THE SOCIAL ROUND

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 114, 19 June 1914, Page 4

THE SOCIAL ROUND

NOTES AND NEWS. Mr and Mrs H. E. Smith entertained a party of friends at a supper party in celebration of their silver wedding on "Wednesday night. Mrs Corkill (Wellington) is visiting Christchurch for the Capping Carnival celebrations. Mr and Mrs H. O. Devenish-Meares left for Wellington by the ferry steamer last evening. Mr and Mrs Holmes (Christchurch) are in Wellington, and are staying at the Grand Hotel.

Mr and Mrs Wynward are also visiting the northern capital. Mr and Mrs Stephen Johnson, of 233 Antigua Street, are celebrating their diamond wedding to-day. Mr Johnson ■was born in Nottinghamshire on June 20, 1831, and married a daughter of the Jate Mr Henry Beech. Mrs Johnson kails from the same place as her husband.

Mrs B. P. Rose (Dunedin) will leave hy the Tongariro to-day for EnglanJ. The engagement is announced of Miss Uthel Rutherford, daughter of Mr and Mrs A. W. Rutherford, of Mendip Hills, tc Mr J. Johnstone, of Canada. The inarriage will take place next year. Miss Ellen Terry arrived in Wellington last night, and is staying at Miss Malcolm's. Members of the Pioneer Club and the ladies of the Shakespeare Club were anxious to hold a reception 5b her honour, but Miss Terry, though grateful, is unable to accept invitations of this kind while she is lecturing, owing to health reasons.

The Women's Social and Political League-met last night, Mrs Newell presiding. The secretary" reported having received a letter from Mrs Corfe (now in England), in which she asked to be remembered to the members of the league, in the objects of which she retains the deepest interest. Mrs Corfe hopes to return to Christchurch early r.osrfc year. Mr Acland, who was pre- ■ sent, gave an interesting address on, the lating of the unimproved value system, ■which was explanatory in character, in which he compared the various j Systems of rating by local bodies. A number of questions were asked and satisfactorily answered, and Mr Acland aecprded a hearty vote of thanks iet his informative speech. The reception of graduates at the 43anterbury University College last sight was at once an impressive and a frivolous happening. The speeches—there was really only one long enough tc be so termed —the songs, and the pwceedings, mixed both elements in happy measure, and the cheers which rent the sir as each graduate's name was called were long and loud and hearty. It was ; & proud moment for friends and relatives when each graduate came forward to receive the outward token'of having succeeded in his or her aims. After tfeevueremony was over, a tremendous .scramble ensued for cloaks and coats, and a wild dash was made for, the Art Gallery, where the big Diploma Ball was afterwards held.

\ Teaching in Great Britain, just as in is becoming more and more a -woman's calling. In England there are to-day about 111,000 women and 36,800 *nen teaching in elementary schools, |i>s,ooo women and 32,000 men being teachers. In the National iJnion of Teachers there are, it is said, four women to one man. Women are thus gaining more influence in moulding the national character. The fact that in English speaking countries the majority of teachers are women makes it more necessary to make ample provision for the secondary and higher education of girls.

v Gem dealers all over the world are threatened with a glut in pearls. They attribute the decline of ,25 per cent, in prices during the last twelve months to "the effects of the Balkan campaign, clouds on the political horizon in Europe, and the general state of unrest caused by the fear of increased taxes. Deals in pearls are practically at a standstill, and the stock in the hands ©f merchants is valued at £4,000,000. The arrival of the annual yield from India is expected to swell this sum. It will be some consolation to the harassed idusekeeper to know that, though bread, butter, eggs, and all the other necessaries of life are steadily growing dearer, pearls are becoming cheaper. Dr Leonard Guthrie, in a lecture in London on "The Nervous Child," said that there is no evidence in support of the prevalent idea that precocious children were subject to early death. Precocious, neurotic children may have transcendent gifts, but never achieve anything, their versatility being a cause of failure, by tempting them from concentration in one direction. Taciturnity is common in nervous children, and may be taken to indicate dullness, but many eminent men and JWomen have habitually indulged in reveries and day dreams in their childhood. Indeed, hypersensitive children are unfitted for the ordinary routine of school life. Their intellectual powers

are often high, and may be cultivated on the lines for -which most aptitude is shown. Dr Leonard Guthrie recommends judicious praise and encouragement, and avoidance of forcing knowledge on clever, neurotic children. He is of opinion that nervousness is more connected with environment than with heredity, and that the neurotic temperament is inseparable from genius.