THE PASSING OF THE GRANDMOTHER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 401, 9 January 1909, Page 11

THE PASSING OF THE GRANDMOTHER.

Whit'has the' modern woman,-especially, if, ,she be fashionable;'-.whose son or daughter hasi .children,.to - do' with the set of ideas; the nanie■ .grandmother' has hitherto presupposed (asks: ■a writer in an English paper)? Sometimes she looks as young 'as her daughter. Sometimes she looks.younger.-', The white hair and tho white cap and the black silk gown are no : longer her symbols-. She'dresses m the mode l ' of 'the'moment:' That'is, .she dresses to suit het: style of'face'and form, if she'has taste, or if:' she 'has-none ; she ;becomes' a' gaudily or ill-dressed persoii j but, the oil© thing she-' ; eschews'islteiiig\anti(iilatcd. She keeps-lier.-complexion, she keeps"the colour of her - hair, . - her appearance is no longer in keeping." with the ideas denoted by the name grandmother. In her babits*tho change .is. just as remark--able;'' She. lio longer sits'by the fire, and' knits socks or. woollen shawls,: or confines her. ex--citem'erits to the church services or the fam-, ily fostival.' 'She goes to the opera ; she is afamiliar figure at the racecourse. She dances j 1 she motors,-' she plays bHdge and lawn tennis, and,- 1 if" she' be that, way miiided, she. the'llateSt.ideas-.in-'EciericjS.'; She is 1 , "prepared [to 'debat-o l 'upon the marriage.-ques-; '■-tion!-',oi;' ,! to.' : rn'ali:(?-"a , spsecli about' -the- fran-i to go , -.in.'- n;: 'balloon or down' in'a submarino, should,.tkej chance come tb'licr.' She is ofteii quite youth-: - ful." ill foxin. andi'agile -'in movement, and all this.nbt.be'causeOier yeirs are less than those.; of; tho grandmbthisr-of ;a half' or even of-a; of. a century ago; More than likely ■she has a good, many more years than her fbreruhrier. It .is 'tlie'coint; of view, that has changed.'. She .has -realised that-it was -but; '' : "' the' tyranny - .of custom" that requiredher /tobe;qldi.Hhat Relegated;her to' ' gloomy garment's as. soon 'as her soil ■ ' or ffiarned' and " had children. ' !1 ,. ' - -■* *'. l't hSs r teen"Mid by div«rs persons < 'that ghak-esMire .said all .things for - all time*But'.'it is an open qiiestiop , whether" great many of, the 'idea's ■ he either "/enunciated or.fathered ha'vo riot ■gradually' suffered''change; - ' , r Cettaih - .;it':is "that .'his - ' preseritatiim ■ . of,' tli« idea : . of old.' age,in; rektio.n 'to J ftnev'state! of' ' is"fcow''| . | '^t6^t''dJ J .t'?6iiilig- \riifc<ihiieji ; ai!f !| fithef' ; ar.6V' /Is" r 'it r not Juliet's mother; 'Svhb, .'aciusife he'r' daughttr.'of tryiiig:i''to?ti!ingl:hOT:''gfey ! hairs; with':'sdrrt>w -to'the grave by her persistent lota" ■ . " - : - Yior Ro,nieb?" - '• > ; Prom hot'oTO'Uaiomentsj-'it-has be'en'carfe-' that, this, was -.under 1 thirty at the:time sh<s .spoke.''' 1 *• ', Either ;'tho people, in Shakespeare's 7,time.' must - have'- lived very: - f ast |o have 'come' ,'so. quiokly to'.'the end. of their Capacities,' coidd never hive realised, their : .own\po^BrM ; .' . The" name decorous : did'■ age; for'. wKife.'ftair.': ;,jj6'r.);.-^lso; ! .ip'' i €hbb^',at i^a^TOQ^wi^omVi^v^' 'iiess. snpposad ( to,-,co"me ,-f.ro'mn.onK : the; wJSii'te- r pap>.the' blii'ck,"silk,,gown,., ; tW ;armfchair,iby. ' But the";,gi:ahd--mother,-qf tradition,;-the grandmother : >as ; she. . exists in .pld-fashioned,npyolß;and. family:,por-j traits, is'.almost .asi extincV as: the dodo, |w-:-

Miss' jMacjge.. Temjile, ; th'e; v well-]jnowii, ac-| ■ tress atid'! i ßiQg6ri''wjilie. looking through "an i old. Iciirfosity," sHop "in. the. .West End ; of. don, .was Iwjtli./an .exquisite, ■little' piiiatiiig'.wWofr'she..believed;, to,. be-, aiqopy of." a';'RaplEael,.,iaysVan:English^paper.. . Btjina .for "sale;'fof s ten'- shilling?, she at once bougnt'4t.She}.to.olj.: it- jfco*. a; jert,' Mfbo her eight\hundre'd pounds* ior.'ltW Ipictmre. ./,;Miss;. Temple: is> ' howeverj. .retaining .the. treasuro,..which' :it- isthought'. is. probably worth . even. more than the. ; sum..mentioned,in the offer. . ■ 1 . The bush fires , which have , swept over.; the i south-west- :of New ,-Soutli, Wales _ for ..miles ■ have/rendered' Christmas festivities almost. impossible: at' some...of ; the station, homos, sajß, ,an...Australian','wn'ter. \. Every available hand' -has'. been. out .fighting. - thefire,.; and paddocks)' '.fences, ■' and .;homesteads-', themselves: have .been devastated. -. Tho lain.which dame .early,.; inthe' w6ek,' however,was the best .possible. Christmas box to many. .Weekend -parties -and little Christmas festivities' got up . with • much, -cxcitement.. and looked-. forward:to by- the whole- of :the station :and, farm hands', have been held'in'.the barn or shearing-sheds, v : or any.: structure which v the fire had left, standing./- , '■ " A .\