SOCIAL GOSSIP

Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 924, 28 March 1918, Page 16

SOCIAL GOSSIP

Dear -.-'",' SOME of \the returned men tell us amusing tales of things and people. The latent yarn about the Prince of Wales is that he is reported to have'; said that he is not very .keen on coming home for leave because his people, are " so very strict about'" rations:); that " ■can't get-enough to •■ eat ~. uiider, :the:. paternal roof. -Theyyarn.i&.'u; little-.bit •' too steep-, for the. whole r wtirld" kn.bws : that a mother, in ; any. • rank .v=of ;'life; ■ rmakes.it her- business; ; to see-, that; the).. soldier lad; on leave gets'- what he should : . have, even if : the rest o|rtlie; goes short. : - ; ' r Kr - ' " " ■- I '^- ; "'*^'' ; -""'.A--'''' ■■ -'■ ' Many -of th% men . who : returned .by v the last transportsmajle,a:point'of're-;" newinglthe .acquaintance' of the ;Syd- : . ney-street'C?lub,. .in which.. 'they ..spent 1 s ! many happy. - hours, during the course- of- : ■'.' their training-.' v General-f egret- ; ) is . ex-; pressed-!because.Mrs, -J'.' Wv, Ssdmond),^' the hdnofary. secretaryf - has... resigned;, .; At ; -''a; recent' c tee meeting' appreciation -of her ;yalu : -: : . able services was"-.•placed: on .record. Mrs. G. Earle" has" r bfe.eh in her place. ■•-"■ -■•"■-••-• --. ■ ■-■- - » *■ * # There was a packing in the large Town Hall on Thursday of last week. As usual, long tables were placed here, there,, and round them stood many keen and experienced women, packing as hard as they could go. Each parcel contained one tin each of.milk, meat, sweets, .and tobacco or cigarettes, a/ pair of socks, a khaki handkerchief, and a card of good wishes. .. 7 ... . ,"' r " : . «....# '- '••:. « • - • ■'' Mrs.G. Moore, and Miss Ruth Shirt-" cliffe were to be seen at a certain busy corner during many, hours of last week. They were selling shilling tickets for a Trousseau," with which the Thorndon girls are tempting the public. The shillings go to their ' Red Cross Day, and the trousseau, -itJ is* hoped, may go to a returned soldier.. It will help yhim to bear his; thirty-shilling-reaeh-me-down which is prpvid-

ecL by a Department whose ways are •"inscrutable." Missions must eat and drink and be paid though the world is at.war. W.e have had a visitor who represents the London United Mission. Miss Boniwell is a good speaker, and has interested many people in her work,-, which is to. check the spread of Moham'medism and replace it with Christianity.;,. Other interesting visitors to the .Dominion 'are Mr. and Mrs. Robert Powell,...who. for. years have worked amojig. "the Miawo' tribes in the south-west '.".'.. of. China. . •■"■■■■■' ■'. ...'•■ •. ° • ** '-"A .brother of,. Dr. . Gilray *■'•-.". resident medical officer-' of 'Kapler - Hospital— ' Captain; : CfQliii' Gilray-—lias "been award- . ed/the'-Miii'tgry' ,Gross.s _ Captain Gilray is '^s6ii;'oi-"^e ; -^i n ©<iiii'-. .Professor of English..: He'was rthe',.Rhodes; Sqhblar 0f'1907-aiid.'a noted" '^■ ;.

of, Tennessee (United States of America) now in her .eightieth year, between the heel aud toe of her six hundredth sock knitted for. British soldiers since the war began. . During the American Civil War she knitted a pair of socks a day for if e derate soldiers.

Captain Elizabeth Gunn returned oil light duty "by one of the last transports. She hopes now tp' resume her work in connection with the medical inspection of schools. She looks well in spite of her strenuous work, and her many friends are delighted to see her back again. . * * » * : Dr.. Harty has bought No. 14, Hillstreet, where Mr. and Mrs. F. Russell lived for a good many years. ' The family is busy moving from Tinakbriroad into the new home. * * * .-■'*■ Mr. Russell reached Melbourne safely with his wife and family and was reported to be fairly well when the last mail left Australia. * » # * Miss Joan Hislop is leaving shortly on a visit to America.

Widow, mother of three daughters, and the first woman io become a Deputy Police Commissioner of New York City. She has direction of police work relating to women and girls.

New Zealand raised £111,000 for the Y.M.C.A. in ten without the heli> of Auckland, which last year raised a very noble amount for the same purpose and so was excluded from this effort. £100,000 was required. The excess receipts are to he devoted to much needed" work—extra motor cars for night patrol work jn the streets of London and extra hotel accommodation, etc. * * » * Miss Marie Lightfoot, of Blenheim, passed through Wellington last week on her. way north. ;

The Star Boating. Club are holding a "Members' Sports Day" in the Clubhouse.shortly. The Club has been practically dormant for the past few season's "owing to, the members having enlisted almost to the man for active service: For some time the ladies of St. John's Ambulance Overseas Brigade have been granted the use of the Club room, but this season, although not interfering with the work of the St. John's Ambulance, the sport has been actively carried on by a few of the older enthusiasts and a keen bunch of young members under military age. A good many of the latter will shortly be called to the colours and they are now looking forward to a pleasant winding up of the season. Many will recal with pleasure similar functions in the past on the Club's "Opening. Day" and other occasions. * * » » Miss Nesta Carwell-Cooke, by special request, is starting a dancing class for pupils at Newtown in St. Thomas's Schoolroom on Saturday, April 6, at 2.30 p.m. This should prove a convenience that will be appreciated and taken advantage of by Newtown parents, for Miss Carwell-Cooke is a successful and talented teacher of dancing and calisthenics. Miss Carwell-Cooke' s other classes re-open on April 2nd at the same places and same hours as last season. Miss Carwell-Cooke's address is. Marionhurst, Wadestown: telephone 1822.* ■ *

Dr. Garfield-Crawford, who returned from active service by the last transport, is to be married in the near future to Miss Myra Sihirtcliffe, who for many a long day has been chauffeur at the Taumaru Military Hospital, and whose resignation from that hospital has caused infinite regret to the voluntary staff and patients. Miss Shirtcliffe has received many tokens of the esteem in which she is held by the soldier patients and by the ladies with whom she has worked so; harmoniously. Her i..lace as chauffeur has been taken by Miss Greta Ewen, who has been a member of the hospital staff since its inception. * # & «• ' A correspondent from Napier writes that Mr. Nantes is recovering from the effects of his fall from a tramcar. o & e e ' Miss Olga Levett is visiting Wellington.

a prominent Wellington lady patriotic worker and President of the Victoria League, who has been appointed an "officer" of the Order of the British Empire.

Mr. and Mrs. Kettle have returned to Napier. * & & # The Prime Minister received a cable from Lord Rhondda on his birthday, March 26ih. While in England Mr. Massey discovered that he and Lord Rhondda were born on the same day, (52 years ago. * w * •& Miss Mabel Tod (Otane; was married on the 20th to Mr. Lan Balfour. The Key. A. Asher performed the ceremony. The bride was given away by her father and she wore a white gabardine suit with a white velour hat. The best man was her brother, Mr. Jim Tod. Miss Gwen Downes was the only bridesmaid. & » © o His Majesty the King has appointed Mrs. VV. id. Sefton Moorhouse a .Lady of brrace of tiie Order of St. John of Jerusalem. A large circle of friends and acquaintances have received the news with delight. The honour is a very real one, tor the title has never yet been bestowed upon an unworthy subject. The past life of a Lady of urace must have been without spot or blemish. A mere recommendation is not sufficient. On dit that sponsors in England must be personally responsible to Jdis Majesty for the recommendation. & a © s Living in the Dominion at present there are only two other Ladies of Urace —±±er Excellency the Countess of JLaverpool and Mrs. Arthur Rhodes. The late Mrs. S. A. Rhodes, an aunt of Colonel Sefton Moorhouse, was the first lady in Zealand to receive tlie same honour. Like Mrs. Moorhouse she was immensely interested in the work of St. John Ambulance, and to its funds she contributed generously. Mrs. Moorhouse is president of the Wellington JNursing Division, having succeeded Mrs. Rhodes, who held the same position until her death. Mrs. Moorhouse is an untiring Ambulance worker and has devoted herself entirely to that work and to the Red Cross since the outbreak of war. * ir •» •& A quiet and pretty wedding took place in St. Peter's last Saturday, when Mis s Constance Maskell, a daughter of the late Rev. James Young and step-daughter of Dr. Maskell, of Auckland (and formerly of Australia), was married to Mr. H. Rix-Trott (Nelson). The Rev. A. Kempthorne performed the ceremony. Dr. Perkins gave the bride away and Captain Eric Perkins was best man. Miss Rix-Trott was the only bridesmaid. After the wedding a small reception was held at the flat which, until recently, has been the home of the bride. * * # « A recent bride, Mrs. 'Faris (nee Miss Dall), is in town.

Thorndon is pulling itself together for its lied Cross effort, which takes place on April 16th. Mrs. Massey is organiser-in-chief. On dit that she is not accompanying the Premier on the hurried visit to London, hut that Lady Ward goes with Sir Joseph. ■ Mabel. A quiet but pretty wedding was solemnised last Thursday at St. Mark's Church. The contracting parties were Miss Margaret Brown and Mr. Henry Anderson Schlaadt. The bride, who was given away by her brother, Mr. H. C. Brown, looked very winsome in a charming costume of cream gabardine, ornamented with fancy cream braid and relieved with touches of pale pink georgette. Her hat was of cream cloth, stitched with pink and gold. She was attended by her sister, Miss Lucy Brown, who was gowned in a very pretty vieux rose costume, set off by a dainty black hat. The Rev. Askew officiated and the bridegroom was attended by Mr. W. G. Morpeth. After the reception the happy pair left for the north, the bride wearing a smart fawn gabardine costume with tomato shade velour hat. # _ * s » A wedding of great interest in the Manawatu took place at Palmerston North yesterday (Wednesday). The bride was Miss Larna Evelyn McHardy (daughter of Mr. and Mrs. P. A. McHardy) and the bridgegroom was Lieut. R. F. Bale, of the Royal Engineers. Miss MeHardy's sister was bridesmaid and Major Waite, D.5.0., was best man.