LADIES' GOSSIP.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11898, 23 May 1899, Page 6

LADIES' GOSSIP.

(" Canteebubt Times.")

Not quite two months ago there died at Honolulu, at the early age of twenty-six, the beautiful niece of Queen Libuotaliui, the ex-Queen of Hawaii. The . Princess Kaiulaui, who was the heir-presumptive to throne prior to the-annexation ot her country by the Americans, was a very charming and highly-educated lady. Her father was Mr Archibald Cleghorn, a Scotch trader, who married the sister oi the ex-queen, .and still resides at Honolulu. The Princess was educated at home, and was sent, at the age of eighteen, to England, where she was placed in the nominal charge of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and by his advice went to a first-class boarding-school near Wellingborough. Here her olive skin!, dark eyes and winning smile gained her many friends, and she not only enjoyed English people and their ways—which she quickly learned ..to.imitate —but she also won great ■popularity among her school companions., She was still at school when her aunt was deposed by American influence, and she conceived -the idea of going in person to America to make an appeal to Congress for the restoration of the Hawaiian monarchy. As the world knows, her courageous mission was a failure, and she returned to Honolulu, where she passed the few remaining years of her life.

„An entirely new opening for women has been suggested owing to the difficulty which the average Judge/finds in. settling disputes between and their clients. Colonial Courts lot, law are rarely stirred to irrepressible amusement by the hearing of' claims for damages on account of misfits, but in the Old World these cases are becoming somewhat frequent. Only the other day the Southwark County Court was not a little embarrassed by the disclosures made by the plaintiff, whose claim of about £8 for the value of spoiled material was stoutly resisted by her dressmaker. Mrs Jarchy, the plaintiff, had entrusted Miss Goldin, a dressmaker, with a quantity 01 serge and silk to make into a dressing-gown and a bodice. The -things were sent home, and when the owner tried to put on the blouse to go to an evening party it burst out in every direction, so she informed the hilarious Court. The dressing-gown was too tight also. The Judge inquired what was the custom of fitting dresses among ladies, whereupon' Mrs Jarchy immediately explained that she went to " try on " five times, Sunday after Sunday! This statement did not' lessen •ike amusement of lawyers, or Judge, who remarked at length that it was a most interesting way for any woman to spend the .Sunday. The dressmaker, who was a Russian, explained through an- interpreter that her client did not know:.her own mind. She wanted the' dressing-gown made- tight so that she could wear it as a walkingdregs, and then she wanted it loose, and finally she had had it altered to a new style. Amid a good deal of laughter, the lawyer defence observed that they should have lady judges to try such cases. The Judge ■ gob out of : this rather nice dispute in a, .masterly way. First of all ie summoned- up courage to examine the blouse with the' assistance of the two Court clerks. The result of this-was to make him. confess that he " did not understand these things, .but it looked to him ,as if the blouse had given way through being a little too tight.".. He accordingly gave judgment in favour of the defendant, but without costs. . *

If anyone were disposed to deny that a new spirit of sympathy" and..mutual helpfulness' is abroad' among women, the interest shown recently by English women in the girls of the Soudan would effectually refute such an accusation. This interest in our dusky-c'om'plexioned sisters in Africa, has manifested itself in a rather unexpected way, and affordsone more proof of what might be accomplished when men and women work together .in' the cause of progress. The' Women's Liberal Federation the other day passed a resolution approving of the Sirdar's plan for a college in Khartoum, but regretting that he had made no mention in his scheme for the education of women and girls. This resolution was duly sent to Lord Kitchener, who replied .promptly to the Society in a cordial strain, and in a way that will go far to strengthen the confidence reposed an him by the English nation. He was glad, he said, that his scheme for the Gordon Memorial College was approved of by the Federation, and; he hoped that, at no very remote date, it would be found possible to extend to the, girls of the Soudan those advantages which were now promised to the boys*. The letter ended asfollows:—" To effect this purpose, education :'fbr ? 'the women should' in schools -at the .larger-villages, where only daily attendance would be necessary. .Should I.'find it possible, 1 will'try this system' on a small scale, and, if successful results are obtained, I have no doubt that the women of England will assist in extending such education in the country." A striking instance of the miscarriage of justice at one of the Melbourne suburban courts has recently aroused the community to protest vigorously against such inhumanity. A woman was brought up at Carlton, North Melbourne, for abandoning her infant on a. doorstep. It was proved that poverty' had "driven her to this extremity, and also that the unfortunate mother had not really abandoned her child, for, like the Israelitish Miriam, she had actually watched the baby from a short distance to see that no> harm befel it until it was found. Yet the unhappy, woman was condemned to six months' imprisonment by a Bench of honorary Justices of the Peace. To the infinite credit of the people of Victoria, this unmerciful sentence aroused a storm of protest,. The "Age" denounced the injustice of the sentence in no measured terms. A large indignation meeting Was held in Carlton, at which about four dred men and women were present, and" a sufficient sum was raised; to defray the expenses of hiring a hall in which to hold; another public indignation meeting. Among,other speakers at the ;: first meeting, which,;, was held in the open-air, Mrs Jean Beadles-vice-president of the Women's Social and; Political Crusade, pointed out in what a different way Judge Hood had dealt with: a similar case which came before him on the same day. He had passed no sentence on the girl, but had handed her over to the care, of the .Salvation Army, a plan with which the Society, as social reformers, cordially "agreed. Ultimately a petition, drawn up to be sent to the Solicitor-General, praying for the immediate release of the woman from gaol,"was signed by nearly every man and woman present. The meeting also decided that steps should "be taken to have- the Justices who were responsible for this sentence removed from-their posts, but one would think that nothing more required to be done, and that -these persons would beiglad to hide ; tbeir ; diminished heads i% s pbscyrity. for the,future. ,