FOR WOMEN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17703, 1 February 1918, Page 3

FOR WOMEN.

NEWS AND NOTES

Dr and Mrs Gibson (Tiniaru) will leave for their homo to-day. Mi3s Ruth Benham (Dunedin) is visiting friends in Christchurch. Mrs 0. R. Williams (Wellington) is visiting Christchurch-

The Misses Loatham (New Plymouth) arrived in Ohristchurch yesterday morning, and are staying at Warner's. Mrs Mayne and Miss Edna Whitcombe (St Albans) have returned from Mount Egmont, where they spent their vacation.

Miss Macintosh, of Ballarat, Viotria, who has been visiting her sistelr, Mrs Mackenzie, Rangiora, left by a recent steamer for AustraliaMrs R, 0. Kinvig and Miss Kinvig, of Wellington, are in Christchurch, after (spending a month's holiday in Dunedin and Queenstown-

Mr and Mrs George Cooper, Mrs Eames and Miss Eames (Wellington), who have been spending a holiday in the Southern Lakes district, ara staying at the Clarendon. •**

Mrs W. H. Triggs, accompanied by her daughter, Mrs Hardwicke-Smith, left for Wellington last evening. Mrs Hardwicke-Smith has been staying with Mr and Mrs W. H. Triggs, Cashmere, for several weeks.

The Union Rowing Club held another very successful dance and social evening at 'the Boathouse on Wednesday, the fine dance hall being crowded. Tho members are taking a very active interest in thase evenings,, and are making them most! enjoyable. * The extras, which were played by the Union Rowing Club orchestra, Messrs A- Sutherland (piano), and W. Gopperth (violin), arc worthy of special mention. Two songs by Mr'Larson wore much enjoyed. The music was supplied by Mr RWoods. Among those present were : Mrs Duggan, MM Booth, Mrs Layton, Miss Timhrell Miss M'Cormick, Mis* Chapman, Misses Henderson, Mass Green, Miss Sycamore, Miss Brady, Miss Large and Messrs Kesteven, Duggan, Booth, Layton, Boag, Sheldon and Logan.

On January 29, at Belmont, Rangiora, Mrs C. W- Bell gave a "Scotch tea " in honour of her mother's birthday. Mrs Patterson is a charming silvery-haired hvdy of eighty-two years. Her two sisters, Mrs Sinclair and Mrs Shields, agfld respectively ninety and eighty-four years, both live in Rangiora. Mrs Shields was present at the tea. Mrs Patterson corner of a- longlived Scotch family. Her oldest brother, in Scotland, is over eighty-six years of age, and still attends his office eoch day. The tea table was appropriately decorated with Scotch thistles and tartan ribbon, the place cards being hand-painted with, a thistie design and tartan bows, and suitably inscribed with Scotch quotations. The birthday cake, which was a present from Mrs A. J. Thompson, was also trimmed with thistles and tartan ribbon- Mrs Patterson is exceedingly popular and received many gifts and congratulatory messages. 'During the afternoon Scottish songs were sung by a number of the guests. Little Miss iNgixa Bell presented her grannie with a bouquet of roses and shamrock lied with tartan ribbon. The singing of " AuM Lang Syne" brought an enjoyable afternoon to a close.

Miss Gladys Cooper once had rather an amusing experience. She was dming at a restaurant, and sat at the same, table as a rather elderly and coun-trified-looking couple, who during dinner debated the merits of the various theatrical entertainments going on in London. They had apparently some difficulty in making up their minds which theatre, they would go to'after dinner. " 1 have never seen Gladys Cooper," said the elderly lady, who was consulting the theatre advertisements in a paper. "No more have I, said her husband. "She is a very clever actress is she not??" said the elderly lady, and she looked at Miss Cooper, who rose to leave the table. ."Oh, yes, very clever indeed," said Miss Cooper, with a laugh, and then added " After to-night you must'never say that you have not seen her."

The Princess Mary has made a collection of the programmes of war entertainments. Her Royal Highness has herself attended over 400 of these entertainments. The programmes of some of the entertainments at the, front are particularly interesting. Some of them were drawn up in* the trenches under heavy shell fire. At on?, entertainment tho Princess Mary led the chorus to "Keep the Home Fires Burning."

The Admiralty has- recently announced its approval of the employment of women in various duties on shore hitherto performed by naval ratings, and it has been decided to establish a Women's Royal Naval Sendee for this purpose. The' members of this service (says the London " Times "> will wear a distinctive uniform, and the service will be confined ,to women on definite duties directly connected with the Royal Navy. At the request of the board, Dame Katherine Furza, G.8.E., has accepted the position of Director of the Women's Royal Naval Service, and will be responsible, under the Se-

cond Sea Lord, for its administration and organisation, including the control of the members when off duty, and the care of their general welfare. So far the duties to be undertaken have not been outlined, nor the method of recruitment for the service. .

LECTURE BY MISS EDITH HOWES. •At the Y.M.C.A. last night, Miss Edith Howes gave an illuminating lecture on sex-training for young children. Mrs W. G. Roberts presided, and briefly pointed out the ethical, educational and practical aims of the Social Hygiene Society. The room was crowded, and the lecture received with enthusiasm. Miss Howes, who spoke with great fluency and charm, showed how iar words'and ideas had changed, and how life and conduct rose with higher ideals. The. educationist is ever the optimist. Human nature not only can be altered; it is positively a process of change. But sex-education had lingered in the race of progress till this war had forced the problem into the open. All progress must begin with the vcung. But what guidance was given them in this heretofore? Practically none, and the race had suffered for it. Looking for the reason of this conspiracy of silence, we may find it in the earliest savage worship, founded en the marvels of birth and generation; that worship first imposing its own taboo, then falling under the. ban of newer religions. Science now brought hack the dignity and fcha sacredness so long obscured, and lifted the new ideal of parenthood. Miss Howes spoke of the. mother's bpporttinity, and the tragedy of meeting natural questioning with falsehood. Here, again, nature study was the parent's helper and the child's delight; the garden, the field was a nursery of flower-babies and tree-babies, by wh'ich the lesson of parent-love and parent-sacrifice was first taught, loading up slowly and naturally to tiv human ideal of noblest fatherhood ant' motherhood, calling for a life's prcpara tion. Physiology in due time would take its place in this course of graded study, all upon the highest ethical level. Here at last would a new sexconsciousness arise, one of joy, truth and high endeavour- for the> family and the race- But this training was even more for boys than for girls. We talk much of " good motherhood " ; we must put " good fatherhood" equally forward, since that has been most obscured by evil teaching in the ignorant past. Much is said of school teaching on these lines, but the home must ever be tho ideal place of instruction, where the morbidity and .misunderstanding of past generations must change into a full, simple, beautiful confidence between parents and children, drawing closer the family bond and heralding a new, clean and loyal life for all. Great help was to be found in books; mothers and fathers need not fear being .unequal now to these new responsibilities. The lecturer was given a hearty vote of thanks, moved by Mrs T. E. Taylor and seconded by Mr 3A. Anderson, after Mrs J. H. Wilson and Nurse Maude had spoken. The. high value and delightfulness of Miss Howe's books for children was emphasised, and tho Social Hygiene Society congratulated on introducing so famous a speaker to a Christchurch audience. The meeting closed with the National AnthemGirls' and Maids' Pinafore Frocks, in good quality, soft finish white ipique, well cut and well made, for 6s lid each! This is a bargain typical of the many splendid ones offering in the Children** Outfitting Department at Ballantyne's Sale To-day. These frook s are in perfect condition and the season's prices for them were from 19e 6d to 22s Gd; lengths arc from 39 to 45 inches. 1898