SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 168, 9 April 1908, Page 3

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

A quiet wedding .was celebrated yesterday morning at St. John's Church, Folding, by the llov. A„ . S. : Innes-Joues ,:(writcs our' Feilding correspondent), when ; Mr. Frank Norman..Whitmoro, of Palmcrston North, was married to Miss Elizabeth Freda Wedde, of Feilding, and also well, known in Wellington as a school ,teacher. Miss Bertha Wcddo (sister of. the bride)'"'as bridesmaid. Mr. and Mrs. Whitmoro' loft for a trip to Auckland* ltotorua, and .Napier. Yesterday afternoon, aft tlio Broad Street Methodist Church, Palmcrston North (writes our correspondent), Miss Vera Kingsbeer, youngest 'daughter of Mr. A. J. Kingsbeer, of Hofpwliitu, was married to. MrJ Ft Amos, third .'son of Mr. Amos, of, Asliburton. Tho bride wore a. charming dress of cream mervoilleux, with silver trimming and valonciehnes lace, and a bridal wreath and veil. Miss M'Le'an, Assistant Inspector of .Hos-pitals,-is on a visit to Auckland. \ : Tlio Victoria Collego Students' Association had a good time last night with their dramatic performance, and thoir excollent acting received due appreciation from the friendly audience, i\diich was largely composed of past and present members .of the College. Several of the professors arid 1, their wives wore present/ among them being-, Professor Picken, the. riowest addition to the staff," and .his wife. Among others there were Dr. arid Mrs. Fell, Mrs'. Firth, Mr. .and 1 Mrs.' F. M. B. Fisher, Dr. Agnos Bennett, Mrs. and Miss Barron,Mrs. and Miss Barkis, Mrs. Thornton, and Mr. Joynt. The girls in the plky all did good work, and one' could not' have decided whether to' give the palm- to the rival Mrs; Smithj or to the comedienne who took the -.part of Mrs. Ponting so - amusingly.'- Miss Ethelwyn Kirk, "who. conducted the orchestra, is.to be congratulated on- lier success.-';-ENGLISH POLITICAL'HOSTESSES. | '/; -- v ' In the matter- of hostesses. with houses sufficiently spacious 'for large political receptions/ says the, "Graphic" in the courso/of an article, on prominent . English' politicalhostesses, the. Opposition 'are, .'considerably better olf than the Government.' . The'-Mar-chionesses of.Londonderry arid of Lahsdowne" are pillars of' Strength to the Unionists. Both aro. beautiful women; with that touch of the gra'nde dame too often; lacking in these days of free and easy manners. For tlio Primrose League receptions .the 'Duehfess of Norfolk, the Duchess of' Buckingham and Chandds, the Countess of Dartmouth,' and 'Lady ' Llarigattock -are always ready to come forward/ though their houses ,'are not .-altogether as suitable for 'very largo gatherings as Londonderry,' Lansdowne,'' and Devonshire-Bpuses./ .. v'HOSTESSES OF THE GOVERNMENT.' ■ The' Countess of' Portsmouth has undoubtedly' been trie leading 'hostess l'or "the -Go-' .v-ernmenc party:.; ".brio - entertainixl "/ ri'glit ; toyajjy '.'last, year, <arid will; again- throw; open "•Her liouse ire'quently for-',those social gatiiermgs' wniclij iu the harids.of a tactiui "woman,. ,'do as 'riiiicli to keep' the members Of a party together as' sympathy, of 'views' or..p'oisonal' convictions.- " V • . ./y ■'' ' A great deal'is expected of Lady Allendale tliis year. ; Siio !: is/a sister of Lord Londonderry and' as' perfect a hostess as her' distinguished sister-in-law. ■s . Lady ' Allendale is, - ■perhaps, tHe one, hostess, ori'ihe Liberal S side, ' who could take :tlie place of tlio- late Lady 'iSveetiiriouth, whoso untimely death was/sucn /a loss ;to London society: There are no.liner /rooms in London %. receptions than those at tlio''Admiraltybut, as jet,^ t Lordv 'mouth iiof thrown 'them" open for this purposb.' '/// *""".'/' '/".) '-'■ ' : Vet ;anot)lijr l 'Sccial'' lbss^buJ./tempofa'rily; : , it is the 'indisposition -of Mi's: Herbert 'Giadst'onoi': a 'very : charming hostess/' .whose ; danco' last 'year was one , of; the :most 'successful'events!of .tlio, season,' but 'who is'.at .present:slowly;'recovering fi;oni; the, effects of: a severe operation., 'Mrs.' Asquith/ono of tho ! 'most brilliant / of,, private ■ hostesses,./'whose may be cbhipared .to the salons of'• a past, generation,; lias never taken' 1 up her position: as leading; hostess of her jt-husband's political' party. The recent marriage of : th'e Lord Chancellor adds' another possible hostess to the Government side, but one can as yet ' only surmiso that Lady Loi'eburh will be included among the..political hostesses, who have,: come tp-£own for tlie re-assembling of Parliament.'' '.'./' ':-'/ ' '~7. , , 1 Lord,llosebery, with his fine houso inßerikcloy Sqiiare,..and his married daughters,. or his ' lister (Lady , Leconfield), /to act . as. .hostess, could entertain'right regally, \bu.t' Lord llosebery has never cared for social duties,'-' arid: is,' at ..tho moment, considerably out'of touch■ ynth"tlje Government. . "• . * A s .has,been said,.in the matter of suitable ■house's, and accomplished /hostesses,'; the Opposition are/in a much stronger position than-, the Government.' iTlie late Primo Minister, and -several/ leading,'members; of tho Cabinet are (widowers, ■and; although the Leader of the Opposition is'a bachelor. Miss Balfour was always 'ready,-,to' act as' hostess for her brotherwhen ho received .at .Downing' Street as well as at' other. Unionist gatherings. MR. ASQUITH AND THE SUF- - ' - FRAGISTS. ' The new Ereriiier's attitude'on/the suffragist question was expressed recently to a deputation of ladies, when ho said he knew this . question' had - dome somewhat prominently to the front at reeeiit' by-elections ,but 'no one who 'went through tho. General Election of -1900 could say that 'the question of woilian's suirrago was/in/aiiy sense one of 'the issues then.:. He did not feel that the Government would bo justifying- itself ill' this' Parliament to, take, tlio initiative in 'this' matter, even supposing that the members wero—and 'ho wguld frankly tell the deputation tliati, they were not—unanimous in their views as to tho oxpedioncy" of the change itself. In. his opinion, the desired change: would not be btfected until the .country was satisfied that the-majority, of women were in favour of it, ■ and until the main electorate had been convinced that it Wfl's expedient in thp ; interests of the still larger.aijd wider interests of society as a - whole.-, That was'the great task which those who'wero engaged in tlio work had. to discharge. .He could only promise/to' give the fullest weight:to the ably submitted, to him. :