NOTES AND NEWS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 61, 18 April 1914, Page 7

NOTES AND NEWS.

Mrs W. F. Massey, wife of the Prime Minister, is giving an "At Home" next Tuesday at Ariki-toa, in the interests of the Foreign Department of the Young "Women's Christian Association and of the Missionary Society for University Women. Miss Brentnall, 8.A., student secretary of the Y.W.C.A.,. Calcutta, will speak.

Professor and Mrs Eankine Brown are visiting Christchurch.

Miss Pearceand Miss E. Bell are the guests of Mrs Wigram, Christchurch. Mr and Mrs J. N-. Mason, of Linton, were amongst the arrivals in Christchurch yesterday.

Mr and Mrs Greenfield arrived in Christchurch from Wellington, this.

morning. Miss Imnan arrived in Christchurch by the Wahine this morning. Mr and Mrs Justin Aylmer (Fellding) are visiting Christchurch. Miss Owen, of Ballarat,. whose appointment as Associate Secretary for the Y.W.C.A., Christchurch, was announced in this column recently, arrived by the Ulimaroa this week, and was entertained by the president, Mrs Kaye, at an informal afternoon tea on Thursday. Amongst those present were Mrs Brownell, Mrs Warren, Mrs Turnbull, Mrs Brocklehurst-, Mrs Berry, and Mrs Carey. To-night Miss Owen will be welcomed by the. members of the association. The lady in question was a student at the Ballarat Arts School, and obtained her experience in association work in Sydney. Miss Mira Brentnall, who has been engaged .in deputation work in the south, lef£by the Maori last night for Wellington, after which' she will proceed to Sydney, and from ther# back to Calcutta, India. Last night, in the Cadena tea rooms, a complimentary recital was given by Miss Gwladys Sugden (mezzo contralto), assisted by Miss Mary O'Connor (soprano), pupils" of Miss Millicent,Jennings, and Miss Lilian Harper (pianiste). A large number of people well known In musical circles "vyere piesent,. and /they, programme, a wellarranged and artistic selection, was thoroughly enjoyed. Sugden sang Donifcetti's " Eqmanza-Cari Loifghi ov'is" for her opening number, .j and subsequently 'gave "Tune jThy Strings" (front Dvorak's Gipsy Songs), "All in a Garden Green" (Lidgui)," Def Tod und ; ; das Mack-hen'' (SchUbert),'' Die Seliwalbe'' and '' Der Schiiieid'' (Brahms). In the second half she.' : sang "The Ballad'of M6shullemeth'.'W(from the oratorio)ftf "Judith"), <v 'She'Sat and Sang Away" (Coleridge- Tayibri); and:Orlando Morgan's "India;n Miss Mary O'Connor's ; numbers were: —"Per. la Gloria D'Adqrarvi" (Boiionciiii), 1 ' Sapn Vorreste'V' / (Un . Ballo .in, Maschora), (V«3d'i), ''Sweetheart, Tell Me" (M'Dowell), "Darkness" and "Morning" (HuiTstono), and "On Eicluiiond Hill there Lives a Lass" (J. ILoolc). In the second' half she chose two of Schubert's delightful songs, "Lachen und Woinen" ami " Weigenleid." Miss Lilian Harper, who played the accompaniments with much sym> patliy and artistic feeling, was also heard as a soloistc, her numbers being York Bbwen's " Humoreske," M'Powell's "Shadow Dance," two of Brahm's valses, and Chopin's Valse in E Minor. Miss Gwladys Sugden wore pale coral radium de soie, the draped bodice showing foundation of ivory lace. Miss O'Connor chose rose-pink niuon over satin, and Miss Harper was in apricot crepe meteore and malines lace.

The second and last Tango tea attracted a big audience to the Theatre Royal yesterday afternoon. Really these tango afternoons are most entertaining happenings, and everyone is quite sorry to think that there aren't any more to look forward to —at least not just at present. There was plenty

of tango on the programme, including the Argentine variety, by Miss Margot Maurice and Mr Fred Oswald, hacienda tango (Monsieur Marcelle and Miss Nellie Fallon), and plain tango, by Miss Grace Palotta and Mr Fred Oswald. Dress • parades, ragtime dqncing, sketches from Dickens's novels . (Mr Bert Barton), songs and monologues, and afternoon tea went to make up the rest of a bright and happy programme. Miss Grace Palotta, in her fetching tango frock of tangerine satin and much black silk fringe, was tremendously good in her " Laughing Song," and in response to an imperative demand for a recall number gave "Hello, Tu-Tu" in her own inimitable manner. Miss Mabel Batchelor was also very successful in her songs, partieu lUrly "Lo, Here the Gentle Lark," to which Signor Checucci played a very helpful flute obbligato. . Miss Margot MauriceTeeeived a ' beautiful basket of flowers, tied with flame-coloured ribbon. She received a simijar trophy at the first tea. Amqngst the ladies present were noticed:—Mrs van Aseh, Mrs Hill, Mrs Piteaithly, Mrs Hume, Miss Meredith-Kaye, Mrs Crisp (Ashburton), Miss Greenwood, and the Misses Gower Burns.

It is interesting , to note that Queen -Mary has ordered the inclusion of the stately minuet in the programme of the first State ball at Buckingham Palace this season. It is a known fact that she thoroughly disapproves of the pre- . sent-day fashions in dancing, and in this respect many great ladies share her opjnion. A well-known hostess has struck; off her list the names of certain young matrons, girls, and young men for their peculiar dancing. This sear son it is expected that the fashion in the old stately dances will be revived—dances in which graceful deportment is the leading characteristic. Lady Barlow, wife of Sir John Barlow, M.P., and a sister of the GovernorGeneral of the Commonwealth, is a member of the Society of Friends. She was drawn to them, to quote her own words, f' by their amazing integrity, their absence, of 'proselytising, their great tolerance, their independence of thought,. and- freedom of action." Queen Augustine,: as the English society papers persist, in calling her, despite .King George's mandate that she shall be known as "Donna Augusta,", accompanied by: King Manoel, declared open the Dickens fete at Ealing last month, thus making her first public appearance in England. She spoke in admirable English, and received a bouquet of. orchids, from the hands of a little great-greiat J grand-daughter of the celebrated author. The funds are for the Hospital for Crippled Children of Alton. ' •

An interesting appointment is that oij Miss Aldrieh Blake, M.D.M.S., who has been made acting dean of the London School of Medicine for Women. Mass Blake is the senior surgeon of the new hospital for women in Euston Road, arid is one of the few women doctors practising general surgery in England. . It has.been said.,(remarks a London paper) that a woman can always get what she wants if she possesses tact. So it is safe to,say that the debatable word '' obey,'' over which there has lately been some episcopal wrangling, will duly disappear from the marriage service. Women rightly object to being treated in these days as if they were slaves, and modern clergy recognise, that a woman must be captain of her own soul as much as a man. She might not be—indeed, it has often happened that she has not been —allowed to be this: by a husband who insisted on obedience to his wishes. This is, of course, only one aspect? of the- '' obey'' question. But there are many others which are offensive to people of to-dayj and as this is most

assuredly a woman's question, it will bo fought according to the strength of feeling 'there is about the matter, but it is only fair to say that men,

too, show a decided disposition to have the. word deleted.