CHIT CHAT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1182, 26 October 1894, Page 13

CHIT CHAT.

The session is-over at last, and with it will come to an end much of the gaiety so ‘noticeable during the last few months. I am npt so sure that a period of what might be called “society calm "will not be a great relief. Many of our girls wear a fogged, weary look, the result of late hours and a consistent round of amusement, and a trip into the country would do many of them good. Before next session comes round I hope that some different arrangements will be made with respect to the Ladies’ Gallery at the House. At present it is impossible for those who do not know any of the members to get a seat, and yet there are ladies who go night after night to the gallery and do nothing but chat and giggle the whole time. These persons could just as well chat and giggle at home, and they certainly should not be allowed to monopolise the gallery to the exclusion ' pf many, earnest-minded women who take a serious interest in politics, and who, because they maj not belong to any section of society in which acquaintance with the members is easily made, can rarely get tickets, whereas some women go to the House night after night purely for idle amusement. -

The best way to do would be to throw the 'Ladies’ Gallery open to all, and abolish ;the ticket system altogether. The men do-riot have to have tickets for their Strangers’ Gallery; any man can go in "who is sober and decently behaved. Let ~ there be a similar equality in the Ladies’ Gallery \ a fair field to all women, and no - flavour. I r see- no reason why any one class.of women should have a distinct advantage over the others, and as to the wives and daughters of members, some of them who have attended regularly have been ' more concerned—judging by their loud .conversation —with the dress and personal appearance of the members than with the subject under discussion. Let the'gallery , be thrown open to all women. The step . might offend, and even annoy the privileged few, but the majority are to be first considered, not the minority, and I repeat that the majority of Wellington women have but a very poor chance of getting seats in the gallery under the present ticket system.

I am obliged to hold over two or three country letters until next week.%

C;': Lady Violet Greville, in the Humanitarian, takes a rather doleful view of the “ Modern Woman." She deplores the change that has come over women’s ideas of home life and duty. The domesticated, home-loving woman, she thinks, is now a thing of the past. “ Whether for better or worse," she says, “ home life, par excellence, is extinct. Needlework, dreaminess, homely duties, long afternoons by the fireside have been crushed and banished by that nervous unrest that rules Society." “ The revolt of woman," according to Lady Violet Greville, “ though directed theoretically against the „ male sex, is yot practically a revolt against dfity, against work (except such as is undertaken for the worker’s own satisfaction), against conventionality, and especially against the claims of domesticity. The modern woman dislikes marriage because of its ties, the husband’s wishes, the wants of the children, the innumerable demands of unselfishness which hold her in their grasp. She rebels against what i|, after all, the quid pro quo of marriage, tl)e common responsibilities, the daily duties, the fixed tasks." This may be a correct description of the “ New Woman," but the writer might find plenty of homC-loving women cf the old-fashioned sort still left if she looked for them. The race is far from extinct, I am glad to aky,

Mrs Lynn liynton has an article in a recent number of the Queen dealing with the follies and foibles of wives. In sumjping up the writer says ; — if The Lord be thanked we have still many and many noble and lovely marriages,. where the wife fulfils ope’s highest ideal, and her husband has in her a rock of steadfastness, faith, and loyalty, as well as the softest billow of down in sympathy, love, and help, Such women as these are the true saints and heroines —by no paeans martyrs —of the human family; and yeril.y they have their reward in the love they deserve ancl the honour they eain ? Jn health, good companions, faithful friends, sympathetic counsellors, safe confidantes —in sickness, unwearied nurses—in times pf trial or of loss, heartsome sharers pf the women make eyen ordinary men heroes, and give increased glory to the nobler kind. They are the supreme of their sex, arid lead without the baton. Xn general they are mated to their kind,

and to the noble woman gravitates the noble mon: —as vice versa. A good and careful and diligent housekeeper—a good and careful but not over anxious, nor merely an instinctive mother, she has her crown of glory in her wifehood. To her husband she is the very embodiment of wise love. She is not one of the demonstrative kind. She is not always hanging round his neck, sitting on his knees, and the like fond follies of youth ; but she is always cheerful, responsive, good-tem-pei’ed, and complaisant. The happiness of married life lies for the most part with the wife; and women can, as a rule, form their husbands according to desire, given those two necessary qualities—Tact and Love in herself—Love and Honour in him—and common-sense in both."

Now that everyone is talking of the war in the East, it may be well to recall the fact that Mrs Isabella Bishop, the lady traveller, is at present in Corea. She left England some months ago in order to carry out a long-formed intention to explore what is called the Hermit Kingdom. She is travelling alone, and her recent letters to friends at home seem to show that she is not finding her stay among the Coroans very pleasant or enjoyable. She lias ascended one of the principal rivers in a native sampan, a flat bottomed boat drawing only four feet of water, and aboard this uncomfortable dwelling she lived for a month. She had experienced great difficulties in finding a competent interpreter, riot knowing, the language; and she had also much trouble in obtaining sufficient of the native currency to pay her way. Over three thousand! native coins go to a two shilling piece, and fifty shillings worth made a full load fora pony.

A ribbon chatelaine is a charming little gift for a child who is fond of needlework, and will give unbounded delight to the little recipient. About one and threequarter yards of reversible satin ribbon, about one and a half to two inches wide, is required. Cut four strips of this, one stx inches, one eight inches, one ten inches, and one twelve inches long. On the end of the longest strip fasten a scissors sheath made of cardboard, and covered with- a hit of brocade or fancy silk. To the end of the next longest ribbon affix a little needlebook, made of two pieces* of.cardboard two and a half inches long and two inches wide, covered with the same material as that used for the scissors sheath ; a piece of very narrow ribbon forms the back, and the leaves are of a coloured flannel picked out round the edge. The end of the third strip is folded into a point, and a small * emery cushion hung to it; this can be made at home, or one of the acorn emery cushions sold in fancy shops can be used. The fourth and shortest ribbon has a little bag for thimble, buttons, &c., attached to it. The ribbons are sewn together at the top —-the shortest being on the outside—and the remainder of the ribbon is made into a smart bow, and placed so as to hide the stitches; a strong steel hook or a stout safety-pin is sewn at the back with double thread, and the chatelaine is complete.

The ladies’ branch of St. Vincent de Paul’s Society, Te Aro Parish, held their annual meeting yesterday week in St. Patrick’s Hall. Miss McDonald, secretary, read the annual roport and balance-sheet. The report was most satisfactory, showing the great amount of good done by the Society during the year. The Very Rev Father Deyoy was present in the chair, and expressed his deep gratitude to the ladies for their untiring efforts in the cause of charity in the past, and urged them to persevere in the same good work in the future. An election of officers was then held, with the following result:— President, Mrs Holt G’e-elected) ; vicoppesident, Mrs Black ; treasurer, Miss North ; secretary, Miss McDonald (reelected). A hearty vote of tfianks was passed to several ladies who gave large donations of material for clothing during the year.

There is now on view in the window pf Mr Godber, confectioner, Cuba street, a handsome wedding cake. It weighs 1751 b, stands 4ft Gin high and measures 2ft Gin in diameter at the base' It has five tiers, sexagonal in shape, each beautifully ornamented with scrolls, borders and network, the lower one representing a lake with swans floating on its surface. The cake has been made to the order of a Wellington citizen, whose daughter is to bo married in a few days.

The Marchioness of Queensberry is petitioning for a decree of nullity of marriage.