The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-16

which preserve their refreshing aiu uS
lightful odor for a long time, but there
cannot be claimed that these scent boxes
are exactly novel, except in point of
size, as women have always numbered
among their trifes of luxury some re-
ceptacle of exhilarating perfume. Among
the minor objects of personal use men
toned in the inventory of Margaret de
Bohun. daughter of Humphrey de Bohun,
Earl of Hereford and Essex, is a "poume
de aumbre,' or scant ball, in the COM
position of which ambergris probably
formed a principal ingredient. We here
learn that a nutmeg was occasionally
used for the like purpose. It was set in
silver. decorated with stones and pearls,
and was evidently. and object rare and
highly priced.
Among the valuable effects of Henry
". according to an inventory taken in
1923. are enumerated a musk ball of gold
weighing IL ounces, and another of silver
gilt. At a later period the pomander was
very commonly worn as the pendant OF
a lady's girdle. A recipe for compromising
1t may be found in 'The Treasury OF
Commodious Conceits," 1856.
The orange appears to have been used
as a pomander soon after its introduce
ton into England. Cavendish describes
Cardinal WoIsey entering a crowded
hamber holding in his hand a very
fair orange" whereof the meat, or SUBJ
stance within, was taken out, and niied
again with the part of a sponge wherein
was vinegar and other confections
against the pestilential airs; the which he
most commonly smelt unto, passing
among the press, or else he was pestered
with many suitors."
Sir Thomas Gresham. in his celebrated
portrait of Sir Antonio More. holds IN
his left hand a small object resembling
an orange, but which is a pomander.
This sometimes consisted of a dried
Seville orange. stuffed with cloves and
other spices. and was esteemed a fash
ionable preventive against infection. 1t
frequently occurs in old portraits. either
suspended to the girdle or held in the
hand.
In the eighteenth century the signifi-
cation of this object became so far for
gotten, that instead Ct the pomanders.
real oranges were introduced into por-
traits, a practice satirized by Goldsmith
In the Vicar of Wakefield"
When the pomander was made of sill
yer it was perforated with holes to let
out the scent, hence the origin of the
v~inaigrette of today.
The earliest mention of coral is that
which occurs in the i~nvetory of Alinore
de Bohun, namely, the -paternoster of
coral. With gilded gaudier (the larger
beadsI. and the three branches of coral
which he also possessed. The above use
of coral explains its being worn in later
times. as an amulet of defense against
infection.
Every woman. in some degree, makes a
fetish of her linen closet. Few. however.
have the money to do what the noted
Mrs. Ogden Mills is doing, and none of
the women of New York have even at
tempted such a speciality. For money this
hobby costs-an almost incredible amount.
Mrs. Mills thinks nothing of spending a
thousand dollars at a time in adding to
her collection of table and bedroom linen.
Both at the New York mansion and at her
country home there are linen closets
especially made for these glistening white
stores. The house at Staatsberg has even
more, an entire floor being devoted to
these articles. The finest pieces and the
bulk of the collection are kept here, for
the reason that Mrs. Mills spends much of
her time at her country residence. and all
through the winter has great house
parties of a dozen to thirty people staying
for ten days at a time.
Three laundresses and a housekeeper
are engaged to do nothing but care for
this linen. The collection includes several
thousand pieces. Here are actually 200 ta-
hle cloths, all land made, and all marked
with the Mills crest. Some have elaborate
and costly insertions of real lace, others
rows of superb embroidery around the
edge. Very many of them were brought
from Europe. Some of the cloths used at
the country place are stamped with views
of the mansion and park, done by an eN-
persive process. photographs in shadow,
as it were, upon the white linen. bus pic
lures. nevertheless, that are beautifully
clear and exceedingly artistic. These are.
in all probability, the most unique table
cloths in America. and are worthy OF be-
ing put on exhibition.
A generation ago, says the "Woman's
Home Companion" when a continuous
round of visits was an onerous part of
every rural minister's duties. one wintry
day a worthy New England pastor, ac-
companied by his wife and little son, went
to call for the first time upon a parish
Toner VINO uVeu III Tie cdSC u thc ANJoAA
ing town. The uncompromising exterior
of the house which they found to be their
destination did not promise much hospi-
talfty. vigorous knocking brought 20 one
of the upper windows a woman, who sur
veyed the visitors from the shelter OF
half-closed blinds, and after some further
delay the rarely used door creaked grudg-
ingly on its hinges, and disclosed a girl
of ten, who welcomed the party thus
Come in and sit down, won't you?
Mether'1l be down in a minute. She says
she's SO glad you've come. She wants to
nave it over with"
One of this years debutantes, says the
Chicago HTimes-Herald," expected to be
one of a number of guests at a large din
ner party, but at the last moment sent
these regrets
II am sorry to be obliged to decline
your kind invitation to your lovely dinner
party. which, owing to a dreadful cold in
my head. must be postponed for future
enjoyment"
The debutante's mother and the hostess
had been girls together, SO the latter, on
the strength of friendships license, re-
turned the above with this reply
w are disappointed to learn you could
MT he uu;fb N Ioet avanfng but every