WOMEN OF NOTE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7027, 15 January 1910, Page 11

WOMEN OF NOTE

(Prom "M.A.P.") LADY STANLEY. Lady Stanley, whoso memoirs of her lato husband, Sir Henry Stanley, have just come out, has a life-history of much interest. In the later eighties the beautiful .Miss Dorothy Tennant became known as an artist oi great promise. Her pictures, which were studies of the London, street Arab, appeared on the line at the Royal Academy; and hei parents, tho late Mr Charles Tennant and Mrs Tennant. lived in Richmond terrace, and save some smart entertainments. In 1890, Sir Henry Stanley, the famous oxplorer, returned from his travels and was received with almost Royal honours in London. Ho and the then Hiss Dorothy Tennant met at the house of tho late Lady Burdett-Coutts. The attraction was mutual, tho engagement speedy, and those of us who were present at that year's Foreign Office party can remember the triumphant progress through the rooms of Sir Henry Stanley and his handsome fiancee. The wcddir.pr was at Westminster Abbey, and was attended by the late Mr Gladstone, Mr Arthur Balfour, and Sir John Millais, the famous artist. And even now the guests relate how, when owing to Stanley's sudden illness, the bride was led to her carriage by Sir John Millais, and tho excited crowd cheered wildly, the great artist shouted : "I'm not Stanley. I wish I were, lucky dog, lucky dog!" Lady Stanley is now the wife of Mr Henry Curtis, a distinguished surgeon. Her second marriage took place in 1907, and sho retains her title by courtesy. MRS GEORGE CADBTJRY. Tho National Union of Women Workers' Congress, which lias just taken place at Portsmouth, has drawn a notablo woman worker to its gatherings in the person of Mrs George Cadbury. who was tho "chairman" of the Congress Poor Law meeting—a ' post she was singularly fitted to fill. Mrs Cadbury's connection with women's social and industrial questions has been a long and intimate one, and she has earnestly championed tho cause of the woman-worker, both in theory and practice. The "garden-city" conditions of labour carried out at Bournville, have found in her a constant and active sympathiser, and, she. has ably seconded.tho efforts of her husband, Mr George Cadbury, to improve the lot of the toilers in our workrooms and factories. ' Mrs Cadbury is likewise' a ready and attractive srieaker, and is much in request on many platforms. MADAME ADA CROSSLEY. Madame. Ada Crossley, who has again •been delighting Londoners - with her magnificent voice, after a very successful tour in Australia., is herself au Australian, and was born at Gippsland. Victoria. She first appeared in England in 1895, sjnee when she ha 6 attained a foromost * reputation among -ufi. - Previous-? to her first English- appearance, she had sung the Melbourne Philharmonic Society, and she had studied . under such-well-known peo-ple-as Sir Charles Sahtley and . lime. M. Marches!. Madame Crossley is a thorough lover of . out-of-door life, and as ah equestrian shehas few equals, even'among the opposite 6ex. Soma idea of Mme. Crossley's popularity in her own country may be gained from the fact that-at Yarram recently she was mot by a. .troupe of children who strewed flowers in her path as she walked and : sang.- "Home , Sweet Homo" the,while.- Everywhere she went she ■ was accorded almost Royal receptions, and she was entertained by numerous mayors and other public people. In the course of her tour, the" famous contralto travelled over 70,000 miles, and sang at considerably oyer a: hundred concerts. ■ MISS EMILY HICKBY. The news that Miss Emily Hickey is to give some "readings from Chaucer" shortly to the members of .the Catholic Women's League (reminds us,that in that gifted, lady we have one of the very few living Englishwomen who understand the difficult art of reading aloud. Miss HickeyV intimate knowledge of Anglo-Saxon, a .knowledge which is as rare as it is profound, enables .her to measure the worth of words in a way which only the expert. in English can do, and her delightfully soft, musical voice makes listening to her reading a very real treat, for she entirely disdains the arts and graces of the iprofessional reciter. People do not. sufficiently realise that the faoulty for reading aloud ■ gieatly depends on the 'scientific > mas- , tery of the laws of language, and- 't is ,possible that were a study of our mother-tongue more general, we might hear much of an accomplishment which deserves more cultivation* than it obtains. MISS KATE. RORKE. ....:'"' Miss Kate Rorke, whose play, "The Price"—written in conj unction with Miss M. Robertson —was produced the other day. is one of the most delightful-of living actress, and she -first appeared on the stage when quite a little girl.. This was at the Court Theatre, in "Olivia," when Miss Ellen Terry, who was playing the name part, singled her out for special notice. Miss Rorke comes of a - theatrical ' family, and on her mother's side can claim connection with many famous players of the past.- Miss Rorke became a leading lady when only seventeen, and since then she has had successes too numerous to mention. Of" late years. Miss Rorke has devoted her attention to teaching the dramatic art, and she is acknowledged to be one of the best "coaches" of the day. Somo years ago Miss Rorke received a ■ strange petition, from some of her admirers.. At the time, she happened to be appearing at one of the theatres in the role of a woman of doubtful' integrity, and a number of people sent her a petition urging her to give up such.parts iix the future. "Never do it again," they implored. "We love you so when you are good." It was a curious petition, but it was an eloquent testimony to the cleverness of "Miss Rorke's acting. .. .' ' i EAT STRINGS NOT TIED BUT LEFT LOOSE A number of the wide-brimmed hats of the summer have loose floating strings that tie on the shoulder or knot well below the corsage. They do not tie beneath the chin, in the old manner, but are usually carried across the crown of the hat and are lightly attached to the Some girls toss the strings backward over the shoulder or in front of- the arm and let them hang without being tied. On a .hat trimmed with foliage velvet ribbons are a very good touch.

There are some men and -women who will only be kept in their place by a gravestone.