Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 77, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 March 1910 — MAID AND MATRON [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MAID AND MATRON

Great Clrange in Women, “I had rather be a successful woman than an unsuccessful lady,” says a prominent woman. This statement makes some of us sit up who have been jogging along without realizing the incompatibility of -attaining success and remaining a lady. Before considering the matter we really should define terms, except that no one has ever been able to state just exactly what a lady is. f Success is the chief desire of life. Time was when a woman attained the greatest success possible to her merely by being a lady. She was admired, she married well, she became a social leader, and the highest compliment had been passed when it was said, “She is always a lady.” Men changed because business methods changed. And one of the greatest factors in this changer was the fact that the successful men were not as a rule gentlemen. To compete with them, the gentlemen had to change their tactics. Then women went into business, and there they found that the things which had been the hallmarks of the lady were excess baggage. A low, timid voice, a lack of self-assertive-ness, a touching dependence upon the nearest masculine representative, an aloofness from the material things of life, easily shocked sensibilities, an overplus of sentiment, an unwillingness to do anything that would make her in the least conspicuous, a woman found did not raise her wages or advance her position in the working force. Besides, she fdfind that the men she was brought into contact with no longer admired the qualities to which they had formerly written sonnets and dashfed oft Byronic prose. The question naturally suggests itself to our speculative minds, that since people range themselves in grades, what will be the highest type of the present feminine members of Bociety? What will be the adjective to couple with woman to express the most admirable mixture of qualities in her?

As for women themselves, they can comfort themselves in this transition state, while unanchored by the ideal of being a lady, and not yet supplied, with another guiding star, with the reflection that very few famous women hhve been ladies. As we look back, a lady meant a person with so many negations and inhibitions that she was pretty much hobbled when it came to accomplishing anything momentous. The men also will have to give thought to the problem that they must get out and hustle to hold their own with the woman who has discarded the out-of-date garment of perfect ladyship. Hair Supporter*.

Among the numerous artifices used by women who are short on hair—and few women have enough to carry

out the coiffures foisted on them by the hairdressers in the past few years —the supporter designed by a Washington woman and shown herewith is one of the most efficient. A wire frame has a cres-cent-shaped turn

on top and a projecting support at the back, both covered with false hair, like the regulation “rat,” or holding a fine wire screen. The two are joined by two wires. U-shaped. This supporter is placed on the head when the hair is down, and when the hair is done up the pads underneath give it the appearance of being much more abundant than it really is. To Clean Linoleum. Floor covering of good lineleum for the kitchen should hold its own for at least five years. The way to prolong its period of usefulness is to keep it clean; dirt ground into the finished surface by the tread of feet is the floor covering’s greatest enemy. Linoleum needs no soap, ammonia or strong cleaning agents. A simple wiping with a cloth just moist with warm water is all that is needed. In one country home skimmed milx mixed with the water was - used, “but the owner had a herd of thirty cows. Once or twice a year give the linoleum a wiping with good furniture polish to renew its smooth surface. Mr*. Loncworth'a Gown*. Mrs. Nicholas Longworth is again among the leaders of fashion in the national capital, and her gowns are the models of her contemporaries. She wears the draped garment entirely, and she is fond of tissues and of the knitted silk effects. These gowns are among the most expensive things of the season. Mrs. Longworih’s knitted draperies and waists always are covered with gold or silver beads. She has selected yellow for this season, and all her gowns are of various shades of this color. •■qhanteeler” Style*. Various are the sources of women’s fashions, moralizes the New yoi k World. A princess wears a high collar to conceal a scar, and all the feminine world adopts it. The headdress of peasant girls Is utilized to form the “peach basket” hat of recent vogue. The army blouse of an Italian liberator was modified to make a gar-

ment for womens wear. Empresses and actresses stamp their Individuality on a style of skirt or of hairdressing. But is a poet to lead them all as an originator of fashions? The outburst of “Chantecler” hats, wraps, toques, etc., is one of the singular consequences of the wide interest in the Rostand barny_rd drama. There are “Chantecler” hats ornamented with black roosters bearing red combs, “Chantecler” toques trimmed with golden pheasants, “Chantecler” opera cloaks, stockings, buttons, buckles and what not. There are “Chantecler” clocks and napkin rings. The craze has come as suddenly as the revived Direciftire styles, and with the promise that it will probably pass as quickly. Yet in the minor articles of feminine adornment, in the crests, cockades, plumage and feathery ornament, its influence is likely to be felt longer. • Electric Bread Baiting. Electric baking ovens have long been available, but their use has not spread very rapidly, probably because of the cost or the difficulty of procuring the requisite current. In the little Swiss town of Kerns, where electric power is cheap, the electric baking oven has just been established in a satisfactory manner. In a furnace less than eight feet long, one hundred pounds of bread, in loaves of one and three pounds each, can be baked at one time, and eight bakings can be made in twelve hours. The cost of the heating is a little more than 1% cents a pound of bread. —Youth’s Companion.

An Injaatlce to Women. Who will say that women are afMifl? Who will venture to call tf>em the “weaker sex?” The true modern woman fears no peril. We already know that she—like all women, at all times—could endure even the most ex-

cruciating pain with admirable fortitude, and, generally speaking, much better than the average man. And yet, in spite of these facts, there are men who will deny that fearlessness, as they deny that fortitude. There still exists —and there will probably always exist—the type of husband, for instance, who tells his wife, after she has already gone through some terrible physical agony: “Well done, little woman; you bore it like a man!”— Philadelphia Ledger. Shoe* and Pump*.

The low cut footgear shortly to replace the high topped boots-of winter are of most attractive shape. An exceedingly comfortable walking shoe which comes in black as well as in various shades of brown and tan goat or kid, has a center seamed vamp above which is a four-button hand, crossing and supporting the instep. On somewhat similar lines are ankle-strap shoes which promise foot comfort in warm weather, and in the narrow toed shape are very smart looking shoes with double straps crossing the instop and fastening under tassels. Cravanette, suede and fins kid pumps of various fashionable shades are perforated

lor stitch-bordered and ornamented! [ with large oblong buckles or small flat ribbon bows. Health and Beant?. A poultice of salt mixed with the white of an egg makes a powerful drawing poultice for a felon. As a drink for sore throat—Pour half a pint of boiling water on one tablespoonful of black currant jam. Strain when cold. Give freely. To brighten the eyes take occasionally just before going to bed, the Juice of half a lemon in a small tumbler of water, without adding any sugar to it. For coughs and hiccoughs salt In small quantities often allays these distressing afflictions. Taken in pinches before retiring will remove tickling in the throat and conduce to sleep. After the nightly bath is best time for massage. The pores of the skin have been cleansed and opened and the effect of either skin food or cold cream used then seems little less than magical. t When a person is hurt, to prevent swelling and discoloration apply butter imediately, and bind on a piece of brown paper. This is excellent where there are children, as the remedy is always near at hand.