Social Gossip

Free Lance, Volume XVI, Issue 868, 23 February 1917, Page 16

Social Gossip

USAB. CHBIBTABEIi,

A Ni-amusing little . story has arrived . ■ ~ in a letter from England. It .concerns Miss Doughty, our very own Carnival Queen, who is at present on -the staff .'of.--'the Waltoh-on-Thames Hospital. ; Some ; one, sent her a German newspaper containing 5. paragraph to the effect that, in a little village in New Zealand, the people have grown so / tired of British rule that they recently, chose a beautiful young girl as their queen. The crafty German never loses an opportunity. . • . I wonder- if the Free Lance ever • penetrates into Germany ? If so,' I hope . the editor of that German : newspaper will . read the following anecdote, which is quoted from Rupert Brooke, who, , in a,;brief and beautiful'; description of Samoa, does not hesitate to say that the Germans did not mismanage it, but rather did they copy the . British management -of Fiji., ? Samoa is the one instance of a successful German colony.. "And yet,' s '' he says,"the Samoans do not like the Germans. - When I was there, a year ago, I' was often asked . 'When will Peritania (Britain) light . Germany and send her aw'ay from Samoa?' They have no complaint, against .- the Germans. / They .liave merely a sentimental and highly 'flattering preference . - for the .English. On a recent visit of an English gunboat to Apia, the officers were entertained at a Sampan . dinner . party, : v with miisic and dances by an eminent and very ■ ; charming princess. The Princess is a famous b.eauty, with . the keen intelligence the Samoans have, if they care, a wonderful dancer, possessed' of a glorious singing voice and a perfect knowledge of English. The party was a great success: The princess .led her guests afterwards' to. tne flagstaff. Before anyone , could stop, her, - she leapt on to the pole and raced up the 60 feet of it. That also is among the accomplishments of a Samoan princess. She- seized the German flag, tore . it to pieces; brought it down, and danced on it. So ■ the tale is, and it is probably "true." ; ' .■'■ .®': Later, he adds: "And now Samoa is ours . .A New Zealand Expeditionary Force took it. Well,. I know a princess who will have- the day of her life.'' And, he says"l wish I were there . again: It is a country and a life that find the heart."/; Please/tell the-boys at Samoa, and say we are not a bit sorry for them now. And do they know the princess, and if they do, ; ask Sher~ if Rupert Brooke sent her any of his published letters before he died, on the way to Gallipoli. • //•'- » ■■» . ■»' •» ' The announcement of a recent Napier wedding has caused quite a sensa--tion, and; will "be of. very, great interest to many men 1 who are at' present away from "New Zealand. Mr. Charlie Kennedy,- .■ after mature reflection, has reached the. wise conclusion that it is not. good for man -to be alone. He has married Miss Gibb, of Napier, and, being oyer ; military age, has departed with his bride for Japan, where he proposes to spend liis . honeymoon.' They

passed.through Wellington one day last.. week, -and, got away before Mr. Kennedy's j-numerous bachelor friends had : quite• recovered from .their shock. •'./'•■' Mr: ■ *J. 4 B. Harcourt's' garden- in was 100 king..... very beautiful on Friday afternoon,. when quite a number of people 'met'-.together of "Sir Ernest ■ Shackleton. ■"'. Captain /Worsiey, and all the other brave men who/have, returned from, the perils of the Antarctic: The affair, was .'organised by the Ladies' Auxiliary of the;. Navy League., Mr. Har court, the.. League's -President, placed his, garden at their, disposal - , and helped'to entertain !the visitors, who were received by . . himself -and' Mrs. Hall Thompson, theV President of the Auxiliary. Though, the weather has been very hot and dry". the lawn was green and the beds full of . flowers, lilies of every,shade and shape jiiiakihg a gorgeous display. The, trees . in the old garden, provided /grateful shade, and there was a wide awning outside the ballroom', and under' it Mrs. ■ Coleridge, Mrs. Cv. Richardson,-, and Mrs. and Miss Shirtcliffe dispensed the, '■■■ tea. . Miss Harcourt moved among' the guests and helped-to .niake the afternoon a very pleasant one. ■ <» .' . .'"& ©;.,.«■ ■.' ■.' ■."'.'.■-■ :'. People wandered under' the trees, admired - the flowers, listened <6 charming : music/ and spent the time,most pleas-; iahtly:;while they .waited for the .arrival ; of the distinguished visitors. On the . verandah outside, the front door; Mrs. ' Gillon served ices, 'which; were much appreciated. Down- on; the /lawn wei*e several ' cbrnf or table canvas chairs, each with its own awning, and there, during the afternoon, Mr. Harcourt was seen in pleasant, conversation with a/ high dignatory ; of th& Chui-eh of.Rome', who ./was one of the very many who jhad i. gladly .seized the opportunity- to meet, ' Sir Ernest arid' .his -party./ -.Messrs. % Gbpe, Gaze, Jack, Joyce, Stevens, Richards, and Wilde accompanied Sir ...Ernest\Shackleton. and Captain Wors'iey- ./•'' -'■'/' .'■•■-:■ - v .-,-,■'■".■;.*'■ ' •■,'•* '•-.:■"*.• ';«•'.-. ■■■-•-■'-- -Mrs. de lav Mare \ foretold / brilliant futures for the young. There were com-. : petitions, arid, prizes, including a'; Persian kitten. 'There was much conversation, and- a very pleasant flutter ; when the sailors appeared. One lady was so visibly, pleased when she was introduced to Sir Ernest that she bobbed-:— ..i. as if to Royalty. It was an uncon- ' scious action, atribute from a" woman's 1 ' heart to a great man. Among ij)-.!~e,/who sang and played during the afternoon were the Misses Anderson and Watkins, the Rev. Mr. Harvey, Mr. Thorpe, and... -Mr»-. Hamilton Hodges. Miss- Medley and. Miss Esther .Fisher played the accompaniments. ■ ■/. :.- ;/."'.#' '/ « •>■■.-' • ■ ■.; . »':..-. On the secretary of any .society, a good deal depends, and 'Miss Edwin, who is temporarily acting in that capacity for the Women's Auxiliary of the ■'.- Navy League/during the . absence of Mrs." Bradney Williams,- is to- be congratulated, for the arrangements were excellent.. Admission was by ticket or on payment of the necessary shilling-^--and Mrs. Lee. Lord 'successfully acted the part of. Peter,. ''Among niany.others ' present ; were Mr. and Mrs. Stanton; Harcourt and three ;of their "charming children, also Lieutenant Gordon Harcourt, the Hon. Mr. W. , Fraser. and ..Sir James Allen, and all the officers of the League. Among -'the visitors to, Wellington were: Mrs: Frank Herriek. Mrs. Blobmfield (Auckland), Mrs. Tsett (Wangahui), Mrs. Howard Richmond (nee Miss /Elsie Mactavish, of' Wellington), and Mrs.: Montgomery,; ; who accompanied her father, Sir James Allen./ Some members of the "Victoria League .took charge of the Red Cross .-. .shop on Friday, and they had > sue-; cessful day, arid, managed -to rake in - . ■ -■• ■•■ ■■ ■ -. ■-.- : 7%>- .

£50 or so for. the Red Cross Funds. V Some of the produce was particularly excellent; especially the sweets, vegetables, and ' jams. As usual. Miss .V 'Cooper and Miss rMoss had ' beautiful-. : flowers at their.: stall, and did excellent . business. Preparation had been hn&e in good time by 'those members of the. League who • had; undertaken the ofga-i m'sation, arid they are to he congratu-. , lated on the splendid -results! -.';-;••■• ■~'■• "" .** ' !''§*'-''''■!*■'-..."-■■#.'■'•'-'''.'•••: .- Among the many. delegates' who , are , attending the Thmket .Conference this ;■). • week is Mrs. Isett, of Warigariui, -whose only soil is soon to be mai;ried in Eng- . land'to the daughter.; of; aii, English, barrister. He: has heen on active sei - - vice for avery long time, was wounded on Gallipoli, and has been : for over - ten .•■;; .'• "months in France.: Mrs."lsett has been ; staying in .Hawkestone-street with Miss Holmes, who left for Diinedin on Saturday night to be with .her "sister, 2/ady McLean, who .became a-widow on the .'morning of her daughter's ;silver wed- ■ ding. The news of Sir \ George < McLean's sudden death from heart failure - reached Wellington when their, many friends and relations were preparing to '~ celebrate Mr. ; and Mrs, Wilford's silver. . wedding and, very great 'sympathy is : . felt for the family in "their'trouble. ■\, There was to have been a great gathering of the, clan in Dunedin next .month when the latev Sir George Me~ Lean and Lady McLean were to have celebrated their golden; wedding. '"•■■-.

Sir George McLean had only one son, Mr. Frank McLean. _of Duneclin. There are five 'daughters : Mrs. Fraer,' whose .- husband is.a chaplain with the- New •Zealand Forces; Mrs. T. Mr Wilfbrd, of Wellington; Mrs: Reid, of Elderslie; Miss' Belle Miss Kathleen McLean. ~T,hero are in New Zealand three branches of the McLean family— ~ the children of the late Sir George, and Mr. James McLean, of the National Bank, who is the only member of his branch of the .-family in New Zealand; and Mr. Frank McLean,'■"•of Wellington and his brother, Mr. "George; McLean,who lives in Dunedih. • '■,':." • '»'..* • •*' The late Sir George McLean married a daughter of the late Hon. Matthew Holmes', M.L.C. He and Lady McLean were to have celebrated their golden wedding on the 14th'.. March. Their .unmarried daughters spend their lives in doing deeds, of kindness, *nd are always very busy in Dunedin with Red Cross work. One of them came up to Wellington with her brother to attend the funeral, which took place on Tuesday. (The death of Sir George McLean has placed several families :n mourning, for Lady McLean's eonnjv..tions are'very'numerous. - . a * '"*,'• * A niece of hers, Miss White, of JDunedin, is very soon" to be .quietly married. Her new home.will be in the East/ ■» .-..*, •* '..*"'• His many friends are rejoiced to heatthat the Hon. . Charles J. Johnston, Speaker of the. Upper. House, has recovered from his recent serious illness and is back in his home at Karori, already almost as strong as ever, and in splendid spirits.- ... «■ - » *■ —- '♦ Two Ministers', wives are delegates to the Plunket Conference—Lady Allen and" Mrs. .Arthur Myers. ■ • . * • * * * Mrs. Bruce Speedy (nee Miss E; White, of Poranga-hau), has been spending some weeks at Muritai, and Mrs. R." Ludbrook (Tuparoa, East Coast) has been staying in Wellington with -her sister, Miss Heath', who has returned from a holiday up the Coast. * •* . ■ ■». •» Mrs. George Tripe has gone to Mount Cook. with- her mother. Mrs. A. Gore, of Napier. /'. * * ' *■ ■ a The Government has decided to call up the third-year medical students after the May examinations. Some of these students would have been fourth or fifth year students by now had they not answered their country's call very early in the day. Fourth and fifth year students are to be exempted: One cannot help criticising such a. proposal. It is not fair. No doubt those- mectical students who were brought back by .the Government, would easily obtain exemption if they appealed. But 50 to 1 they will hot appeal. They did not Wish to be brought back, and they are as keen to ,go again as are .those men who have been rejected over and over _ again by the doctoz-s and now called up. - . ■ * • • • . •» Nevertheless, they and these rejects, in vmany cases have undertaken heavy responsibilities on the strength of*their return and their rejection, and . though they generally clinch their teeth, grin and bear-it, and go with a grace which' is more than splendid, to them and. to their people-a very grave injustice, is being done. Such men should have been placed in the second reserve. •» ■» # * Goodness knows we all realise that it. would have been inrpossible to avoid ' making mistakes. Experience only can make things perfect, hut there are thousands of women—and of men—who have cheerfully given all that has been asked of them, not counting cost and .ignoring gain, but who have bitterness added to their sorrow now and so unnecessarily. And one real cause for bitterness is the proposed calling up of the clergy of the various denominations. . s ■» ■«• e It is the women who must remain behind through dreary months waiting, and, generally, speaking,-it is the women who draw greatest consolation from spiritual things; To themu the idea of priests being combatant- is as painful as it must be to most, of the priests themselves. Many men are unable to understand this feeling, and they are as sincere in their belief that every man of military age should fight, as are other people in their idea that certain men should be exempted. I believe I am voicing the opinion of thousands of my sex when I say that with all my heart I hope the authorities will use the clergy of any denomination for pastoral or Red Cross work Mabed.

Miss Mollie ,'JEtos©, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Rose, of Woodville, has been married'to Lieut. Hamilton M. Douglas (of the 24th Reinforcements); second son'of Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Douglas, of Christchurch. ' * - - ■ * * a Mrs. and Miss Stott, of Wellington, are on; a visit to Christchurch; also Mr. and - Mrs. Wallis Jackson, of Wellington.. : . y*'. * a * • • The Mayor and Mayoress of -. Christchurch (Mr. and Mrs. Holland) . are mourning the deatli in France of their eldest son, Percy. The war levies its heavy toll in all parts of the Empire, ' * ' * ■» > Dr. A. Douglas Anderson, youngest, son of Dr. and Mrs. Morton Anderson, of Christchurch, has become engaged to; Miss Kathleen Patterson, late of Belfast, Ireland. .-•.'•.• # * * Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Sturton, of Inverell, New 'South Wales, have ; come across the Tasman- Sea for..a holiday tour of New Zealand. ■ - The engagement is announced of Miss - Tlrursa Warring, M.A., of the Christchurch Girls' High School, to the Rev. J. A. Jermyn, 8.A., of the West Coast. . Both are ex-students of Canterbury College. ' - ' ■