posy ring, doubtless a proverb more or less widely known in its day, tells us that "A virtuous woman preeerveth life." The intuitive shrewdness of woman, which enables her to judge quickly, and generally with accuracy, is recognised in the French maxim, "Take the first counsel of a woman, and not the second." One of the most tender and sympathetic proverbs relating to women is also French: "A mother's tenderness is ever reneivin" itself."

UNITED AFTER FIFTY YEARS A romantic wedding has just been solemnised between a couple, a<*ed respectively 70 and 68, who were lovers before the American Civil War, which separated them 50 years ago. The happy bridegroom is Mr John Coward, of Kearny, New Jersey, and the bride Miss Mary Johnston, of Brooklyn. Mr Coward was 20 years of age when he volunteered for the war, and was sent to the front During the war the couple were unable to correspond with each other, and when peace was restored Mr Coward went west, where he made a considerable fortune. A chance meeting brought them together at a church lawn party recently, and a mutual friend introduced them. Mr Coward at once recognised his former love, and it turned out that neither had been married during the 50 years' separation. The courtship was renewed and resulted in the marriage of the eouplo.