WOMEN OF THE WORLD.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 April 1923, Page 4

WOMEN OF THE WORLD.

.MAORIS REMARKAELE. MARIE TEMPEST'S IMPRESSIONS. Let observation with extensive view Survey mankind irom China to Peru. —Hr Johnson. That is what I have been doing for the last six years. And not only mankind, hut womankind its well! 1 have seen then; all, from the (lower-girl ol China to the naked Zulu of South Africa. And all, clothed and unclothed, arc women with the power of dominating the lives of men (writes Miss .Marie Tempest, in the “Weekly IMspatelt")

Perhaps the most, remarkable woman , 1 ever met was in Northern New Zen- j land, to a luxuriant district riddled j with hot springs. Ry a rushing pev- .

i saw standing a .Maori girl, Had , in a hi idle of patterned straw, with a ] bright embroidered shawl carelessly j hung over her shoulders. She turned , and advanced towards us, greeting us I in perfect English. It was net only j h'onitifully pronounced; it was the i English of a pat tirulariy cultivated 1 woman. I low she ever learned it is a ; mystery. Hut all the Maori women are | nivstei i-.'s. There i- mystery in their-voi-a". verv '-oft and languid, with aj de'.iiioiis tiud-ie that suggests remote, j forgotten things. There is mystery in j t j.-. \ .-meets al-o, whether they i are walltiog. or bending to wash their • lii-.-n in the lioi 'prings. or working il enis-.-lvi-s to a. frenzy in their wild poi (Inures. A KK-SOK IN PKPORTM EXT. 'i'lle same graee. lull without the underlying beauty ol spirit, 1 noticed in the Kafir women. To -o- a Kafir woman walk is in it'fll' a lesson in deportment. It is a- though a bronze siaiue were in come to hie. with the pi- nul sweep the neck, the exquisile . poise of I he shoulders, and the careless swing of the hips. 1 wondered at first, i wbv these women bore themselves so | W'Oildei fully, and then I realised that it j was because thev carried everything on i In-ir heads. To iiu 1 a complete mntra-t to the Kafir, one would have to travel to [ ( Pina. There is lit tie of Nature about j Chim-so girls. With their doll-like j lae'-s, their pineli'-d feet. their tin.v j hands. I, laying listlessly with fan o: • flower, they are like exquisite marion- j nil,.-, tar removed from tin- storm and ■ st res., of life, writes Miss Marie Tent- j lest. tin.- d, es not usually associate cos-; u -lie With China. hut the Chinese t ni;l makes up with a I lioroiigliuesa f w Inch would put ia-r Parisian sister to Pome. Tile pure mail filep: -u del el dead wh.ite, and only a liiin . hue of vermilion mark- the lips. The i-u-l-rniis are delicately peneill.-d, and a p -rfiinie ol violets or ia-niim- ding, i - the -ilk--0 dress. And the whole etieei is heightened by a • luster of scarlet dowers, burning bright against-j i-'-r hair. SMIi.KS AND STARRY EYES. ! a t ill the same uiinialare - • '-1*■ arc i! • u oun-n - i P- urma. Ti-.-y are tiet'em now, siulng in their niulli-i-.il-iaired b.r/.aiirs. scrambling round me to i gamine my jewel-. She I - a c ar liu 1-- thing, y- nr Eur-mc-c, like a grown-up liaby. even : l ough -la- - cigar- nine inches long and putt's 111.- -11, in: O your oyi - laughing. 1 1, - a k i 1 I: - w - iig-a of Ihuiiba \ , 0--p -chilly I lie Parsecs. Their eyes. Inn- - . lik- la mi". luiunt i- - .gl!. Win!.- playing ••.Mary Coe. !-'i ■:'' m Ik many. I peeped i liroiigu I Pa I liri-iiii non- I la- plat began. and i iicm sjtiing in the semi-dark-in-.s. -ilcni Inn waii-liiug. Il wa> like .- dail; -k\ . -wn will, star-. .‘mu! 1 -I I. Pen- eye - sparkl-d w hen lie.. It t.-n, -| lo the play ! “.Mary <-. - P-i 1. no child's work. It m- d- -1 i-1"!ca -1 all'lillg of English p i i t u - ,- a-1 a I !ii k- a pjiri -i-i.-i l inn of wit. lint il went as well Pei.ire life Ik: ;--v as I:,.; on • I tie -Ilia rt e-t ti rst - u ' a ado in ••• in i In- West End. "CARMEN" IN REA I, 1.l l-'E." I oner rea I ism | how fine it i - t ha. t .1 i Pc - cri . stage" imt il I met t lie !•': 1 mi.--1 1 v.oiiiiin at Maniia. Tliere, i.ue 1 ! ; i;. . -I-ui ted a 11 c; no"ii, I tvauden . 1 I v. oh my liu -band into tin- parterre -it : •• aiic!--nl iL.-aiie wP.-: e we were j J ’ P-. ii'L . I n I b" eat rau- -■ i priii-e. I in . n -a i-'-n n! . Tin- e irridor w as lull

of women who had poured out from the local factory. They strolled round and round, wearing brilliant shawls and jewelled combs whitli contrasted strangely with their rough hands. It was the first act of "Carmen’’ over again. Their everv movement was ot I xolie grai e. They -at on the counter, playing can's and drinking yellow wine. They screamed like cockatoos when something displeased them. They smoked endless cigarettes and sang snatches of song in the blue smoke. Rut—| suppose ti is inevitable I say tiii—the English girl heats them all. We (pta ti el with our ilimate. we curse tln- rain, t.-c fume at the fog, but we should he I hank!til for the (lowers that they bring. For to see English girls again is like coming to fresh roses after one’s eyes have been dtcjuktl with the heautv of the hot house.