OVER THE TEA-CUPS.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 271, 13 November 1909, Page 16

OVER THE TEA-CUPS.

ALAN AND WIFE IN THE OLD DAYS. Among the Babylonian clay tablets in the British Museum are two which throw light on the legal status of women in ancient Babylonia, and show that the Married Women's Property Act was in force in that country as early as B.U. 550-538. The proceedings to which these documents refer were taken by a woman against her brother-in-law in regard to possession of certain property left her by her husband. The facts of the caee were, says the "Glo.be," that a man from Babylon had married a woman from Borsippa, and with the money of her dowry he had bought an estate. After a few years they adopted a son, and shortly after this the husband mortgaged the estate. He died leaving it mortgaged, and then the husband's brother wanted to claim it. The woman took her case to the Court at Borsippa, but it was beyond their jurisdiction, so it was referred to the High Court of Babylon. The judges examined the documents relating to the case, and decided that as the property was the husband's the widow could have it on paying of! the mortgage, and that the husband's brother had no claim. Eventually, however, the estate would be the property of the adapted eon. It is interesting to note that it is distinctly stated that the lady pleaded her own case, without the assistance of a scribe, or lawyer, and judgment was given in her favour. BUSINESS WOMEM. A striking feature of the unique exhibition of clothing held at the Madison Square Garden, New York in August (writes a correspondent) was the large number of women exhibitors representing factories which as the result of their enterprise have sprung up all over the country within the last few years. These women have in no case been engaged in the manufacture of women's clothing more than three or four years. The story of their success reads like a fairy tale. One of them—the daughter of English pn rente —was left some ten years ago with several small brothers md sisters to support. She entered the business house of Marshall Field in Chicago, and three years afterwards found, jierself established in Pams as their buyer for ladies' underclothing. Three years ago she decided to manufacture in her own behalf . She begaji with twenty workwomen. Now t-hc employes 000, in addition to nearly a hundred agents travelling in every part ol the world. Miss Leona Forster, who has built up this great enterprise, Is still in the early thirties. She is petite and as dainty as a rosebud. She wears Parisian gowns exquisitely cut and of charming simplicity. She says that by living rationally nnd dressing comfortably she finds herself able to spend the day in her factory from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. in summer, and from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. in the winter. Miss Forstor explained that her success was due to her entire devotion to business. " English girls," she said, "of the better class make their business a subsidiary mjßifcWT -tpr- their spcin.l success. So many of.jthSPWßfW'ing, G.Uf by the hundred from schools and colleges every year ' are seeking some genteel occupation which will lenve them free to play tennis and attend unlimited numbrra of afternoon teas. Few of them succeed in business in England because their habits are not businesslike." With Miss Forstcr are exhibiting two Scotswomen who nre daughters of professional men in Scotland. They went to America to teach, and have found a more profitable livelihood in business. One of those ladies lamented that so little was done to further the emigration of women of tho bettor class. There is a demand for them in America, she declares, because they are betteT educated and more reliable than the young women of America. A PHILOSOPHER ON LOVE-MAKING. Long ago it was said by a famous man that the most interesting wav of seeing London was to ride about on the ly horse-omnibus and keep one's eye open. A philosophical omnibus driver has now been created by Mr. A. St. John Adcock. Ayhose amusing comments on love and life make most entertaining reading. ("Billicks." Stanley, Paul, and Co. 2/0 net.) "See them two that got orf at the larst turnin'?" he asks of the passenger who reports his sayings. "Well, it'e a sort of lea.p-year fixter, the'irn is, Whether "this is leap year or no. "Every mornin' for long enough there's bin thet pink ribbin gel waitin. , for us bo pick 'er up "at the corner of Rampartstreet, an' a little farther on there's bin that j-oung chap waitin' for us at the corner of Pind-street. Both on 'em gits up on the reg'lar, "cept when there's too much iiain or snow; an' as a general thing 'c used to slip into a seat right at the far back, nervous like, an' as if 'o I was tryin' to hide 'isself, while she sat on ': the front seat, close at my elbow here, smilin' as innercent as if she didn't know 'c wae there.----"Well, larst Monday thet young gent • got on, as usual, but she wasn't here. We ■ overtook her a bit further on, an' then I there was one passenger in every seat on top, so she has 'er choice of sittin' alongsider whichever she chooses. I cocked mc heye over mc .shoulder, thinkin' she'd pick her usual front seat, when all of n> . jifFey she drops quietly on to 'h stat an' site aside of thet young chap as if i she belonge to 'im. "Every mornin' this week, since then, c's sat on the same sea.t as 'er, and I've ' seed 'em talkin' together. More'n thet; i every evenin' this week they've both ' come 'ome'at the same time an' on the sarnie scat agen; an' if you can't guess : what thet means, it's time you took ) medical advice an' had somethin' for it. I "Do I believe she did* the love-makin'? 1 "Why, 'c's bin doin' it 'isselif, day arter : day for a year an' more. If I could see 1 it, she could. 'Ed told 'er what he j thought of 'er in everyt'hin' but words, i and if she, outer pity, 'elped him to cay i what 'c was thinkin' all the time well, 1 y'see, they'd laid the fire between them] t so to speak, an' it didn't nvuch matter i which of 'em put the match to it. 1 "Fact is, guv'ner. love orften meks a i man silly, an' 'c's married by the time 'c's ] sobered down, an' thet keeps 'im fairly i sober, sometimes, for the rest of : is life, t There's confirmed bachelors, same as i there's strict teetotallers; likewise i there's the moderate men, an' it's these £ thet want help>in', becos it'e mostly the t same in love as it is in drink: a man 5 don't find 'is tongue till 'c's lorst 'Is I i head; but the woman, ehe sort of cays j<: to 'im, 'You find the love, an' I'll find the 1 tongue,' she says; an' thet's all it t imounts to. , "A very sensible arrangement, too; for t ihough a woman mayn't know Vr own ! t Mind, you can alwis depend on 'er to I s <no.w the mind of the man who wants I to marry 'er, even when 'c don't quite c lusew it 'imselfl"