Party games, correspondence courses, why pimply girls should own a shaving brush, and that perennial favorite – promiscuous kissing – are all addressed in the “Girl Query” feature of the Young Woman’s Journal for 1915.

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“Blue Eyes,” “Jessie,” and “Olga.” – If you will send self-addressed envelope, I will discuss your love affairs in personal letters, and help you if I can. The things which interest you, interest me. There is no question too trivial or commonplace, to receive my attention, if I can only help you.

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What can I do for my skin? I have such a sallow complexion. Do you think men have cleaner and better skin than women, and why? – Diantha.

One reason advanced about men having cleaner skin, is because they shave every day. Not the shaving really does it, but the pure soap, the cleansing and massaging. If girls with pimply skins would get a shaving brush and some pure mild soap, then cleanse and massage the face regularly, I’m sure they would note a change in a short time. A sallow complexion is generally due to impairment of the general health. Improve your health – pay attention to the bowels and kidneys. Drink plenty of water between meals. A splendid article on this subject may be found in Vol. 22, page 497, of the Journal. Another remedy for a sallow complexion is sleep before midnight. Go to bed early and have your room well ventilated. An extra hour of sleep before midnight will work wonders with the complexion, if the general health is good.

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“A.W.” – Young girls should not accept rings from gentlemen friends, unless they be engagement rings. 2. There are many ways of entertaining boy friends. If you are a good conversationalist – that is a good listener as well as talker – well informed on several subjects, there should be no difficulty in passing an hour or two very pleasantly. If you have on your table view books of different countries, small books of memory gems, postal card albums, anything in music or art, or one of the latest popular books, any of these, under favorable conditions, might suggest an entertaining theme.

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Can you suggest a simple lunch for a Valentine party? – Patricia.

“Simple,” should be the word for any lunch after ten p.m. Have a pink or red color scheme, and serve heart-shaped sandwiches, tied with red baby ribbons, bright red apples, cherry ice, lady fingers, small heart-shaped candies, and raspberry punch or lemonade. Crab or lobster salad could be served with the sandwich, but is not really necessary.

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Will you please tell me if a course in photography taken by mail, can be made successful? Please give me the name of a company that gives such a course. – Gertrude.

You cannot be as successful through a correspondence course, as otherwise. Photography is like medicine or any other profession – practical experience is needed to be entirely successful. I herewith give you the names of two schools that teach it. Illinois College of Photography, Ellingham, Ill., Southern College of Photography, McMinnville, Tenn.

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“Mrs. E.P.” – Take your stone to a jeweler, he will tell you whether it be genuine or not.

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“Ellen” – it is customary for a young man to dance the first, last, and one other number with his young lady partner. If the couple are strangers to most of the others present, they can with propriety dance oftener together.

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Please give me some suggestions for a St. Patrick’s Day party. – Meg.

Send out the following invitations written with either white or red ink on green cards or shamrocks. You can get the shamrocks at a stationer’s for ten cents a dozen.

On St. Patrick’s Day at the hour of eight,
Will you come to our garden gate?
Please knock with a gentle hand,
And you’ll be made welcome to Erin’s land.
With games and hilarity most hearty
We’ll have a real St. Patrick’s party.

Request the guests to wear as much green as possible. As the guests arrive, Pat, Widow Maloney, Dennis McFadden, and Maggie Murphy welcome them.

Pat should be dressed in knickerbocker trousers, green waistcoat, ruffled white shirt, high standing collar, large bow tie, high green hat, black stockings and pumps. The others in Irish costumes. Nora, an Irish maid, should help to remove the wraps. Her dress should be short, full green skirt, (could be made of paper); full white waist with short sleeves, black girdle laced in front, and white cap. Have the decorations all in green and white. Green cheese cloth on the floor, green and white streamers suspended from the four corners of the room to the lights in the center, green plants in green pots, etc. Place a miniature harp in the center of the table, and have green vines and buds entwined in the harp-strings. Use white baby ribbon for the harp strings. Make your own place cards, having a design of shamrock or narcissus. Menu: Green pea salad on lettuce leaves, Irish potato croquettes in shamrock nests, shamrock-shaped sandwiches tied with green ribbon, green iced cake, green and white ice cream, and green candy sticks, napkins of green tissue paper.

The following games are quite amusing. Have a green basket filled with corks of all sizes, and let the guests guess how many corks in the basket. The one guessing nearest the number could be given a picture of St. Patrick. Next place the empty basket on the table, and have Pat near as referee. Let each one try who can throw the most corks into the basket. Give a string of green corks, or a green paper hat as a prize. Another game: Separate the company into two divisions; between them have a question-asker, and at end of line a judge. Every question asked must be answered with one word, containing the syllable “Pat.” For instance: “What is your name? What country in South America did you come from? What is on O’Flannigan’s trousers?” The side winning draw cuts for a souvenir spoon tied with green ribbon.

Give all present a potato, a knife, a piece of chalk and a pencil. Request the to make an Irish animal – preferably a curly-tailed pig. The judge will have a perplexing time making a decision.

Interspersed with the games have Irish dances, stories and songs. Let Michael O’Toole, the bricklayer, and Mike McGinnis the policeman dance an Irish jig. The costumes and decorations can be mostly made of tissue and cheese cloth.

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“Brown Eyes.” – The preparation you mention will ruin your complexion. There would be danger of burning the outer skin completely.

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“Inquisitive.” – No. We do not approve of low-necked street dresses.

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I have a little boy nine years of age who bites his finger nails, until now they are very short and look dreadful. – Mrs. A.J.

This habit is due to a nervous condition of the child. Give him plenty of fresh air, pure water, and nourishing food. Bathe him in tepid water every day, and rub his spine and back, especially the sixth dorsal, vigorously after the bath.

Let him romp and play in the open air as many hours during the day as he will, and sleep ten or twelve hours, if he is so inclined. If his school work trouble shim, have him remain at home, and note the change. Do not scold or whip him as that will increase his trouble. Rub a little bitter aloes on the tips of his fingers; or tie glove tips upon them.

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Why does my sponge cake rise around the sides and sink in the middle? – Young Housewife.

If a very light cake is put in an oven that is too hot, it will rise rapidly at the sides and leave a hollow in the middle. An excess of sugar will also cause this. Or if a cake is made too light with eggs or baking powder, and the quantity of flour used be insufficient, it will drop in the center. Moving cakes in the oven before the mixture is properly set is another cause. If the oven door is slammed carelessly that may cause the cake to fall.

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“Jennie.” – Yes, a waist of filmy black lace over white chiffon, would be very pretty for a girl of your age.

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How should I acknowledge a wedding present received from my employers? – Rosetta.

Write a note to your employers, expressing deep gratitude and sincere thanks for the present received, mentioning it by name, and say something nice about it, as: “It is entirely in keeping with my furnishings,” or, “I have long wanted such an article, and am quite sure I will find it as useful as it is beautiful.” Also say that your husband is equally grateful, and sends his thanks with yours.

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“Elsie.” – In several of our former issues, the subject of promiscuous kissing has been treated. We do not approve of it.