SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3174, 27 August 1917, Page 2

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Sydney Street Soldiers' Club. A very ploasant evening was spent at r tho Sydnoy Street Soldiers' Club on Sat- ;• unlay, when tho ladies of St. Andrew's i Sewing Guild presented a very clever and amusing farce written somo years T ago by Mr. H. Bridge, of Oriental Bay, f entitled "Covey Versus Too-Sweet, M.P." i Anticipations of what may happen when : women get into Parliament formed a themo upon which .the writer's imagination held full sway, the timo fixed for ' tho dire ovent being 2025 A.D. Miss j Tabitha Covey is the unsuccessful can- ' didate for Parliament, her successful j rival being Miss Too-Sweet, who, goodlooking and charming, had no difficulty ' in securing the votes in her electorate. , As a of the election Miss Covey brings a suit of corruption against her rival, averring that tho other used bri- , bery to gain her ends. Husbands, led > astray by her charms, forced their wives , to vote for her. The court scene that ' follows forms tho substance of the play, , and is intonsely amusing, 'besides pro- ' viding plenty of by-play for tho minor . parts. Mrs. J. N. Newton stage managed the play, and the large number of parts wero played with much spirit by the company. Mr. Hislop, Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs, jnado a brief speech at the commencement of tho evening, introducing tho company to the audience, and Mrs. Hislop.. wbo accompanied him, took part in the performance. Musical items, vocal and instrumental, were contributed by soldiers beforo and after the play. Among those who were present'wore Mrs. Taylor and her sister, Miss Massey, Mrs. George Massey, Ser-geant-Major Coleridge and Mrs. Coleridge. The hostess in charge of the evening was Mre. C. Earle. Tho guild has been requested to perform the play at Trentham, so much was it enjoyed. Dance at Alexandra Hall. On Saturday evening a very successful dance, organised by a committee consisting of girls belonging to the Boman Catholic Hostel, was held in tho Alexandra Hall for tho benefit of Bed Cross Funds. A great number of tbe dancers were in fancy dress, and 6ome pretty and cleverly carried out costumes were to be seen. Tho grand march, which opened the ovoning, displayed them admirably. The representations of a witch, a gollywog, a Dutch boy and girl, and several other characters, including a representative of tho Gaelic League, wero very effective, and very appropriate was tho costumo of a Bed Cross nurse. A great many soldiers woro present, khaki indeed ebing the predominating element. Excellent music was provided by the orchestra belonging to tho Specialist Company of the Thirty-first Eeinforcemonta. The committee responsible for the dance consisted of the Misses Taylor (secretary), Keating. Burke, O'Sullivan, Dobbyn, O'Donnell, Hayes, and the chaperones wore Mesdames Gamble, Heavey, Johnson, Dunn, and Miss Wheeler. The hall had been decorated with quantities of flags lent by. Mr. Simm, of tho D.1.C., and the supper table, in tho adjoining room, had boen made to look as much like, a Bed Cross as possible. Bed camellias and birch foliago formed tho decorations, and tho very dainty supper was made bv the matron of tho hoslel. Tho M.C.'s for the evening were Messrs. M'Keown, Bcoham, Sievers, and Corporal Stovenson. For the Red Cross. On Saturday a chcque for JEJBOO was sent to Mr. Joseph Joseph to bo cabled to England for the sick a.nd wounded soldiers, from "A Violet Day" effort in Wellington, New Zealand. The balancesheet of Violet Day, which is at present in the hands of an auditor, will be published very shortly, and thero may bo a little more money to send. A chcquo for £300 was also enclosed, tho proceeds from tho Wellington Bed Cross Shop. Tho treasurer of tho Wellington Women's Bed Cross _ Committee acknowledges tho following:—Miss A. Greenwood, .£1; Wairarapa Centro British Bed Cross payment, .€l6 45.; Women's Bed Cross payment, .£3 lis. 2d.; 70 Hill Street Guild, .€2 10s.

School Children's Work. 1 Last year a display of need lowork done by ill(j school children of Wellington was hold at tho Education Board's building. On Friday, August 31, and the succeeding Saturday aud Monday, a similar exhibition will bo hold, but on a much larger scale. Work will be shown, done not only by Wellington schools, but from those in various parts of tho district, as well as from Marlborough and one or two other oulsido places. 'Tno work will bo classified according to its destination, and work will be shown for soldiers' comforts, hospital requirements, infants, Navy League (sailors' dependants, or men of tho Auxiliary Fleet), thrift work (the making up of old garments), and children's ciothes. The school children make these goods for distribution to the different depots who forward them to the right quarters. Some will go to the Navy League, somo to the War Relief Association, St. John Ambulance Brigade, Bed Cross, and Plunket Society. Each article will bq labelled with the name of tho maker and tho school, and also the maker states -where she wishes her work 6ent. This exhibition should prove of great interest as showing what our school children are doing to help in the way of sewing and knitting, not only for tho soldiers, but also their dependants and thoso left hehind.

In charge of the Wellington Bed Cross Shop on Friday was the Johnsonville branch'" of tho Women's National Reserve, and the very satisfactory amount of .-£9O was realised. Tho 6hop had been exceedingly _ well stocked with a very tempting display of home-made cakes, sweets, jams, pickles, and prodnco of all kinds. Some_ very dainty fancy work was ako exhibited for sale, and Miss Cooper and Miss Moss, as usual, had a supply of very beautiful flowers to sell. In charge of the different stalls were the following:—Mesdamea Bcthune, Kirk, Hamlin, Howard, Thompson, Robertson, Redwood. Jones, and Richardson.

A very early visit was paid to the wounded soldiers who arrived on Saturday by tlio Mayor and Mayoress (Mr. and Mts. J. P. Lnke). Mr. Luike was on board tho ship shortly after half-past five, and Mrs. Luke arrived about two hours later. Fruit, cigarettes, sweets, etc., were among the gifts which they brought to tho men. most of whom wero vory glad to reach, terra firma once more.

It is gratifying that the weekly returns from the Wellington Red Cross Shop kcop up so well, and they 6how how thoroughly interested and sympathetic everyone ie in giving help for Red Cross work. Over ,£350 has boen paid into the Comforts Fund -for our sick and wounded soldiers in England from tho shop for the past week.

Tho organisers of the Girls' Day at tho Wellington Red Cross Shop held another very successful dance for tho benefit of their funds on Saturday evoning. The committee consisted, of Misses L. Dyer, M.' Marchlxanks, Stott (2), M. Martin, S'liirtcliffe (2), M. Joseph, M. Brien, M. Knight. Balcombc Brown (2), and B. Botliamley. Several chaperoncs wero present, and among the dancers wero several soldiers from tho camp.