BREEZY BITS FROM SYDNEY CITY.

NZ Truth, Issue 100, 18 May 1907, Page 6

BREEZY BITS FROM SYDNEY CITY.

feminine Fads, Frills, Follies Feathers, Flowers and Furbelows.

(By "Merne May.")

Last Saturday femininity held its annual charity carnival, and jingled its collection box right under the nose of every son of Adam. It jingled merrily, and raided with a. will, and exceeded last year's record by at least £500. Every year Hospital Saturday becomes a further financial success, so, though the sour and old-fashioned growl about'; pert misses a n d forward matrons, its very, plain "that the majority of male men look with favor and appreciation on this female-fori'gand method of appealing to their generosity. For -it is the men who give— many times and oft. They load their pockets with coppers and trays, and give to each smiling beggar. Quite -early m the day tiie collectors hold their little confabs, and shake their heads sadly as they agree that women are '^greedy cats," and it is waste of time appealing to them.

The 3000 importuning box jiriglers comprised Sydney's finest specimens of young Womanhoods They left their suburban homes and duties at 7. a.m., and put m a hard day's graft for the cause, and if it has become a frolic and a carnival, more credit to the Sydney menfolk, who take such persistent blackmail m good part. The damsels are dressed m their most becoming toques and frocks, and, as they were bent on. conquest and plunder, smiled on the. donor of the bob and the penny indiscriminately* Taking them., by and: large, they were a fine-looking crowd* and their natural freshness and vivacity something of a treat.

One is apt to judge Sydney women by the standard set up by the society scribblers, who eternally sing the praises of the faked, bold beauties who sit m the s^ats reserved for the mighty at public -functions. The. girl who does not grovel at Government 'Ouse has no chance of being considered a belle, m this city, even though she were a re-incarnation of Helen of Troy and Cleopatra combined. I'm thinking .seriously of/ looming Hospital Saturday. ;'iS the great annual Beauty Show.

It is thirteen veara since the pcit'icoat raid m aid of liie t>osl>:ta.]s was started m this frivolous city. The first aid resulted m £19 IT) 4-s lid, and it has steadily increased each year since. Last year .£4589 12s lid 1 was collected. Saturday's plunder was £5100' so vhe influence of her sex is not waning, though we are enfranchised.

While on the subject of our emancipation I must tell you, that last week an ancient, fusty, silly old has-been of a politician bobbed up, solemnly to; seriously suggest vthat bachelors should tie taxed, the saw! tax to provide homes for a-ncient spinsters. The name of the dotoxdi is Storey, and he is, m private life,, maker and importer of men's hats-' He must be a bit . weak m his own top storey to perpetrate such an idiotic joke m these days of sex equality, when women are asking for equal wages for eaual • work, and a fair field and no favor. Woman is laughing loudly and 'askingif those of her who can afford ti> keep a husband, .and do not do so. would be obliged to pay a tax to. maintain a ' home for indigent bachelors. . , ' • • . '• Seems that' Mr 'Storey hag a n idea that bachelors do not contribute their share of the taxes. 'But Florriecan assure him that he is wrong. She can point out to him several gilded '.bachelors who main- ' tain whole families,, just from pure benevolence. Of course the "he" is the wife's own particular best friend, ' and she would raise Cain if he ever attempted to become a Benedict ; but, seeing that 'he pays for her Queen of Sbeba> raiment, and the . rent and gasbill, it would be unfair to tax him , any further.

And just past your optics around orf the many bachelors who support and clothe luxuriously a varied assortment of. tender nieces and cousins,, and ask yourselves if such generous darlings should, te taxed into -committing matrimony, and supporting but one suspicious, lyux-eyed female. It is real cruel of Mr. Hatter Stor-r ey to infer that our say, giddy, old ' battledores are mean, greedy- toisers! Dr. Danysz leaves us by the R.M.S. India on Saturday. He will return when the authorities allow, him to try his microbe broth en our festive bunny as he burrows on his native heath. And that .. will be — never. For somehow that microbe virus went wrong;, and i gave the infected rabbit a pain m a different, place from that intended .by. the French scientist. He blames, our climate, or rather the climaie c! Biougbton Island for the peculiarity and contrariness oi his pet microbes. Seems that the bunnies should havg turned up their toes with galloping, consumption, or influenza or something. ; but they developed stomach-* ache* They died all right. But it is not probable that our Government will allow any liberties to be taken with our rabbits, as they have l.c'come a profitable export .industry. * * * She-celebrities are dividing their time between charity balls andi stitching for the proposed Women's Exhibition. Fancy dresses foi the "literary" ball are the burning question at present. When it is over, the sofa cushion and teaeozy craze threatens to 'become an epidemic. A very ambitious push have decided U) make a carpet between them. The silken bonds will fray at the' edges, sure as fate. Xi n g Ned will entertain the visiting Premiers, but not the. ladies accompanying them,. as' -Queen Alexandra js hot' at home, iNow, why did our gracious Atex!andra visit At-liens, instead of st-ay-iin-c: •".t home to receive Mrs. Dealria land Mrs. W?nl ? . 1,0o T "s like a •ease of malice a Tore thought.