WOMAN'S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 18, 13 January 1915, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD.

1 [I"X IX WOM ICS'S CLOTHES. j A servant in tKiiiy'-. l.'oiui ifillewrites:— There was an advance trench ill front of ours. T» cover >onu; ground which could not lie seen from the trenches someone had to go into it. 1 got seven. volunteers to go with m;'. More than twt-iity volunteered to go, hut 1 only took seven. The (.'enunrs turned iln Ir artillery on 11-:. The second two shells got IH, and left nie ill the trench with lour killed and t\yo wounded. I heard a yelling, and, looking up, saw the lirst line retiring, and the Hermans were ahout sixty yards from my trench. 1 pulled tile otlur fellow outj and we ran for it, and how I am here to-day i do not know. Xot one-third ol the lirst lino got away. \ I was pulling a chap of mine along—he was snot in the foot—when a "coaihox"' came over. 1 fel the heat of it as It went past, and it luirtt tH'eiity-live yards in front, killing three men and my company olliccr and my puor comrade. 1 went up in the air with my head ripped open. Mechanically 1 got up again and ran oil. I was covered with blood, hut. ran oil, and we took up a position on the third line. The Hermans came on, ami were cheering and shouting as they came up iu thousands. Tin- order came, that no one was to lire until they were fifty \ arils from us, and then they got it. They wavered after the second \olley, ami we charged them and wiped them out.

1 a Herman in a farm in a wo- I man's i-lutlus. Wc knew that there were two Maxims in the farm; we could sec a woman at the upper window. Our bo\*s though si 10 hud to run anywhere to get out of tile way of the Germans, and was frantic with terrorWe fired low, .so us not to hit her. wit when we rushed this farm, I took tv.o men upstairs, and found the door was locked. L i'.eard whispering, anil could get no answer, so I put a round in the loci-: and there was one standing with hi.-, hands up, and a woman frying. A .Maxim gun, on a chair and box, hail been firing through the window. T handed the German over, and went io the woman. She grappled as if to get' at her waist, and I was suspicion;. So 1 kicked her feet from under her, and she fell. It was a German.

Harper's Magazine contains a very inine-luig sketch of lloyal society in r» rim. written before the war, by .Madame de llegermann-Trudemroiie. She writes:—"The ISchlcppciikiir is a urcat event in licrlin. It takes place l«-foi" the birthday of the Kmpeior. Your

dress i instructions as to which arc printed, even to the smallest detail, oil the back nf your invitation), must be ,i ball dress, with a train four metres long, short sleeve*, a of the Victorian period, and white kid gio ves. The Hungarian and Russian ladies wear their national costumes, which are very striking, and make them all look like c\oiie queens. Tho English ladies wear the three feathers and the long white tulle veil, which makes them look like brides. We others wear what we like —ball dresses of every hv.e, and all our jewels. The chamberlains arrange u-, consulting papers, which they had in •Jicir hands, after the order of our rank. IJcing the. newest member, 1 was at the Very end, only the wives of two Charges d'All'aires being behind ni.e. The one directly bellied me held up my train, and I held the train of the Peruvian Minister's wife in front of me. The doyenne stood in front of the door which led into the Throne Uooni. through which she was to enter. J-'our metres behind her was her daughter, holding her train, and behind her were the ladies who had not already been presented to Court. The. room not being long enough, wc formed a serpentmo curve, reminding one of the game called 'Oranges and Lemons.' It must have looked very I'unuy to anyone not knowing why we were so carefully tending the clothes of other people. We never let go the train of the colleague in front until she reached the door of the Throne Hooin, where we spread it out on the floor. Then, as the lady passed into the room, two lackeys (one on each side of the door) poked the train with long sticks until it lay peacock-like on the pari[i|et\ When I came in I saw His Majesty stan.ling on the throne, stately and solemn. For two hours lie stands thus. The laekeys darted forward and pronged my train ill place. 1 made my curtsey, first, to the kmperor and then

In ih<- Mm ]■!'« —=, who >tood mI. his left. N<\t i« Inr Majesty stood ilir Urand Mn'.trr—r. I put- iny-cH' by lu-r -i«1«■-. and Mivd'-nikkc and our sec-n-1.-in'- u'ilV. and ihc I'lmml .MaihvsM--aid their name*. to the ;w w«. out. a M-rvaut pieked up ""!• <rai!i> and thivw them over onr a i'lii • ■anuary !-l i- tin- KnipcrorV '•inlnlay. Tin- whole city is ami thwv ar-' all -ort>. ul' i!himinnthois and preparation:* --'WV in every dimension and eolor, tin* Mmjx-i-n*- lai-' • 'irroimd-.i i»y laurel J.-a vr> an-! i'i • v< ry \ -n-low. In the evening \va* tin- uala ujM-ra. WV were obliged i«> he : there at «S oVIm-k sharp. 'Sharp' is the I "r<! ht'iv. Thorn is 110 loitoring whcro th,- Kmperor is concerned. Everything i- on ! ;,fld :< -nVhIn ■ - 1. I ,■ d'i■ I hi l liHi!i" III 1 ill inii«'(i, i;nl !i« ' '-r a»'t"r. The Opera House is rather -mall, ifanliiHlt deeoratvd with garlands of artificial flowers hanging from the eentre of the dome down to I '; i • '' l< -i i! t' < • . :' fid i'r.en t'l«- | »?<>.-(•< 'M ill M) ho.\e> to tlii- oivhi'-tra. In th■ ■ centre of liii' ■ i<«ii-i■ (he Uoyal ho\. the balustrade of whieh j--. </.;\c?. .1 a. !|h JyrantiFrom all r : .e i»al i>naiv ! ii'i 1 iOVel>d with Tl a whole intt-rior was a i •idor. The Kmperor and Km- /. of "miiNp. in the front of the )• ehaiis wore filled

with Royal guests who liad come to lierlin to congratulate tlio Emjieror. 'l'li:' Emperor's sons luul their scat in the balcony. Tlie ambassadors occupifil the fonrtli proscenium boxes. The highest Princesses of tlio German 110liilitv sut in tlie next balconies, the Corps Diplomatique in the boxes and balconies adjoining the Royal box. When the audience were seated, the DiloctorGeneral of the lioyal Theatres entered theKoyal box, came forward and knocked his wand three times, a signal that (heir Majesties were about to enter. The Royal party came in very quietly, and took their places. Everyone in the lloiw stood up and bowed. It was a pretty sight from our balcony to see all the men's heads ill the parquet bent downward while they saluted their Majesties. It looked like the swaying of wheat by tlie wind. Til the entr-acte tlie diplomats and the ladies and gentlemen in the first balcony were told to go to the foyer, where they were presented to the various Royalties assembled there. The Empress was covered with magnificent diamonds and pearls, and the jewels displayed by these Royal ladies. ami all the glittering uniforms of the Princes and oliicers, made a spit (lid sight." A fair amount of speculation is h. M:cd on the question of how much or how little, young housekeepers know, in comparison with those who have passed through the school of experience (says an exchange). Xo doubt the comparative ignorance of girls in the past regarding- the the common knowledge of the kitchen was almost amusing. Put this ignorance always meant the subsequent acquirement of practical 1 ;:owleilge from the very beginning. Now that- theory of domestic science is being ta'' ■■■ in earnest, many girls are expel t. \ ; cal, and thoroughly grounded ill the ..'iciples of marketing. Yet those who are still on the look-out for unwary marketers, and are. centred upon deception, are fast evolving their own side of the question of domestic science. And it is to be fined that they would rather try to practice upon the theoretical mind than on the infallible eye rf ,! arlv-b:rig!it experience.

We ;iri' told liy an authority tliat for some tunc after ('.■ pr vent stock oi brightly-dyed textiles is exhausted our choice of co'lrr I'fii' gown* will he limit- .■,) to live excellent greys, several fawn and ticclle similes, live soft and harmonious lilucs, two I>ri;>lit and good purples, very iVw reds, and these, together with olive and myrtle green, and some true !:io\vi:s, complete the list. Apart from this range, are navy blue and. black, and il is a reliet to know they will always ho to hand (says a writer in the Melbourne Argus'!. This limitation will come as a shock at first, for np to now it has seemed a smal Ithing to he offered a choice of from 2(1 to 30 shades in one color. llow- ! i ver. the trouble arises from the fact llwit the (lennans have luul almost complete control of the aniline dye industry, ■ i state of things for which it would he unfair to blame liritish manufacturers, fur they were hampered by a 1)0 per cent tax oil pure alcohol. The deprivation of lii-ini? able to chose some dozens of rosv pinks, the many electric shades of blue, the smart lime greens, and so on, through an enormously long list of tints and tones, will last for -ome time, though it is probable that we nta not feel it at first as there is a large stock still to baud, lint it is anI licipated that the English spring, which, of course, coincides with our autumn, will see a decided change. However, the interval which must occur during which scientific experiments can be carried oil will be as short as possible. A filial piece of information on this point may prove interesting. It is that while Germany produced an astounding variety of rieiinefs and variety in color, Gcrn:nn women were unable to take advantage of them with anything like the results which were aehieve"d by the English and French, owing to their lack of comprehension of the art of dressing, and their innate dowdiness.

The National Congress of American mothers is not a tiling to take frivoli oiisiy. The mere name convey-; the seriousness of the gatherings in delegates, who come from all over the United States to meet annually, in order to discuss matters connected villi the weV iare of wonu n and children. The main subject of a recent congress had a distinctly amusing ,-ide, although it is i ( uite likely that the nerions-raiiided ladies -lid not see tile fun id it; at all. This is what they urged:--"That bachelor- earning over .C I a week be taxed for the maintenance of one child." Here is -onietliing unite new. Fur years peoj.le lune been talking flippantly of a ta\ "ii bachelors, but no one before the Ano riean mothers lias proposed that unmarried men bo mulcted lor the specilie beiieiit of oilier people's children, i 'lie naturally wonders how the scheme would ivorL for surely not tor a moment could anyone regard a bachelor earning just, our .CI a week as opulent. Then again, there is no mention of age ci'ii-ideraiion, which a little unjust. for many men have to wait until ■tley are well on ill war- before they rn the taxable income. Is if fair (hut those men should liavo. to pay as much as others who earn large salaries b. fore they are thirty 1 ; ill, is to I.- feaii'd that the American mothers liiiied to .-liow a proper maternal pruetibilU.v in tlieir proposals. However, ti.e •|iii-<ioii was iak"n rip by the interested public, and file suggestion of Dr. Ernest Coulter, who appears to be a wcji-known sociologist of Chicago.seeun to lie, 1 ..- met with the most approbation, ain!. after all. lie goes ;i good way. This is hi- notion:---"That a bachelor who ha- a good income should make it part cif' In-; Mm?h*ss personally lo interest himself is some mi, 3>e man * earns a little more Hum it takes to give liini food, shelter and clothing, has no ri'.;ht to live a perfectly selfish life."