WOMAN’S WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 257, 25 July 1921, Page 2

WOMAN’S WORLD.

MATTERS OF INTEREST FROM FAR AND NEAR.

(By

Imogen.)

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL Miss Estell# Beero held another of her fortnightly cabaret dances at the Art Gallery on Saturday evening. A large number of lovers of the dance were present, including a 'small party from Government House. The orchestra had two added attractions, the bassoon and banjo. The latest Paris craze,. the Pas . Doble of Igranish one-step is coming into favour at these dances. Another of the early settlers of Auckland, Mrs. Eliza Richards Hodge, of Epsom, has passed away in her ninetyfifth year. Mrs. Hodge arrived in Auckland in 1848 with her mother and the rest of the family to join the father, who came out two years earlier. The trip was made in the Elera, a vessel of 300 tons. In 1849 Mrs. Hodge, then Miss Walters, was married by Bishop Solwyn at St. Paul’s Church, Emily Place, to Mr. Samuel Hodge, who had come out with her father to work at the Kawau copper mines. Later Mr. Hodge wont to Bendigo goldfields. Returning to New Zealand,, he took a farm at West Tamaki, and in 1861 went on to n. bush section at Waiuku, where he died in 1871. During the war the family came to Auckland, and Mr. Hodge served with the forces. In 1896 Mrs. Hodge removed to Papatoetoe, where she.resided for 20 years. She is survived by one son, .14 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchil-dren. Mrs. A. H. Turnbull (Christchurch) is due to arrive in Wellington this week to attend a Y.W.C.A. conference. Sister Kummer, of Masterton, and Nurse Wells, formerly of the Napier Hospital, are to take charge of the Featherston private hospital. A quiet wedding took place in Masterton on Friday, when Mr. T. R. Southall. officer in the charge of the local branch of the Repatriation Department, was married to Miss Lily Annie O’Dowd, daughter of Mrs. J. O’Dovrd, of z Cornwall Street. Mrs. J. Strang and Miss Isla Strang (Wairarapa) returned last week from, a visit to the South Sea Islands. Miss Jessio Cooper has also returned from .the same trip. Vera Pavlova, sister of Anna Pavlova, the famous Russian dancer, was discovered almost in poverty in Chicago sewing in a hospital for a living. Her wage is 40 dollars a month. With the discovery Avas revealed a story of the vicissitudes of war almost without a parallel. Five years ago Vera Vavlova was living in Moscow. She had but one more step before she became the star dancer of the Moscow' Imperial Ballet. Her mother married after the death of her father, and Vera became a member of the family of Count Golitzin. Then came the change in the Russian Government. All her relatives except Anna were killed. For months Vera was held captive in a Russian prison, suffering from a stab wound in her back. 'When she was released from prison she went to Chicago, but the stab w’ound would not heal, and she had not entirely recovered from typhus. At the meeting of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children held on Friday, Mrs. F. Chapman presiding, a motion of sympathy with Mr. A. R. Atkinson mid family was passed in silence at the loss of their late president (Mrs. A. R. Atkinson), and the following resolution, to lio placed on record, was moved by Mrs. W. A. Evans. M.A.. seconded by Mrs. Sprott:—“The committee of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children desire to place on record the high appreciation and their profound gratitude for the splendid service rendered to the society by Mrs. A. R. Atkinson, a member from its first ' establishment 23 years ago. She occupied for several years the position of president, and afterwards vice-president. Her keen intellect and clear judgment, coupled with her accurate legal knowledge made her a tovwr of strength in the deliberations of the committee, so that her advice, as to the treatment of any case was always regarded as trustworthy. On deputations asking for new or amended legislation her assistance , was invaluable, for with a strong sense of justice and 'womanly sympathy with Buffering humanity she was a powerful advocaie for the claims- of the weak and defenceless, and with impassioned eloquence and clear losic could effectively press home the imjiortant points. Moat fortunate lias the society been to have for so many years the help of such a one. It will be long ere her place cun be adequately filled or her loss ceases to be felt, and her co-workers on the committee will ever recall her sterling qualities with admiration and cherish with deep affection the memory of a gifted and noble woman.’’ Miss Doris Coull, who has completed her training as a Plunket nurse at the Karitane Home. Dunedin, returned to Wellington on Saturday. Miss R. Gorris (Auckland) was a. passenger bv the Arawa, which left AVellington on Saturday for England. Miss E. Frame, the Canadian teacher, who exchanged positions with Miss E. Roche, of the Hamilton East School, was farewelled toivards the end of last -week bv the staff of the school before leaving for Australia and Canada. She was presented with a travelling cushion, and much regret was expressed' at her departure. Great pleasure was given to the patients and staff of Trenthum Military Hospital by the presentation of the clever play, “Mrs. Gorringe’s Necklace," bv Mr. Culford Bell and his company. The entertainment took place under the ausnices of tho Y.M.C.A., and was enthusiastically received by a large audience. Mrs. R. I. Duggle, Kent Terrace, who : was in a private hospital for three weeks, I is now convalescing in her own home. I ——- “ Tho Lord Roberts Memorial Workshops are now in such- difficulties from lack of funds that some of them may have to close dow'n, states the “Manchester Guardian." This will not only throw many disabled men out of employment, but it will deprive them of a chance of further work. The workshops are provided with special machinery designed for the use of men whose hands are maimed and who are unable to work machinery in ordinary factories. From the first these workshops have done much more than givo employment to ' disabled men. They have completely - altered their views of life. through the factories where men suffering from shell-shock or wounds or serious disablement were making toys or composition dolls or furniture, lisitors had a chance of learning what the now i hope that camo with the acquisition of I new powers had meant to these men. I Some of them who had fallen into a | state of sullen despair became happy, contented craftsmen. -Some had been I saved from melancholia in its worst i form bv the first few days of successful attempts at a new job, and all.of them I were cheerfully interested. 'lhe worki shops have devoted much attention to ' cabinet-making, and furniture of a high standard made at the workshops has been admired 1 at many exhibitions in London. In the interests of our domestio art as well as in the. interests of the disabled men it is to be hoped that the workshops will receive tho help they need.

A Great Man and His Wife. In his book "The Artist At the War” an interesting pen picture is given by Si» William Orpen of the leading figures of the Peace Conference, among them General Botha. He writes:—He was "big, large, and great in body and brainelephantine. Everything on an immense scale, even to his sense of humour. Ho had no sign of pose, like most of tho 'frocks.' He never seemed to try to impress anyone. ... In Mrs, Botha ho had the ideal -wife. Together they were like (two school children. 'Louis’ and ‘Mother’; how well they knew each other, and how they loved their family and home!" This little in, cident tho author must forgive being? quoted in its entirety:—"l remember one afternoon they came to my room* and Mrs. Botha said, 'Well, Louis, what kind of a morning had you?’ He replied, 'Not very good, Mother; noi) very good. You see, Mother, Clemen* ceau got very irritated with President Wilson, and Lloyd George the’same witU Orlando. No, it wasn’t a pleasant morning. Nearly everyone was irri*' table.’ Then 'Mother* said, 'I think it disgusting, Louis, that these men, settling the peace of the world, should allow their -own little petty .irritabilities to interfere with the great work.’ And Botha replied, 'Ah, Mother, you must make allowances. Men are only human.’ ‘I don't make allowances/ ierked in 'Mother.’ 'I think it’s dis* gusting.’ 'Don’t say that, Mother,' h« replied. 'I remember one time, long ago. when we made our little peace, you used to get very irritable at times, and I had to make a lot of allowances fos you. You must try and make the same for these poor people now.’ 'Mother* never even replied to this, but jumped from her chair and left tho room, and the big man's face broadened into ri smile. Yes. Botha was big—a giant among men.” Dancing and Its Critics.

The sweeping assertions of Herbert Booth with 1 regard to dancing and ilg evils formed the basis of several inter* vto.vs with the clergy of various denofliinations by an Auckland “Star" representative. On the whole they were not sympathetically received, though! some of the clergy pronounced themselves against dancing. Bishop Averill confessed that hb took a liberal view on the question of dancing. Personally, he said, during an interview-, he had, as a matter of conscience, abstained from dancing or attending dances eince he was ordained. He had never desired to go . to them, but his opinion was that dancing was natural in human beings. An illustration of that was to bo seen in the way the children of the East End of Loudon clustered round the barrel-organs playing in the streets and danced to,, their heart’s delight. "It seems to me," ha added, “that some form of dancing is therefore natural, and if it is to be conducted with due regard to propriety I do not see that there would be any harm in it. But there is no question that it has lapsed from the highest ideals, and has laid itself open to a objectionable element, to which -I thank people can rightly take exception, judging from tho reports coming from many quarters." The bishop-further remark, ed that it was very difficult to condemn dancing altogether, and it was very difficult to approve of it altogether in its modern devolution, because there were some aspects of it which all right-think-ing people considered to be harmiu.. “Would you allow dances in ,cnurcb halls?” tho bishop was asked. "I certainly should not encourage it, was his reply, "but," he added, "there might be special circumstances when there would be sufficient reason tor permitting a dance in a church hall. On the attitude of the clergy towards dancing, he said he did not think they went to dances as a rule, but there was no reason why they should not go if they ""Ntodoubt," he concluded, "there are many things about dancing that are rotten, and what is wanted is to bring it back to a pure and innocent social recreation. A MEMORIAL SERVICE THE LATE MRS. A. R. ATKINSON. A memorial service for the late Mr*. A R. Atkinson was held in the v Street Baptist Church last , T “ speakers were the Rev. b. Beckingha (pastor), who conducted the service, and Mr Justice Adams. Special hymns m accordance with the service were sung. In eulogising the work and influence of Mrs. Atkinson, Mr. Justice Adams said that no man, no woman lived to themselves, whether they were selfish, pleasure-loving, ignoble or ’'bethel thev led a life that was full of and high ideals. Such a loss to Vbem all as had happened in the death of Mrs Atkinson—a loss that was national in every sense of the word-was a direct challenge to every man and • examine where they stood, and what they were prepared to give for otbeis. It was a call from the State—a.call tor Aid citizenship, a call to do their best to help the municipal and governmental ito of tltoir country. It was a privileStor eTery young man and woman to be alive to-day, because in thei' hands lav the budding up and the future of what he hoped was going to lie a great and good nation - The crucial was how were they going to choose? “ Pleasure turned ashes: money and ambition were in later ™rs but Dead Sea fruit, but in service for others, in working to make this beaufiful country of ours fiw? » clean, and beautiful was to be found the true satisfaction of Hie. Such an influence as that of Mrs. Atkinson, fragrant, powerful, beautiful, would not: vanish. with her bodily presence, but would live on and gain in strength as the J-Xs passed by, and her work became m T r heß"v!i’. Beckingham also emphathe point that the death of Min. Atkinßon was a direct challenge to eveiy { one to step forward and to tiy to i the breach. Every man and eveiy woimrl in tbeir power to do sornoXg to lift a little higher the life of H e community, and to help their weaker brothers and sisters. Mr. Beckingham his tex t "Well done, good and InOifM a rvant.’ Enter thou into the in l of the Lord." Whilst realising to the full the great loss that had been 1 thov had to remember the sor ’intowhich their beloved friend Pnd nnssed Mr: Beckingham also read had vas.ca. letters that hud ft r<36 received by the bereaved family, showing how widespread was the eo ™^ f +hnt was felt over the death of Mrs. Mkinson. and how far-reaching was her personality and influence.