"The Distaff."

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2167, 29 May 1886, Page 6 (Supplement)

"The Distaff."

Mr R. Pktit, the well-known Paria photographer, recently offered a prize for beauty to all comers (Gorman ladies, of course, excepted). This prize consisted of a valuable diamond set, to be awarded to the original of the most beautiful photographic likeness in evening dress, cabinet size. A number of the most famons painters acted a3 judges. Mr Petit't studio was speedily inundated by a perfect shower of photos ; there were nearly a thousand in all, and the judges had no easy task. After a long and careful scrutiny, they decided in favour of Signorina Matilda Corlin, a young Italian pianist from Turin. Her portrait is now exhibited in all the picture shops in Paris, and wo may soon expect to hear of her being "brought out" as another MrsLangtry. A Trying Colour.— Women with doubtful or unfortunate complexions must hasten to adopt or invent a cosmetic, paint, or enamel with which to enable them to wear green. Yes, plain, honest, unmitigated, verdant green is to be the fashionable colour for dinner and ball dresies. Queen Margherita, of Italy, has worn it. The Queen of the Belgians and her sister-in-law, the Countess of Flanders, appeared in green at the last Brussels court ball. The best Parisian dressmakers are sending out dream-like costumes in that trying and long discarded colour. Yellow green and bright straw hats are the most amazing novelties in head covering. They are intended as companions for white suits, and, given a pretty girl to wear them, they will be really charming. The Significance of Rings.— lt is understood that a 'gentleman who desires to marry wears a plain or chased >jold ring- upon the jfirst finger of the left hand. When he become* engaged the ring passes to the second finger. After mnrriage it passes to the third finger. If, however, the gentleman desires his lady friends to clearly understand that he is not "in the market " and does not wish to marry at all, he wears the signet upon his little finder. This will inform all ladies that he is beyond reach. With the ladies a plain or ohased (fold rin«r on the little linger of the left hand indioates " not engaged," or " ready for an offer." When engaged the rinjr passes to the third finger of the right hand. When married thethird finger oa the left band receives the ring. When a young lady desires to defy all suitors she places ring*— one on the first and one on the fourth finger. About Clothing.— A German professor has started a new theory respecting clothing. He objects to garments made of linen or cotton, and gives many reasons why wool should be the sole clothing of human beings. Wool is the natural covering of auimals. It rids- their bodies of effete and poisonous emanations, and protects them from the inclemency of the weather. But cotton and linen are composed of vegetable fibre. They are dead materials, and retain the noxious excretions from our bodies, thus slowly poisoning us. Care oftheSkix. — Most women value a clear complexion, if attainable. Helen of Troy is said to have bathed daily in wine and milk to preserve the purity of her silky skin. Cleopatra used various medicated ointments and fragrant cosmetics to enhance her charms. The bewitching Catherine of Russia habitually washed in strawberry juice j while strange and grim tales are told about the preparation of jnysterious laths Ninon L'Enclos is supposed to have indulged in. Our fair sex are less luxurious in these days, and we fiud that ladies who value a transparent white skin, a delicate complexion, in which the tint of the rose is softly blended with the snowy hue of the lily, are now being advised by an eminent authority on the art of keeping beautiful forever, to frequently apply the end of a raw potato to the fnco and neck by gentle rubbing. After rubbing, the face and neck should be washed, and gentle friction is to follow. Ladies are strongly urged to always keep a raw potato on the washstand. One great advantage the potato seems to possess over many other skin beautifiers seems to be its exceeding cheapness, as one potato can be used over and over and over again, since it is only necessary to remove a little of the outer surface and to pare off a thin slice beforo applying the freshly cut surface. Showing the Feet.— Time was when ladies would have deemed it an acute misfortune to expose their feet by accident as they now do by design, or at least without hesitation. In ascending stairs, in getting into carriages, in triping across muddy streets their efforts to conceal them were almost always evident and successful and occasionally calisthenic and grotesque. It was to avoid the chauce exposure of theae charming extremities of the American women that the great American contribution to social etiquette was originated which provided for the gentleman's always going upstairs in advance of the lady. This was the epoch of the nnlovely prunella gaiter, which (as shoe store windows divulged) laced on the side, stopped at the ankle, was capped with patent leather and provided with a low, broad heel. Nowadays it betrays one's age to confess memory of that atrocity, so completely extiuct has it become. And with its extinction naturally disappeared also the notion that exposure of the feminiue foot is immodest. — Philadelphia Press.

Tiik Poorest of All Relations— Telling a good story badly. Italy has 4,641,400 acres of vineyards, which produce annually 506,344,628 gallons of wine, which, calculated at an average price of nearly lid per gallon, would amount in value to nearly £17,106,574. In Europe, Italy ranks third in importance ai a vine-growing country, following immediately after France and Spain. Of the various European countries, Germany is stated to be the best furnished with railways, having, according to the report of the French Minister for Public Works, more than 22,000 miles ; next to Germany comei the Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland which possesses about 19,000 milet. Ix his new work on the Parnell party, Mr T. P. O'Connor, M. P., comments as follows upon the effect of the assassination of Lord Frederick Cavendish and Mr Burke upon the fortunes of the Nationalist party: — "Everybody knows how in an hour Mr Parnell was reduced from his eminence of omnipotence to a position of absolute and apparently irretrievable disaster. The tragedy of the 6th May produced a tempest of passion that swspt away for the moment the power of Mr Gladstone and of Mr Parnell for good to Ireland. Those who remember the fatal Sunday when the news reached London, and saw the Irish leader and his colleagues that day, can find consolation in the reflection that their fortunes can never see a darker or gloomier hour. One of the victims of the knives of the Invincibles was known to and popular with the Irish members, as he was with all sections of the House of Commons, and the kindly feeling was recognised which impelled him to offer himself as the bearer of a new message of peace to Irelaud. Wherever the Irish race lived the depth and pitifulness of the tragedy and magnitude of the disaster were felt aud apreciated, and in cities as distant as St. Louis, or San Francisco, or MelI bourne, or Wellington, the fatal day filled Irish households with mourning. The Government found themselves unable to resist the tide of passion that passed over their country ; there was a hoarse cry for coercion, and the Ministers felt that unless coercion were dealt out with a liberal hand, they could not hold office for twenty-four hours."