SOCIAL GOSSIP.

Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 915, 25 January 1918, Page 14

SOCIAL GOSSIP.

Dear ChristabeLj— nnHE news from France of the -*- treachery of M. Caillaux and others has caused a painful sensation here. It is rumoured that even on the Race Days men about town were haunted by the memory of it. But this, of course, may be an exaggeration. Races and the milk, M. Caillaux and the Wellington North electorate, a poor wretch who has paid the price of sin 3 and who, at ■ the' gallows expressed the hope that his children might be blessed—these are the topics of the moment. * * * ■ * To lose faith in human nature is the saddest experience of life. Suspicion creeps into the mind as German gas crept into the lines in those first awful days. Whom can we trust? is the obvious question, and with each fresh disillusion we feel less and less capable of greeting with a friendly smile the alien in. our midst. If the struggle is prolonged much further, human nature will ;have its way and long pent up irritation here will find expression. One who has suffered very heavily told this scribe one day that she did not care to go out into the town because in the streets she often meets a German of her acquaintance. "I cannot bear her itp see my mourning," she says. "I hate her smile and her appearance of prosperity." So the bereaved one stays indoors and broods.. Hers is—or was—a gentle nature, but'the hurt has. gone deep. Fortunately, not all who suffer are so affected. There are many whose personal grief has widened the sympathies, and who are great minded enough to perceive that even the heart of a German woman may be aching— and who are sorry, too, that this is so. But we are not all great, and we are all human—and, therefore, for their own sakes, the aliens among us should be put out of harm's way. «* # # * The Mayor, Mr. J. P. Luke, not content with the enormous burden of

responsibility he already carries, is a candidate for Parliamentary honours, and as he is not a resident of Wellington North, which electorate will soon need a new representative, there is a considerable flutter in certain circles. Lookers-on see most of the game and Jn this ease they are deriving a considerable amount of diversion from it. Mercifully we still have something to amuse us, and. there are still a few topics of conversation left besides the war. * * * * Milk, for instance, interests us all, simply because it makes itself so unpleasant under certain circumstances. It is always the unpleasant thing or person that gets noticed. In the winter time we forget all about the milk and whence it comes. When summer is upon us we remember too late that milk is milk and that ice-chests are practically not known in New Zealand families, and that those who do have ice-chests know very little of the quality of the ice they use and less of the origin and quality of the milk they put on the ice. * * * * In this hot weather, ice is almost a necessity. But few of us are able to have it. Few know its'- value, and in spite of all our wonderful education comparatively few understand the value of milk —how to scald it and yet preserve its. goodness, how to keep it and wliy the vessels which contain it should be scrupulously clean. The last word has not been said concerning the Milk Clearing House and things are getting quite interesting. Meanwhile, the sumnier continues to be summer and while the great ones converse and squabble the old order continues, and we pay for milk which must be scalded and which, very rarely, is all it should be. There are many who wonder why the children in our seaside suburbs are so often pale and unhealthy looking. The climate is perfect. The houses look comfortable and airy. Children should thrive. If you go into what is often the one and only butcher's shop you understand why the women say they eat tinned meat in the hot weather. You probably wonder how much, milk they take daily for their children and what provision is made at their homes for keeping fresh milk 2 vegetables, and meat. We need a "few hustlers in New Zealand—people who understand food values and cold storage, etc. We shall get them some day probably. Meanwhile, in the month of January we welter.

A most dainty pair of bedroom shoes was shown to yours truly the other day—home made and very chic indeed. They were also explained. They ai-e simply a plain piece of black-— sateen over-sewn on to a bought sole and afterwards joined up at the back. The edge of the sateen is bound with a coloured ribbon and a; fat rosette is stuck on in place of a buckle or bow. They cost a mere song and are very pretty indeed and are very comfortable. •*■»•* It is good to know that parcels are reaching the soldiers. The Mayoress and the honorary secretary of the Countess of Twiverpool Committee have received many hundreds of letters by the last mail, all expressing delight and gratitude. "Ridiculous people who argue about the uselessness of sending parcels should go down to the Town Hall and read a few of these messages which have come straight from the Front. » * * * Genera] rejoicing because a New Zealand girl, Dr. Mary Blair, has been mentioned in General Milne's despatches. She has long been attached to a Serbian unit of the Scottish Women's Hospitals, in the cause of which Mrs. Abbott has so movingly spoken here recently. Dr. Blair was a student at Victoria College, and is the daughter of the la,te Mr. W. N. Blair, who was New Zealand's Engineer-in-Chief. * * * * Concerning this fund for the Scottish Women's Hospitals, money is not rushing in to the local treasurer. In the published lists of subscriptions, the names of certain well-known generous men and women once more appear, but, contrary to all expectations, the amount raised at the time of writing, in the Wellington district is no where near £1000. True, we are all feeling the pinch now, very severely, but we can still spare a shilling or two for so noble a cause. The worst of it is that most of us have not yet got accustomed to sending the humble bob and halfcrown. And because we cannot spare the guinea of prehistoric days, we are inclined to think the lesser amount is not worth sending. But it's the little drops of < water and the little grains of sand which help to make the wheels go round. The engagement is announced of Miss K. Fitzgerald, younger daiighter of Mrs. William Fitzgerald, Tinakoriroad, to Sergeant Macalister of the 35th Reinforcements.

The son of Mr. Chilman, until recently manager of the Te Aro branch of the Bank of New Zealand, has returned on military duty after an absence of over three years. His father's many fz-iends are vei-y glad to see him. again. •» * * * The death of Captain Mello is reported from England. He was in the service of the C. and D. Line, and was well known in New Zealand, where he was very popular. He died from the effects of chill and shock. His was one of the many ships which have been sunk by the enemy. * * * * ■ Her New Zealand friends will be glad to hear that Mrs. Hugh Hollis. who was on board the Port Adelaide ' when that ship was torpedoed in the Atlantic last February, is getting over the shock now and has been settled at Mosman, Sydney, with her husband and ■children since' she arrived in Australia last May. The children are none the worst for the terrible experience and Mrs. Hollis is getting much stronger. * * # *• The widow of the late Lieut.-Colonel King, D.S.O. and Croix de Guerre, has received a letter from General Godley m which is expressed universal regret that the services of so distinguished an officer should be lost to the Army. * * * ■«■ The Mayor and Mayoress were , responsible for the enjoyable dances which were attended in the Town Hall last year by so many soldiers and their friends. These dances are to be held again this year, and last Saturday night was the occasion for the first. It was well attended, and the host and hostess with the assistance of the Entertainment Committee had a very busy time. The music was excellent and the supper much appreciated. Dancing was kept up till the usual hour with great enthusiasm. * * -r * . Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Barfiard, of Eltham,- are moving into Wellington, to the infinite regret of the Elthamites, who are showing their appreciation of the patriotism and publicspirit of Mr. and Mrs. Barnard in a very tangible way. Six young sons of this proud father and mother have been to the war, and two of them will never come home again. Two more have been, invalided home. Mrs. Barnard has interested herself in every patriotic move in her district, and by her own personal efforts raised £700 for a motor ambulance.

who commanded the British in their victory over the German forces on a thirty-mile front before Cambrai, winning thereby the full rank of General. The Government hasn't the moral courage—or perhaps inclination—to publicly show its disapproval of races. Instead it deprives the public of proper facilities for getting to and from the racecourse. Hence the return to motor 'buses and the overcrowding of traffic on the Hutt-road. Crowds went out of town by the few trains which left for the racecourse on Anniversary Day—and crowds were left behind, in "Wellington and again at Trentham when the one and only race train left that place after the last race. It is reported that those who were good on that occasion were not the happy people. The nauighty ones scaled, the fence in the teeth of much opposition, boarded the train, and waved farewell to the law-abiding souls who were still arguing the point with the officials inside the barricade. * ■& ■& & The lady sports at the races wore the glad rags of summer—a fact worth mentioning, for in this* changeable

climate coats and skirts are often the order of the day in the month of January. « . * . * * A lady from the country writes, that she was dtinking the natural mineral waters at a certain health resort not many weeks ago, and was rather struck hy the queer mate of the glass, upon which, was stamped a coloured, picture of one of New "Zealand's most famous health resorts. She received a shock when, on turning the glass round in her hand idly, she saw, upon the other side the words "Designed in Germany." *** . # Miss Ida Tennant (Masterton and recently of Fitzherbert-terrace School) was quietly married to Mr. Max Cleghorn early this month. The bridegroom is the only son of the late Dr. Cleghorn, formerly of Blenheim. Mabel. The Misses Stella and Madge McLean, daughters of the late Mr. Murdoch McLean, recently returned to New Zealand in a ship that carried some sick and wounded troops. The first-named has been to Britain to study music, and the last has been in the Army Nursing service. It is ctts- . tomary on such ships to have plenty of entertainment, but Miss Stella McLean provided an entertainment almost unique by writing a clever five-act comedy, "The Tragic Path of Love," which was played excellently by ship's officers, army officers, nursing sisters, and men. * ■- - & Miss Mabel Norris, who, writes our Sydney correspondent, is leaving Sydney for the Dominion, was the heroine of a girls' farewell tea party at a fashionable city hotel. The Vicar of St. Barnabas, Roseneath, having been appointed CaptainChaplain of the Hospital Ship, advantage was taken of the occasion by his parishioners to present him with a gold wristlet watch suitably .inscribed. The presentation was made by the parish church warden, Mr. Brodie Taylor. An address was also given by the vicar's warden, Mr. W. Fisher. The Vicar feelingly replied. Several appropriate hymns were sung, and the assembly was addressed by the Vicar's locum tenens, the Rev. "W. Gr. Baker.