WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, 24 December 1920, Page 11 (Supplement)

WOMAN'S WORLD

A WORD IN SEASON. HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS. Christmastide will soon be with us once again with a triumphant wave of cheery song. Housekeepers and cooks must of course get busy, and apart from the most, festive arrangements, view the season also from a practical standpoint. It is hoped that gome of the hints and suggestions given below may prove helpful during the season: HANDY RULES FOR THE COOK. If you are not the lucky possessor of household scales, the following hints will be invaluable. Even if you have scales, there are hurried moments when it is handier to know just how much certain vessels will hold, and for this jurpose you might test a cup or lug with the scales; and the same might be applied to a teaspoon or tablespoon, and note carefully whether they must be heaped or level: One ana a half pints (level) of household flour weighs lib. Two full-steed breakfaatcupfuls of flour (heaped) weigh lib. Two breakfastcupfuls of powdered sugar (level) weigh lib. Half a pint of granulated sugar weighs nearly half a pound. One tablcspoonful (well'heaped) of ground coffee or sugar weighs loz. One heaped tablespoonful of flour weighs loz. One tablespoonful (well rounded) of soft butter or margarine weighs loz. Soft butter or margarine the size of an average hen's egg weighs roughly 2oz. Two level tablcspoonfuls of ahocolate or cocoa powder weigh loz. Four ordinary teaspoonfuls (heaping) of flour or fine meal equal one heaped tablespoonful, and weigh about one ounce. LiquidsOne pint contains 20 fluid ounces. One ounce contains eight fluid drachms One tablespoonful contains a little over one-half fluid ounce One teaspoonful contains about one fluid drachm. Eight tablespoonfuls equal a quarter of a pint. One full-sized breakfast-cup holds half a pint. ' I CHRISTMAS HINTS. Save your poultry feathers and get your friends to give you theirs. Dry them in a cool oven. Then make small bags (about 4in. square) of any pieces of lightweight'materials, and fill them. Sew These together like patchwork, and when large enough add a frill of sateen. You will then have a down 'quilt' quite equal to an expensive bought one. , Mincemeat.—Take y 2 lb of suet, ilb of raisins, quarter-lb of sultanas, Mb of currants, y 2 lb of apples, Jib of "sugar, 2oz candied peel, a lemon, and a gill of brandy. Chop the suet finely, stone and chop the raisins, wash well and pick the snltanas, peel, core, and chop the apples, mince the candied peel; mix all the ingredients together with the sugar, juice and grated rind of a 15- ' mon, and the brandy. Put into jars and ' cjver tightly. This should be made ! some days before required for use. Line : patty pans with some good puff paste, ' put in the mincemeat, heaping it well, ' cover with paste, make a hole in the i centre, bake for about twenty minutes { in a hot oven. *

Paste for .Mince Pies.—Take 31b of flour, Jib of butter, a pinch of cream of tartar, a little water, mincemeat; mix the cream of tartar with the flour, and crumble in 2oz of butter; mix with a little .water, not too much, or the paste will be tough; flour a pasteboard and roll out the paste; put 2oz of butter in small pieces on it, fold it over, and roll out, put on some more butter, and so on; line the patty pans with paste, fill with mincemeat, and bake.

Economical Christmas Cake.—Take '/sib of butter, lard, mixed peel, ljlb currants, lib of sugar, one nutmeg, half a teaspoonful of salt, one pennv packet of egg powder, one gill of best stout; cream the butter, lard, egg pow.'.er, and stout together; beat well, and then add the other ingredients, and sufficient flour to make a stiff batter; bake three and a half hours to four hours in a slow oven. Using the stout makes the cake look a rich, dark color.

Good Plain Plum Pudding.—One and •a half pounds of b.enderumlis, finely-shredded suet or butter, Jlh sugar, lib enrranfif lib raisins; %lb candied peel, 1 nutmeg grated, ] packet mixed spice, Jib almonds. blanched and chopped, 8 eggs: if suet is used, nil the dry ingredients should be mixed together, and the e#gs, well beaten, added last. If butter is preferred, the butter and sugar should be creamed, as for a cake, the eggs beaten in. and tile other ingredients mixed together, added by ! degrees. The quantities, given w ill make two fair-sized puddings. ' The puddings •may be cooked in nfnulds or in puddingcloths, and should have at least six .hours' boiling. A little brandy May bo |added to the pudding mixture If liked, I but. the pudding will keep very well without it.

Christmas Pudding.—Mix thoroughly lib finelv-grnted broad, U!i flour, 2lhs raisins stoned, 21b currants. 21bs suet, minced small, 111; sugar, Jib candied peel, 1 nutmeg, y,07. mixed spiee, and the grated rinds of 2 lemons; mix the whole witli lfl eggs well beaten . and strained. ™d add four wineglassfuls of brandy. These proportions will . make three puddings of good size. each of which should he boiled six hours A fourth part of the insredients given ehove will make a pudding of sufficient siw for a small pavtv. to vender this very rich, half the flour and bread ornmhs mar be omitted, and a few spoonfuls of apricot marmalade well blended with the remainder nf t'.ic mixture, father less liquid will be required to moisten the pudding, when this is done, and four hours and a quarter will 'boil it. GRAxmroTnFTys citrtptmas CAKE. 10 eggs, HI) butter. 2J cups flour. 2 cups currants, 1 cup raisins, ■) cups brown sugar. 1 cup sultanas. 1 cup mixed peel. ,\ cup chopped almonds, 1 wineglass brandy. THE CHRISTMAS SEASON. CUSTOMS AND INSTITUTIONS. In pagan Greece and Rome, in the remote times of ancient Egypt, in the days of the Teutonic barbarians, in the infan«.v of the raw everywhere, the

period of the winter solstice has been a period of joviality and merrymaking. In the olden time the Christmas season began on December l(i, and ended with January G. In Christiau lands December 25 is the accepted anniversary of the birth of the Saviour, and as such is one of the greatest festivals of the Protestant, Catholic and Greek Churches. It is thus essentially for Christians—as well as for day of thanksgiving and of rejoicing. It was Pope Julius (A.D. 337-35-2) who established December 25 as the day of which the anniversary of Christ's birth should be celebrated. Before his time the date had been variously given as March 29, April 20, May 20, and September 29. Julius acted upon a report from St. Cyril, who stated that the western churches had always held the true date to be December 25. The acceptance of this date was facilitated by the fact that for unknown ages before the Christian em pagan Europe through all its tribes and nations had been accustomed on that day to celebrate their greatest festival—the date of the winter solstice. It is this double festivity upon December 25 that accounts for the many harmless features of pagan ceremonial that even now

SURVIVE IN OUR CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS. The popular patron of Christmas is undoubtedly Santa Clans, or St. Nicholas—the former name being an American corruption of the Dutch form, San Nicholas, the custom of present-jiving on Christmas Eve having been carried to America by the early Dutch colonists. Santa Claus, or "Father Christmas,'' is to the juvenile mind a sort of embodiment of the whole festive season. Of St. Nicholas himself little of truth is hnown, but much of legend. He was Bjslsop of Myra, in Lyeia, at the time of Uie fourth century Diocletian persecutions, took part in the Arian controversy, and was a man of considerable wealth—so much is matter of history. He is a patron especially of children, but also of sailora, pawnbrokers and many others. In art he is usually represented with three golden balk or purses in his hand, or with three children in a pickle tub by his side, loth being connected with miracles attributed to him. Losing his parents when very -young, he was left with' a considerable fortune. Hearing that the father of three maidens, being unable to provide them with a marriage portion, was going to turn them out upon the streets, he store past their house one evening, and flung a bag of gold through the window, thus enabling "the eldest to marry. Soon after he repeated his performance for the benefit [of the second daughter, but was observed by the grateful father when throwing in a third bag for the youngest daughter. These three -bags of gold have been converted into THREE GOLDEN BALLS

to serve as the emblem of pawnbrokers, who have chosen St. Nicholas as their patron saint. From them also has piobably arisen the idea of Santa Clans as the bestowcr of gifts upon children. These gifts were formerly bestowed on St. Nicholas's Eve, but 'later this was altered to Christmas Eve, St. Nicholas becoming, as it were, an incarnation of -Christmas, although his feast really falls upon December 0. .Even in his lifetime St. Nicholas was invoked by , sailors. Once when thus called upon, he appeared, so it is said, seized the rudder, and guided the ship in safety through the stormy waves. He had uncanny powers as a' weather prophet, forecasting storms when eveii the most experienced sailors were anticipating fair weather. The representation of the pickle-tub in pictures of St. Nicholas is connected with a legend of an inn-keeper who ran short of baoon and cut up three boys, and pickled them in his salting tub. Upon St. Nicholas hearing of this, he commanded the boys to come forth, whereupon the remains of the murdered boys came together, and the former pickles stepped alive out of the tub. CAfIOL SINGING. The history of carol singing is one phase of the long struggle of the church with the pagan instinct in man. It was considered that, if men must sing at the Yule festival, let them sing Christian festival hymns -instead of pagan songs. From the Latin hymns were developed the carols, mostly religious in their nature, although' later some were lively secular airs, with words anything but devotional in character. Perhaps of all the carols, whether religious or secular,»which have come down to us, the most famous is the ancient one, beginning:

God rest you, merry gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay, For Jesus Christ, our-Saviour, Was born upon this day, To sav« us all from Satan's power When we uvro gone a.-f.rav!

The main rbjoc'. of tJio ordinarv person, in ,--Mt times at, bust, in ouanr ing these carols on Christmas Eve was to collect money tor "Christmas boxes."

About the origin of tlws latter terra there is still much dispute. The explanation usually given is that a special mass—the Christ Mass—was invariably ordained for December -2:,, and the boxes in which the poorer people collected the wherewithal to pav for this were_ styled Christmas boxes." In the course of time '-Christmas box" came to mean any gift made at this time to a dependent or poor person, and until recently the term was not used to designate gifts between friends or equals. In consequence of the numerous engagements and festivities falling upon Christmas Day, the giving of tliese boxes was usually postponed until December •2(1 (St, Stephen's Day), which thus became the established '\lioxing Day". On this privileged day all sorts of beggars, bell-men, chimney-sweeps, apprentices, charity school children, dustmen, lamplighters, postmen, and what not, went about knocking at all doors for a Christmas box, even if only for the broken victuals left over from the feast of the previous day.

On the other hand, it must be remembered that as so many of our Christmas customs arc survivals from in'-Christmns tics, it is possible that Christmas boxes, as we know them, are a survival of the ancient Roman custom of giving prWnta at this time of (Up year. In the British Museum are preserved examples of the boxes which the Koinans used for soliciting these Sifts. Whatever the origin of the custom may be, the practice is not observed now so generally ns fifty or sixty years a,ao, when 'in England it was esteemed "a national nuisance".

NOTES OF INTEREST.

The Fielding Siar says that Lord and Lady .lellicoe played bowls at Fielding. His Excellency took off hid coat. Lady Jcllicoc went ono bettershe rolled up her sleeves for tka task.

_ It is stated by the OUgo Daily Times that informations have .been laid against two Dimedin firms for alleged, profiteering w connection with the sale of a piece of ladies' costume cloth. It appears that the cloth was originally sold to a well-known Dunedia firm, and subsequently resold by it to another firm, and these two firms are both implicated m the charge of profiteering. The facts aie that a woollen mill sold the cloth for 7s a yard to a Dunedin wholesale arm, which in turn disposed of it to a retail house for 18s Od per yard. The retail firm then sold the cloth for 21s per yard. A wedding of particular interest to Aew Zealanders took place at St Simon's Church, Upper Chelsea, on October 1, the bridegroom being Lieutenant. Colonel Francis Powell Braithwaite, V.8., D.5.0., M.C., and the bride Lady Plunket, widow of the sth. Baron Plunket, and youngest daughter of the first Marquess of Dufferin and Ava. The bride, who was given away by her son, Lord Plunket, wore a draped dress of grey panne velvet, bordered with a deep hem of mauve, and pink ostrich feather and draped with a grey lace veil. Her bouquet was of magenta carnations, jhe bride s youngest daughter, the Hon. Joyce Plunket, accompanied her mother. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. W. M. Selwyn, vicar of St. Simon's, and Major Montagu was best.man. It will be remembered that Lieut.-Colonel Braithwaite was on the late Lord Plunket's staff when he was Governor-Gen-eral of New Zealand. During the war he was at G.H.Q. in France, and for his services received the C.8., D.5.0., and M.C.

f From Paris comes the news of t mauve" and firust" sensations, ft* some of the ultra-fashionable folk are dressing from head to foot in these Colors. The whim is somewhat expensive, for sunshade, hat, veil, artistic hat-pins, the diaphanous and easilysoiled frock, cloak, shoes, stockings, handkerchief, reticule, gloves—and last, but not least, face powder—all are to match. "Nothing must surprise us any more," says the writer. Last winter the "jade-green girl" was green from the roots of her hair to her neat highheeled shoe, not overlooking the enormous ostrich-feather fan and jade-green powder. A really pretty hat sketched at Deauville « of flour-white felt with a trellis of black velvet on the crown and a flat black and white cockade at the side. Sashes and tucks are said to be among the latest crazes, as they ap. pear on all kinds of costumes.

A marriage of much interest took place at St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Auckland, recently, when Mr. William Brown, of Wellington, was married to Miss Rosalind Lucv Hall-Jones, second [daughter of Sir William and Lady HallJones, of Wellington. The Ven. Archdeacon M'Murray officiated at the ceremony, and Sir William and Lady HallJones were present at the wedding. The bride and bridegroom have many friends in Wellington, who will extend hearty good wishes and congratulations to them both.

With regard to home-made jam, the Australasian says that there is some hope that the housewives of Victoria will be able to make a little jam this year. The Federal Government has promised a certain amount of sugar for this purpose, and has co-operated with the Fruit Growers. Association in flcvising a scheme for the distribution of sugar to women . who are buying fruit for jam from the association.' Women are asked to' form groups where possible, and appoint one of their number to write and make arrangements for both fruit and sugar. The fruit will be sold in buckets, for which each person must deposit. 3s 6d, which will be refunded when the bucket is returned. Prices mentioned are as follows: Strawberries. 6s fid a dozen lbfl; loganberries, ss; gooseberries, 4s Cd (in bags which had not to be returned); raspberries, 7a (buckets); black currants, 6sj red currants, 6s. The price of sugar is mentioned as at £1 10s 7\Jd per 701b bag. It would no doubt be to the advantage of New Zealand mothers and children if some organised arrange, ment of this kind was instituted here. Under the provision of a new Act it is an offence to Wear any part of the plumage of an egret or similar birds (says an Australian writer), and it is no mitigation of the offence to state that the feathers came from outside the State. They must not be worn for personal adornment at all. At the "recent races some women were noticed wearing two sets of egret feathers in their hats, which meant that two broods of nestlings had to starve to death, as well as two mothers suffer extinction, to adorn one woman's hat. The authorities have purposely refrained hitherto [from punishing the offenders in order Ito allow the trade and milliners generally to become aware of the provisions of the new Act, but apparently this leniency has been misunderstood, and now a new severity wiil probably bring thoughtless women to their senses. There is much truth in the old saying, '"There is fault in the heart when a bird's on the head." It is unbelievable that women would still Wear these lovely ospreys when they know so well how Ihey are obtained, and with what heartless cruelty the birds are treated to keep the glorious sheen on the delicate feathers; but if they will not be humane of their own accord it is quite time that they were compelled to show ft. decency they do not feel. Colonel Semmens, of the Fisheries and Game Department, says "the plume of the egret is one of the most beautiful things in Nature, and public opinion is decidedly against the further destruction of these birds for commercial and vanity purposes." It "may, (says the Gisborne Times recently) be fairly said of the dance and vocal recital which was given at the Opera House last night, under the capable direction of Miss F. E. Bedford and Mrs. W. T. Drake, that nothing was lacking, for there was an array of talented dancers and vocalists, "the froekings were beautiful, and the lighting effects most brilliant. In most respects the performance would, indeed, ■ bear more than favorable comparison with that of any tourinj pantomine or extravaganza. What added to the interest in tho proceedings was, of course, the fact that all the performers were well known to the huge and enthusiastic gathering, and, whilst applause was liberally bestowed on the efforts of the more mature participants, it was only fitting that the items given by the little tots should have been accorded an even warmer reception. As a whole, the entertainment went with a joyous swing from the rise of the curtain till its fall, and the producers and performers alike are to be heartily congratulated on the splendid success which attended their efforts. The dancing items were, exceedingly popular, and proved beyond all doubt that in Miss Bedford Gisborne possesses an artist who knows her work thoroughly, and who is equal, ly at homo in the work of instructing and producing numbers varying from Hie ever-welcome ballet to the more sedat« Egyptian vase stancs.