THE SOCIAL ROUND

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 272, 21 December 1914, Page 4

THE SOCIAL ROUND

Mrs Chaffey- (Christehurch) is visit - 1 ing her sister,-Miss Webster, Dunedin. Dr and Mrs Mill (Geraldine) are paying a visit to the Hot Lakes District. Mrs Harmaii Beeves has returned to Dunedin after visiting friends in Christchurch. Mr and Mrs Atkinson arrived from Auckland on Saturday, and are staying at the Clarendon. Mrs Henry. Wood (Christehurch) and Mrs Derry Wood (Ashburton) have been visiting friends in the south. Mr and Mrs Frank Wright, who arrived from England last week,, have returned to their home near fnyereargill. Miss Williams (Palnierston North), , who has been in Christehurch for the past few days, left for the West Coast -this morning. > Canon Doorly arid Miss Doorly, of Trinidad, who have been visiting i friends in the south, left Wellington for ■ Sydney on Friday. On Saturday afternoon a garden party in connection with the anniversary of the Durhanfc* Street M«i;hodist Church took place it the residence * of Mr G. 3. Smith, Eiver Lawn, Opawa. There was a large attendance, and a pleasant time was spent by all who were present. During the week the wedding took place in Dunedin of Miss Louie MacKerras, of that city, to Mi' Cogan, of Christehurch,,... The ceremony was eele- , brated quietly at the residence of the bride's mother, only a few immediate friends and relatives being present. The { bride was gowned in a smart elay-eol- <; cured costume and hat to match. After a small wedding tea in celebration of the event, Mr and Mrs Cogan left for the north. < The idea of sending a Christmas-box to the Beljiau children from the children of Christehurch, by means of a

flower sale, has grown into a big thing, ; and a sale of not only flowers, . but ; sweets, cigarettes, cigars*, fruit, produce, . and divfirs other-odds and ends, will be , held on Christmas Eve. Every penny raised will be sent to the Belgian children, and everyone who can.- ; 'help by pending -Jong donations in any of the nlwve-nioiitioncd lines is urged to do so. • Stalls will be erected in front of the ■ Ca.hedral, and business will commence at 10.30 a.m. and continue until 10 p.m. • The business people and all others who ' have been approached on the subject have given liberal assistance, and' the promoters anticipate a substantial monetary result on Thursday next.

Park House at Sandringham, which has been regarded as the semi-ofliciaJ residence of the Keeper of the Privy Purse, is in future to be used as a bachelors' wing to York Cottage (the King's Norfolk home), and passes into the possession of the Prince of Wales and Prince Albert.

Patti's recent concert at Albert Hall, London, for the benefit of the Red Cross, resulted in large receipts and a wonderful tribute of affection for the singer on the part of the huge audience. Both the King and Queen were present and joined in the demonstration. The great choral festivals which usually take place about this time of the year in England have all been abandoned owing to the war. It seems likely also that Beecham's season of opera at Covent Garden will bo given up. Nevertheless, there are many signs of

musical activity emanating from the British capital and oth \r English musical centres.

Some letters in the* "Daily Chronicle' ' from English wives of. aliens are sadly interesting. One writes —who has been victimised for marying a German working man: —"As one of those unfortunate * Englishwomen' who have lost their nationality through ma«ry:ng a German, will you allow me to thank you for taking this matter up 9 I was married nearly twenty years ago, when our good Queen Victoria was on the throne, and I only followed in her footsteps. I married the man I loved, and who has proved worthy of my love, and so did she. Hers was a Prince Consort to her, but mine is a king to me, though only a working man. Now my country has taken his living and mine away from us, and thrown us on the scrapheap to starve. Would it not have been more humane to have put us and our children in the lethal chamber? My husband has been in England 27 years, has been in the last situation 14 years, but has worked on and off 20 years for the same firm. Now they are patriotic, and turn him, with . other unfortunate ones, adrift; but have they thrown the German machinery on the scrap-heap? Ho, that cost money, but human life can always be replaced for nothing.—l remain, An Alien in My Own Country."