THE SOCIAL ROUND

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 962, 12 March 1917, Page 4

THE SOCIAL ROUND

Mrs A. W. Bennett and Miss Bennett have roturncd to their home on CashMere Hills, after a trip to the West Coast. Sister Brandon, of the hospital ship, ia on furlough in Wellington, and is staying with her sister, Mrs (Dr) Hasty, Tinakori Road. Mrs A. n. Miles (Wellington) is visitlug Christchurch. Miss Scott, the preseut actiug-inatron of the Wellington Hospital, has been appointed matron, subject to the approval of the Minister. Miss H. Scott has returned to Park Terraee, after a visit to Arthur's Pass. Mr and Mrs H. W. Dawe and Master Bex Da wo (Christchurch), who have been visiting relatives in Napier, are the guests of Mrs H. S. Dawe, Lower Hutt, .Wellington.

Mrs W. F. Tait is back in Christchurch, after a lengthy stay in the Worth Island. Mrs Killian (Amberley) is staying at New Brighton. Mrs M. Gressou (Christchurch) is visiting Timaru. Mr and Mrs Howard motored back *0 Blenheim yesterday, after a few days in town. Miss Mathias (Timaru) is staying at Vke United ServiceMrs Robert Bell, jun., and her sister, Miss Bradley (Dunedin), are visiting (Jhristeliureh. Mr and Mrs Leyland (Auckland), Mrs Bruce, Miss Nicholls (Feilding), and Mrs MeDiarmid (Dunedin) are {paying at Warner's. Mrs T. A. Phillips and Miss Phillips Point) are in town. Mr and Mrs T. B. Spence (Gisborne) are visiting Christchurch. It will be an attraction to many, no doubt, to know that Mrs Gower Burns ip singing at Mr Raphael's concert on Thursday night. This favourite soloist has given her assistance at a vast number of patriotic concerts since the beginning of the war, and has never refused a request to sing, no matter at What cost to herself. She has journeyed to concerts held as far south in the province as Timaru, in order to do her patriotic "bit," and must have directad a considerable amount of' revenue into the coffers of the war-workers in this way.

It was a happy thought on the part ©f Mr and Mrs W. Nicholls to hold a gathering of Belfast patriotic, workers at "Mona Vale" on Saturday. The beautifully laid-out grounds of this •harming residence are quite famous throughout Canterbury, and the opportunity to make a leisurely pilgrimage through them was much enjoyed. The Magnificent fernery, which is like nothing so much as an exquisite bit of native bush transplanted bodily into a Modern garden, was the particular delight of the parly. Both the orchard and garden have been pressed into patriotic service, as Mr.*- Nicholls has sent quantities of fruit and flowers from it to the Red Cross.

Regimental mascots are many and various, but some Australians have se«nrcd one of the most quaint. An exchange says: —The siege gunners have a wonderful mascot, a kookaburra, that was caught at Jerilderie before ho was •edged. He is now a most accomplished creature, and can wag his tail to ragtime music. He likes to stand solemnly performing this "stunt" in a circle of admiring khaki. The boys just adore kiin; they carry him about on their shoulders, and when at a "sing-song'' some warrior is warbling a ballad of piercing pathos, and Jaeko suddenly bursts into peals of sardonic laughter, their joy is complete. Soon a number of our most worthy •itizens will be talking the Russian language in the streets of Melbourne, for Mas not M. d'Abaza told us that one •an learn the Russian language at his •lasses in three months? (asks "Wooniera" in the "Australasian"). Not much time is given us to take action, but we must do oar best. Police-con-stables should be warned that if they happen to over-hear apparently lawabiding citizens make remarks in a crowd, such as " lllushkicvichy, Bamo•hvalovichy, Miedzyreeh, or Preobrashonskai," they must not rush to the •onelusion that the citizens are making use of language calculated to cause dis-

order iu the public streets. The worthy citizens will be merely going over their lessons in Russian geographj-, while on their way to M. d'Abaza. A little instruction in the Eussian language might be given the constables, lest even one of our most respected citizens should run the risk of spending a night in the watehhouse, because he persisted in saying that, he lived iu Parkvinsky, and not Parkville, and reiterated that he had not taken a drop of vodka for two and a-half years.

Among other European Orders which may be won by women, there is the French Legion of Honour, which is given to women ou the same"terms as to men—-for service or distinguished work iu any particular walk of life. Turkey has a particular order for women. This decoration is the Ribbon and the Star of the Order of the Ohefekat, and is bestowed upon women of any nationality at the discretion and desire of the Sultan.

Tour attractive-looking munition girls who refused to wear male attire at their work were appellants at the Glasgow Munitions Tribunal. They sought a week's wages from a Clyde shipyard firm in lieu of notice on being dismissed. Certain girls employed by the firm wear male, attire, and it was decided that all should don trousers and tnnic or leave the firm's employment. The four girls alleged that there was no danger from machinery through wearing skirts. The sheriff refused compensation, observing that due notice was given. A housewife whose competence has always won my admiration surprised mo (says an Australian writer) by leaving unfinished bits of plain knitting lying about in all her rooms. When I accused her of becoming slipshod she laughed and said, "Those are for visitors who drop in to gossip. They are traps for the talkative. Knitting is infectious, you know, and as soon as I begin, a knitter is pretty certain to pick up the other set of needles, and try to beat me. I start slowly and drop a stitch or two to lure her on. 1 get quite a lot of socks knitted."