NOTES FOR WOMEN

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11735, 24 January 1924, Page 9

NOTES FOR WOMEN

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Sir John and Lad3 r Findlay have returned from the south. Mr and Mrs Bernard Tripp, of Canterbury, are in Wellington. Mrs Fvatt has left for the south. Sir John and Lady Luke have returned from a visit to the West Coast. Mrs J* W. Callaghan has returned to Napier after a visit to Wellington. Mr and Mrs Hudson, of Motueka, are in Christchurch, after visiting the West Coast. Mr and Mrs George Knowles {nee M.iRS Dormer Maunder), who live at a charming chateau, Clos St. Victor, Tours, went over from France to London to attend the reception given by the High Commissioner and Lady* Allen to the New Zoaland Prime Minister. Misg Jessie Maekay and her sister, who have been on a- holiday to Auckland and the north generally, are back home. Mrs J. G. Ooatos and her children returned to Wellington from the north on Tuesday. Mrs Rankine Brown is visiting Auckland. The wedding took place at St. James’s Anglican Church, Mangere, on Wednesday, of Miss Marjorie Backhurst, daughter of Mr and Mrs W. H. Backhurst, of Mangero, to Mr E. C. Mann, eldest son «f Mrs M. Mann and the late Mr George Mann. Miss M. Ball and Miss Sybil Rhodes, North Canterbury, are visiting Wellington. Miss K. Mitchell, of the Wellington Post Office, is visiting her mother in Stafford. She will return on Monday. On Wednesday last a quiet but pretty wedding took place in tho Catholic Church, Waiutn, the contracting x>arties being Miss Eileen Braidwood, youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs G. Broidwood, of Hukawai, to Mr George Whiting, of Nelson. The Rev. Father Herring officiated. Mrs Gill, whose husband is coming to New Zealand as one of the examining veterinary surgeons under the Department of Agriculture, has a brother here, Mr H. H. Cherry, who is farming at Carterton. Quite a gathering of people from various parts of Canterbury attended the wedding at the Clarence road Methodist Church, Christchurch, of Sybil, younger daughter of Mrs C. Sutherland, of Riccarton, and Mr Harry Mason, of Timam. The Rev. E. D. Patchett was the presiding clergyman, and Miss Eva Townsend officiated at the oTgan. Mr L. Orchard, a brotfeer-in-law, gave the bride away. She wore a dainty frock oi white crepe-de-chine and silver laco, and, a veil arranged in mob-cap fashion with j ospreys of orange blossoms. The houq.net j was of white flowers. Miss Connie Clark (Belfast) carried out the duties of bridesmaid, her frock being of georgette in' apricot shade, and the lace hat and bouquet of the same colour. The bride-: groom was attended by the bride’s brother, Mr Roland Sutherland. A recep- • tion was afterwards held at Strcatham; House, Dilworth street, Riccarton, the i residence of the bride’s mother.

WEDDING AT ST. PAUL’S

Tils wedding took place at St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral yesterday afternoon, of Mies Ismene -Mantell, second daughter of Mr and Mrs Walter Mantell, of Sydney street, to Mr Sydney ISodall, youngest ! son of Mr and Mrs W. H. Tisdall, of Hamilton. '.Pile bride, who was given away by her father, wore a lovely wedding gown of ivory broohe armure, made very simply, the drapery caught at one side with a pearl ornament.’ The chemisette and sleeves were of old Honiton lace belonging to her mother. A white satin train fell from the shoulders, draped with a Honiton lace veil, which had been worn by her grandmother. A tulle veil was worn, fastened with orange blossoms, and she carried a bouquet of white flowers. There were four bridesmaids— Valeda Mantell (sister of the bride), Edith Tisdall (sister of the bridegroom), Fruda Strouts (cousin of the bride), and Joan Wheeler. The two elder girls wore floral talietaa of vivid flowers on a white ground, made in early Victorian fashion, and black crinoline halp, with flowers and streamers to match the frocks. The two little girls were in cream taffetas, made with frills at the sides, and wore black crinoline poke bonnets with similar flowers. All carried posies of blue and pink to match the colours of tno frocks. The bridegroom was attended by Mr W. X). Tavener as best man, and Mr Athol Milward as groomsman. The ceremony was performed by the Ven Archdeacon Johnson, and the organ, was played by Miss Putnam. Afterwards Mr and Mrs Mantell held a reception at their home in Sydney street, when the bride and bridegroom received tire congratulations of their friends, standing under a bell of blue flowers. The table was decorated with lilac, and the mantelpiece massed with red camellias. The health of the bride and bridegroom was proposed by Mr Maxwell. Mrs Mantell received the guests wearing lavender georgette, braided and embroidered to tone, and a black bat with ospreys; she carried a lavender bouquet. Mrs Tisdall, mother of the bridegroom, wore navy satin and georgette, and a floral touque. Mrs Leslie Tisdall was in navy blue taffetas, with frey georgette panels, and hat on suite. Ire Harding, sister of the brido, wore blue marocain, with grey hat and marabout stole. Miss Bordman, of Auckland, aunt of tho bride, wore brown satin marocain, with Oriental trimoing, and hat t omatch. Mis C. Strouts, of Masterton (cousin), wore black satin with beaded georgette panels, and panne hat with ospreys. Mrs Bucholz wore mastic silk embroidered in blue and red roses, and a hat with tho same colourings. Mrs Murieon was in navy satin and hat to match. Mrs S. Wheeler wore almond green georgette, and a hat to match. Mrs Huntly Elliott was in black, relieved with white. Mrs J. S. Thompson, Palmerston North (cousin), wore black, embroidered with peacock blue, and a black bat. Miss Thompson wag in brown satin marocain, and hat to match. Mrs Wyvem Moore, of Wanganui, was in brown silk marocain. Miss i Moore, of Masteirton, grey, and Miss I Winnie Moore was in blue. Also among the guests were Mr Tisdall, Mr Bulohoz, Mrs Taylor, Mies Hall, Mrs and Miss Morpeth, Mrs T. Young, Mrs Arthur Duncan and Miss Alys Duncan, Mrs and the Misses Marchbanks, Mrs Tom Young, Mrs W. Young, Mr and Mrs Tolhurst, Mr and Mrs C. O'Connor, Miss Putnam, Miss Turton, Mrs E. Hail field, Mrs Tripp, Mrs and Miss Gore. Mrs Leckie, Miss Duncan, and others. The bride left on her honeymoon wearing figured blue crepe-de-cliine, with plain sleeves, and a hat of hand-embroid-ered silk and wool in many tones. She also wore a long grey gaberdine capo with pale blue embroidery.

A PHANTOM VOTE

The following article in a London paper shows there is still much elusivene&s about the woman’s vote: —The great day and the moment of decision have arrived, yet 1, and thousands of women like me, have no admission to tho polling booths. Somo of us have ardently desired this proof of citizenship, and many of ns worked for it tor long years. A few ‘‘burned for their faith”; the rest, more cowardly, including myself, by means of polite dispute and suave argument. It is partly that baffling register which is our undoing: also, the curious law which gives a “latch-key” vote to lodgers of fho male sex, but not to their sisters or their aunts who are in a like case. I have been pursuing this phantom vote since 1918. Once it was almost within my grasp. In that spring of .Destiny I ■was a paying guest in a country house in Sussex. Suddenly there was a byelection. Though resident there for over ten months, no one would assent # to my using tho newly-bestowed franchise. It appeared that I had not an armchair, or sonic such qualification, of my own in that spacious mansion. In December, 1918, came the khaki election. I was now living in a big ladies’ club in London. Could I vote? Oh, no, though of course the luggage-porter did, he and all his likes.

Now, thoroughly roused, I determined to have a room with my own furniture, in case of a sudden dissolution. So, a skelter of Chippendale chairs and tables,* blue and whito Nankin, and ultra-mo-dern water-colours were hastily unearthed from their long repose in a depository, and placed in a room in tho vicinity of Piccadilly. J was now on the Register for St. George’s.

But life in Mayfair is nowadays transitory, so, after a few months, the tables, vases, and pictures were hastily transferred to a more genteel street. Not to bo baulked, I stalked my registrar down in vague caverns near Charing Gross, and notified my new. address. This time it would have worked, for I possessed more than the symbolic armchair, but when the polling day of 1922 arrived a doctor was shaking his head at my bedside, and forbidding all egress for at least ten days. In a world of chance and change nothing lasts, and, on the day of a general election, being of full age and moderately sane, I find myself once more without a vote. lam living in a London hotel, and there is no franchise for “the likes of us.” Yet in these homeless and servantless davs there is an ever-increasing class of potential women voters dwelling in hotels, cluibs, and furnished rooms. Most of these ladies have decided views, and all aro on the side of moderation, law, and order. The party which gets hold of this floating upper-mjddle-class female population (in many cases females with influence) will have a powerful lover. I ponder on the case of a cheerful youth I know (he doesn’t care a fiddlestick about politics) who lias no fewer than three votes, one for his university, one for tho club in which he lives—without his own furniture—and the third, well, 1 forgot where the third is. Perhaps his fathers house in the country. Another envied masculine friend has three votes in London, which he never uses, one for hie London flat, one for his place of business, another for some city company, to which he belongs. Shall these things be?

As a matter of fact, I should say that women are more interested, in these days, in politics than are men—outside the .party organisation. In this post-war world, many men are profoundly disillusioned' about “politics” and politicians. Their womenfolk, on the contrary, having just realised their power in the State, are extraordinarily keen on exercising it. As long ago as “Milestones,” Mr Arnold Bennett, with his usual perspicacity, made ihe lovely young sister of the youthful Duke quite familiar with all the bills likely to come before tho House of Lords, while His Grace was abysmally ignorant of affairs.

This was an intensely - modern touch, giving the key to the girPg rather callous attitude in the last act. Her mind was not set on Sentiment, but on Realities.