FEMININE FANCIES.

NZ Truth, Issue 151, 9 May 1908, Page 6

FEMININE FANCIES.

A lady living m one of our suburbs, the other day, had a most unpleasant experience. It seems she had been m the habit of selling her empty bottles to a Celestial bottle accumulator for some months. Up to this time be had always been most respectful m his conduct. However, this day. after having received the bottles and paid for them, just as she was turning away into the house, he threw his arms around her, :and nearly succeeded m pressing his filthy ■ face against hers. She wrenched herself free, and quickly entering tbe house, closed the door. In relating the story, she said, "Oh ! I felt positively unclean. I shall never forget the horrible leen on his yellow face as long as I live." I have often noticed that women do uot seem to treat the Chinese hawker as they dtothe European. They laughingly beat him down m the price he asks, and sallow him to give the children a piece of .fruit. Then, again, they send their little 'girls to the Chinese gardens to nurchase vegetables, also to their shops. The little girls have become accustomed to take fruit from him, and to call him John m a tone of banter they would never use to. a white man. Then comes a day when one of these Celestials insults her, and tbe girl's mother, if sh« hears of it, is furious, and anxious to have him punished. B,ut very often the girl is so ashamed, and dreading the exposure that must occur ere he can be punished, withholds the knowledge from her parents, and the yellow beast escapes. Only, the other. day. I heard of two girls going into a fruiterer's shop, and, on seeing a white man behind the counter, prorapttv turned round and left, saying, as tlie.y "made their exit, "Oh, I thought it was ; a Chinkie's.'-' Every woman should make up her mind not to deal with the Chinese hawker. They would then cease to exist, and get back to their own country. For aff Kipling says, "East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." * * * The following little episode occurred outsi.de one of our Scotchbyterian churches the other afternoon. The Sunday school scholars all filed out and away, followed by the teachers all but one. She remained behind talking to the Shepherd on the footpath DuE_uir the course of the conversation, the Shepherd took one of his lambus hands m his. And during tbe conversation that followed, gently patted it with his other band. Something m the attitude of the Shepherd suggested to the passers-by "tbe wolf m sheep's clothing." **. * ■ The endurance test was watched with great interest ,by the majority of Deo.ple. and crowded houses were the order of the day,' winding up on Saturday night with a phcnominal house, when every foot, of space on the stage was occupied. As a reward of endurance, both Mr Burrows and Mr Parnell richly deserved the trophies that were presented to them. But it is such a fearful waste of ienerirv for which no one is a whit the better. That club exercise is v a splendid thing is made manifest by the King of Clubs himself. Every limb is proportionate' and every movement graceful, and, noting this, we feel that club swinging should be an item m the daily . lives of all. As far as music f>-oes, any musician will tell you, that although practice is invaluable, anything over four hours consecutive oractise is detrimental. After three hours, one is working on nervous energy and work accomplished on that method is of no use. The thing that struck present scribe most was that everybody seemed lost m admiration of the deed, whereas when wo see or read of an Indian religious fanatic who stands on his head m the sand for four days without bite or sup, or, extending his hands above his head, keeps m that position for two years, instead of saying what a wonderful power of endurance the man has, the Western world has only one word for it, which it says with the greatest contempt—Mad. * o * Tne Dominion Bazaar, m aid of the Roman Catholic Church funds, was concluded on Saturday ni^ht. The Town Hall was packed to suffocation, and the business done was great. The - takings on Saturday amounted to £210. and the gross takings fo ( r the fortnight reached £14:0.0. It is estimated that the profits, . .when all expenses have been paid, wiil be 'f-900. * * » The scene outside the "New Zealand Times" office on Wednesday night was reminiscent of Dolling night at a general electibh.- As soon as Mr and Mis Hislop appeared on the balcony, the crowd did its best to cheer itself hoarse. Mr Hislop, m returning thanks, spoke at some length, and, considering he was top dog m the fight, might have proved himself a generous one also by making less reference to tbe canine that was last on this occasion. But it was rather a setback for the committee who had worked so hard to help him obtain his victory, that he should conclude his speech without referring to them, and then, as an afterthought, come back and thank them. Mrs Hislop, responding to the crowd, waved both her hands, and said : Thank you very much. I thank the women of Wellington who have stuck to the little woman beside the Mayor. It went right home, and they cheered again. If we could only see the record of votes, I think that we should find that Mr Hislop owes more than even he thinks to the little - woman who has stood so well and firmly by his side during the campaign. * o * That "the Law is a bass" seems as applicable to-day as when Charles Dickens said it through the immoratl "Mr Bumble." When it allows a man who has defrauded his fellow-citizens out of thousands of Bounds to quietly get away out of the Dominion, yet, if a poor man stole a loaf of bread out of a baker's shop because he was humrrv, the baker could call a constable and have him taken- into custody at once. It certainly helps to cement the old adage, "might as well be hune f or a sheep as a lamb." You will certainly swing for the lamb, but the chances are you will get scot free for the sheep. * * * . In the recent list of . creditors m the Elliott case, the fair sex are predominant. - How is it that women are more speculative than men, or was it that the bankrupt was. more popular with the ladies ? * .* * Now these days of social reform should usher m the abolition of the barmaid. This is a position that could, and should, be filled by men. That it is not a fitting occupation for wpmen is proved by the fact that no man is ever willing to sec his daughter or sister behind a bar. Then a publican would have to stand or fall by the quality of his wares, whereas at the present time, some of them make vast profits and nearly noison their customers by the inferior drink -dispensed by an attractive barmaid. Then, again, there is not the same inducement for men

to linger on and drink .more than they ! require, if, instead of a pretty, chatty | lady, the bar is presided over by one of their own sex. Of course, m common fairness, there should be a reasonable time Riven, so that these ladies who have chosen the bar as a business, could either get married or fit themselves for some other calling. Now, if the women of God's Own Country, instead of rush- I ing; pell-mell for prohibition, would make this ' a plank m tbe Parliamentary ulatform of the coming election, they would achieve a good thing. You cannot treat a man like a child, and say you shall | not drink, but a irreat deal could be done to minimise matters by seeing that the drink was wholesome and that the' attraction to keep' him drinkine was less. It cannot be accounted a sin to drink if one does not abuse it. For the Bible shows us that Jesus Christ Himself was no advocate for prohibition, for, at the feast when the wine gave out He ordered the servants to fill the iars up 'with water and He then turned them into wine. And that it was good stuff is shown by the fact that the guests reproved their host, sayintr. "Why did you keep the good wine till the last ?" -it being the custom m those days that when the guest was full he was given an inferior quality. Verily, the times have not changed much since then, for many an up-to-date publican has served the customer who lias drunk not wisely but too well with hock and soda for which the latter has ' paid champagne prices for. """ ~ * * * The engagement of Miss Ina Lie, of the Lower Hutt, to Mr E. Rees, of Johannesburg, is announced. * >» m The bazaar at the Wellington Girls'. College m aid of Pawhita Ramabai's mission, which was opened on Friday night, was continued on Saturday afternoon and evening. There was a crowded attendance. The musical programme was much appreciated, as Was also the fancy dancing and the exhibition of Indian club exercises. Such a brisk trade was done that all the home . products were disposed of. A good deal of the beautiful lace-embroidered linen and Indian work _ remaining over is to be disposed of by private sale, and Miss Kemo. ConstabJe-street. has charge of this: When the bazaar closed on Saturday the takings bad amounted to £140. The College girls are very proud of the success of their - venture. " * *' , Sir Joseph Ward will be waited upon as soon as he returns to Wellington by a deputation of the Navy League, supported by the Chamber of Commerce, m order to solicit his rood offices m inviting at least a portion of the American fleet to visit Wellington. * * * At., a swell private temple of hash m the city an unfortunate accident occurred. It seems that a gentleman boarder going to tbe bath-room, surprised a lady at her morning tub. The lady was very abusive, and m ho gentle terms bade liim depart. The gentleman was most effusive m his apologies, but the angry lady seemed to lose sight of the fact that she herself was to blame for not bavin'"taken the precaution to lock the door. Surely m a house where, there are mixed boarders, there should' be a bath for' both sexes. * * * The total sum collected to send I-I. j Kerr, the champion walker, to London J to compete at the Olympic frames, to be held there m July, now amounts to £130. Kerr arrived here from Ta'ra- | naki on Wednesday night, and was entertained by his supporters at the Windsor Hotel on Friday night. He leaves for London by the Tongariro to-day (Saturday). * % * . -;' * -At the inquest' on a recent fatality at Miramar, when a child was drowned, the jurors, to show their sympathy with the Barents, made over their allowance for the infant. This generous action has | stimulated another, for Dr. McArthur, S.M.. has just received a letter signed' I "Sympathy " and containing a postal I note for 10s, which the writer hopes -the [ father of tbe child will accept m token of her symoathy and m memory of a : similar loss she had suffered. - Mr Rid- | dell, S.M.. had another anonymous con- ! ! tributjon the other day for a young man I committed to the hospital. In both cases it seems to be the afflicted that • are helping the afflicted. * * ,- » ' The child at Miramar was drowned m j a hole m her father's back yard, m which there Avas stagnant water. and some five or six brothers and sisters of the deceased jWere all down with scarlet fever, and well they miirht be if there was such a uestilent breeding hole just outside their dwelling. Surely it is the place of the landlord •to see that such a hole be covered m. No wonder that thefever spreads as it has. Landlords seem very slow m doing anything but collecting their rents. I know of a house near the city where the sanitary effects want badly to te seen to, but the landlord when conmlained to, tole the tenant they must wait for a while, as he was ' doing up the house next door shortly, and that should be done at the same time ** * ' "It is an ill wind that blows nobody any good." A well-known citizen of this city was requested by his wife to call m at a certain drapers and tell them to send on her parcel (bought the day before) as soon as possible. Whilst there he bethought himself of a similar request for a silk petticoat that he had received, but this was not by the wife of his bosom. He ordered the article, and gave the assistant the address to send it to Island Bay. However, when he had departed, the assistant must have forgotten, for she sent the petticoat also on to his wife. When he arrived home, he was dumbfounded by bis wife saying, "Oh, thank you, dear, it was kind -of you. but did vou«snot remember I had one ereen one ?"