TABLE TALK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3315, 26 September 1917, Page 49

TABLE TALK.

- 'Monday Evening. . The glorious spell of summer weather experienced last week brightened everyone up considerably, and all who could do so left town for the week-end, as Dominion Dav holiday on Monday made it quite worth while to enjoy a few days in the country while things are looking so beautiful. On Saturday afternoon great crowds of friends and well-wishers went down to Port Chalmers to bid farewell to the hospital ship, the staff of which have such pleasant recollections of their stay in Dunedin, where they have enjoyed so much kindness and hospitality.

The screening of the famous war picture “ The Battle of the Ancre,” which is being presented this week at His Majesty's Theatre by the Y.M.Q.A. Council under special arrangement with the New Zealand Government, is attracting large audiences. Great interest is evinced in the movement of the “ tanks,” which are greeted with loud applause. The first half-hour of an engrossing programme is devoted to the screening of a film showing the training of our own men at Trentham Camp from the recruit stage up to the finished soldier embarking for the front by transport from Wellington, escorted by men-of-war.

The engagement is announced of Captain Arthur Vivian, N.Z.M.C., of Dunedin, to Hiss Clare Izard, daughter of Mr and Mrs Arnold Izard, of Wellington. Captain Vivian left for England on Saturday by the hospital ship. A pleasant evening was spent by the Anderson’s Bay . Bridge Chib on Wednesday at the residence of Mrs J. M. / Gallaway, Queen’s drive. Mr and Mrs Allah* Orbell (The River, Walkouafti) are spending a few days in town. Mr and Mrs Herbert LeCren and Miss Leslie LeCren have returned from their visit to Fairlie. Mrs Frank Fitchett and her family have returned to town after spending some weeks at Waitati. Colonel and Mtrs R. Anderson (Christchurch) are staying at the Grand Hotel, Colonel Anderson having returned to the Dominion by the hospital ship now in port. Miss F. Cargill left last week for Timaru, and is staying at the Hydro. Mr and Mrs Sutton (Oama.ru) are staying at the Grand Hotel Mrs Stead and Mrs Russell Grace, who have been the guests of Mrs John Roberts (Littlebourne) during the week, returned to Christchurch on Saturday. Miss Benita Bridgeman, who has been staying with Mrs Oowie Nicholls at Kuriheka, has returned to town. Mrs Batham (Wellington) is staying with her mother, Mrs Gibbs (Manor place). Mrs Stanley Batchelor has returned from Waitati. Miss Christabel Edmond left on Tuesday for a short visit to Timaru. Mrs Carr and Miss Carew, who have been staying at Henley, have returned to town. Miss Ngita Woodhouse has returned from Oamaru. Mr Willie Ritchie, who is down on leave from Featherstou, is the guest of Dr and Mrs Russell Ritchie at present. INVERCARGILL, September 24. Mrs L. Wild (Christchurch) is the guest of Mrs Eyre, Don street. Lieutenant H. Tennent and Mrs Tennent returned from Dunedin on Saturday. Leiutenant Tennent returned from the front in a hospital ship. Miss M. Field has gone up to Christchurch for a short holiday.

•Mrs H;. Studholm (Bircliwood) was in town during last w-eelr*.

Mrs H. Macdonald lias returned to Dunedin. Mrs Snow and Miss Snow returned this week from Nelson.

Mr 1 1. Callender is spending a holiday at Hanmer just now. Miss Sminders was in town for a few days during the week. Sire was the guest of Mrs JT. Callender.

Miss Haywood (Christchurch) is down visiting Mrs D. Hansen. Miss Johnston, who has been down staying -with Mrs J. L. "Watson, has returned to "Wellington. The Misses Thomson have gone on a motor trip to Christchurch.

Mrs D. Gilmonr lias returned from her visit to Dunedin.

Miss Stock has gone for a trip north. Mrs H. Boyds Iras gone for a fortnight’s holiday to Dunedin. The “ Orange Dandies ” gave very enjoyable programmes on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of last week. The theatre was very well filled each nisrht. Among the audience were Mrs T. M. Macdonald, Mrs J. Mitchell, Mrs J. L. Watson, Mr and Mrs Seamon, Miss Seamon, Mr E. Russell, Miss Russell, Mrs Saunders. Mrs A. Jones, Mr and Mrs L. Raymond, IDs M. Mitchell, Mrs Strettell, Miss Bnsstian, Miss Gardner, Mrs O. Jones, Mr Boyds, Mr Muir, Miss Callen-

der, Aiks Campbell, Air "Watson, and M» Brodio.

TIMARU, September 22. Mrs Bond (Claremont) is staying in Christchurch with Mrs Elworthy. Mrs and Miss Newman aro in Christ church, for a short visit.

Mias Ziesler is back from Wellington. Mrs and Miss Guinness leave to-day for Foatherston, where they intend staying for some weeks during Lieutenant Foland Guinness's stay in camp. Mrs F. LeCren has returned from a visit to Kakohu.

Mrs Miles is back from tb© North Island. Mr and Mrs Nalder spent a few days in town during the week. Miss Shand is back from Dunedin. Miss Ford is staying witk Mrs Harper (Ashburton). Lieutenant Ziesler is back from a short visit to tho North Island.

Mrs D. H. Sidey has returned from Christchurch.

Sergeant and Mrs Roger Gillingham, vrlio have been spending the sergeant’s last leave in Farlio, returned to the north on Wednesday.

Mt and Mrs E v Hill (Hlghfield) have gone to Christchurch till Thursday. Mrs Nicholla and her two little girls, who have been at Beverley for the last two months, leave for the north during the coming week. Brigade-major Nicholls is with the troops in. Egypt.

CHRISTCHURCH, September 22. . The final musical recitation arranged by Madam Gower Burns and Mr Hoben was held in Madam Burns’s drawing room on Saturday afternoon in the presence of many subscribers. “ Carmen ” was the opera chosen, Mr Hoben telling the story and playing the chief items splendidly. Mrs Buma also sang several parts, and was in very good voice. Some of those present weri Lady Denniston, Mesdames Julius, Wilding, Elworthy, Loughmnn, Stead,- Molineau* (Wellington), Symes, Deane, Teschemaker, Ollivier, Crisp (Ashburton), Allen, Aedwill, B. Wood, J. Hall, Bruges, and the Missea Heywood, palgety, Cotterill, Fox, Humphreys, Ollivier, and Wood. The Christchurch Horticultural Society held its spring show at the Art Gallery on Thursday and Friday. The exhibition of seedlings grown by the Hon,. R. H. Rhodes at Otahuna were beautiful, and quite surpassed any other year’s glowing, some of the new flowers being truly lovely. It was a flue show, all the classes of* spring flower* being well competed for. Those present were Mr and Mrs G. Rhodes, Mrs Bidwiß (Peatherston), Mr and Mrs Carev Hill, Mr* Gerard, Mra Mturray-Aynsley, Mrs Deans, Mrs A. Reeves, Mr and Mrs Bowen, Mr* Perry, Mrs and Miss Elworfhy, and Mr* Boyle. The Christchurch Ladies’ Golf Club aj» holding an “ Our Day ” tournament at Shirley on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Unfortunately, there are no outsiders from other clubs playing; but it is exnected they will make quite a useful sum ot f money it* aid of “ Our Day.” Those who qualified cm Thursday were Mra Richards and Mr* Godby, and the Misses Oowlishaw, Leo, Oracroft Wilson, Helmore, Humphreys, anq Ogle. Others playing in the handicap events are Mesdames Wigram, Vernon, S Junes, Wood, Million, and tha* Misses Westenra, Wood, and Be ad eh Mlrs Mail 1 Thompson (Wellington), who has been visiting Christchurch, has returned'Mrs G. Rhodes and Miss Shona Rhode* have returned from their visit to Wellington. miss Thompson (Invercargill) is visiting Christchurch. GREYMOUTH, September 23. The wreck of that very flno steamrr Opouri at the mouth of the Grey River caused great excitement. Fortunately, the weather kept perfect for salvage operations. The hull and most of the cargo were sold j but the steamer is fast on the rocks and folk are wondering how the hull will finally be disposed of. St. John’s Daffodil Show was a. huge sue* cess. The bulbs from Mr Bradbury** Christchurch nursery were excellent, ana much admired. The locally-grown flowers were above the average also. Eleven small girls ran a “ flower queen," each child dressed to represent a flower ; and very sweet . they looked. Eunice Penhullarick was duly crowned queen at the evening entertainment, her maids of honour being Alma Leahy (poppy), Edna Murray, Shield Bush, and E. Petrie (daffodils), Alma Scott (violet), Lulu Petrie (rose). Sybil Auderson (snowdrop), V. Hendon, M. Cotter, and the wee queen (for-get-me-not), Edna Garth (daisy). The Red Cross continues its good work, and the helping hand shop does brisk business every Saturday. Profits go to patriotic purposes. Mrs T. Baxter gave a most enjoy abk dance last Monday for her j T oung folk and their friends.

Miss Keddell is visiting Wellington. Miss Kettle lias returned home. Mr A. A. Adams has quit© recovered from his recent motor accident.

Mr J. I j. Morgan, our popular statlon-ma-stor, has returned from visiting Rotoruk and Christchurch.

“ Wheelbarrow Day ” was the means of raising £IOO for war funds. Still the money flows in after three years of giving, giving.

WELLINGTON, September 21. !My readers must often have neard of Nurse Brandon, one of the most enthusiastic, painstaking', and popular of all the brave band that left our shores on nursing intent soon.after the outbreak of war. Miss Brandon is a member of a very old Wellington family, being the daughter . of the late Mr Eustace Brandon, son of the old gentleman who established the famous legal house now of Brandon and Hislop. She studied nursing soon after tho turn of the century, and had just finished her course at the Wellington Hospital when the war broke out, and very soon she found herself on the road to Samoa with the very first contingent that loft New Zealand for the war. A letter from her after that trip to Samoa, describing the voyage —very much troubled as it was by the fears of meeting the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau, which were big enough to make a breakfast of the attendant cruisers,—attracted a good deal of attention, reminding her readers that the kindly nursd had begun life as a journalist. She was on duty at the Dardanelles, and on her return was matron of the Military Hospital at Eotorua, but has again gone to the front. Her brother. Major Percy Brandon, is on active service in the Homeland, bavins lought in South Africa. Her cousin, Captain _ da Bathe Brandon, D. 3.0., gained his distinction for bringing down a Zeppelin. Ten fortune-tellers were haled before the court during the week on a day never to be forgotten by the sisterhood that sails habitually near the wind. Before tho war the harm done by those prophets wag it Is needless to Gay, considerable, and that means that during the war the consequences must have reached a very much worse level. More particularly did this unfeeling sisterhood find profit, in tho various questions pertaining to the dead and the rniesing, and there was very good supplementary

material in the living soldiers separated from, anxious mothers and equally anxious sweethearts and loving sisters. It was a field in which these clairvoyant persons had great opportunities for riding ever a great fieJd roughshod over tho hearts of tha tender c-st and most credulous. That they embraced the opportunity and caused more anxiety and misery than they found entering into their chambers of consultation is 'lie chief reason for the haul that was made during ihe weok, by which 10 of tho Indies were brought before tho magistrate. One got very lightly off on proof being given that !?he had systematically refused to have anything to say to questions about' tho dead or the missing. Another refused to be called a fortune-teller—shi was a palmist. She argued that the law allowed her to read the characters of her clients. Fortune! Anything of that contemptible kind was beneath her notice! She simply informed her clients of their abilities and the possible results of making the best xise of them—after all, the best thing that can be done to any human being, and a thing to be made the guiding light in the school days. It was, advioo she always gave, and based on these lines and the right way to use it. No one had received any advice from her which the whole world could not know to-morrow. "I have tried to be loyal to my sister women, to my church, and my God." It was a dramatic pose. But the bench made no difference between her and those who did not invoke churches and the rest. It was £o and costs and the usual alternative. Only the lady who had eschewed the region of the supernatural profited by her plea. hex case tho fine was JBI. The result of tho charges will be to largely diminish the mental torture suffered by some of our women. AUCKLAND, September 19. Another successful dance was given at Cargen last Saturday evening. In this instance, however, the proceeds are to be to the Anzac Buffet Fund. Miss Ada Reeve (who is staying at Cargen) has during the past fortnight been.very hard at work collecting funds for the above purpose, and itwas on this account that it was decided that the Amount levied on the guests should be diverted from the Red Cross. Miss Reeve put in an appearance after the theatre, and was made much of by all present. Amongst tho guests were Ladv Walker. Mrs Lucas Bloomfield and Miss Thelma Bloontfield, Mi-s Norton, Miss Enid Reed, Mrs Mackay, Mrs Kinder, Mrs Robert Isaacs, Miss Marjory Thomas, Miss Norah Frater, Mrs Upfill, Miss Eleanor Young, Miss Rita Ashton, Mies Esme Smith, Mrs Athol Mills, Miss Phyllis Bloomfield, and Mrs Charles Brown, etc-. Last week the Red Cross shop "in Shortland street was in charge of Mrs Rathbcme. Mrs Colbeok, and Mrs C. Brown, and an exceptionally gnod taking resulted. Mrs W. H. Norton (Christchurch), who has been staying at Cargen for the past few months, gave a large tea party last Saturday afternoon, when about 50 guests were present. Mrs Sidney Thorne George has left for Dunedin, nnd is to bring her cousin, Miss Os;ston, back to Auckland with, her for a visit. Mrs George Kent is playing with friends at Palmerstcn North. Mr and Mrs J _ R. Reed are making a short stay in Wellington. Mrs Athol Mills is staying at Cargen. The Misses Mollie and Joyce Nathan are visiting Wellington and Palmerston North.