WHAT WE WOMEN THINK

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 13, 9 October 1931, Page 32

WHAT WE WOMEN THINK

Wanted-a Friendly Gesture. AVERY modern problem that thousands of people, individually and collectively, are trying to solve at the present time is that of loneliness. While joining a club is the obvious step, it is not invariably the solution to the problem. Men, as well as women, rélate experiences of clubs in which they have been made to "feel like interlopers." It would seem that the keynote to the whole position is something more than.securing the opportunities of friendship provided by a social centre such as a club. There must be, in addition, the capacity for making and cultivating friendships. The Piay’s the Thing, ISS GWEN FFRANGCON-DAVIES was the principal: speaker at a meeting of the City of London Vacation Course in Education. She dealt with the part played: by the theatre in education and suggested how a love of the theatre might be inculcated at school. Theré had been great danger in the past, Miss ffrangcon-Davie: said, of undeérrating the’ publie inte)ligence... People had been too much afraid of putting on plays with a spiritual and intellectual quality because they thought the’ public only Wanted to be amused. True, the public wanted to ,be amused sometimes, but occasionally it wanted to use its brains. "Theatres are a tremendous factor in educating the people in a rather nice sort of powder and jam way, The theatre is the jam with the education neatly tucked in so that you take it down without quite knowing that it has happened. Where educationists can be of enormous value to the theatre is in the fact that in their hands the future theatre audi‘ences are being built up. I am always glad whenever I see in schools 2 desire to interest children-who are born actors and have a tremendously strong dramatic instinct-in plays from the living and human standpoint instead of the academic and purely literary point of view." A Best-Seller of the Past. jt is seventy years since "Bast Lynne" was written; nearly a million copies have been printed; the book has been translated into most European languages and into’ Hindustanee and Parsee; editions are still being published; and the play based on the story still draws audiences. Whatever may be its literary merits, the popularity of "Hast Lynne" is undoubted, and its authoress, Mrs. Henry Wood, may deservedly be: included among the celebrities of Worcestershire, her native county. It seems probable that Mrs. Wood’s literary efforts were necessary to help the family exchequer, and she became the proprietor and editor of the monthly "Argosy," in which from henceforth most of her stories made their first appearance. Mrs. Wood wrote easily and rapidly, as indeed she had need to do to get through so large an amount of work. She seldom corrected her manuscripts, but a careful preparation of the plot preceded the actual writing of each book. Her gift was purely that of a story-teller. Her narratives are cumbered with unnecessary detail, her situations are often improbable, her English is occasionally inaccurate, and yet each story keeps up its interest to the end, Those Wavy Locks. AZY people are responsible for the theory that frequent washing is bad

for the hair. It should’ be shampooed at least once a fortnight. If the hair is water-waved-a method which is becoming increasingly popular-it is a _ good plan to put on combs and a shingle net -before going’ to one’s bath. The _ Steam will help to fix the wave, _ . Besides a thorough brushing, give the hair ten minutes’ massage each day. This does not mean rubbing the scalp and so irritating it and damaging the roots. Plant the elbows firmly on a _ table, press the "pads" of all ten fingers on the head, and without shifting the _ fingers work the scalp round and roun4 in a circular direction for a few seconds. Move the fingers to another part of the scalp and‘repeat the circular massage. Not Our Style. (Q)VER-ELABORATION in dress, as we now see, is more or less of 2 failure. The models of this season are in themselves very lovely, embracing

many elegant revivals, and of exquisite colouring, yet despite the vharms and good looks of the modern maiden and older woman they do not dress up too well for day time functions as the women of a decade or so ago. In these days of rapid transport we are unused to trailing draperies and floppy hats. Anyway, most modern women welcome the simplicity of tailored smariness, that even: extends to the latest evening mode, though without detracting from the extra drapery, and as regards daytime the more becoming feminine element in headgear. In hats there is a very new version of the incorne, and also a quaint adaptation from the pork-pie styles of Leech’s day -a piquant little affair that looks very well in the new and becoming coloured straws, with a matching noseveil. For ‘Christmas Gifts. A CCOUNT-BOOKS of all kinds which are kept by the housekeeper

should be covered in bright jackets of stout-patterned paper. An old pattern- 4 book from a decorator can be obtained very cheaply and will provide sufficient material for many years. Wash-ing-books, store-books, shopping lists, receipt-books can all be treated in the same way. After they have been covered a neat label of cartridge paper should be pasted on and the name marked in clear letters. A piece of blotting-paper in the most appropriate shade shonld be placed in each book, which will serve the double purpose of adding to the harmony and preventing that heartbreaking search for blotting which everyone has experienced. If the books are covered in this way it will be found that they arefar*’more easy to identify, and become a source of pride instead of a nuisance. All receipts should be kept in a large flat cardboard box which has had four or five little skewers inserted thro igh the bottom which are to permit the box lid to shut, comifortably. The various receipts are roughly classified before inserting them on their particular file. Provisions, papers, laundry and so on may thus be kept separate and easily attainable. The box should, of course, be covered in bright paper to preserve the cheerful atmosphere. Sets of boots and files in this style make delighttul presents and are very inexpensive to make, Woman as Preacher, ISS DOROTHY BRUCE MURRAY, the first woman student to take the degree of Bachelor of Divinity ai, Manchester University, will shortly take up church work at St. Peter's’ Church, Mansfield. The Faculty of" Divinity at Manchester had hitherto been the last exclusive preserve of men students in that university. Beware! AN English correspondent says: West End milliners are doubtful how long the bowler vogue for women will last. It is a style that suits some wearers delightfully. The Duchess of York looks most charmingly coquettish in hers. But everything depends on the lady whose head it adorns. At the Royal garden party I saw some middle-aged women with a broad expanse of plump countenance who had natty little bowlers perched on their heads. It made them look exactly like Sandown Park bookmakers. So it is possible, since numerous ladies are still buxom, even in these days of slimming, that the feminine bowler vogue . will be brief. 2 4 Royal Purple. RESURRECTION from the ’nineties is purple and violets in many graduations. This will attain a certain smartness, but is‘ too difficult and expensive a shade to become ordinary. More than most colours, purple can only be successful in the very expensive soft-wool sections, or richest silks and _-velvets. For accessories, ‘allwhite or all-black are the correct accompaniments to the violet dress. These Glad Girls. J First Miss Pamela Frankau and now Miss Leila 8. Mackinlay have had three novels published before they are 21. Miss Mackinlay, who is granddaughter to Antoinette Sterling, has her third novel coming out. "Madame Juno" is the title, and it is a sort of family saga.