Women in Print.

Evening Post, Volume xciv, Issue 73, 24 September 1917, Page 9

Women in Print.

One of .the prettiest _ entertainments yet given took place in the Concert Chamber on Saturday afternoon, when Miss Nesta Car-well Cooke's pupils gave a "Red, White, and Blue" afternoon in aid of Kelburn Day at the Wellington Bed Cross Shop. The decorations were extremely prettily carried out in the patriotic colours, and the children's dresses were en suite, one group having been dressed in red, another in white, and the third in blue—a decidedly effective arrangement. The Kelburn class opened with a grand march, and otheir of their performances were various forma of exercises, circles, Swedish drill, a gallop, and a grand chain, in- all of which the audience showed much interest. In addition, ' little Miss Mavis Fearce danced a solo very nicely indeed, and the Misses B. Oavel'l, N. Hunt, M. Pearce, 0. Goodall, N. Phipson, and M. Tolan gave an action song. The Misses J. Mather, P. Tanner, and M. Curtis performed an Irish jig," Miss Mavis Tolan a dance militaire, and the Misses M. Smith, D. Plata, V. Nesbitt, E. Boyes, B. Waters, and N. Boyes a scarf ballet, which was much applauded. Little Miss Ngaire Phipson was the soloist dancer in this particular item. The skipping-rope dance of Miss Car-well-Cooke was an excellent performance, and equally graceful was the dance which she gave in reply to an encore. A march by all the performers to the strains of "The Marseillaise" followed, with Mr. Goudie as soloist. During the second part of the programme songs were sung by Madame Anderson, Miss E«ne Woolley, and-Mr. Goudie, and. a recitation given by Miss M. Nicholls. Mr. Moschini gave a clarinet solo. The orchestra, who played for the dancing, consisted of Mrs. Grant (piano), Mr. Peek (cornet), and Mr. Wolfgang (violin). Afternoon tea, in charge of Mrs. Hanan, was handed round by. a number of girls. The sweets and flower stall was presided over by Mre. N. A. Campbell, and the decorations were delightfully arranged by Mrs. G. BeD (organiser) a-nd Mre. Carwell Cooke. Dr. Platts-Mills,. president of the Reserve, said a few words of thanks to Miss Car well Cooke for the excellent entertainment provided, specially as she had not intended.her pupils to give a public performance this year, and only yielded to the request of the Kelbnm W.N.B. A sum of about £40 will be the result of the entertainment. Thanks were due to the many helpers, including Mrs. Houston (Khaudallah), who sent in flowers; Miss Murray for baskets of flowere ; Mise Turner, who took the door money; and all the Kelburn residents who contributed cakes, etc., for the afternoon tea.

A most successful dance was given at the Returned Soldiers' Club on Saturday evening by the n.c.o.'e of the 35th Reinforcements, when, by their request, arrangements were made by the Club Committee. There were many guests,, including the committee and about 70 girls who usually attend the dances at the club, as well as many soldiers. The stage was decorated with palme, and there were many flowers set about, arum lilies, looking well on the stage, with vases of anemones, white broom, and spring bulbs. The Trentham Band came in for the occasion, and supplied ' the music for the dancing, which always makes it most enjoyable. Supper was served in the gymnasium, where floral decorations were well carried out with crimson rhododendrons, red camelias, and white flowering broom. Among the committee members present were Mns. Massey (president), Mrs. J. P. Luke, Mrs. ,Salmond (secretary), Mrs. L. Blundell, Mrs. EC Hall, Mns. W. Nathan, Mrs. C. Earle. The last-named was busy looking after the dancing, as well as being the hostess for the evening in the tea-room, where her helpers had a very busy time serving tea and supper. to the many soldiers who were | in. During the earlier part of the evening and afternoon many came in for tea, and there was some singing and playing among the soldiers before the dance started. A matter that gives the committee much pleasure is the fact that the attendance at the club, which has suffered since the new railway arrangements, came into force, has improved considerably again.

The Wellington ladies' hockey team has returned from Christchurch.

Mrs. Statham has returned to Dunedin.

Miss K. Grabham is visiting friends in Chriatchurch. , .

Last Friday Miss Cooper ajid Miss Moss had a beautiful display of flowers at the Wellington Red Cross Shop, which found a ready sale. This stall has made over £50 for this month from sale of flowers.

Mrs. Arthur Vaughan, of Pahiatua, who has been spending a few weeks in the city with. Mjrs. Peter Olson, has returned home.

The convener of the shilling stall in connection with Paddy's Market, Mrs. Salek, will be very glad to receive contributions suitable for her stall, and intending donors are asked to leave their contributions either at the. Red Cross Depot in the Star Boating Club Buildings or else at No. 216, The Terrace, if more convenient.

Another competition in connection with Paddy'e Market is announced, and one that will appeal to those who have taken the trouble to study the art of cookery. A silver wristlet watch is offered as a prize for plain sponge cakes, to be made by girls under sixteen. Also a gold wristlet watch as first prize for an iced butter eponge with a fancy filling, made by a person over sixteen. Entry forms may be obtained at 31, Hunter-street, or at'Stewart Da.wson's, where the watches are on view. Entries close on Wednesday, and cakes must be sent in by Thursday.

"La Mascotte," at the Grand Opera House on .Saturday, from start to finish was a bright and cheerful entertainment, and the frocking was well-designed and handsomoi The difficulty of presenting an opera which requires so many men in the chorus, was met by putting ladies into the parts in costumes, and, as usual, they rose to the occasion, and wore tinaccustomed costumes "as; ito the manner born," In the March of the Amazons they were dressed as soldiers of the Napoleon poriod, in scarlet and white, with long black cloaks from the shoulders, and went through au intricate march •with a spirit of precision which earned a hearty recall. This march reflected great credit oil the instructor as well a.3 the ladies itaking part. The opening chorus of peasants was a. very well designed scene, and the bright-striped dresses made a. good 'background for the Court party, who were in riding costumes of brown velvet faced with green, and wide turned-up hats with white plumes, "the "men" of the party being in brown velvet tunics, green tights, and brown slouched hats. In this scene Miss Wilford, as Princess Fiametta, was in an olive-green velvet riding dress, with a ca-pe from tho shoulders, and a becoming green hat and plume. Mies Oard'ner, ih« nvtßoott,?, Bftttina, won? a striped skirt and velvet bodice, and a

battered straw hat and. clogs. The court costumes in the second act were more attractive. A group of pages, some dressed in shades of saxe-blue, with a ohequered slashing introdxieing a purple shade, and others in fawn and brown in the same style, looked striking in the setting, which was of all shades of gold and brown, from cream to Vandyke. Princess Piametta, in the grand scene, wore a dainty frock of pal© mauve satin opening over a flowered-lace jupon, with a court train of satin of a deeper shade. Bettina, transformed into -a Court lady, looked very charming in a lemon silk gown over a jupon of buttercup satin heavily embroidered in gold thread and colours. The bodice was jewelled, and later a long Court trnin was added rto the costume, and a becoming head-dress of ostrich feathers. The wedding dresses worn by tho two ladies were of white georgette, with hanging sleeves of gold tissue, white veils, and pearl vandeaux. Fiamebta's last appearance was in a gipsy costume, in which she danced delightfully. Miss Dorothy Satmders also took a gipsy port, in a well-designed costume, and her dance was encored. Mrs. James Hannah can again be congratulated on the delightful harmonies in colour •which the costumes presented, backed iby eqitally beautiful scenery, specially painted for the occasion by Mr. Beck. There were many lovely bouquets and baskets of flowers, which were to have been presented at the conclusion of the play, but, owing to the vagaries of the curtain, only one reached its destination.

The Catholic Knitting Guild is calling a meeting of Bed Cross workers in connection with "Our Day," on Wednesday, at S o'clock, at St. Patrick's Hall, Boul-cott-sfcreet. All interested are asked to attend.

A wool-classing class for ladies has been formed in connection with the Petone Technical School. The class meets on Saturday mornings, and met for the first time last week. As far as can be a-scertained this is the only class of its kind in the Dominion. The director of the school, Mr. J. H. Lynskey, would be glad to enrol new students.

I The effects of the strike in Sydney were ovidently not all to the bad, as the following from a correspondent in that city shows:—Do you remember the Central Railway Station in Sydney? You know whoiher it is clean or not. Its grimy appearance is a disgrace at all time. But ■now ! Oh, things are very different! The big strike is on, and the medical students from the Universities aro volunteers at the railway station. They sweep, and scour, and scrub, and polish till arriving and departing passengers rub their eyes and look in amazement at the transformation. It is now a spotless and beautiful place, one of the sights of Sydney. Unfortunately, it is rather a long walk from most places, and sight-seeing presents difficulties.

Among the pleasant war stories is the following': —Two wealthy American ladies —Mrs. William Crocker and Miss Daisy Polk, both of San Francisco—have for several months been hard at work rebuilding Vitremont, one of the many villages in Lorraine devastated in the early days of the war by the army of the German Crown Prince. It was a pleasant, picturesque little village, seventy houses clustered together—little . shops, little farms, little school, little 15th century church—happy and hard-working, and prosperous. Then the war came —nearer and nearer—till shells fell thick and fast on Vitremont itself, and one building after another fell like a house of cards or caught fire and blazed away as it liked, with no on© to pour water on the flames. Later, wb.efl the tide of war had receded, Mrs. CrocKer and Miss Polk went to the French Government, asking permission to rebuild the village more or less as it was before, the war, so that the men mightn't have such hopeless desolation to come back to by and by. So there they have beei hard at it, with neutral carpenters and builders to do the work, for, obviously, ■ France couldn't spare many. But the whole thing mo-y very likely be brought to a standstill foil a time now, because Qermaii submarines are making it increasingly difficult to import materials for building, and skilled labour is wanted for so many different things all at once that "Do nothing whatever to-day tha-t ye can possibly put off till to-morrow" has to be the motto in Franco to-day in regard to anything that does not directly help with getting on with the war.

Private H. Collins, son of Mr, Collins, of Takapuna, writing from " Somewhere iv' France," makes some interesting remarks regarding the ex-ops in that country. The weather, he stated, at the time of writing was all that could be desired, and the country was looking beautiful. Both tho crops and the fruit were ripening, and they had had plenty of cherries and a few strawberries. The latter, however, were wild and did not equal the strawberries grown in New Zealand. Hehad only seen one or two grape-vines, and hardly a grape on them, as they were too far north for grapes to grow wiell. The wheat, oats, barley, and clover, however, grew wonderfully well. He had never seen any crops like them in New Zealand. The people there put the clover-up in stooks, just as we did the oats over here, and in a few weeks another crop could be cut off the same paddock. Every inch of ground was cultivated. They grew French beans by the acre, and potatoes almost by the square mile. The French women were great workers on the farm, and it was an everyday sight to see a farmer, his wife, and daughter working in the fields all day—and their day's work was from daylight till dark, at 10 p.m. at this time of tho year. Of course they did very little in the winter, as the ground was covered with snow. An interesting point, the writer concluded, was the fact that these people went through all their crops and pulled the weeds out, even the wheat and oats. •

The New Zealand soldier is not slow to appreciate any kindness done him, in his time of need, and indeed his gratitude is often touching in its heartiness. From its soldier friends the Y.M.C.A.^ receives many outspoken expressions of gratitude, which amply reward its busy workers, and put/ the hall-mark of success on their efforts. Private Duncan M'Leau, in a recent enthusiastic letter from France, writes:—"Let it be widely known through the length and breadth of the fair isles of New Zealand that their V.M.C.A. are the people who, under the able guidance of' Mr. Hay, are here _ on the spot amongst the shells doing a great work amongst the hoys, both temporarily and spiritually. . . . They know what is most needed. Night work is again in vogue, and very hard it is toiling up the line in the da.r'k and working for hours at all sorts of repair work—work which if I describe it will cause the Censor to. use his blue pencil. But that is whore, the Y.M. steps in and turns on free cocoa and biscuits. In- the middle of tlie night or small hours of the morning it is always ready and hot for tho tired, fed-up, weary hoys on the way to their hard beds. Good old Y.M. We simply oan't ehakn thorn off, co they go to Germany with «» w^ea we go,"