THE SOCIAL ROUND

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 959, 8 March 1917, Page 4

THE SOCIAL ROUND

Mr and Mrs S. Sutherland (Palmereton North) are staying at the Claron-' don. Mr and Mrs Mackwood (Colombo, Ceylon), who have been staying in Christchurch for a few days, have gone to visit the Lakes and Mount Cook. Mr .Justice Stringer and Mrs Stringer have gone back to Wellington, after a visit to this city and centres further south. Mrs E. B. Me.Gill and her two sous (Paluierstou North) are staying at the United Service. Miss C. Fleming, who came down from "Wellington yesterday, went on to the West Coast this morning. Mr and Mrs Harrison Jones, who havebeen visiting the north, came down to Ohristchureh this morning, and arc making a short stay at the United Service before going home to Duncdin. Mr and Mrs A. W. Rutherford (Mendip Hills) and Mr and Mrs T. C. Robinson (Spotswood) are at preseut in town. Mr and Mrs John McGrucr (Invereargill), accompanied by Miss A. Armour, came up to Christchurch last evening.

Mr Nilsson and the Misses Nilsson fHawke's Bay), Mrs Julia Porter tU.S.A.), and Mr and Mrs .1. P. Donald (Auckland) are amongst the guests at Warner's.

Sir Thomas and Lady Ewing, who knve been at Mount Cook, have returned to Christchurch.

Claude Dumpier and his wife, Irene "Vere, have gone to South Africa under three months' engagement to the African Theatres Trust, Ltd. Mr and Mrs Dampier were with Edward Branscombo's Dandies for six and a-half years, and have the reputation of being the best financial proposition ever handled by that manager. They hope to return to Australia with a company •f their own.

The engagement is announced of Miss Ijorna de Lautour, of Kelburn, Wellington, to Mr P. L. Hodge, eldest son of the Rev. W. 11. Hodge, of Alphington, Melbourne.

The engagement is announced of Miss Beryl Towusend, younger daughter of the late Mr J. Townsend, of London, and Mr Irvine O. Gaze, of West Australia and Wales (England). Mr Gaze was a member of Sir Ernest Shackleton's party, having been with him for three years, and was one of the number •n Elephant Island. Mr Gaze has gone to Australia to sec his relatives, and will then proceed to England to join a Plying Corps.

The Women's National Reserve in Wellington have decided to form a girls' club, which will be known' as the W.N.B. Girls' Club. The special object •f the newly-formed club is to draw nil girls together, so as to be ready when called upon to do any kind of patriotic work.

The servant, question is as acute in Bussia as it is in other lands. Servants arc not expensive, so far as wages arc concerned, and mostly they are excellent workers, but they require as much "watching" as Chinese servants; for, as a class, they are entirely untrustworthy. Russian housewives can tell of the need for constant vigilance aud for locking up things which they do not wish interfered with. The servants themselves frankly admit their defects in this respect, while having the deepest loyalty for their mistress.

With the continual enrolment of young men for military service the practice of filling their places with wowen is extending so far as the banks are concerned, and in the majority of •ases it is understood that the work allotted to them has been satisfactorily discharged (says the "Adelaide Register"). One prominent institution in Adelaide, which began with a few stenographers and typists, now has about 20 girls out of a staff of 60, and they are engaged in general duties. Every male clerk in this bank who is eligible Jor military service has enlisted. It is perhaps in the post offices that you find yourself nearest, to the heart of "France behind the lines" (writes Wiss Kathleen Burke in "Land mid "Water"). One morning I endeavoured t.e send a parcel to a French soldier. I took my place in a long line of waiting women bound on the same errand. A white-haired woman before ■lO gave the post office clerk infinite ♦rouble. They are not renowned for their patience, ami T marvelled at his gentleness until he explained: "Her son died five weeks ago, but she still continues to send him parcels." To

another old lady he pointed out that j she had written two numbers on the parcel. "Yon don't want two numbers, mother. Which is your boy's, number, tell me, and 1 will strike out the other?" "Leave them both," she answered. "Who knows whether my dear lad will be there to receive the parcel? If he is not 1 want it to go to some other mother's son." One of the cleverest tricks of scientific furriers is the way they manipulate the pelt of the rabbit to meet all the requirements of the hour. For years past we have known all the varieties of coney, coney seal, coney mole, coney beaver, and even coney ermine, and often the French word for rabbit, "lapin," has been worked hard in the service of the always busy fur trade. Jn Fiance a similar effort is being made to cover up the tracks of the homely but useful animal, and in the Paris trade journals which have survived llie war the English word "rabbit" is continually used, and as often as not; it is twisted into "rabboet" or "rabbay." But. no matter how far the game of make-believe is carried, the skins, after all, are only those of our well-known "wile rabby." Now the hare has become a serious rival to the rabbit, and its skin is being manipulated so that it. simulates skunk and sable, those most desirable of all furs. Silver fox and wolf are other disguises which the hare can assume.

Peeresses, wives of members of Parliament, and other ladies of move or less exalted position have been sent circulars by the National War Savings Committee with the object of inducing them to take an active part in the campaign for national economy (says a recent London correspondent). They are asked to set an example in economy in food and dress, to publicly address meetings for the furtherance of economy, and to hold drawing-room meetings and "at homes'' with the same object. The fact that some wealthy women are patriotically practising personal economy is evident. A peeress declares that her husband and herself are "cutting down indoors and out, by putting an end to all luxury—i.e., personally doing without maid, and valet, tobacco, sweets, spirits, chocolates, theatres, motoring, travelling, holidays, visiting, entertaining, shooting, horses, and economising in the matter of clothing and evening dress. The castle is being closed, and only a few rooms in one comer occupied. We have moved into small rooms, dismissed all the staff except four loyal women, thus making drastic reductions possible in every direction. All fireplaces have been rearranged and firebricks and coalsavers put in. Out of doors no eligible man has been kept in the estate, and exemptions have no! been asked for. Potatoes have been grown in the flowerbeds and the lawns used for hay."

Even if evening dress in the true sense of the word has to be shelved for a time, the substitutes are both practical and picturesque (says a Paris fashion authority). They are also becoming. Besides they constitute a reform that was really necessary, especially for wearing in public places. All sensible people will acknowledge that the woman who can make herself good to look upon while doing her good work is the most satisfactory citizen now, and the most successful helper and worker of all. The present, style of evening dress shows what effective use can be made of velvet, and we have the assurance"of its extra firm grip for such wear abroad. In designing such dresses, simplicity is the leading feature, with as little ornamentation as possible. Fur and velvet blend admirably, and so a touch of fur is all important. These narrow bands of fur that are being introduced on all velvet evening dresses are very good wearing, even if ihey are of either cat, rabbit, or rat skins, which when turned out by furriers !a their finished state, are all that can !>c desired in these unconventional ' irnes.