DON’T WANT TO MARRY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 22 July 1926, Page 8

DON’T WANT TO MARRY.

A DISAPPOINTED SISTERHOOD

CURIGA'S CLUB IN LONDON

MENTION OF MAN TAT 00

Never to ninny. Never to fall in love. To siliiMi tille society of men on a,LI 11 o.ssiblc oeeaisio n,s. These .are the sworn objects, of a remarkable olnh for women which has recently been formed in London. All the members ate women who have been disappointed in love or who, lor other reasons, have no desire to marry or have any dealings with men. Some are young girls whose hopes of happiness* have been shattered by broken engagements-; others are manned women whoso hush anils. have deserted them ; a few are natural “manhater.--” sworn to life-long enmity of the male. Every prospective member, before ,-he cap lie .accepted, must sa.tisly the committee, that she has been wronged or disKiippioi nted by a mum. Tier ca.se is alien considered on its merits, and if ah.e committee decide that she has just ran use for hatred, .she is admitted into the ..sister,hood. .Made Her Shudder. PremiscY-i have been, acquired in the centre of the city with a lounge, smoke mum, writing-loom, and dining-room, Any topic under the sun may he discussed ibuc one-man. A member guilty of mentioning the name— oven though, it he,only to condemn—-is liable •to a fine ranging from, a shilling to five shillings, according to the enormity of her od'encc. I. found several of the members, ot the disappointed sisterhood taking afternoon tea in. their 'blue and gold lounge (writes, a woman, who visitedthe club). There were two elderly women and four or five girls, but 1 could not- get any one of them to talk about men. When I aPteimpted to introduce the subject one of the elder women smilingly pointed to a. printed list ot rules hanging oil the wall. Another member actually shuddered, as though .she felt a draught. From a member of the committee,?/,ksJ Gertrude Grage, however, 1 was able to get the story of the club's’foundation. and learn something of the tragic stories which almost every member can tell. How It Started. “The idea was really started, said Mis,. Grage, “by a woman who bad been engaged for seven years only to: rjco her lover marry another woman. “telhe had spent pound's on her tro-us-teeau; her father had given bar <i furnished house, and the date of the miair-5-ia.ge .luacl ’keen arranged. Then suddenly her lover cried off, .and slice dis>novered tluait for some time be had been, ipayitug attention to another girl. “When the facts became known .she found thiat few people had any sympathy lor a. -jilted woman. So she -re-, (solved to get into touch, if .possible, with, women in a .similar position, aaud with, this object inserted an advertisement in the agony columns’. The result iwa.s a shoal of letters; a meeting Wjas arranged, and the club is the- outcome. Dcivorted After 2o Years. “You .may call usi tillc* ‘disappointed c-;i,;iterhond.’ if you like.” paid ATis® Grage. laughingly, hut w.e manage to o;>ii:>a>lo ourselves well with each otiherM Kocieiiy. -Ait- any rate, we are never lonely now; we can always- come down to the oili-L when we- feel blue and dumpy. “A.liv.mly we have over fifty liieini.K>r- and Irc.-h applications are being received every day. Hut for the existence of i lie (lu)i- w-e should pi oh ably all l.e sitting. at home thinking wh.it bfilters men. arc.” One oi the members, Miss Grage i-aiil, was a, in.allied, woman whose litis-, band de.-eried l her after 2o years. Tie Left the house one morning, apparently to go -to husin.esis a.s usual, and never returned. She a.literwa.rdis learn that lie bad eloped with his typist. This woman is mnv a. member of the committee. .and it is one of her duties to decide -whether a. prospective member who has* been harshly treated. slbouLd be admitted. , Another member is a girl of 22. who 'was Actually waiting at the church on what wa.s- to have been- her wedding day when the news was brought that her bridegroom-to-be bad already been married an hour before to xomeoaio else. One of the club's most confirmed man-bate r.s is! a woman of d.'S. who bin's been, engaged to he- nua.i lied three times, and has been disappointed oil each occasion. Twelve months ago ,sh© wa.s induced by a man friend to invest tier ravings in an oil company and lost everything. Now she never speaks to U m.emlh-er of the opposite sex. except when .compelled. Still another member Is a victim of tli-e notorious .super-bigamist, Leslie, whose exploit-; startled the country ■seme months. ago. She also- entrusted him with, her s,livings to invest, and {i.a.s not had .a penny hack.