LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 3443, 9 March 1920, Page 58

LADIES' GOSSIP.

Hidden away in the obscurity of a London teashop is a waitress who claims to be able to- speak nearly all the tongues of Western Europe—English, Flemish, French, German, Belgian, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Italian, and Russian. "Did you find it difficult to learn these languages?" she was asked. With a wave of her hand, as if to indicate the trivial nature of the task, she said she learned Norwegian in two months. There is quite a boom at present in the collection of old lace, and remarkable have been obtained for choice specimens. Some years ago the Duchess of Argyll had one of the finest collections of old lace in the world, but she has since disposed of it. Many of our Royal ladies have splendid collections, and one of the most valuable of them all is owned by Queen Alexandra. Her Majesty possesses specimens of almost every known variety of lace, including some almost priceless Venetian point. Miss Marguerite Cody, the first woman journalist in the Press Gallery of the House of Commons, has many athletic records to 1 her credit. She swims, boxes, rows, plays hockey and tennis, practises jujitsu, and enjoys flying. Five years ago she swam across Belfast Lough, a distance of six and a-half miles, only one man having previously accomplished the same feat. "Get there first," is her motto. A Girton girl, she took various honours, and then decided to go in for rough-and-tumble journalism. To-day she competes with the liveliest man in Fleet street, and very often gets there first!.'... A charmingly natural poetess is Miss Annette Bryce-Wilson, the _ 14-year-old genius whose verses are attracting so much attention. She loves writing poetry, particularly about mother. For instance: God took en angel's laughter, And a dimple liad spoke of fun, And placing them -with the others, He made you- —my little mum. She cultivates the muse and high spirits at the same time, however. "I love bicycles, apples, and jam," she says, "and am passionately fond of swimming and riding." To the recruits of her father'* regiment she was known as "Diana of the gth Lancers." When Major Bryce-Wilson •was stationed, in Ireland, his daughter would often give the "rookies" in the

ridino- school a lead bare-back over the jumps. The death has just occurred, at the age of 85, of Miss Jean Middlemass, who rivalled Miss Braddon in the number of stories she wrote—and Miss Braddon's record was immense. Not long since we were hearing of he prodigious feats of Mrs Amelia Barr, who, beginning as a novelist, at 50 years of age, achieved a vast "output " "'Her example recalls that of Mrs Trollope, the mother of Anthony Trollope, who turned to authorship at about the same age in order to keep her family, and lived to be a most prolific author. A comparative chart of woman's work, from this point of view, might reveal interesting figures, on which any sort of theory might be built. —lt is not often we find a woman who has become a star in two* entirely different worlds, but this distinction has certainly been won by Geraldine Farrar. Picturagoers are all familiar with her wonderful screen acting, even if they have never heard this famous actress-diva sing in opera. Geraldine Farrar has put aside her film engagements to appear for the winter season at the Metropolitan Opera house, in New York, with Caruso. Speaking of her wonderful triumphs, she says : "It is a fteht —every second—this, holding of success." Geraldine Farrar is married to Lou Tellegen. "O'ur marriage has been successful," says Miss Farrar, "because it is based upon good comradeship. The roseate glow of romance cannot endure indefinitely. When that fades there must be a fpundation of comradeship."