THE SOCIAL ROUND

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 210, 9 October 1914, Page 4

THE SOCIAL ROUND

Colonel and -Mrs E. B. Millton are ataying at Warner's. :": The Misses Otley (2) were passengers for the north last night. Mrs Hayter (Eollesby) is spending a few days at Warwick House. Mr and Mrs Humphries (Gisborne) are guests at Warwick House. Sir Douglas and Lady 'Mawson left for Timaru this morning. Mr and Mrs R. J. Rainey (Leeston) are staying at Coker's Hotel. Mr and Mrs Melville Jamieson (Timaru) are staying at Warner's. Mrs Tabart and Miss Tabart were passengers for the north last night. Mr and Mrs Thurman (Wellington) are in Christchurch, staying at the United Service. Mrs Percy Johnstone returned to Mt. Torlesse this morning, after spending a few days in Christchurch. Mr A. Greenwood and Miss Greenwood (Amberley) came into town yesterday, and are staying at Warner's. The marriage of Mr Allister Deans (Ricearton) and Miss Noma Knight (Racecourse Hill) will be celebrated at Racecourse Hill early in November. Mr and Mrs Cock, the Misses Cock, and Miss Maginnity, who motored from Nelson to Canterbury a few days ago, returned north by the ferry steamer last night. Mr and Mrs H. DeveHish-Meares, who have been for a trip to Sydney, returned to Christchurch during the week, and are staying at Warwick House for a few days until returning to their home at Fcndalton. Lady Rutherford, who has returned from the North Island, is at present the guest of Mrs.Hands Newton. Her distinguished husband, Sir Ernest Rutherford, is due to arrive here on Sunday, and will remain for a fortnight. Mr and Mrs Lawrence Birks, Jackson VBoad, gave an enjoyable garden party yesterday afternoon, in honour of Sir Douglas and Lady Mawson, a large party of guests attending. Mrs Birks was becomingly gowned in black and white, with a hat in harmonious tones. The guest of honour, Lady Mawson, looked extremely handsome in a beauti* ful white gown, contrasted with a black picture hat. Amongst the other guests were noticed: Mrs Cyrus Williams, Mrs Carey-Hill, Mrs Leslie Crook, Mrs fickle, Dr. and Miss Parr, Mrs Hutton, Mrs Newton, Mrs Ogilvie, Mr W. E. Webbj and very many others. Mr Birks, it may be mentioned, is an old Adelaide University boy, and Sir Douglas Mawson ; also hailing from the same university, they naturally have a good many mutual recollections. The guests at the party were limited to those who had interests in some way identical with the guests of honour, or who were from Adelaide. Hon. C. M. Trip., from Wellington (Mrs Bird's father) was '■■;. amongst the guests. Superstitions regarding marriage, are • eommon in all parts of the world. One is that a bride, on leaving her home \ for the wedding trip, must step into I the carriage right foot first. She should do the same when she first enters the tome prepared for her after the bridal trip. A pretty custom which is tinged with' superstition is that of the bride, as she is about to leave her home after the ceremony, tossing her bouquet among her female friends. The one who catches it, it is said, will be the next bride. A favourite wedding day in Scotland is December 31, so that the young couple can leave their old life with the old year, and begin their martried life with the new one. In Italy no sharp-pointed wedding gifts are permitted. At the present time, says the Byd- . uey "Mail," the ballroom at Federal .. Government House, Melbourne, somewhat resembles a warehouse, where, in place of male assistants, busy women are working, sorting, and packing the mountainous piles of. shirts, pyjamas, mufflers, bandages, books, and mis- ■ cellaneous articles which pour in from all sides. The reason for its unusual appearance lies in the fact that it has been converted into a" Red Cross 'depot; Lady Helen Munro Ferguson was responsible for the inauguration of the Australian Red Cross Society at the outbreak of the present war. She started the organisation under the. most difficult of circumstances, for the ideas of the duties and functions of a Red Cross League were rather vague in Australia. But Lady Helen has worked without ceasing to further its objects, and the results are better than even her Excellency herself expected. Probably it is the experience and knowledge of the work of the Red Cross League which the wife of the Governor-General gained in Europe that have led to this success. But Lady Helen has been no theorist- She has worked in the midst of a willing band of volunteer helpers day by day fit I'ederal Government House. A curious picture of the hard-Avork-ing native women of Nigeria is given

by Mrs Olive Temple in the current number of "Blackwood's Magazine." She says that "though at first sight people are inclined to consider the women oppressed, on nearer acquaintance i't turns out that there is much truth in the remark of a native chief, who declared, -'Women are a very strong folk.' It appears to be the custom for the women to do all the selling, and to take a percentage; and often the woman is richer than the man. The women do a great deal of work, and one of their chief activities is pounding grain. It was suggested to an Emir that machinery for this purpose might be introduced into his kingdom; but he replied that, if this principal outlet for feminine energy were taken away, the situation might become impossible. Curious accounts, too, are given of the marriage customs. There is, of course, a great difference between those of the pagan 'tribes and of the Mohammedans. Amongst the latter there is considerable choice allowed to the girl, who is not married till she is about 20. If she rejects the suitors favoured by her parents, and desires to marry a stranger, as a warning a terrible story is told her of a woman who insisted on marrying an adventurer. The husband eventually turned into a crocodile. This awful legend is said generally to prove effective.' *