MAINLY FOR WOMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 June 1922, Page 8

MAINLY FOR WOMEN

NEWS AND NOTES. In the United States, high-heeled shoes for ladies a.e disappearing. All the shops display shoes, including evening shoes, with flat heels. Countess Marie Antouictte Pi lie Brahe-Selby, of the best Danish nobility, is the latest pioneer among her countrywomen. She is now in the East, on board the Selandia, as a common sailor, in order to serve a term as electrical apprentice on board. In four years’ time she will be a fullfledged engineer and feels sure there will be plenty of work for her. Her services on board the Selandia will extend over four months. She has her own private cabin, and enjoys all the privileges of a first-class passenger when her eight hours’ work is done. Pearls ami diamonds are always p< piilar with fashionable women, . although other precious and semi-pre-cious stems are subject to the variations of the mode. At present sapphires continue to be the favoured stones. Emeralds are also coveted, but the comparative rarity of large ami perfect specimens and their high price make it impossible for any except the richest to be fortunate possessors of the best stones. A cho’ce emerald should be large, deep in colour, and free from cracks or cloudy markings. The London County Council now boasts 16 women, and as a result of this inclusion the public are showing much greater interest in the council s doings 'and attend in large numbers, says Constance Clyde. 01 these 16 women four are aldermen. Lady St. Holier is the doyen, having been elected in 1910 when the council was just open io women. Mrs IValter Phipps, who was made an aiderman in 1913, is described as a woman of great capability, her chief interest being in housing reform. Miss Lawrence represents Labour interests ; she was formerly a fox huntress, but has intellectual interests as well. Dr. Adeline Roberts and Miss Rachel Parsons (an engineer) are among the newest L.C.C. members. It is by no means easy for a woman to be chosen for this important civic, body. I uless she has had considerbale experience in some form of public work, as well as intellectual ability, she has not the. remotest chance. The novelty of having women in public life has long since worn off, ami the tests are now perhaps harder for a woman than for a man. When the mother of Marv Stella Nash, aged 15 months, th<- caugl.ter of pii accountant’s clerk, of Hendon, Lon<fon, placed her in a imr.imlmlat.ir in the garden she also pal alongside an india-rubber hot-water -bottle. Shortlv afterwards it was found that the bottle had burst, and the child - was so severely scalded that she died the same day in the Middlesex hospital from shock from scalds. At the ini quest a verdict of accidental death was I returned. I An impudent claim, by the Berlin firm of Drecoll, that Queen Mary had purchased two dresses from it obtained circulation a lew weeks ago in the Paris edition of an American paper. Almost simultaneously with this, the Berlin correspondent of a London paper sent to it a message stating that .Princess Alary had ordered two new dresses from Mcssr s Drecoll, that the gowns were made wholly by German workers, and partly from German material. Messrs Drecoll alleged that they had previously been patronised by the English Royal Family, and that this was the first order since the war. There was talk of a lady-in-waiting who came as a special courier with the measurements of her”royal mistress. The dresses were themselves described in elaborate detail. It was said that Baron Drecoll, the head of the firm, who is 70 years old, had designed them. He himself displayed these dresses, which wen?, it was said, to be despatched by special messenger* at the first opportunity. A reference of these statements by the German costumier at Buckingham Palace ilicted the following official statement: —“A report has been published in Taris that the Queen had ordered two dresses from Messrs Drecoll, a Berlin firm of dressmakers. The report is a pure fabrication. Her Majesty ami the Princess have never had any dealing with the firm in question.”

Chaperons arc coming back into fashion and prominence (says the Daily Chronicle). The free and easy ways, which were the outcome of the war, permitting young people to go to 'dances and arrange meetings fdr all occasions without thought of the proprieties, are passing rapidly. During the. coming season a reversion almost to the pre-war order of things will probably be found, and. though the modern chaperon no longer sits out with her sister chaperons and watches the youthful members of her party dancing together, but is as enthusiastic a dancer as anyone, she will be much in evidence, and virtually in charge of the party. The practice of going to every dance with the same partner and dancing through the entire programme with him only, which has so long been the popular method, is almost obsolete. At private dances guests arc expected to dance with the partners introduced by their hostess, who only a little while ago would not Eave thought of finding partners for any but obvious wallflowers. The best ess presumes that the young girls invited have joined a party accompanied by a chaperon. Parties made up for subscription balls should include one or two married women. The age of the chaperon of to-day is the chief difference between her and the dowager who, 10 years back, clad in rustling silk and diamonds, sat against the ballroom wall in stately boredom half the night..