WOMAN'S WORLD AND ITS WAYS AROUND THE TEA TABLE. I WEDDINGS OF THE WEEK.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 293, 11 December 1929, Page 13

WOMAN'S WORLD AND ITS WAYS AROUND THE TEA TABLE. I WEDDINGS OF THE WEEK.

(By SHIRLEY.)

Victoria (Aus.) has got a move on it respecting its State wards. A magazine, Tvhicn formerly supported the idea of unparenting the child, confesses that with 19,000 juveniles already institutioned or boarded out, it is perhaps time to call a halt. It also talks (quite like me) about "this sort of thing" leading to "chattel slavery." Matters came to a head with one Victorian- adopted parent amusing herself by. manslaughtering her particular ward, so now "the whole business is going to-be reorganised," which means that the old institutions will be given a new name and things will go on as before. As for the harassed authorities, they will continue having to accept any would-be adoptive parent who has not actually got a criminal record, and hope for the best. What else can they do. Th-ve is a good deal of talk against 1° ,">..' families at present, but a large State family' is the worst of all.

Meanwhile, at one of our own meetings, this question of institutions and juvenile deliquency came up. The child world of the social reformer, T notice, is always filled with boys only. The girl does not usually exist until she is at least IG, when she becomes, for some reason or other, a menace. It was told how at one school —and this in .New Zealand —boys -and girls must walk on different sides of the street, although whether boy or girl must sprint away if they happen on the same pavement was .not told. As one speaker cheerfully, rut it, however —they walk on different sides of. the street, rush plater into iheonsidered marriage, and* then— are speedily again walking on opposite sides of tie street.. :

With all" this talk about himself, the young "colonial" manages somehow or other to remain unsophisticated—a Booth Tarkington child,-,wiMi his own dreams, what is called "contemplative recreation" in opposition to the active game playing we all advocate. " An Australian lad the other day was invited to a fancy, dress ball and elected to go as Sir Roger de Coverley. In he came to his little .brother, .clad in the usual silks, wig, ruffles,-' shoe buckles, carrying the ;thre£'Cornered hat and a3Uine with jewellery.- "And. now, little •brother" wifh the' bow of the period, "prithee tell me who I am." The smaller child's face lit up with joy;: r"Ned Kelly," ho anEwefed.

Some persons have been saying of young"New Zealanders that they at once independent and wanting in selfreliance —a paradox . which another states to describe the age in genera!. This- latter writer calls it the Cushion Complex. This is the cushion " age. Theatres are strangely advertised for their comfort, as if, he adds Spartanlike, ■ "complete mental enjoyment were not consistent, with a certain amount of physical discomfort*." ""We not only d'ecus seats must be well cushioned, which is more than the ancient .Romans deshftd. Even our censorship is but a vastj and the "facts of must out to our young? people in loiind;""cushioned phrases. Ver'% laps 1 very true. Y3t,»iii : a few "time, these luxurious: 1 young themselves red iij-. the sim, blue in the wind, and jumping in and out of tae surf, and sitting on hard rocks, and jymg.on ironlike beds, waile the tent roof falls, down oa them with collected .rain. '""They, will be leaving comfortable rooms-.with space and air to pay double for very narrow where there is always trouble with the ..windows —and where the cushion complex of all this comes in I do not know. That was a mystic remark made by one apartment house landlord lately, when a possible tenant interviewed him. "I should like to see some of the bedrooms." "Modern ...or comfortable?" asked the owner'.- : ; "• ' ■'[ ' 4

Some Dunedin persons, have strong views on married, childless women working, -while if that is rectified, others will arisei ohjecting equally to those working itoho have children, v Then; again there are the people who don't like flappers earning their livings "if their fathers can support.them"—an- outlook which is rather rough on dad. According to these objectors, girls work mainly to Buy silk stockings and gloves, and certainly these articles, in rather a glorified form, are the consequence of this same working.' It was mot always so. ' ; In the beginning the typewriting office girl was a dowdy young person, ■who;;onIy clicked the machine because she had td; and the home girl in dainty lace gowhs regarded her contemptuously from father's drawing ro,om window. NowVJt isithe girl who stays at home who&s shabby—though kind father has got so out of the providing habit that if she relies on him she will, have to go short. It is really father who should he taken in hand, but the objectors do not propose that. However, if stockings and -gloves are all that young women ■work; for, they may still be willing some day jto stay at home. The first may go, videl'the example of the Malolo ladies, and gloves, so to speak, are hanging by a tbfead. At least they are only- being carried now, which has these advantages, the pwner does not need to worry about size,for pay for cleaning and mending. A draper, it is said, got rid of a troublesome outsize stock of. "kids" through this ;fashicn. There was a function on, and -.ladies dropped in, not troubling even?: to mention the size required.. "They're not for wearing, just ..for carrying," was their view of it. But stockings cannot be carried, so still-they persist. ' '..'"

A .'biologist, speaking locally, tells us that; the dramatic faculty, which existed before speech, bad primarily ,no. connection with amusement or entertainment, but arose from the need of disguise. Thus, one bird acts a poor, tring-broken creature to lure the human from:its nest. So, though its origin "was forgotten, there was a tradition of contempt for the art, as savouring of hypocrisy and pretence. For this reason fflaybe the medieval ages . sternly: for: 'baaV'it to women, and put heavy censure -on them when at last they climbedon to the stage. The censure is now quite; in the past, hut the army, always conservative, remembers, and because that bird trailed its wing, onu man has Mi to leave the army when marrying an actress. Presumably, however, the army would not have objected to the lady had she :been merely Duchess May, acting in an amateur show for charity— the original anti-actress complex, howler, had nothing of this snobbery jn it. Duchess May would have caught it with the medievalists as much as any other. Just—a lady should not pretend—that was their idea of it.

McNIECE—CARTWRIGHT.

St. George's Anglican Church, Thames, was the scene of a pretty wedding last Wednesday hetween Mary Isobel, younger daughter of JMrs. Cartwright and the late Mr. E. Cartwright, and Jack Kenneth, younger son of Mr. and Mrs. A. MeNiece, both of Thames. The Rev. Eowland B. Davidson, : vicar of St. George's parish, officiated. ' : The bride, who was given away by Mr. S. Skeen, of Auckland, wore a beautiful frock of palest pink frilled georgette with soft tulle veil and coronet of orange blossoms, and carried a pretty shower. bouquet of spring blooms and maidenhair fern. She was accompanied by two bridesmaids, Miss Mavis Smith and Miss Gladys Thomson, who wore, frocks of lemon and rose georgette, with bats and shower bouquets to tone. Mr. Fred Rule, of Te Aroha, attended as best man. After the ceremony a- large company .sat down at the wedding breakfast in' the parish hall.

•' ';' ; -'vSWALES—MARES. ':;''-;.\ : !' ; . -St- • Church Hvasvbeautifully. decorated* by girl frierids of- the 'bride" yesterday afternoon, when Alma Emily, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Marks, of Mount Ed t en became the wife of Claude, youngest son. of Mrs. Swales, of Herne Bay. Canon McFarland officiated. The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a white taffeta .and'silver lace cut. on uneven lines. From a silver cap hung a beautiful lace .veil, which: also formed the train, ;and she carried a.shower bouquet of choice "blooms: The matron of honour (Mrs. Magill) was in pastel pink georgette, .appliqued in Jiydrangea. blue, picture hat of.- crinoline, and., sbo'vv'er •bouquet of the; same'- 'tones.. Miss D. Rich was bridesmaid, ;in a -,cara blue georgette, ihset with primrose, lemon picture hat and shower bouquet. In attendance as best man was Mr. Tom Marks, and groomsman Mr. Andrews. The wedding tea was served ,at the Domain Kiosk, the tables; being a: bower of pink roses and carnations. Mrs. Marks wore a black satin ensemble, small black hat; Mrs. Swales, black crepe de chine and black hat. ' t An unusually fine collection of Christmas gifts at Smith and Caughey's modern emporium, marked at their wellknown low cash prices.—(Ad.)