Gossip from Sydney.

Free Lance, Volume XVI, Issue 868, 23 February 1917, Page 18

Gossip from Sydney.

Dear Chbistabel, —

preparations are being; ■ 7? "~niade for a bridge and garden party at theWehtworth Hotel to-mor-row afternoon in aid of the 13th and 45th Battalions Comforts Funds. It is some time since we havo.had anything . on so big a scale, as that promised for to-morrow,>and lovers of bridge will be able to play with a clear conscience, as the price. of their game will mean some kind of comfort for a soldier. Several -Tivoli artists will be there .to amuse those who find no attraction in bridge, /and refreshments will be served in the Japanese Garden (weather permitting),, and all for the modest sum of three and sixpence! ...*-'' » « ' a Men are inclined to s«iif .at. the ideaof women making any impression on the none. too fertile land at French's' Forest, where homes for returned soldiers are being .built. But last Saturday they had reason to change their opinion, for about twenty found their - way there, and in a few hours' time did quite a decent bit of clearing^--no easy work either when.one is.not accustomed.' to it. Only last week an amateur toiler, a Mr. H. Gunn, who was working on one of the allotments', <lied suddenly of heart failure. He was about fifty -years of age/ and was nobly doing his bit to help, and yet one sees "young, capable looking men loafing round, the streets with seemingly never a thought or care for those who are risking their lives for them. It is truly disgraceful. The cottage the newspaper men have undertaken to build at French's Forest is not yet completed,' and at present it looks as if their sister scribes who have pledged themselves to furnish it .will be ready with the tables, chain?, pots, and pans first. The entertainment they .are to give in ihe Repertory. Theatre on March 14 promises well, as already nearly all the tickets are sold and a fine programme is being prepared. Of course, everybody wants to see what the press, women can do, so there- will be no vacant, scat*. ' ■- : « #■ «• ■ «• •... Miss Strickland, who is now quite an expert spinner, gave an , exhibition of her skill the other day at the home, of

Mrs. Grant, New Town, Tasmania. A number of the gnest's who knew -Miss Strickland as a child, when her father was Gbvernpr of Tasmania, were present, and were most interested in seeing the pretty fair-haired girl at the spinning wheel. Laxly Cullen (Miss Strickland's- hostess .whilst in Tasmania) and Lady -Barton were among the guests. V ; ' - — "~ -' * * "" * . .*- Mrs. Geo. Fuller, wife of "the Hon. Geo.. Fuller, who has been in poor health since the tragically sudden death of her eldest daughter, Mrs. Coward, has been with her daughter Gwen and her niece. Miss Coralie Morgan, to a trip to Tasmania, and has returned to Sydney much benefited by -.the change. •'"•"'_*• ■*'"••-.*•■ » We had an impromptu concert on hoard the Manly boat on Saturday afternoon "on the trip to- the village. Minnie Love was.taking several of her gallery girl admirers to Manly for afternoon tea, when the members, of the band (the cunning rogues!) recognised her and immediately struck . up "The Broken Doll," which Miss Love sang so much to the satisfaction of everybody in "The Cinema Star." Naturally- she was asked by those who crowded round her to sing -the. favourite sc-ng.- «* e * *■& Not quite fair, I thought, as when one has been singing ■ the same song every night for weeks and weeks, it is no joy to warble it when on holiday bent. However, the good-natured girl consented, and you should have heard the applause! . If applause is as sweet to the ear of a professional as I have always heard, well then she got her reWar d' Also as she stepped off the boat at Manly, the passengers gave her a hearty cheer. - ' ' * . * ■ » •» M. Chayet, Consul-General for Fiance; gave a capital address at the Institute of French Conversation on Wednesday evening. His theme was the forming of a guild for the preservation of Nature's beauties,,on the same lines as the Bird Guild for the protection of bird life. There is no doubt about it that every child is born with a love of destruction, which it behoves us to try and crush out of them. Once

instil in them a- sense, of. artistic perception and they would no longer wish to-deface" that which was by nature beautiful. M. Chayet assured us that in all his wanderings he had never seen such wanton destruction of scenic beauty as in Sydney, which proves tar. tvandalism is not indulged in "by childrenonly. : /." * *. * « Time was when the a'nnual wildflower show was a big event at Manlv, and for a whole week the' boats would be crowded with a living freight on seeing one of the most beautiful shows of these wild gifts of nature. But as. the years went on it was discovered that in gathering the flowers th-. roots were torn up so ruthlessly that the plants were quite destroyed., and ic became more and more difficult to keep ■ap the supply of "flowers for the anni.&j show. . At.last the outcry against the destruction of our bush beauties was so loud that the wild-flower show is-no longer held, and the churches and hospitals of Manly ' lost the yearly- sums which went to them as a result of the shows. ~ . ■ © © ■» o Mrs. Edmund Playfair (one of the youngest-looking grandmothers ever seen) entertained Mrs. Denison, wife of Commander Denison, at farewell tea at the Hotel Australia on Friday afternoon. The guest- of honour, who left by the Osterley on Saturday in order to be nearer her husband, only received her passport that- day, and had been in doubt for . days as to whether .she would ever ge,t it. ■*.'*■ * * ' A. recent bride, Mrs. Geo. Hall, who as Miss Joan.Newton, was for years and years secretary to the Home Mission > was also a very worried woman last ■week, for she, too, had booked her passage by _the Osterley, and was kept in uncertainty until the last moment as to whether she would receive her passport, or not. Truly these times "are aw-, fuL aren't they, Christabel ? - 4fr « o $j A most welcome little bit of humanity made its appearance in this queer old world last week in the shape of a : son to Mrs. Roger Hughes, widow of Captain Forrest Hughes, who was recently killed in active sendee. . It seems but the other day that the beautiful Miss Maher was married to the eldest son of Sir Thomas and Lady Hughes, .and . everybody seemed so happy and gay. And now after a short year the bride is a mother and a widow. © « o One day last week Mrs. It. It. Mackinnon spoke to the men of the rolling stock branch of the Eveleigh W rkshoos about subscribing to the Edith Cavell Memorial Fund. The men gave the speaker their sympathetic attention, and were evidently impressed by what she said. Mrs. Mackinnon is a fine speaker, and has a way with her that arrests attention. She. spoke to such purpose this day that the men pledged themselves to open a list for subscriptions after next pay day, and after keeping it open for a fortnight would forward the total to the Committee of the Edith Cavell Fund. O- »■ ■ •» .©■.':'■'..' Mrs. Percy Beveridge and her daughter Mary have returned .to their home in New Zealand after a sojourn of six months in Sydney. » « . « © One of the latest fads of the members of the Mothers' League in London is to form a singing class for nurses where they can be taught old folk songs with which to lull their little charges to sleep. It is contended that the sickly sentimental ditties nurses usuallv . favour as lullabies degrade' the childish taste for music. While this mav be the case in England, I don't think mothers can find the same fault here, for all our young girls have opportunities of hearing the best music, "and it is quite a rare thing to hear thorn warbling "sickly sentimental ditties" in the nursery. More often do we hear the -strains of operatic airs or the newest ballads. Certainly the indifferent grammar and twang of the oi-dinary

.nurse.girl is deplorable, for young children are . so " impressionable, . 'so if nurses are to go. through, any kind oftraining (and why not?) it should be to ' speak their own language. The lullabies need hot worry us. . .'..'-'■■■'. " *■ '-.-*■- •'*•. ■ " : In case : you even want" to, make any of your onen folk a present, Christabel, T - will tell you of a novelty which is sure to meet with their -approval. _ It is a walking; stick and umbrella combined. ...;■ The umbrella, when not needed, is encased in a "liollow celluloid tube which is jointed in several parts. When it rain's the tube is removed and doubled up at the joints,-and will; then go into _ the coat pocket. It is a Japanese in- '■'■ vention, and I can assure you it is ' splendid. The celluloid be j either black or any-colour,; and looks 7 like an ordinary walking stick, and is ideally very light. . - '■:■. ~""'-■-. -• .-• *' ■'*■'.. a--.--:*-'.'--'' : '.'-'■ ■-.'-.' Already our -shop < window's."' are "reminding us that summer will not always be with us, for both autumn and winter goods are being displayed. • A v deep green, the shade of a camellia leaf, is one of the favourite tints for costumes, though tete-de-negre is still very much to the fore. A material called canvas gabardine will be .much used for coats and skirts. It is fearfully exepnsive, but looks as if it would wear to all.eternity. '_.'-.•',* "# * "",-#. .' ' - The autumn hats are most' uninteresting in their plainness. One which I '• am told will be most worn-is a plain sailor, sbape, the novel feature being in ' the crown, which is very higt. Only " the very best straw is x seen in these' "- hats,, which are simply. trimmed with a band of-ribbon half-way up the crown. ■ They are by no means cheap,' but you must certainly have one.. . - Yours disouraively Bona. "'■ ~ :