"The Distaff."

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2107, 9 January 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

"The Distaff."

Miss Mary Wyatt Plcmmer, a young American lady, aged twenty four, lias just bi-en granted by the Faculty of P»ris a doctor's degree. Mrs Garfield, the widow of the late Piesident of the United States, is superintending the preparations for a biotriapliy of her husband. It jh jill"<red that .the olnusu in the will uf Vi"tor Huirw, giving 50,000 francs to tho poor of Paris is iuvnlid as, although dated, it i« not signed. Just like tho luck of " Leg Mieerables." Lord Tenoybon was recently interviewed by a correspondent of the New York Herald on the- subject of the Goi don memorial, when he said, " Some of your New York publishers have published neaily all of my poems, and I have never received a penny from any of them. Should they now subscribe liberally to our Gordon memorial, I should feel as if ample atonement were made." Alpaca in daily growing in fashion, both in the plain and broche kinds ; in black it looks particularly well, and it* serviceable • it is to be had in pale ecru and cream, with a small coloured design over it. Little girls' frocks are often made of it, and trimmed with a coarse cream or biscuit yak lace. Good alpaca does not crease, so for travelling it is serviceable. Some ladies travel in a grey, and keep a black alpaca for bette wear, so with the«e two gowns look neat, keep cool, and have light lug-gage. A new make of fine canvas, partly of cotton, is being used for travelling costumes. It does not crush easily, keeps tolerably stiff, and drapes well. For black, a fine kind of summer serge, and also nun's veiling are being made up, with the skirts arranged plain in front, in wide box plaits at the back, with Ion? drapery carried down to the left side in various ways. White waistcoats are usually sent home with these gown«, in addition to the black one, and sometimes a striped I black and white, or a pink waistcoat, according to individual taste. Short white serge or thin tweed jackets, smartly braided, are worn over black skirts. The "housemaid " skirt does not look so bad with the Addition of a wide sash, tied in long loops and ends. It is still a good deal worn in cotton material by quite young girls and children. The front is plainer than the back, all the extra fnlness being put into the back widths ; and a broad piece of laco is occasionally sewn on to the edge of the skirt in front, ending w here the fulness commences. Some skirts are arranged with a plain front of broad striped material up to the waist, with bodice and back of plain, and a scarf of the same looped across the front. This looks well in plain and striped cottons, flannels, and zephyrs. Instead of a scarf, oue end of the back drapery can be left loose, drawn across the front, showing the stripes above and below, and finished off with a large rosette half-way up the left side. Hats of rushes have clusters of horse chestnuts or brambles on them, others in straw have a fancy scarf fixed to the top of the crown in three long loops by a spray of fruit or flowers, the loops beinp lightly secured on the brim by small bunches ot the same Some are indented all round the brim, with a bow of velvet in each indentation, and a large bow on the crown, a little at one side. A few crowns are covered entirely by some fancy handkerchief or material, twisted together in front, with the corners turned up and fixed by fanciful pins. Mixed currants and poppies, cherries and roses are placed together on hats and bonnets, but the taste of the combination is questionable. Sailor-shaped hats covered in striped flannel, braided serge in " worm work " design, and satin are fashionable, the latter having a fall of satin ribbon loops fixed on the front of the crown and spreading out on the brim. Many bonnets are worn without strings,} but are secured to the hair by fancy pins of various designs. Strings of narrow velvet are, however, popular, tied tightly under the chin, and pinned back by a number of small fancy-headed pins, or one large one. Some one recently remarked that well-tied strings had much the appearance of a horse's bridle. The CEuvre dcs Oeohes has lately published its reports for the year, and from these we learn that Paris possesses thirtvsix publio nurseries, where women employed during the day time may leave their children on payment of a small sum. Nearly 18,000 cribs are contained in these nurseries, and more than £12,000 are spent upon them annually, irrespective of alms bestowed on necessitous mothers. The establishment is supported entirely by voluntary subscriptions. Strawberries Preservkd Whole. — Be careful to pick them on a fine day. so that they may be perfectly dry. The rather small bright -scarlet strawberry is one of tho best for this purpose. Take oft the stalks, rejecting all berries which »ire over-iipe and not in {rood condition. They must, however, be quite ripe, or they would not preserve well. Allow 1 h lbs of loaf sugar to every pound of picked fruit, beiug careful to injure tho berries as little as possible while weighing them. Lay tbe fruit out in larire dishps ; sprinkle h(ilf|the sugar over them, having previously finely pounded it Shake the dishes about a little, bo that the sugar shall get all round tho strawberries, and let them remain in a dry place till next day. The following clay remove them carefully into a preserving pan to boil gently for twenty minutes, skimming nnd slightly shaking the pan from time to time to preveut burning. After this remove the strawberries, carefully straining them from the juice, which must be put back into the preserving pan with the remaining half of tho sugar, and some red curraut juice in the proportion of a pint to every l£lb of the whole quantity of sugar used. Let these boil together, stirring and removing the scum until they become a thin syrup, which must be poured, while boiling, over the partially cooked stiawbernes. Put the whole back into the preserving pan, taking great care not to break the btrawberrios, and let it boil until the juice sets, which may be easily ascertaind bj putting a few drops on a cold plate. Directly it sets pour the preserve into jars, which must be perfectly dry as well as clean, and let it stand in a cool dry place till the next day, when the jars should be tied down in the usual way. Some people cover the top of the preserve with rounds of writing paper notched at the edges and soaked in brandy. It is an old fashioned plan but very unnecessary, as jams keep just as well withour it. Care should be taken not to overfill the pots, and to wipe them round the edges with a clean dry cloth, so that no portion of the preserve can touch the paper covering. This should be very tightly put on, so as to exclude the air as much as possible, or bladder may be used for the purpose, which is perhaps still more effectual.