PERSONAL AND SOCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20432, 12 June 1928, Page 14

PERSONAL AND SOCIAL.

Mrs Peter Barr returned to Dunedin during the week-end from Sydney. * » * Mr and Mrs Frank Bell, of Shag Valley, returned yesterday to their home. • • • Mrs G. Winslow, of Roxburgh, is the guest of Mr John Shand, Pitt street. • • a Mr and Mrs A. D. Bell and Miss B. Bell returned yesterday to Shag Valley. # • * iliss Barbara Williams is paying a visit to Waikouaiti as the guest of Mrs Allan Orbell. « • • Mrs J. E. Macassey, Mrs Stanley Batchelor, and Mrs H. W. Hilton were bridge hostesses during last week. • ♦ * Miss A. Ensor, of Rangiora, who was the guest of Miss Betty Oram, returned north on Friday. « » * Miss Joyce Austin, of Maruakoa, Oainaru. returned home last week after an extended holiday spent at Sydney. Dr Robert Fitzgerald, of Oamaru, who was the guest of Dr and Mrs J. Fitzgerald, of London street, has returned north. » « • Mr and Mrs Russell Laidlaw, who were the guests of Mrs W. Laidlaw for race week, left Dunedin yesterday on theii return journey. Miss Helen Gard’ner, well known in Dunedin as a teacher of elocution, who has spent a considerable time studying in England, arrived in Dunedin last week. • • • The engagement is announced of Ailsa Gladys, eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs G. H. Plummer, of Auckland, to 'Malcolm William, elder son of the Rev. and Mrs J. Wilson, of Waitati. * • • Mrs Menlove, of Athol, who has been visiting her father, Sir John Roberts. Littlebournc, returned yesterday to her home. • * * Miss M. Gibson, of Timaru, who is the guest of Mrs Stanley Batchelor, will leave Dunedin to-day on her return journey. * • « Miss Meta Nixon, of Chi istchurch, who has been spending a holiday in the city as the guest of Mrs Edgar Hazlett, left Dunedin yesterday for Invercargill. » * * Mr and Mrs Huyshe Eliot, of Roxburgh, are on a holiday visit to Dunedin, and are staying at the Grand Hotel. • * • Mr C. Lyton-Vicars and Miss LytonVicars, of Newton-Willows, • England, accompanied by Miss Williamson, left Dunedin yesterday en route for the north. • * » The St. Clair Ladies’ Golf Club will hold* an all-day golf tournament to-mor-row at the St. Clair golf links, when many golf players from Invercargill will be present. Afternoon tea and the distribution of trophies will be a feature of the afternoon. • • • The engagement is announced of Margaret, third daughter, of Mr and Mrs R. Nelson, of Council street, St. Kilda, to Max, second son of Mr and Mrs D’Arcy, of Dunedin. Mrs Douglas Lane, of Hawke’s Bay, who has been the guest of Mrs J. S. Hislop, left Dunedin yesterday for Lake Wanaka. While visiting the Southern Lakes district Mrs Lane will be the guest of Mrs John Hunt. * * * Many Chinees women in Shanghai have become doctors, teachers, and nurses, and a considerable number of others are already to be found in Government offices. Most of those in Government offices arc chiefly employed on clerical work, but some have been entrusted with position* of greater responsibility. In the commercial life of the community, too, native women occupy various posts. A few arc bankers and managers. The Shanghai Women’s Commercial and Savings Bank is, in fact, a bank for women run by women. * * * Captain and Mrs Tabu Rhodes,, formerly of Christchurch, have taken Aldorbourne Manor, near Gerrards Cross. for a term of years, aiid if they like it hope eventually to make it their permanent home, states a London exchange. It is conveniently near Mrs Rhodes’s mother. Lady Victoria Braithwaite. who lives a few miles of! at Denham, where her husband, Colonel Braithwaite, has a pleasant home, the White House. The Rhodes have, for these days, a large family of young children. The eldest is Eileen, and besides Pam and Maureen, the latter a godchild of the Prince of Wales, there are two small boys, Dennis and Teddy. Captain Rhodes is at present in Canada with Lord Anglesey on business connected with a mine in which they are interested. • • Coming to New Zealand shortly on a visit is Miss Mary Glynne, holder of one of, the two scholarships awarded by Dr Georgina Sweet, of Melbourne, through the International Federation of Women Graduates. The holder of the other scholarship, Dr Lammert, is at present studying at the Adelaide University. Miss Glynne is a graduate of the University of Wales, having attended Bangor College, North Wales; she holds the degree of master of science, and is a fellow of the Linnean Society. For 10 years she has been engaged in research work at Rothamstead experimental station in Hertfordshire. England. Miss Glynne recently arrived in Melbourne by the Orsova from England. * * * Mrs D. G. Hutchison was hostess recently at an afternoon tea party given at Tudor Hall in honour of the coming of age of her daughter, Nellie. The table was beautifully decorated for the occasion with blue and gold flowers and dainty “ bluebird ” place cards. Among the guests peresent were: Mesdames G. Thomson, D. Cameron, A. Jardon, A. Bremner, R. Gibbs, H. Deans, R. Mason, A. Lawrence, W. Roycroft, Misses A. Cameron, M. Edwards (Wareka), B. Anderson E. MTlay, Hutchison (4), H. Laurence. * * * An original time was spent after the last performance of “ Mercenary Mary ” on Saturday evening, when Miss Dorothy Dean and Miss Rata d’Auvergne gave a farewell party for Miss Elsie Prince at their residence, St. Clair. Wood fires burned cheerfully indoors, while the studio, where the company assembled after supper, was gay with bronze chrysanthemums. At the request of Miss Prince, Misses Dean and d’Auvergne danced an old-fashioned gavotte in costume, Miss Dean later consenting to perform a series of Greek dances to classical music. The guests included Mrs Prince, Mr and Mrs Charlton Morton. Mr and Mrs Ray Fuller, Mrs Lambert and Miss Betty Lambert, Mr Jimmy Godden, and Mr Leonard Rich. Mrs Prince and Miss Elsie Prinee spent the week-end with their hostesses. • • *

Who is the most beautiful woman in English society—society with a big “S’? Society itself decided this the other day at a party. The guests were asked to record their votes, and Viscountess Curzon emerged top of the poll. Lady Diana Duff Cooper was a good second. Others who stood high included the Countess of Brecknock, Lady Warrender, Viscountess Maidstone, Viscountess Maasereene, and Farrad, and Miss Kitty Kinloch. • * * The monthly meeting of the Te Kainga branch of the Otago Home Economics Association was held at the Anglican Boys’ Home, Vauxhall, on June 6, when a large and representative gathering of members from the Caversham, Kaikorai, and North Dunedin branches was warmly welcomed by Mrs Lightfoot, the president. Mrs Gerrard, matron of the Anglican Boys’ Home, was the speaker for the evening, and in an interesting address outlined the history of the home since its establishment during the influenza epidemic of 1918. The building had been erected as a memorial home for orphan boys by a committee composed of members of the Anglican Church, who had desired to honour the memory of their young manhood who had given their lives in the Great War. The home is run on the “ cottage home ” system, the only departure being that of the central dining room. Mrs Gerrard gave full details concerning expenditure, etc.; and explained the daily routine and dieting, also the general health of the inmates. The institution boasts of a wireless set, a gramophone, organ, and piano, and its inmates have plenty of facilities in the way of wounds and garden for recreation and sport. After the lecture those present were escorted over the home, and expressed themselves as much impressed by what they saw. Particularly noticeable was the care, affection, and thought displayed by the manager and matron towards their small charges. A dainty supper with social chat brought an interesting and happy evening to a close. • * * Instinct as a. psychological basis for education was the subject on which .Mr M’Queen 8.A.. lectured to the womens class of the Workers’ Educational Association last Wednesday afternoon. Mr M’Queen, quoting from M'Doupall. said that “ instinctive actions are those which seem to be purposive, and which are performed independently of previous experience of similar situations-” In word, instinct is something which is inborn. Again, instinctive actions are modifiable i.e., the collecting instinct combined with the instinct of curiosity may be made the basis of scientific work; also, a want of self-assertion in a child may cause failure in later life. In teaching, therefore, children must be thrown on then own resources. There have been many classifications of instinct—some writers give lists of about 60 to 70 instincts--* but the main instincts which are usetul to the teacher are (1) the instinct of curiosity, whiceh causes (die child to be interested: (2) the gregarious, which enables the teacher to appeal to class feeling; (3) those of self-assertion and selfsubmission, which the teacher must try to keep equally balanced; (4) the constructive instinct; and (5) the acquisitive instinct. At the conclusion of tlje lecture a hearty vote of thanks for his interesting discourse on instinct was passed by those present. • • « To be scientifically analysed in the laboratory and then declared to be nothing more or less than “ A walking chemical experiment and a parade of substitutes for Nature,” is the last insult that has been offered to the modern girl. An English professor, Dr A. M. Low. of London University, has thus cold-bloodedly examined to-dav g beauties, and he has set forth his findings in print, and in a form as cold as the instinct which set him on his search for the component parts of Miss 1928. He publishes his analysis in this form, to the annoyance of American girls:—‘‘Hair; 75 per cent, use henna, peroxide, or some brightening washes. Glutenous chemicals are used in permanent waving. Face: The roses are of red oxide of lead; creams are extracts of petroleum; eyelashes are darkened with sienna, lamp-black, or carbon. Hands: Bleached with chemicals. Finger nails are covered with tinted celluloid. Clothes: Mostly of imitation wool or imitation silk, made from grass or wood fibre and cellulose. Shoes are often made of paper pulp, stamped and printed with chemical dyes. Discussing the effect of all this make-up and imitation upon the moral fibre of the growing generation. Miss Daisy Hctherington, professor of educational psychology at New York University, seemed to think that it had gradually developed a kind of brain that could not think straight. She admitted that the youth of to-day were thinking, but socially they were not thinking on right lines at all, and the world of make believe and sham prevented them from developing the habit of thinking straight. Freedom can only come to anybody by the road of selfcontrol, she paid, and pelf-control is something which is not taught or desired today. • t • On June 4, at “ Cavehill,” llcriot, some 130 relatives and friends attended the pearl wedding of Mr and Mrs William Smith. The old couple are both hale and hearty, although the former is 89 years of age, and Mrs Smith is 84. After arriving in New Zealand from North Berwick in the year 1864, Mr and Mrs Smith resided for a year in Invercargill, they then came to Tapanui and have since resided in the district almost continuously. a builder by trade, Mr Smith was responsible for most of the local buildings erected here in the early days -—building the third dwelling to be erected in the township. There are five sons, five daughters. 62 grandchildren, and 45 great-grandchildren, living, the majority of whom attended the anniversary. The Rev. Mr Tweedie, of Clinton, presided, and proposed the toast of the bride and bridegroom, which was replied to by Mr William Smith, the eldest son. Mr James Steele, a friend of 62 years, proposed the toast of the family, to which Mr Thomas Smith responded. Amongst congratulatory telegrams received was one from the Prime Minister and one from two very old friends, Mr and Mrs Kilgour, Dunedin, who themselves celebrated their pearl wedding some 12 months ago. After the wedding breakfast the worthy couple went for a motor tour of the district, and in the evening a jolly time was spent in dancing, etc., the old couple taking an active part in the festivities.