Of Interest to WomenCONDUCTED BYCARRIE W. CLIFFORDCleveland, Ohio
CONDUCTED BYCARRIE W. CLIFFORD
Cleveland, Ohio
There are those famous weight-carriers, known to all travellers, the Swiss mountain women, who walk up the steepest slopes with pack baskets of manure on their backs, and the porters of Constantinople, one of whom will hike a small piano on the curious saddle he wears. Now Mr. Perceval Landon, London Times correspondent in Thibet, speaks of hill-country carrying that is most extraordinary.
On the Indian plains porters carry eighty to one hundred pounds, but hill men when working by the job take three times as much up frightfully bad paths. “I have myself seen a man carry into camp three telegraph poles on his back,” writes Mr. Landon, “each weighing a trifle under ninety pounds.” Further East the tea porters of Sechuan are notorious, and loads of 350 pounds are not unknown. Setting aside the story of a Bhutia lady who carried a piano on her head up from the plains to Darjeeling as too well known to be likely to be exact, the record seems to be held by a certain Chinese coolie, who undertook in his own time to transport a certain casting, needed for heavy machinery, inland to its owner. The casting weighed 570 pounds, and the carriage was slowly but successfully accomplished.
“An English bricklayer,” adds Mr. Landon, “is forbidden by the rules of his union to carry more than fourteen pounds.” And in New York the carrying of a few schoolbooks by children without knapsacks is said to make them lopsided.
Combs are vieing for popularity with the many handsome flower and feather decorations and the feminine heart should be content with the splendid assortment which is now for sale. All fashionable combs are flat and only the real shell is worn by smart women. Side combs of amber and tortoise shellare the best selection. Shun those dreadful white rubber affairs that look extremely unbecoming and clumsy in a woman’s hair. As nearly as possible the ornaments should match the color of the hair, and for day and general wear they should be plain. The more elaborate effects are for evening, and nothing makes a woman look so dowdy as to see her wearing enameled or stone-mounted back combs shopping or to business.
For the woman who possesses heavy hair the big pins are a luxury and keep her coils in place, while they lend a decorative feature to the coiffure. But the woman with thin locks cannot wear these. Not only does the tiny barette at the nape of the neck add an attractive touch to the coiffure, but it is invaluable for keeping the short hair in place. All sizes are used, but the best taste will select those which are rather small.
By treating all “dry stocks known as chrome tanned black leathers” as follows they will give satisfaction. These leathers include such skins as the new gun-metal calf, box calf and chrome wax calf, and are best treated by giving them an occasional application of olive oil.
In case one cannot get this vaseline will do.
For blackening, the usual patent paste serves, after which comes the polishing.
The same holds good for patent leather, while a liquid dressing should be substituted for the paste for glazed kid shoes.
This same expert cautions one against too frequent applications of paste or liquid dressing for any and all shoes. These are hard on the shoes, which often require no more than a rub with a strip of flannel.
An old-fashioned wax calf requires the old-fashioned paste and a good brushing.
As for patent leather shoes, they are more reliable than ever in the history of leather tanning. The mere fact that surface cracks appear at first need not cause alarm, since these are hardly noticed after a little wear, and a few applications of the paste dressing prepared for this handsome leather.
Colored umbrellas are carried with tailor-made dresses.
In colors we shall have spots and ombre of shaded effects.
Colored spangles are all the rage for evening dresses.
Maize and all shades of purple and a tender gray-green will be popular.
Tartans will be introduced as trimmings in the form of piping or straps.
Ostrich feather scarfs will take the place of last year’s pelerine stole, and for theatres and later on for garden parties the new chiffon muff will be much in evidence.
Dresden roses in a variety of strange shades, pale mauve, pastel blue, bright green, and cowslips, pink, blue and green, are among some of the curious flower novelties.
Leather appliqued sunshades of strong silk in its natural color are intended for motoring, and the summer sunshade will consist of billowed chiffon encrusted with lace.
Flowers are mixed together regardless of color. Crimson and lemon roses, with blue forget-me-nots and bunches of heliotrope are a favorite flower combination.
Evening bodices for young girls are out almost in V hearts, square or rounded styles. Elbow sleeves are most generally worn, and these dresses are really becoming and modest looking. Young matrons wear a wider decolletage but it is softened by pretelles of velvet or tulle.
There is a feeling in dress which tends toward simplicity. We are weary of the overtrimmed styles, and are happily returning to the long, noble lines and flowing draperies which artists love.
I have found that fresh bread in slices about one inch thick (renewed when it gets dry), of bulk about half the cake to be kept “fresh,” put in the tin with the cake causes the cake to remain “fresh.”