The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-06-22
ideas for qlMoamem.

v R@lAt IA ti00 VI W. teDSf
so that the feminine without it is more
the exception than she who possesses
rhe comfortable faculty.. But the really
diplomatic woman DIS far more scarce.
There is a real difference between the
two attributes. The tactful woman viii
know how to avoid disagreeables. or
rarner how ward off the possibilities and
probabilities of them.
When Jones and Robinson, who are
of opposite opinions on the subject of
politics. happen in the house at the
same time and plunge into the fatal
question, she is able to skillfully direct
the conversation into another and less
dangerous channel.
She has a genius for avoiding things
which are em.nemtly dangerous and for
smoothing over ruffled surfaces of every
kind. But the really diplomatic woman
is far rarer. Tact may be in a way
cultivated by long experience in the art
of entertaining, by study of character
and in many other ways, and there Is
no doubt that 1T is 50 cultivated to a
very high degree.
But the diplomat IS really born. And
if her ministrations did not pass on SO
ncdse.essly and comfortably all individu-
ais and families with whom she came
in contact would be rising UP to call
her blessed.
She does not seek to avoid things
when they are hanging over ike the
weapon of the unfortunate Damocles as
of.an o eba prano ras for them and
averts the possibility of their occurrence.
She knows quite enough not to COM
municate any bad news when her hus-
band and brothers and sons have not
had their dinner and when they are
awaiting this interesting ceremony, be-
cause the natural inclination of man
kind is to be more kindly disposed to-
ward communications when the inner
man had been refreshed by a hearty
meal.
She does not reprove the children or
the maids when strangers are present,
because children and all other depend
elpts naturally look UP to high places
and are hurt and. scandalized when their
ideal of justice and dignity is lowered.
The diplomatic woman knows, too,
how to administer some just praise TO
the cook before she tells her that the
breakfast was a complete failure
Bridget, the waffles and chicken this
morning We're not nearly so good as YOU
usually make them,'' has a thousand
times more effect than Bridget, those
waffies and that chicken which you
sent into the dining-room this morning
We're not fit for a Christian breakfast
table"
The life of the diplomatic woman who
happens to be the wife Ct a doctor is
perhaps the hardest of all. h must
be able TO avoid repeating anything which
has come to her knowledge through the
practice of her husband, as the recent
English scandal a proven.
Steering herself safely through the sea
of questions which will pursue her con-
corning the different members of the
neighborhood is another difficult piece of
diplomatic navigation which eemes to
her almost daily.
Woman who are not diplomatic, not
even ~tactful. have an unlucky genius for
recalling bygone happenings, and for
telling old anecdotes which ave my
thing but a pleasant association for
member of the family or guests.
Robert do you remember how that
Kentucky dealer cheated you in that bay
pony" says Mrs. Jones to Mr.. j., while
half a dozen ~neaghbors are present at
their family table and when the men lave
been telling of their powers In selecting
horse flesh.
And again women who have not this
gift, and who dc not make any attempt
to arrive at ordinary tact have a fatal
passion for opening the dark closet in
which the family skeleton is Imprisoned
and hauling out that most unfortunate
possession whenever guests or relatives
happen to be present.
From the manner in which the diplomat
dc woman coDceais her ills End aches 1t
might be imagined that she did not know
the meaning of a headache.
And she is also to be recognized by the
manner she receives the friends of her
children or growing sons and daughters.
And also by the way in which she rec
ognizes that in order ITO get rid Of an un-
desirable companion to whom her son is
attached, it is much better to persuade
the boy to bring his friend home, TO intro
DICE him to the mother. brothers and
Sisters of the household, than to try by
more pronounced and noticeable means
to sever the friendship.
/ spoke recently of the growing popu-
1arity of dark shirt waists with white
HEen cuffs and collars
Their opponents argue that they are
warm looking; that the wash prints have
the essence of summer about them. and
these have not
Be that as it may. there are many
day when the looseness not the
lightness of a shirt waist Is the thing de-
sired
There are cloudy. disagreeable fore
moons, such as we have been treated to
lately; there are days of travel, many
suburban trips when the SCOT and dust
Of Journeying despoils the wash print in
an hours time.
For these occasions comes the dark
waist. Those who lave fortunate purses
buy a stiff taffeta at 81 a yard, a solid
blue Or dark green. This must be lined
even If not ~boned. The orddnar shirt
waist pattern is used and the neck and
wrist bands finished with buttonholes in
conventional shirt style.
But taffetas or any stiff silk will alb
sorb perspiration and split in not weather,
20 that its wearing powers as a shirt
waist are only fitted to those women vino