LADIES’ GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 3584, 21 November 1922, Page 56

LADIES’ GOSSIP.

FEMINISM IN CREECE. It is chiefly in Athens that the modem feminist movement is manifest. The great bulk of Greek women of all classes ate little touched by modern ideas, and family life is still much of the patriarchal type. Still the suffering and strain of recent years has made educated women take new interest in political and social questions attd the possibility of using their influence in them. In the towns women are employed in offices and banks, etc. They are admitted into several Trade Unions, and it is stilted that domestic service workers are being organised into unions. In Athens there are four main feminist organisations—the Lyceum Club, composed largely of women belonging to the Court and wives of diplomats, the Greek Women’s Society for Equal Rights, the Feminists of the Social Party, and lastly a group of societies for social progress and philanthropic work. This comprises the National Council of Women, the Patriotic League, the Infant Welfare Committee, the Red Cross, the Little Sisters of the Poor, and many other similar organisations. The first Woman Snfferage Bill was brought before the Greek Parliament in 1920. M. Venizelos promised his support to the measure so soon as there should he a well organised woman’s movement in. favour of it. At present it seems likely that Greek women will remain unenfranchised for a good while yet. THE LAND OF ROSES. The town of Kasanlik in Bulgaria : s the head quarters of the rose-attar industry. In the neighbouring region roses andl .nothing hut roses are cultivated over a stretch of nearly eighty miles, 170 villages being engaged in the industry. Girls and women pluck the blooms while the morning dew is still on them, they are taken at once to the village distilleries, where a long and tedious process of distillation and re-distillation has to be carried out to produce the precious essence. It is computed that 100,000 roses are required to make one ounce of pure attar. A MEREDITH NOVEL FILMED. George Meredith, though in the front rank of nineteenth centuries novelists, has never been, nor is likely ever to be a favourite with the general reading public, and it comes as a. surprise to hear that one of his novels is being staged by The Ideal Film Company. This is “Diana of the Crossways,” of which the heroine is said to have been suggested by the lion. Mrs Norton. This is one of Meredith's shorter and easier novels. Many of them are very long: “The Egoist” and “Beauchamp's Career” each contain about 202,400 words, while the longest, “TTie Adventures of Harry Richmond,” runs to more titan 218,000 words. AUTHORS OF THE CREAT SMITH FAMILY. Smith, the commonest of all British surnames, has contributed a moderate number of names to literature. Among the best known are those of Sydney Smith, the famous wit and essayist, James and Horace Smith, brothers and joint authors of the witty parodies of contemporary poets entitled “Rejected Addresses,” Adam Smith, author of “The Wealth of Nations,” and Alexander Smith, the Scotch poet. Two young women writers named Smith have lately come to the front with their novels, Miss Sheila KaveSmith, and Miss Fox Smith, while the very popular writer, Annie S. Swan, has jotted the clan through her marriage. ICELAND’S FIRST WOMAN M.P. acme. Ingebjorg Bjarnason has been elected to the Upper House of the Icelandic Atfcing, being the first woman legislator of Iceland. SOCIETY BEAUTY AS MANNEQUIN. A well-known Society beauty is now acting as a mannequin for a hobby. Site is Miss Paula Gellibrand. who is to ho found in a dress-shop in the Bromptou Road, where site is the leading mannequin. She is known as “Paula,” and has achieved a distinct success in her new role.