LINES ABOUT WOMEN.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 428, 22 July 1913, Page 7

LINES ABOUT WOMEN.

"I love to see the girls who trip about m pairs, like twin flowers on one stem. They are so pretty, so trim, and so plump — delicious little women — " husband high,' as we say m Devon. They wear their hair up m a great mound, or sometimes braided m many a pretty fashion, and they carry their dainty heads proudly, j as such beautiful little gems well may." , Thus wrote Eden Phillpots m the May . 'Fortnightly.' ! The great suffragist demonstration m the Metropolitan Opera-house at New . York was witnessed by Colonel' Roosevelt, who on the occasion delivered his modern speech on behalf of woman suffrage. The ex-President said, that, because a few foolish women . had dono wicked things, there was no reason why women's votes should be condemned. Female franchise would mean less women for the foi'ces of the underworld which preyed upon Society. The demonstration was of a most eleborate character. Included m the programme was a great beauty pageant, m which 300 of the most beautiful women m the United States were clothed m classic draperies. There were numerous tableaux, representing Truth, Justice, Charity, Light, etc., and some beautiful dances were arranged by Mrs Alfred Hoyes. Among the singei's at the festival was Madame Lilian Nordica. The expressed intention of the promoters, to prove that m their ranks were to be found the most beautiful and most artistic women m the United States, was therefore fully realised. Assuming that the hobble-skirt, like the dodo, is doomed to extinction, and also for the enlightenment of the modiste of a future generation or century, the , women of Larkspur, a small town m I California, have hit on a novel plan to preserve for the generations yet unborn a working model of the hobble-skirt. This extreme bit of* feminine apparel has been consigned along with copies of the San . Francisco daily papers, a list of the names j of the town trustees, and other mementoes of the day to a crypt m the cornerstone of the new Town Hall. For the first time m Italian political history, a woman candidate is seeking to enter the Chamber of Deputies. But she is not of the militant order, nor even a professional feminist or politician. She is one of the most famous of all modern Italian writers — Grazia Deledda — whose fame has spread all over Europe and even crossed to England. Madame Deledda has offered her services to the electors of the canton of Nunro, m Sardinia, where she was born, and concerning which many of her most beautiful stories have been i written. [

There has just been discovered m the forest of Fontainebleau, near the famous "Roche Eponge," a female cave-dweller, living, or rather existing, m the manner of our prehistoric ancestors. This pitiable creature had become a semi-savage, and slept and dwelt m a cavern through which , a spring of water continually flowed. She had for a great many years fed herself on raw vegetables, roots, etc., found i,n the forest ; her sole beverage consisted of water from the spring m the cave, and her only garment of a few evil-smelling rags roughly sewn together. She was m , a most pitiable condition when discovered, ■ but she. declined absolutely to be taken j to a hospital or even to quit her primitive ' abode, while the only information that could be obtained from her was her ' name and age, which she gave at 45. : Lady Lever (wife of the soap magnate), who has just been elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of England, ' has set up a remarkable record of African travel. She recently accompanied her husband to the Belgian Congo, a district m which she has probably made a more comprehensive tour than any other European woman. She has travelled 7,000 miles m Central Africa, crossed the Equator four times, and visited many villages of former cannibal tribes, as well as thos© m which cannibalism is not wholly ex- j tinct to-day. Most romantic circumstances were associated with. a wedding at the Jewish Hospital, Cincinnati, Miss Hanger, a beauti- ' fui Southern girl, being married to Dr ' John Spellman just before undergoing a ; serious operation. Miss Hanger is a, trained, nurse, and she first met Dr Spellman two years ago, when she joined th© staff of th© hospital at which he was a resident surgeon. The doctor proposed and was accepted last Christmas, and the wedding had been arranged for this summer, but the nurse became very ill, and a serious operation was necessary. Having been warned that the operation might prove fatal, she expressed a desire to marry her lover before she submitted tb the knife,, and a minister was persuaded to perform the ceremony m the hospital. The bride, who was only able to sit up m bed with the support , of two of her fellow-nurses, | collapsed as soon as th© clergyman had | pronounced the couple man and wife, and was immediately removed to the operating room. Happily the operation was successful, and there is every hope of her recovery. Queen Mary is said to be determined to set an example to English society by the simplicity of her own toilets this season. Whenever she has made a public appearance during the past few months she has been dressed m a notably inexpensive gown of quiet color and quieter styit, almost innocent of trimmings. Her Majesty may be said to ignore absolutely fashion m regard to matters sartorial. On the occasion of Her Majesty's> recent visit to the Potteries Queen Mary wore a serge costume, consisting of a short tailor-made jacket and skirt of walking length. The jacket was of the semi-fitting order, and slightly defined the waist, while both the jacket and the skirt were ornamented with narrow braid and fancy trimming. The Queen's taste seems to be for the neat and practical rather than for the ornate and elaborate. I The death has been announced of Berlin's most pathetic figure, " Linden Julie " (Julia of the Limes), who for years had occupied a niche near Kranzler's Corner on the Unter Den Linden, standing besid© a small bundle and looking steadfastly towards the Brandenburg Gate, waiting for the return of her lover, Lieutenant Birkfield, whom she lost m the FrancoPrussian War. Julie lived alone m a small room, and never failed at her post, wet or fine, so long as it was daylight. The story usually told of her was that she occupied that position on th© Linden when th© victorious troops entered the city. She expected to se© her lover amongst the troops, and th© shock when he did not appear disturbed her mental balance. She insisted that he was bound to return, as he had promised. The police never interfered with her. Miss E. L. C. Watson, who had th© corn-age to undertake a lonely 2,000 miles motor cycle trip from Cap© Town to Pretoria, has returned to London. She is none the worse for her journey. When she arrived m South Africa she found that almost every motorist advised her not to proceed with her plan. "You will never do it," they said. " Even if nothing else stops you, the sand and rough roads will." She accomplished the journey m spite of the sand and the rough roads, ■which caused her to dismount many times and wheel her cycle, but the new outfit with which she started is scattered along

the waste of country. She wore riding breeches, a habit coat, high lace-up boots, a motorist's peaked cap, and rode a 2£ horse-power motor cycle. "I am still of opinion," Miss Watson told a representative of the 'Standard,' "that for that kind of work a light machine is th© best. But the beautiful outfit ! It was all sacrificed to the necessity for light travelling. First the tea basket, which I had packed so carefully, was discarded. Then a hat I went, then a can of lubricating oil, and , even superfluous tools. Even 2gal of j spirit was left behind, for I found that I i was never very far from a place where I could get petrol. Th© farmers use it for • their engines." The athletic girl is less liable to succumb to temptation than her sister who does not go m for athletics, m the opinion of Dr Dudley A. Sargent, director of athletics at Harvard. (U.S.). "Social evils are the result of life's forces being turned into wrong channels," the ' Express ' quotes Dr Sargent as saying. "The eternal longing to externalise onself — that is, to find an outlet for the 'emotions — is an inherent one m human nature. Woman is more emotional than man, and athletics offer the girl who is budding into womanhood not only the opportunity to acquire a sound, healthy body, but a moral and mental equipoise which, I believe, can be acquired m no other way. It is certain that girls of athletic tendencies are less liable to go astray, because they find m athletics a safe outlet for the emotions." The heels of women's shoes are getting higher and higher every day, the effect being to make a long foot shorter, because the bones are bent until the foot is actually shorter than when a low heel is worn. Very high heels throw the weight of the body upon the toes. This not only hurts, if the wearer stands or j walks any length of time, but it throws the shoulders forward, hollows the chest, and produces an ungracious carriage. The wearer of these high heels must take shorter breaths, as her lungs become liable to attack by consumption. j MUe Claire de Pratz, m her book, 'France from Within,' gives some glimpses of feminine influence on the life of the country. Over a third of the married women go out to work; but even if they do not actually do professional work that adds to the family income, so great is their power that the wife is nearly always her husband's confidante and f adviser. The position of the English wife who is totally ignorant of her husband's business is practically unknown m France. The French woman knows that to be a successful feministe she must re-?"* main feminine, and so, although she aims at being a teacher, a lawyer, a winegrower, she has never left off dressing j nicely, doing her hair well, nor has she ceased to study her husband's palate by cooking the most . dainty of little dishes for him. Having^been an instructor y at the Lycee for girls m Paris, the writer of' this volume gives some facts about French methods of teaching. About 40 women professors were on the staff, half of whom were married. They were the wives of Government clerks, who earned l,ooof to 2,000 fa year, and the wives who couldcommand salaries of 3,000f to 4,000f were the real bread-winners. Yet these teachers were excellent mothers and housekeepers. ■ Romance has come to Miss Onny BernI sten, the 18-year-old daughter of Mr | Klaus Bernsten, Prime Minister of Den- ' mark. For four years she 1 had been work- ■ ing as a joiner's pupil, and so skilful was : she at her craft- that she obtained a license that entitled her to set up m business as a journeywoman joiner. Sometime ago she became secretly -engaged to a young joiner m Jutland, and she recently told her father of her engagement. Like a sensible father, the Danish Premier encouraged the match. After the young couple's marriage they intend to j set up m business as joiners. | Up to the hour of her marriage the ' Kaiser's only daughter remained the idol of the Berlinese. An old woman from Marburg went to the capital (so the story goes) and demanded to see "Princess chen " — the "little Princess," as she is called by everyone. After persisting for an hour she was admitted, and solemnly ; advised the bride to keep a firm hand over her husband. In reply to the Princess's amused inquiry how she learned this secret, the old woman could only be induced to repeat knowingly, "I know that very well." | The National Suffrage Association of the United Stateß recently sent a cable through Dr Anna H. Shaw to Mr Asquith, urging the British Government to acknowledge frankly the responsibility for the present intolerable situation m England, and to remove it by introducing immediately an emergency franchise measure. In Kansas City, where eight women , recently served on the city election boards, ! women have been appointed to five im- \ portant places m the municipal govern- j ment. Miss Laura A. Jost is the new ' city treasurer; Mrs Merle Addison Cutler and Miss Esther Bower are deputy i treasurers, and Miss Beulah Reitz is the i new city clerk. Dr Jessie Newkirk has been appointed to the School Board. The , Kansas Legislature, at the request of the ' woman voters, has passed an admirable law against the white slave traffic. In the recent Colorado election a number of women were chosen for such important ofiibes as those of city commissioner, alderman, city clerk, and treasurer. Only one woman who stood , for election was defeated m the entire State, according to the local Press. At Colorado Springs ' Mrs Boyd was second out of 22 nominations for - the commissionership of public safety, which includes supervision over the police and fire departments. j