TOPICS FOR WOMEN

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 120, 23 May 1930, Page 13

TOPICS FOR WOMEN

Mrs. M. E. Fulton returned this morning from an extended visit to the South Island. Miss Williams and Miss Nancy Williams, Lower Hutt, arc spending the holidays at Auckland. Miss Ada M'Elrea, Dunediii, left by the Marama, en route for England and America. Mr. and Mrs. William ME rea are in Wellington. Mrs. D. S. Hamilton Ikis returned to Lower Hutt after spending some weeks in Auckland. Miss Gladys Smyth, Northland, is a visitor to Masterton. Mr. and Mrs. Kay ward, Wellington, are visiting Christchurch. Mrs. Leslie Moss, Wellington, is visiting New Plymouth. Mrs. G. Withers, Auckland, is a visitor to Wellington. Commodore and Mrs. Blake are visitors to' Auckland. Miss M'Lcan, Napier, has returned North after a visit to Wellington. Mrs. W. White and Miss White, Marahako, Hawkes Biy, and Mrs. and •Miss. Jones, Koputaroa, arc tho guests of Mrs. Gilehrisfc, I'etone. Miss Enright, Cliristeluircli, who has been visiting Mrs. W. White, Hastings, has arrived in Wellington. Mrs. T. Dawson, Wellington, is the guest of Mrs. Quilliam, New-Plymouth. Eecent visitors to the Southern Lakes, who stayed at the Star Hotel, Queonstown, were Mrs. and Miss Gellatley, Messrs! II." B. Barclay, M'Quarrie, and L. J. Schmitt. Mr. and Mrs. E. Rawnsley, Takapuna, have arrived .to take up their residence in Wellington. Miss E. M. Arnold, nursing sister of the Eoy«' College at Nelson for the past two years, has severed her connection with the college on account of her approaching marriage, says the "Nelson ■Mail." The boarders and staff expressed regret at her departure and presented her with a rug and solid leather suit case suitably inscribed. Sister Arnold has many friends both in Nelson and Wellington, where she was on the staff of tho Public Hospital from 1919 to 1923. . Only four days after celebrating her hundredth birthday, Mrs. Mary Kiddock died at Talboy's Home yesterday, telegraphs "Tho Post's"-Dunodin correspondent. On Sunday she received numerous congratulations on her birthday, and was so well that she was able to sit up and see friends. She was visited by the Mayor and Mayoress, and also received a message of congratulation from Sir Joseph Ward. An Enjoyable Evening. Much pleasure was given by the playreading circle of the' Pioneer Club to a large audience when they read the clever play by St. John Ervino, "The First Mrs. Fraser." . Mrs. Albert Russell was in tho name part, and excellent rendering, others talcing part being Mesdames Perry, Steele, C. Weston, and Misses Florence Penney, M. Myers, and M. Downes. Party at the Borstal. A very happy party was given at the Borstal Institution by the members of the Women's Committee of I''c Borstal. The entertainment took place last evening, and consisted of a tea and a concert afterwards. Mesdames Tait, O'Shea, P. Fraser, and Coventry went out in the afternoon, and, with the assistance of Miss Escott and staff, decorated the dining-room in I'ergusson House brightly with balloons, flowers, and streamers. The tea tables were to match, artistically decorated by Mrs. Tait, and gifts of Easter eggs, tiny kewpies, and bonbons were placed for every girl, j Adding to the pleasure was a box of gay paper hats brought by Dr. Platts-Mills, and another was a visit from Mr. Dallard, who came in for a while as Mrs. Dallard was unable to attend. ■ After tea everyone gathered round a blazing fire, when stories were told, and the (girls displayed considerable talent in song and recitation. Later, Mrs. Wilfred Andrews arrived, with Misses Mary and Winnie Cooley, and then the inmates had a great treat in the way of songs from Mrs. Andrews, recitations . from 'Miss Mary Cooley, and music from her sister. It was a delightful entertainment, and will bo long remembered with- pleasure. Mrs. G. W. Forbes. Mrs. Forbes, wife of the Prime Min-ister-elect, was, before her .marriage,, Miss Winnie Gee, tho youngest daughter of tho late Mr. Thomas Gee, a wellknown timber merchant in Christchurch some years ago, says the "Christchurch Star." She has a family of three, one son and two daughters. Mrs. Forbes was married two years after Mr. Forbes drew his section in the Cheviot Estate, and she went to live thero with her husband. She was among the first women settlers on tho estate, and gave much aid to her husband in-breaking in the country. Her long association with Cheviot' has resulted in her being connected with many organisations in tho district, where she is held in the highest regard. During the war, she was an ardent Red Cross worker, and also gave great assistance with all tho local wartime activities. Flower Superstitions. • Tho conviction that "it is unlucky to take may, broom, or heather indoors springs from tho fact that to pick these flowers was considered tantamount to stealing, states an exchange. White was a sacred colour, denoting purity, and may was the first spring glory of the hedgerows, shining white after winter's darkness. To pluck this precious emblem of spring was said to be robbing the hedgerow, and Nature would take a terrible vengeanco on the thief who concealed her riches in his house. Broom was tho flower of tho common, therefore- tho property of the community, and woe,betide any thief who sought to rob the common, and to put public property in his own house. But white heather was exempt from this law; in fact, white heather was peculiarly lucky to the- possessor. Fashions in Perfumes. A new craze akin to that for cock-, tails has broken out in Paris. This is an affair, however, not of drink, but of port"ume. Just as many men pride themselves upon a personal blend of tobacco, so women now arc seeking personal blends of perfume (writes the Paris corrcsx)ondent of the London Telegraph"). A vendor of sweet essences is in some cases said to be comparable to an American cocktail mixer. A clieut sitting at a stool at his "bar" demands a perfume which shall be her very own. From a dozen flasks the purveyor of tho perfume sprays his essences, and as he does so the client selects this one and that us ingredients of tho mixture sho is to purchase. In consultation with the perfumer she arranges tho proportions of each scent needed for the composition of her choice. This done, she leaves tho "bar" with a kind of prescription enabling her to repeat the dose accurately as often as required. Woman loves to change her mind and to experiment with new blends of anything from drinks to perfume. She likes, moreover, to tell her friends after an hornhas been spent at tho perfume "bar'J^ all about the delightful new mixture' ie has discovered.

Darkness or Light?

In direct contrast with the French house, which makes for as much light- !- ing as possible, is the German room, c which on the whole is rather dark, says an English writer. Germans build their v new houses with the greatest regard •1 for light and air, but they have had - to cope with very little light indeed in the past. This is due not to a lack of light, but to the fact that they shroud their windows and their' lamps so that at least half the ordinary light is obscured. In the public places and restaurants the idea of the comfortable cellar still obtains, but the lighting itself is very good. With it is mixed a great deal of metal. There may be metal rolls in the ceiling which contain a cylinder of light. This is thrown downwards by the metal container. Sometimes lights aro alternated with bright metal bars. The mixture of light u-ith metal is indeed bo striking _ that many restaurants aro fitted up with a great deal of metal, which acts almost as do the French mirrors in reflecting the light. While all lighting romains very plain, some of the bigger buildings have adopted a rather flower-like convention. The light is thrown d,own by a calyx of white glass, and this _ is enclosed in another calyx, which in its turn is surrounded by a third. The whole looks rather like a 'gleaming white rose. Tubular lights aro frequently seen with bright metal holders at each end. There is, indeed, no lighting of any consequence which is not combined with metal, the use of which, whether it looks like it or not, is that of reflector. The Prince of Wales. "Our Prince of Wales seems to have been having a strenuous time with African 'effalunts,' and I don't suppose ho has had much timo for playing his beloved gramophone. This is quite a craze with him," states a London writer. "A friend who was a passen-' ger on the boat which took him to Africa on his last trip tells me that every night regularly the Prince appeared on deck carrying his portable gramophone to a secluded corner, whore he would set it down among a chosen few of his friends and listen to his favourite tunes, while the others were dancing in the ■ballroom, or playing bridge. While he has been away in Africa the work of furnishing his new house, Fort Belvedere, has continued busily. How splendid this house will be when finished. The Prince has taken such pains with it, and the last thing he did before leaving London was to make sketches showing exactly where he wanted certain pieces put. Every bedroom has its own bathroom. The lighting system he has chosen is modern, with concealed wall-lamps m the rooms, while those in the large hall have the appearance of torches set on pillars. ■Picture-hanging has escaped his attention. A line collection of old sporting prints will hang in the red dining-room, and in the lounge will be hung two specially commissioned paintings of his Moth aeroplane. New books will be ready for the Prince to read on his return. His taste in adventure and detective stories is well known, so that the now omnibus book of 'thrillers' mlUe added to the collection in his study. Nurses' Registration Bill. The opposition to the alteration in the Nurses' Registration and Training Act, which would permit training at private hospitals, is to receive all possible support from the members of the Otago branch of the Trained Nurses Association. There- are 243 members in this association, and-a-deputation waited on the Otago Women's Club, (one of the largest in membership in the Dominion), to explain the reasons for their strenuous objection to the proposal, and to ask aid in a petition to Parliament to protest against such an alteration. La,dy Ferguson conveyed to the nurses a resolution from the club supporting them in their contentions. ' ■ • Nursing Division. • A lecture on "Womanhood" was given by Miss Toeker at the fortnightly meeting of the Wellington South Nursing Division, there- being a good attendance of members and friends. The special functions of the body were described and diagrams shown by the 'lecturer, who was listened to with great attention, ' and at the close answered many questions. Mrs. Preston, who presided, proposed a hearty vote, of thanks for the very helpful talk, and a general desire was expressed for another lecture. The official marks of the recent Auckland competitions werereceived. For the Horsley Cup the Wellington South team came second, being two marks behind the Auckland Nursing Division, and for the Auckland Cup gained fourth place out of 17 entries from all over New Zealand. The team competing comprised: Mrs. Miller (leader), Miss Gaby (No. 3),. Mrs. Brico (No; 2), Mrs. Sharp (No. 1). Members were congratulated by Mrs. Preston on the position gained. An Elizabethan House. Lady. Evelyn Guinness has one of the most perfect reproductions of an Elizabethan house in London, and has even had the ceilings of some of the rooms lowered to make their proportions fi' in with her real Elizabethan tables and chairs, her old pictures and open ! hearths.' Dinner is served on a long, low refectory, table, decorated with, pewter dishes and lit only by candles. 'Every glass is an exact reproduction of an early seventeenth century one.