ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

Ladt CRanbobne is a very youthful mother, being not yet twenty years of age. She is Lord and Lady Richard Cavendish's daughter, and her marriage was an event of wide-spread interest in September of, last year, quiet though the ceremony was. Lord Cranborne has had his share of active service, being wounded before the war was far on its way. and laid up for a long time in consequence.

Many of the most successful and popular flag and programme-selling girls of last year have taken up regular war employment. Among them, Lady Diana Manners is engrossed in the Duchess of Rutland's new hospital, where a dozen officers are being well looked after; Joan DicksonPoynder has gone to nurse in France, and Nancy Cunard and Countess Nada Torby have just been married. King George has paid a notable honour to Sir Frederick Ponsonby, • the Keeper of His Majesty's Privy Purse, by appoint- 1 ing his little thirteen-year-old son Edward to be a Page of Honour. There are al- j ways four Pages of Honour, who have to i attend the Sovereign at court and other j ceremonies, and a vacancy was created by the resignation of Viscount Hampden's elder son, the Hon. Thomas Henry Brand, who is now nearly seventeen, and getting too old for the post.

Lord Blandford, who is a son of the Duchess of Marlborough, is now a goodlooking young officer, and quite a favourite at Buckingham Palace. Sometimes h'e acta as escort to Princess Mary. Sometimes one hears it said, almost in the way of a complaint, that Princess Mary is not very " grown-up" for her age, but could anything more clearly indicate her feeling that childhood is quite behind her than the sending of her rabbits to the " Our Day" sale? One of the most beautiful members of Roman society is Donna Vivina Mr.zzarino, the unmarried daughter d the Contessa Lanza di Mazzarino, who is one of tho ladies-in-waiting to H.M. thu Queen of Italy. The Conte Lanza di Mazzarino is with the gallant army of our allies, as is also his son, who is serving in the ranks 98 a private. The Gontessa and her daughter usually winter in Rome, and the latter caused a sensation last season by her beauty and charm.

Lady Irene Denison, only daughter of Lord and Lady Londesborough, is very clever. She paints charming pictures, and is a clever musician. Recently she composed a song called " In Some Good Hour," Which was sung by Madamo Clara Butt who thinks very highly of it. Lady Irens has plenty of interests, and is one of the two ladies who " wait" jnofficially on Princess Arthur of Coilnaught, the other being Lady Evelyn Farquhar.

There has been quite a lot of curiosity and excitement over trie home-coming of the Connaughts. Will Princess Patricia settle down to being an entirely orthodox English Royalty again after her years of Canadian democracy? And will tin duchess bring her sock-knittinc machine and try to convert Queen Mary, who is such an enthusiast for hand- to its uses? And will there not be even one Royal engagement until after the war? It's quite possible that Princess Patricia may start a hospital. Royalties seem to be much more practical about that kind of thing than many of the lesser-titled ladies.

Millicent Duchess of Sutherland is as clever as she is beautiful, she has a personality that makes powerful appeal. Since the war she has given heri self up to nursing, and has done much to advance the cause of poor workers, her Scottish Industries and Cripples Guild being among her most prominent and successful ventures. The daughter of Blanche Lady Rosslyn and the fourth Earl of Rosslvn, she married from the schoolroom the then Marquess of Stafford, subsequently fourth Duke of Sutherland, and during her reiim at Stafford House she upheld the family traditions, and wag one of the most brilliant hostesses of the Edwardian era. She has distinguished herself "in the world of letters, and wrote a romantic play that was produced in London, "The Conquerors," while her book, "One Hour and the Next," was much talked about.

Queen Mary has always set her face against indiscriminate charity. She strongly disapproves of it, and discountenances it as much as she is able. Since tho outbreak of war an enormous number of bogui charitable appeals have been sent out and the people responsible for them have made special efforts to secure gifts from the King and Queen, for the simple reason that a subscription from Their Majesties is regarded by the general public as an indication that the cause is a. good and deserving one. The Queen knows this, and is therefore specially careful not to give anything to an undeserving cause lest she encourages her subjects to waste their money. '1 he Queen takes a great interest in the newly-established toy industry of Ramsgate. A big German town has made its lortune out of toys, and Her Majesty sees no reason why Ramsgate should not do so.

The Duchess of Rutland, who has recently given her beautiful mansion in Arlington Street, as a hospital for wounded officers, where both she and her daughter will work, is famous for her beauty, her charm, and her exquisite artistic talent. The only daughter of Colonel tho Hon. C. H. Lindsay, who was one of the most trusted friends of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, she was constantly in the company of the younger members of the Royal Family. Her marriage with th.i Duke, who was then Mr. Henry Maim-a and facetiously known as Lord Sulis bury's Manners," for he was that ftioit but sometimes gruff statesman's secretary, aroused the greatest interest in Couit, whore the couple were extremely popular, had not fate made her a duchess she would certainly hove won her place among the small group of the world's great women artists, for her grace is one of the cleverest amateur artists of the day. When a girl, the Duchess of Rutland knew of the greatest artists of tho day, notably Burne-Jones and Watts, both of whom were deeply impressed by the brijliance and strength of her work. She has' also made herself famous as a sculptor and has modelled busts of many well-known people. Music absorbs much of. her interest, and she plays and sings with great charm. She is witty and .1 splendid hostess, and has a picturesque taste in dress. Like her three daughters, tho most notable of whom is Lady Diana Manners, she loves open-air pursuits. / Lady Rhondda, the wife of the famous Welsh millionaire colliery owner, who has become chairman of the London Aerated Water Company, and Lady Mackworth, her clever daughter, who also has become a director, are considered to be two of the most able business women in the kingdom. They have taken the places of men now iu the army. Both ladies are taking an active interest in the management of the concern, and may be seen at their offices almost every day. The work of director is not new to Lady Mackworth, who assists her father, Lord j Rhondda, every day in his business. When her father is abroad she looks after the huge coal business in Cardiff, during his I abscnce goin" down to the office at tno ! docks every 'morning. It will be remem- | bered that when Lord Rhondda was in j the States for the Ministry of Munitions ! lie handed over his interests to his j daughter. She is a director or no fewer than nine companies, including a colliery company, a coal-distributing agency, an insurance company, a Spanish' colliery, and also some shipping concerns. Lady Mackworth was 011 the Lusitania when it was torpedoed, and her courage and pluck during that terrible experience gained her universal admiration. She is handsome, accomplished, and » well-known woman's -iiffniL'fl speaker mid sunoorter. Her husband is Sir Humphrey Mackworth, and they have a beautiful castle at Pencoed, in Monmouthshire. It is interesting to note that Lady Rhondda is a churchwarden at Llauweri Church and a cousin of Sir Douglas Eaig. j