WOMEN'S WORLD

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 168, 15 July 1916, Page 17

WOMEN'S WORLD

SOCIAL JOTTiNGS. -j. The wedding takes place next month in Wellington of Miss Grace Roydhouse, youngest daughter of Mr. VT. F. Royd■house' of Carterton. well known amongst journalists, to 3lr. Howard Jackson, of Masterton. •Mrs Ginn. who has settled in "Wellington on Talavera Terrace, is likely to prove an acquisition to musical circles. Besides studying singing in England, she has been a pupil of Madame Melba's in Melbourne. Lady Shackleton. who recently suffered a great bereavement in .the loss of her sister, -who lived with her. has' been staying at Eastbourne for some i time, and only returned to London recently. Lady Bird wood, the wife of the "Soul of Anzac." and Mrs Hughes, the wife of the Prime Minister of Australia, became very good friends while Mrs.! Hughes was visiting England. Lady I Birdwood i» very girlish in appearance, slender and fair-haired, and she looked particularly charming on a recent day in a soft gown of black crepe de Qhine, i whi;h hung in straight folds. There was a touch of creamy old lace at the neck and a cream osprey in her black hat. Lady Diana Manners, at a Tecent London function, wore the lirst "Saxon ! Lady" hat of the season, and some of ! the most attractive are at the liaison Lewis. They are round shapes with j ■high crowns from the top of which hangs a veil falling straight down all round to just below the eyes. The effect is a little like the frill of lace which ' hnng down from the hat brim twentyfive years ago. except that the veil falls from the top of the crown. John Lavery's golden brown ptftrait of Elizabeth Asquith in this year's Academy, is much admired. The death is announced from Christciiirdi of Mrs. Hutton. widow of the Mc Captain F. V. Hutton. who was for many years curator of the ChristchuTch Museum. Mrs. Hutton came to Xew Zealand in 1563. and after residing in Auckland, the "Waikato district, and ! Wellington, she went to Christehurch' in ISSO. and had resided thorp over since. Mrs. Hutton's eldest son was Gilbert Montgomerin Hutton. of the Royal Engineers, who was accidentally fkilfed in 1011. Her second son is Lieut. Hugh Hutton. who served on Gallipoli mfa the New South Wales Light Horse and lost an arm. The third son. Major Yeraon Hutton, is a; present serving in France. Mrs. John (Jrigg (whose son is also on active of Longbeach: Mrs. Maitiand fcich. of Christchiirch: and Mrs. Maitland Lane. of Christchmch. arc daughters of the deceased lady. Everything is done in England, writes an Australian soldier, to prevent extravagant living. Xoti;es are posted in all quarters, a sample of which follows: "To dress elegantly in war time is worse than extravagance: it is.- bad form. - ' Large shops are, doing their best to assist in this, as the beautiful costumes displayed in the windows before tie war are now replaced by serviceable clothing.

JAPANESE RECEPTION. "AT HOME" OK THE FLAGSHIP. The reception held by Rear-Admiral Matsumura and his officers on the flagship Iwate, on Wednesday afternoon, was a delightful function, and the 200 guests present spent a very enjoyable afternoon. The Admiral received, standing on the quarterdeck. Punctually to the hour, the invited guests began to arrive, and the vessel soon became a 'brilliant and gay scene; but, by the express wish of the hosts, no list of names is published. The decks had been turned into a sylvan bower of flowers and foliage. ''It is now autunin in Japan," explained one of the officers, in a rather homesick voice, "and so we have used the autumn tints of the maple." And a very artistic picture was presented by the decks, which were crowded with ladies in gay dresses and gentlemen in top-hats and frock coats, mingled with the naval uniforms of the officers, who wcje the most perfect hosts. Elaborate decorations had been arranged in every corner of the warship, some of them of astonishing beauty, and all of some historial interest. One of the most remarkable was a small but perfect transcript from a Japanese country scene. The bow of the ship had been arranged in miniature but perfect detail of a country scene in Japan, one of the most beautiful lands in the world. In the far distance rose Fuji, a perfect snow-capped cone. "Highest mountain in Japan; same Egmont," volunteered the guide. Below rose a representation of a forest-clad hill, vrith a real waterfall tumbling and splashing down the rocks. Amidst the distant trees stood a shrine, while on a rocky eminence was perched a silver gate dedicated to the spirits of the dead. Part of the river came tumbling down a boulder-strewn course, which was very reminiscent of the Alpine mountain torrents of the Southern Island, and flowed into the lakes at the foot of the hills, where real fish disported themselves in and out, under a high-arched bridge and smaller bridges. .Summer tea-houses stood perched about in the lake, and on a small island in the foreground a stork elevated its head and epouted a fountain from its beak, all the time keeping up a delicate whistling bird call, as if the birds concealed in the foliage were singing. "It is said," explained the guide, "that the stork lives to be a hundred years old and the tortoise a thousand. That is reason Japanese esteem them as symbol of long life. Japanese battle-cry. i "Banzai. , means ten thousand years." \ Evidently the national idea of the life '• of the nation is contained in their war cry. Water-lilies grew in the lakes and irUes on the banks, while a stone lantern added to the picturesque little ■ scene. I In other parts of the ship, scenes depicted the life-story of one Takumi Asano. a noble knight and great poet, who committed "' harikari " rather than ! endure dishonour. Japanese gardens-- " Box gardens" said the guide—flourished in every corner, and wonderful chrysanthemums in new and strange shading, grew- in paper as if in life. A perfect model ai a Japanese dwelling occupied

the quarter-deck, ehowing the interior details, the matted floor, with eliding walls; the dining-room with its pictorial scroll, and big vase with a branch of flowers; the room dedicated to the ceremonial of tea and a tiny lacquered box, supposed to contain the tools employed in this high social function of serving ceremonial tea. Everywhere the chip was garnished with cherry blossom, autumn maple, and wisteria, all delicately fashioned out of paper by the artistic liamls of the crew. The Admiral's cabin and private sit-ting-room were of great interest. Over a door hung portraits of His Imperial Majesty of Japan, and of the Crown Prince, before which the guide uncovered ; in the corner hung a small silken book, a rescript given by the Emperor to his battleship, and evidently of great value; but perhaps the most interesting thing present to a Western mind was a picture on silk of Mount Fuji in winter, painted in water-colour by Shinsei, and very old. In spite of the fact that chiaroscura. as we understand it, is not practised by Japanese artists, the whole picture" swam with atmosphere, and the bridge in the foreground looked to lie miles awa<y from the foot of the mounttain. Beneath the picture grew two dwarf trees, many, many years old. if bark is a test—one a maplo, the other a stranger—trees that grow sixty feet high, dwarfed through many years to about two feet in height. In one corner of this battleship, fastened against a wall, hunp; a huirc j metal plate, about six feet hißh. It was torn and gashed with big holes, through which a dinner plate could pass. It had been lacquered in black, and all the torn edges lacquered in that beautiful red tint which only the Japanese understand how to manufacture. "Part I of this ship," said the guide proudly, " hit in Russian war." Alongside was a small cabinet containing two rows of little photographs, of boyish faces looking out at you over lumps of broken shells. " Killed." said the guide. His dark eyes moistened as he looked; evidently the inquisitive Westerner at his elbow was momentarily forgotten, and his hand came slowly to the salute—a heart's salute to the memory of the immortal dead. During the afternoon a warlike entertainment was held in the wharf shed, when examples of' Japanese martial pastimes were gone through, for the benefit of thp many guests assembled, and duly explained" to the ladies by their attentive hosts. After the sports were ended, the guests returned to the ship, where refreshments of every sort were freely partaken of, and a very pleasing function came to an end.