NOTES FOR WOMEN

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11652, 17 October 1923, Page 5

NOTES FOR WOMEN

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

His Excellency the Governor-General is holding an investiture at Government House on October 26th. Miss Marjorie . Morice went to Auckland with lier aunt, Mrs Seddon Wood, who left from there on her return to England. Mies Elsie Lilly, organising secretary to the Zenana Indian Mission, is the guest of Mrs J. M. Stewart, Palmerston North.

Mr lan Keith (Auckland) is the guest of Mr and Mrs Meadows, (Lower Hutt).

Mr and Mrs B. Wilson have returned from Rotorua, where Mt Wilson has greatly benefited after his recent accident.

Much regret was expressed by the committee and matron at the last meeting of the Residential Nursery, Owen street, that so many children had to be refused, as the present accommodation is taxed to its utmost, and the children that are booked must be given preference to emergency cases.

Sisters Leeds and Crokston, of New Plymouth, are spending a few days in Wellington before sailing for America. A wedding took place recently at the Madras street Church, Christchurch, when Miss Elsie Goode, third daughter of Mr F. A. Goode, of St. Albans, was married to Mr R. Moir younger son of Mr C. Moir, of Lyttelton, the Rev. Harris officiating. Mre W. R. Kettle and Miss Kettle, of Greymouth, who have been spending a holiday in Sydney, return this week. Dr and Mrs Walker, of New Plymouth, return to New Zealand by the Rruahine, sailing from London on October 25th.

i Miss Amy Sutton (Pahiatua) lias arrived in England on a six months* pleasure trip. She is at present in London, 'but is intending shortly to leave for Scotland and later for the South of England. Miss Gertrude Petre, of Christchurch, is visiting Wellington as a delegate to the conference of masseurs.

Miss Nellie Simpson, of Wellington, is at preseut staying in Christchurch. Miss Haw thome-Ross, of Dunedin, is in Wellington. •Mr and Mrs Philip Nathan havo returned to Wellington from Christchurch. Mrs McKail Geddes, Miss Mary Geddes and Mr Robert Geddes, of Auckland, intend visiting England shortly, and will leave at the beginning of December. The marriage of Miss Marjorie Webster, third daughter of Mrs H. B. Webster; Victoria avenue, to Mr A T Dunne, took place at Sommervell Presltyterian Church, Remuera, Auckland, on Thursday The bride, who was given away by her mother, wore a frock of white satin brocaded in silver thread, with a long tulle veil, which was caught with silver ribbon and orange blossom, which had been worn by her mother, and she carried a shower bouquet of white carnations and pink roses. . The bridesmaid, Miss Ruth Webster, sister , of the bride, wore a frock of soft pink satin, with side panels of silver lace and a pink tulle veil held in place with silver leaves; she carried a bouquet of pink flowers. Mr George Downer acted as best man. A receptiou was afterwards held at "Glen Eira,” when Mrs Webster received her guests wearing a black silk inarocain frock with touches of grey and small black hat. She carried a bouquet of scarlet anemones.

i Alter having visited several of the leadj ing London hospitals and v obtaining an insight into their methods of nurse training and' education, as well as other matters relating to the profession, Miss J Bicknell—the lately appointed : Director! of the Division in Nursing in the Depart-1 * ment of Health, Wellington—rwent to j Glasgow and Edinburgh for a similar! purpose, and while in the north she visited both the general and the maternity hospitals. Miss Bicknell says that everywhere she has found that New Zealand legislation with regard to public health, hospitals and nurse training is regarded as being thoroughly efficient and up-to-date. She has foundl everyone most willing to assist her in every possible way, and eager for information about New Zealand methods and management. , Miss Bicknell is expected on her return from England shortly. - Every morning a girl opens a narrowfronted shop in Kensington, and immediately- gorgeous moths and beautiful butterflies that had no existence when she j left the shop the previous night flutter about her. This daily miracle of nature | : causes Mias Gertrude Rosenberg no surprise, for she manages the shop for her] father, a naturalist. She breeds moths. and butterflies on the premises and in I the wondow by hanging up the cocoons"” from string. Small boys, who call Miss Rosenberg "the moth girl” and. "the butterfly girl,” watch the marvellous process of nature witli their noses flattened to. the window. Miss Rosenberg, who was her father's shorthand typist before the war*, and has been secretary to an M.P. and with a shipping company, turned to and managed hie father’s big business elsewhere when he joined the army for the war; Now it is her profession The silken "tombs” in the window, about the size of a thimble, gradually open before the eye, the chrysalis emerges, grows ! wings, takes gorgeous colours, and flutters about. That is the hourly miracle. Tbe sixth annual report of the Now Zealand Nurses’ Memorial Fund, for the year ended March 31st, 1928, reads as follows : —The past year has been an uneventful one for the fund. Public interest therein seems to have died away, i No large donations have been received; I in fact, the only sums running into dou- I Me figures are those of £42 Os 9d, con- * tributions from the Wellington branch I (received after the close of the financial | year), and .£l6 5s 6d and .£l6 19s from the Canterbury Trained Nurses’ Association. Subscriptions, also, are few in number. As a result, the committed have < been able to add only JB2OO to tho invested capital, which is still far short of tho ! .£20,000 aimed at in the last report. Applications for help still come in. At the end of last year, March 31st, 1932, there were nine annuitants on oar books, and thirteen at the end of this year. Another annuity has been granted since March 31st, and it is difficult ix> see how further calls on the fund can be met. Tho withdrawal of the Government subsidy, as mentioned in last year's report, I necessarily threw a heavy additional burden on the fund, and, as there is no probability of tho subsidy beings restored, the committee wish earnestly to impress on all who take an interest in the fund the urgent necessity of doing all in thoir power to obtain increased support, by way of donations, subscriptions, or j promotion of entertainments to raise I money.

THE MENDING BASKET

It is strange that, among all the tra-dition-appointed tasks of women, sewing is never regarded as work—unless, of course, you are a professional "sewer” and earn you: living by making clothes for people. Women admit to being tired out with housekeeping, and, despite all that is said about Lomemakiug being woman’s "natural” employment, many women suffer a form of nervous breakdown through too generous an endowment of household cares. But. not being in an office or any defined trade or profession, trhev are rarely ordered away for three months complete rest by the family doctor. says a writer in an exchange. Very few people realise, except the housekeeper herself, how arduous a thing is keeping house. And it is sewing, quite as much as shopping, meal-plan* ning, and tidying-up, that helps to exhaust women.

It is because we associate sewing with a delightful craft, visioning our ah cestress pictorially posed at her embroidery frame, that the mending basket enjoys a place of honour in most homes. It is so feminine and sweet a picture to see the mother of the family, head hent over Johnny’s sock or Jill's romper, plying her needle in the glowing yellow circle of the lamp (or in the hard'glare of the gas bracket, or electric bulb). "But what- is to be done about itP” asks the mother of a family. "The In. man family cannot be clothed in suits of asbestos, and Johnnies and Jills, little o * crown, will continue to wear out their clothes as long as they inhabit the earth. Someone must do the mending.” Of course, the mistake lies in regarding sewing as an odd job, a relaxation, almost a recreation. All mending and even tbe making of new clothes, should be put down on the list of daily woik for the week. One morning or one afternoon each week should be devoted under good conditions—in a well-lit, well-ven-tilated room, or, better still, in the gar den. Use a machine where possible, and don’t use up previous hours and eyesight Gver a lot of unnecessary beautification of little garments.

DR FLORA MURRAY

Dr Flora Murray passed away in Eng land recently, when she was at the height of her power, and her loss will be mourned by many friends as well as by those who came in contact with hei as patients, says an English writer. The fin© work she did during the wai will not be forgotten, and there are many women who remember the brave efforts she and Dr Louisa Garrett Andeison put forth together before women doctors obtained recognition and 'he scope required for the work which ( they were so well qualified to do. Dr Murray received the C.B.E. in acknowledgement of her services to the soldiers, and both at Wimereux and Endell-street Hospital the work of women doctors was unceasing and devoted. It was the French Government who were quick to realise the possibilities of the help that qualified and distinguished English women doctors could give in the time of peculiar stress and strain of early war days. In response to a request from them a hospital was started at Wimereux, which was later taken over by the R.A.M.C.

Women who_ interest themselves In mo dern movements were one and all delighted when Sir Alfred Keogh took the old Sfc. Giles’© Union Workhouse and equipped it with 550 beds, placing Dr Murray in charge. No doubt the brilliant work done by women doctors during tbe war did a great deal to inspire young women with a desire to take up medicine as a career. A great many students entered, and a record number of women are qualifying at the present time.

COURT CEREMONIALS

Fashions in Court procedure change as much as any other®, it seems, and anyone who has read Lytton-Strachey’s delightful biography of Queen Victoria will bo muck amused) at the cast-iron rule© of last century’s courts.

One is struck in Strachey's book by the old Queen’s hatred of the artificial, by her blunt sincerity and look of subtlety—and, perhaps, of humour! It was, therefore, characteristic of her that Queen Victoria’s day drawing rooms were held in the afternoons. King Edward and Queen Alexandra abandoned these in favour of the evening Courts, still in vogue, and fo immensely preferred. Many are the grandmothers, greatgrandmothers, and elderly aunts, who remember tho tedious procedure of the afternoon drawing room. The early morning dressing in stiffly-boned gowns, cut exceedingly low to . show the shoulders, tho curled or plaited coiffure, the huge train, and then the drive at snail’s pace, with many a long stoppage at intervals, to the r'alace. At tli© time they did not dislike it; pride and loyalty upheld, them. But they cannot invariably have been pleased by the staring mobe, who crowded the Mall (which in those days was rather a dreary succession of avenue® scrubbily bordered with trees, instead of the splendidly kept approach it is now), and made comments upon their attire, their jewels, and the anomaly of their very full dress toilettes in the cruel light of day. Not even wag there artificial light in the Throne Room, until, so it is said, Queen Alexandra, then Princess of Wales, once took the drawing room instead of Queen Victoria, and had a splendid illumination of candles, which aroused the great admiration of all.

j William IV., the "Citizen King/' used to embrace many of the ladies who api peared) at his Courts, "some on 'both f cheeks, some not a.t all, just as the fancy took him.” Qneon Victoria extended her hand to he kissed, while the obeisance wa.s made. At King Edward and Queen Alexandra's Courts the deep curtsey, so diligently practised by debutantes, which still obtains favour, was alone approved. Just ao customs of this kind) change, so do fashions in festivities after the occasion. Naturally it is to receptions and I balls, and to the photographers, that the debutantes and dowagers of to-day repair, thus following the precedent of King Edward’s ivgn, when the approved long heavy trains, some made of velvet ana brocade, were unfastened l and left in cloakrooms. There were Peacock Teas, says the "Yorkshire Post,” after Queen Victoria's drawing rooms, so colled because those who were fortunate enough to have been to Buckingham Palioe paraded in their friend's reception rooms, for tho sake of those less lucky. And, also, in stately familv coaches, with bevigged and menials in attendance, as well as in broughams and barouches magnificently horsed, stately drives were taken round and round Hyde Park for tho edification of the beh oldcrs

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF W6MEN

A special meeting of the Wellington branch of tho National Council of Women was held last night, when the delegates to the recent conference of the council, held in Auckland, presented their report, which was read by Miss England, the other delegate® present being Mrs Forde and Mrs Johnson-Wright. The delegates considered the conference had been very helpful in many ways, and some good discussions took place. The hospitality shown had been very generous. A vote of thanks was passed to the delegates who attended the conference, and it tv as decided that a letter of thanks be sent to the Auckland Council for its kindness and hospitality to the visitors to the conference. Mrs Henderson gav© a report of. the finding® of the committee of Health Week, which is drawing up the final report. On behalf of the council she had stressed the need for more rest rooms and conveniences for women in the city, especially near the principal tram stops. Also the necessity for more attention to the nuisanoe ot expectoration, and to duet carts, etc. Those ladies who attended on behalf o<f the council were thanked for doing so. Mrs Caughley reported on the meeting called by the Mayor to inaugurate a fund for the purchase of radium. Mrs J. C. Henderson had been placed on the executive. She stated that the committee hoped the women would assist. The council was of opinion that tbe request for assistance of women should come from the Mayoress, so that all the women of the city should be drawn in to assist.

A report of the finance iommit>tee was received. It was decided to hold a garden party early in December.

FRENCH MARRIAGES

It has occurred to the municipality of Pantin that the civil marriage, which is obligatory in France, is singularly* out of keeping with the spirit of festivity with which a French marriage is otherwise endowed. French xnaines are very often like other French official bureaux ■ —dull, ugly, unveutilated. As someone remarked, young couples standing up before the mayor and his assistants look much moTe as though they were being than as though they were being married; a gendarme or two would complete the picture of a court of justioe. Why not therefore, in the interests of the family, make the civil marriage a* attractive as the religious marriage P Pantin has devised a scheme, by which the civil marriage may be musical at the will of the aspiring couple. Singers and players are to vairy according to the mean® of the young couple. They may have a soloist or merely a wedding march; they may have a choir or an orchestra, or both. At least they are to have something which shall distract their attention from the rust and red tape of the average office, and which shall take away something of the all-too-businesslike nature of the contract. Marriage in France has, of course, very much of the business element in it. There i 6, it is argued, no reason why , this element should exclude the more attractive emotions. The scheme, in short, really comes round to the one vitai auestion of the moment —that of population. The Governments, municipalities, welfare societies, private individuals are all concentrating on the most important problem which France has to face. If sentiment can help, then sentiment must be used as well as any other method. The Pantin scheme has received o good deal of attention, and other municipalities soem likely to follow its example. The only difficulty seems to be that of expense. A French marriage is oh© of the few occasions in the life of the people when no expense is spared. It behoves you to have as expensive a marriage as possible, and it remain® to be seen whether the parents of young couples will appreciate the additional ceremonial, for whioh, if it becomes fashionable, it may behove them to pay.

UNIVERSITIES AND WOMEN

"Blackwood's Magazine” is to be congratulated that dealing adversely with feminine claims to university privileges it did not quote the "monstrous regiment of women” (which should be regimen rule, in any case, and not regiment) This is something of a feat. The writer, however, lets himself go in other respect®. He castigates first the three Tory peers who have sold their birthright, or something to that offset, by standing up for feminist claims. "The ingenious Lord Haldane wishes to punish Cambridge for not keeping up to the standard) of the time. But standards have a trick of vanishing, and how do we know that the flag of feminism may not be hauled down within a few yearer Feminism is not a divino ordinance. It is not yet accepted by the universal wisdom of mankind a® a piece of eternity. It is a whim of the moment, a feshioa of the hour. It has generally been a sign of decay and disorder.” This means simply that in times of disorder rights are sometimes more easily grasped or oonoeded. He then points out that Cambridge is an ardent institution, and that its founders made no provision for women, but omits to state that according to that way of reasoning we should do something about the Bluecoats Boys’ School, and a few other similar establishments which were originally founded for girls as well os boys. As a matter of fact there is reason to believe that the Tudor period had none of the later dislike to learned ladies, and that the university life of the period was not open to young women merely because of the social conventions orf the time.

• As regards American universities it is pleasant to note an honour conferred upon Mrs Edith Wharton, who has received the hon. degree of letters in the Yale University, being the first woman to be awarded that distinction. Professor Pholp, in . thus oomnlimenting the distinguished author, spoke of the good work she had done in giving realism that never descended to sensationalism and works that world be permanent in literature.

Mies Rene Davidson, Lower Hutt, who has been spending a holiday with Mrs J. C. Honde, Harewood road, in Christchurch, and relative on the West Coast, has returned) to Wellington. Mr and Mrs Gage Williams left Auckland by the Rotorua on Saturday. There was an excellent attendance of members of the Rotorua Women’s Club on Saturday night at the tea kiosk, Government Gardens, at a social evening given for the members of the club to meet Mrs Carmalt-Jonee, of Dunedin, president of the Domen's National Council of the Dominion. Miss Eileen Driscoll and Miss Matolle Esquilant (both of Wellington) have been on an extended tour of the Continent as well a® to Scotland, Ireland and Wales. They went to Belgium, and saw the war xone area. From Paris they went to Switzerland, thence to Germany and Austria, returning to England via Holland and Ostend. While in Vienna they greatly enjoyed the fine music and splendidly produced operas. Miss Driscoll and Miss Esquilant expect to be in England for some considerable time, and in the autumn they will both settle down to a course of vocal study. It has been remarked lately that many of our newest dress effeots are borrowed straight from the Elizabethan era. Our jewelled drops and single pearls for hair ornaments, elaborate shoes, ornamented gloves, padded hips, and metal brocades were all known by the Maids of Honour at Elizabeth's Court. It is a curious reaction, and the autumn modes will probably.show a strong tendency in another direction.