SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 773, 23 March 1910, Page 3

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Jn. Strange New Zealand. ■.' ■ - An amusing little sketch by Dorothea ■ Barrett, in the. last , number of the ' 'Windsor Magazine," entitled "A New {Zealand ■Pilgrimagej" will present sevproblems .'to the Christchurch Jftund." ■',; : ' ..■ '.;■■-'. ; ...••■■■'■ -". ■_ :."■ ■■■ . ."Theodora says that you may make unaiiy. journeys on ■ you may go -to Australia, Africa, America, but until you have been to-New. Zealand . -you cannot say that yon have voyaged, ~aad- -that , no oneVcan : speak-.witli authority oil' voyages' until .they have crossed from Australia to New Zealand; from the North to the South Island, and thence back, again to Aus- . iralia. ••••;•' •.. . - ' "Euphemia—Euphemia lies still,for . lours,-'-so"'still, so silent, that oftentimes Theodora .goes softly to her, to , jftscertaih if she be'stiir. alive. '.' . : , .'"There is a "day when they come to land: somewhere—none of them remember afterwards what land, only that, it was land —where they are to stop for an hour. To stop! Only .those who ihave. been i upon a-New- Zealand boat /.understand what .it means 'to stop.-' 'The.tossing, the.rolling, the .smashing of- the thudding of the en"gines, the-ceaseless noise'.and clatter, ?' the hurrying to and fro upon thefloor. f.of cabin -'trunks, shoes, brushes, hats', ,'j v ;aisd'bairpins,. it .is all .'.to "stop',".- ajnd eVeiything is to stay where it is, placed in quiet - and in order for one houri % ."For one hour there is to bo peace. '•"•" '"They say'that they will go;ori shore. "Others'tell them that it is foolish to leave the boat for so short -a time, and Theodora goes to Leonora and asks her if, after all,.it will.perhaps'bo.bet- ■ tar not to go? But Leonora .merely re- ■■ plying feverishly: 'Land, land!' grabs her hat'and tears, out of tlie cabin. • '"They sit somowhero on a green ■ bank, by a little ditch, opposite a tiny ■ hedge—a -tiny hedge;.green and covered over with, little leaves. Jt iseems too' , lively to be real. .., "'-,■■ "They sit staring at-the little hedge .-till 'the last moment-possible, to return to the-boat." .'.;',".-' ■'■:■'■ .'■."■'■'■'■'.'.]' . 'After this island •' the boat goes ;'on for-weeks. . ~j :"There are days .when t|io engines get too hot, , . and-;the(bbat :has to stop . ■.to^restf6r t .hpur^^pnjy l ,'sails .upr-er,a.ivlT; and^rolliiig;7roiling ; .•and lufchihg..i. / ..:.-,:t, ; ./. ' ■' < 1 "There., are long, long days and end-: : less nights—for. ..weeks.,-.. '•:■ :''Can,.you. wonder that Leonora says she will never be any better? ' "The page boy ■ at, the hotel has a little horse,- which; he offers--'to .Theodora, for half T a-crown a Say. - :/'A businessVlike child he-is, who saves ■up his money and with it buys horses, which beJcts.out by the week..' ■-. _ .''This is quite■ a pretty little chestnut; . it is known in,the.town as 'the 2s. 6d. horse.' It is-brought to the door for Theodora to .look at, but it is. such a . very slender, little horse, that Theodora really, fears she might break. it : if she. , rode upon it,; so. she declines-, much to the child's ; disappointment,- and hires the Emperor instead.' • ! - '■■ . .'• "As it might almost be said that Theodqra and tho Emperor dislike exertion oft any;kind, they get along very hap- , pily together. They both love mooning , along for hours through ■thei ; peaceful country,.-;-the" Emperor ■ stopping iinre-buked;-to munch, up little: sweet bits of S grass and clover.' ■•': This he; does frequently, being indeed a pig—a pretty but a' greddy pig." : "When it is time.to go home, and .-very often.it is' the Emperor who decides this ; they turn, and he finds his own placid way back to the stables,, without haste or'worry.. : Never .would Theodora ,-find her own . way; .. indeed, Christchurch, New Ze'aland, is theonly place in tho world in which Theodora ever did find her own way, and that was due to the smalluoss of. the town, and to the height of 'the . cathedral Bpire, which.is visible from every portion of the place, and is immediately opposite to their hotel.•; -.■■"■' '' ■■ "Through woods with winding paths they ridej past little brooks and waterfalls, amidst a tangle of green, luxuriant undergrowth; and greenest grass and trees, and hedges where-birds sing; and ferns ! and broom. Through real' bush country, and. sand dunes that flame with yellow gorse, and in the distance: mountains with misty clouds' hanging above. 'The air is sweet with the scent of hay' and clover, and the fields are bright with daisies and buttercups.; .-: ' •' ■ ! .-■ "Sometimes they meet parties of children on horseback coming ' home from school. Two tiny tots they often see riding, one behind the other, on a fat, cantering pony. . "Once they met a large,, fat Maori /lady, a handsomely tattooed and very imposing person, seated astride her ; horse with her three children behind her, riding, one,- two, three,, behind each-other. . ■ J . ■ . "When on her return from theso lides, Euphemia interrogates Theodora ■• ■as to where she has been, Theodora never has the least idea." 'The New Zealand reader will believe >er. .■;-. .■ \ ,-.".' V , ' -. -

The Y.W.C.A. Bazaar. Hiss Sj - ,bil Jplinsou, who has recently arranged several very: artistic ajid successful eiitortainraouts has promised to arrange an entirely now one to be given at the Y.W.C.A. bazaar, in &t. Peter's next month. Tho main part of the entertainment will bq a gorgeous pageant of autumn, and judging from tho scheme hastily sketched by Miss Johnson this should be as beautiful as anything she lias yet "produced. Miss Johnson is also arranging moving pictured for three of Shakespeare's songs, "Sigh no More Ladies," "Take, Oh Tako Those Lips Away," and "Who is, Sylvia?" These have been given before in settings -appropriate to their place in'the plays, but Miss Johnson.is treating them as having stories, in, themselves.' Miss Muriel Bennett will sing several songs" during tie programme. : ' . A Hospital Appointment. Tho hospital, trustees are to bo- congratulated on having appointed a woman doctor to the honorary staff of the hospital, Dr. Agnes Bennett ,who is to be in charge of tho children's.'ward. In making such an appointment the trustees were following the example of hospitals; iu'-.other parts of. tho Empire where, the work of women lias been teen' proved to bo of value. Tea at Klrlicaltiie's.

■A very pleasant littlo tea, was given yesterday afternoon at Kirkcaldio's tea-rooms by the Misses Stewart, of Majorbanks Street, as a farewell to Miss Meek and Miss D. Meek,' who leave by tile Tainui with their 'parents on Thursday for a, trip to England. _ Among'..the guests present , , were Miss Meek and Miss 'D. Meek, and ' the Misses Vcitch, Greenwood, E. Blundell, Pilclier, Collins,' Shirtcliffe, Wardrop, Montcfiqre; and Salter. ,

' A wedding of interest to many Wellington residents .took place at tlie Catholic : Apostolic Church, Gordon House- Road, Highgate, London, on February' 5, when Miss. Mary Egerton Warren, eldest daughter of tho !ato Mr. William Henry."Warren, of Wellington; New Zealand,. was married to Mr. Percy Georgo* Braithwaite, youngest son of the.late.Mr. Charles John Braithwaite. ■ - .. . ', At a meeting of the Veterans' '. Association, held in Bucklo Street Drill Halt oh Monday,. Mi-. T. .Urwiir (vice-presi-dent) M the chair, Nurse Gillies, matroirin-chief of tlie N.Z. Military. Nursing Reservo, who received His Majesty's and Queen Alexandra's medals for services rendered as hospital nurse in, the field in South Africa, was unanimously elected » member of the itoyal New Zealand Association of His Majesty's Veterans. ■ ' ' .'-..• ■ Miss Dulcie Deamer \ (Mrs. Albert Goldie) has just published a book: entitled "As. .it" was' in the Beginning." Tlus contains several short stones, among them the four which appeared some time-ago in the Lone Hand, and a tale of ...the days of the. Incas. Messrs. Gordon and Gotch are the publishers. " ; ■'.■'",■''' Mrs. H. D. Crawford is giving a tea this afternoon as- a farewell to -Sirs'. Alec. Crawford, who is leaving for England. • • ..-.;-. ...■'• Miss K., Morrison, from'. Blairlogie, has- been visiting- Wellington. The Ladies' Mirainar Golf Club will hold its'annual meeting this afternoon at 'Mr. Sutton's office: at's o'clock, when general business will bo transacted. ■ ■ •»Mr, i and;Mrs.'Will,Lawson have gqno toTio'toi for a few: wi eks.' While atPicton.'they;. will; stay, at "Waitqlii House.". ■■" .■/'■;■ .•."■"'."" .' ' ,' '' ■' Mrs, Moreland, from Christchurch, arrived in Wellington yesterday, and is the guest of Mrs. Rhodes at Tho Grange. •:, . "' '.

. Mrs. and Miss,Elworthy arrived from Christchurch yesterday. • Mrs.'.Quane, who has been' in Wellington for some, weeks, returned to Christchurch on Mouday. , ■ . .■-.: Miss Vida Kennedy leaves this week for where she will be one of the bridesmaids to. Miss Vallance, whose' marriage to Mr. Erie Williams takes place on March 30. Miss Gertrude Ivey, who was for some years instructor in cookery,at the Wellington Technical School, is now.in England, .where sho has been visiting various schools of- domestic-instruction. Miss- Ivcy intends to return to New, Zealand "shortly."-•'-.'• : .' ' ' Mrs. Cornish left for the south by the Maori on. Monday. , Parsley is said to have . come from Egypt,'and,mythology tells us that it was used to adorn the head of Hercules. . Lady—"Ton oujjht to be ashamed of yourself' to have , such a tight check-rein on your horse." Teamster—"Oh, ho doesn't mind-the check-rein, mum; but he'd kick like th' devil if I'd put corsets on 'im." , .