Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 November 1884 — WOMAN GOSSIP. [ARTICLE]

WOMAN GOSSIP.

Privileges of a Hat. “That hat is too tight for me,” exclaimed Crimsoiibeak, as he was leaving for business in the morning. “Well, my deqr, you shouldn’t complain,” replied his shrewd wife. “Why not?” asked the man, tryifig to press the headgear down in place. “ Why, if you can go out at night and get tight you must expect your hat to take the same privilege in the morning.” —Yoiikers Statesman. Easily Satisfied. She (after they had been married two years)—“l guess, Charlie, darling, that I’ll try and get a place as table girl in that restaurant down town where you get your meals. ” “Why, what in the world possessed you to think of such a tiling?” “Because, Charlie, if 1 was down there with all those pretty girls I know you’d find time to run in and see me two or three times a day.” Charlie took the hint. The Smell of Boiling Cabbage. Here is a pieoe of information for housekeepers. We have tried it several times. Every one knows how disagreeable the odor of cooking cabbage is. All your neighbors can tell when you are going to have cabbage for dinner. If you put a small piece of red pepper in with the cabbage there will be no smell. The pepper absorbs the odor of the cabbage. Don’t put in too large a piece of pepper, however, or the cabbage will bo hot.— Cor. New York Sun.

toress and Complexion. The color of skin can bo greatly modified by the color of the bonnet and drees. A complexion can bo improved or injured by colors worn in close proximity to it. Pink or rose red put in contrast with rosy complexions causes them to lose much pf their freshness, unless separated from the skin by White lace. Dark red is lesg objectionable than rose red, because it imparts whiteness to a rosy skin. - When a complexion lacks color, light green tints will greatly help; but green should never be used when the face is sufficiently rosy, because it will- cause it to appear too red; if, however, the green be very dark, it may be used, as it imparts whiteness to the skin. Yellow should never lie used where ilie, skin is fair, because it gives to it a violet appearance, and makes it look dull and heavy, but , may be used in case of brunette, or those of the blackhaired type, because it gives a rosy eflfedl'to their skin. Violet is perhaps one of the most objectionable colors, unless it be very deep in tone, because it imparts a greenish-yellow to all complexions, and especially to trie fair.Art Amateur.

Light Work for Women. The field for the employment of women, says the New York Commercial Advertisei', is constantly increasing, but, unfortunately, as the candidates for positions, multiply, the wages decrease. Women who, five years ago, were enabled to make $lB to $22 a week in some special branches, where men had theretofore been employed, now are paid from sl2 to sls. Still, as the occupations for women multiply more livings are made in desirable and womanly employments than ever before. Among the better paying occupations for young women type-writing ranks well to the fore. The type-writer has been brought to its present perfection within.five years. At first it was bought by a few real estate agents and lawyers, and discarded, after a short trial, as it required considerable skill to be operated. To-day about 800 young women use the type-writer. The field is becoming somewhat crowded, however, and it is advisable to combine stenography with typewriting. Girls who are expert typewriters, find employment ih law, insurance, real estate, and business offices. The commercial agencies'employ about 100 of them. The hours are from 9in the morning to 4 in the afternoon, and the labor is rarely fatiguing —far less tiring and exciting than telegraphy, and usually better paid. Type-writer operators receive from $8 to sl2 a week, a 1 though in some special instances when the operator is required to make herself generally useful, to keep books, to file documents, and to answer questions the pay is better. But it is now difficult to find employment as a type-writer operator simply. Young women who are fair stenographers as well as type-writer operators may be had for from 15 to 25 per cent, more . pay, and naturally a lawyer or business man prefers a stenographer who may act also as an amanuensis. Stenographers readily obtain employment as type-writer operators at salaries from $lO to sls per week, sl2 being the average, and even $lB or $25 being paid for specially proficient young women, who are able to answer correspondence without dictation and to transact a secretary’s duties. Women who combine ability as type-writer operators and stenographers have a large field, and may always readily find employment. Another class of women operators open offices for copying legal documents and business circulars; but it is a hazardous undertaking, as are all such office businesses. A young woman should have money enough to pay

SIOO for a type-writer, and office rent for six months, besides her living expenses, for it takes time to obtain patrons. Unless she has a large circle of professional acquaintances she had better content herself with working for a salary. Helpmeets or Companions? The daily papers are constantly sprinkled and stained with records of quarrels between husbands and wives, says the Philadelphia 'limes. Divorces are as frequent as they are destructive of every finer domestic feeling and debasing to every higher quality of human character. And the cases of domestic tragedy that get into the papers are as units compared with the unwritten thousands of cases that ache themselves out to some sanity and charity or into silent graves. Plainly the remedy for all this is neither in multiplied divorces, which simply multiply the wrongs, nor in bachelorhood and prostitution, nor in polygamy. Perhaps the reform, if any is possible, must oorne from a different view of the marriage relationship, from a renewed and higher conception of domestic duties, or a sort of swinging back to the old biblical conception of things. No man in his senses will war against modern education. No man who has tasted the advantages of knowledge will throw anything, even a hint, in the way of others who are seeking the same possession. But that modern education in its purely narrow secularism, with its eye on individual rights rather than on individual duties to a higher law in the first instance, has invaded the sanctity of marriage vows few people will deny who have watched the business in communities where the secular ideas have had most perfect sway. The old notion of a wife was that she was a helpmeet. The modern termagant idea is that she must be a companion or nothing. There is more difference in these two conceptions than at first sight appears. The secular person says, “Certainly, there is. Your Bible idea Was that the woman should be a drudge to her lordly husband.” So the secular person gets in his abuse of the Bible, and, at the same time adds to his own poor blindness. Plainly, the scriptural idea of a wife as a helpmeet was that in all conceivable ways, and especially in the temper and tone of her life, she should be a joy and an inspiration to t&ie bpsbarnl, who as shepherd or wan’ior or mechanic or priest, was recognized as the main burden-bearer in the outside

world. ■ ,•; ■ , Because to-day there are, perhaps, a larger number of women who take up the burdens and carryTliein, that,does, riot alter the essential, pMWailing,«ocl order of flaihgs. Nor does it )#that woiperi the Wond operate any more fitted for companions to men in the sense of sharing the actual world’s work than were of old/ Mrs. Carlyle wanted to be a cpmpaniou| to her Thomas; and so riaad* his litre miserable and her own. If, instead of prating about companionship and stitching his boots forspite, she wrought the hidden charm of her nature into his weary hours, Mr... Fronde would * (jleof||e Lewis the companionship theory and sunk the best of- both their lives in the business.’ So did John Stuart Mill and his Mn):Taylor. These are rioted examples'that little people of chromo culture are aping, and so setting burning examples for a giddy world. Perhaps there’ is a distinction* worth considering in the contrast, of this old Bible and this modern idea of marriage, and -the ypuug people, at all events, Way as well look at the vision through both glasses for awhile.

What Is Congregational Singing? ' .From an “Open Letter” by Eugene Thayer in the Century, we quote the following: “Everybody iB ready with a reply. 7®* lew will give a correct one. In the many chUrfehes where congregational singing,has been attempted, and alleged failure has been the result, tlTe first essential has been lacking, namely,: a congregation. A few worshipers scattered over an auditorium fkr too large for them do not constitute a congregation. A congregation is such a number of people as completely fills the edifice or room in which they are gathered. Five hundred people in some charming country cnurch or chapel would at home make a congregation. The same persons in Dr. Hall’s church in New York City would not be a congregation at all; and their singing in the latter place would be practically a failure, however fine and effective in a church which they filled. If a church seats 5,000 people, there must be 5,000 people in it to have any congregational singing in the true and proper sense of the word. Singers may be likened to gunpowder. Condensed in tho pistol, the thimbleful of powder may produce marked effect; a barrelful scattered over the lawn will not injure him who may apply a torch to it. Our singers, whether choir or congregation, mußt be compact and together if we would realize our just expectations. Therefore, let us not attempt congregational singing until we first have a congregation. This essential lacking, let us, with or without money, get a choir to do for us what we shall fail in attempting ourselves.”