LADIES COLUMN.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144097, 17 May 1913, Page 5

LADIES COLUMN.

(By Sister Ann.,

OF LOCAL INTEREST. Mrs. and Miss Colvile returned home on Wednesday night. Miss L. Shuttleworth, of Auckland, is visiting New Plymouth. Mrs. Loo. Horrocks, of Feilding, is on a visit to her mother, Mrs. J. H. Quilliam. Mrs. Newton King returned home last week from Dunedin with Miss Betty King. Miss G. Shaw gave a bridge party on Tuesday night in honour of Miss Irene Skinner. Mrs. G. At. Kcbbell returned from Sydney on Saturday night, having had a'most enjoyable holiday. Mrs. H. L. Outfield and Miss wpel loft on Wednesday morning for Palmerston and AYellington. Miss Quconio Carrington, of Melbourne- arrived on Wednesday night on a visit to her aunt, Mrs. Brewster. Mrs. Warnock, of Nelson, who spent a holiday in New Plymouth with Mrs. A. E. Watkins about three months ago, and who was taken seriously ill with appendicitis, is now convalescent, and hopes to return homo shortly. Tho following announcement from tho Wellington Evening Post will interest many readers of this column: — GOLDEN WEDDING. M’KELLAR HILL.—On May 13, ■ Ibbd, at tit. Mary’s, Parnell, Auck- ' land, by > the Right Rev. George Augustus' Selwyn, Bishop of New Zealand, Dugald, fourth son of tho late Dugald M’Kcllar, M.D., Battersea, Surrey, England, to Georgina, fourth daugnter of Henry Hill, Esq., Auckland, New Zealand. (.Golden wedding). A very jolly dauco was given at the Brougham Street Hall on Friday night by Mrs. W. D. Webster. Tho hall was most tastefully decorated. Aire. Wood’s music was excellent, the supper table was quite,a picture, tho night was lino and lrosty, and everything contributed to a most delightlul evening- There wore three debutantes—Misses Duicio Bayly, Hilary Lcpper, and Florence Winfield—all of whom looked charming.

Tho following, “appreciation,” taken from the Dominion, ol the late Miss B. Richmond, will bo read with interest by her old friends in New Plymouth, where sho spent her earlier years and attended tho High School;—“Tho news of the almost tragically sudden death of Aliss Beatrice Richmond at Auckland during a holiday trip wall cast,.a gloom over the circles in which deceased moved in Wellington. To those-who were privileged to be her pupils, particularly, Miss Richmona’s loss will be great. * Her teaching was cl that bright and vivid kind, so rare and so valuable, which stimulates tho mind and enchains tho interest. By this gilt sho has left her mark, but the most lasting tribute to her work as a teacher will, be tho love which sho continually inspired in her pupils. There are many who camo under Miss Richmond’* influence .who, on learning of her death, will feel the loss of an 'incentive- to higher attainment which, possibly unknown to themselves, her presence continually afforded them. Nor will Miss Richmond’s influence he felt only in the ranks of her pupils. Her intense love of truth and hatred of shams and humbug, whether in art or in social matters, were amongst, her most marked characteristics, and never failed to express themselves in her work and social intercourse. ■ Possessing a keen critical faculty, and holding a very high standard of attainment, it was impossible that one who had taken up tho arduous profession of teaching could ever bo content with her own accomplishment, high though it was. Miss Richmond ever struggled to reach her own standard, and in doing so helped to raise tho standard of music in this city. Handicapped by the stress of professional work on a highly-strung . and delicately-organised artistic temperament, her strength and spirit were strained in the effort to attain the high aim sho set herself, and finally her constitution was too weakened to resist when sho was struck down by severe illness. Miss Richmond passed quietly away at Auckland. Deceased was the elder daughter of Mr. H. R. Richmond, of Kelbume, and 'granddaughter, of the late Major Parris, for many years Civil Commissioner of Taranaki. Sho received the greater part of her education in Christchurch, and became a Blaster of Arts at Canterbury College, where she had a very successful career. After some years spent in educational work, Aliss Richmond, having already reached a high standard in music, decided to visit England and Germany to continue her studies there. On her, return to New Zealand she took up the profession of ,music in AYellington.”

A BERLIN SOCIETY ROMANCE.

Something of a sensation has boon caused in Berlin, society by the nows that Miss Nancy Leishman, daughter of the United Statsc ambassador, and the Duke of Croy, who is descended from the ancient royal house of Hungary, may be married within a few weeks, probably in Paris. It is understood that the Duke of Croy’s family objects to any marriage outside royal circles, especially as ho is the head of his house. The Duke was recently detached, from tho Garde du Corps Regiment, with which ho was serving at Potsdam, and detailed as an attache to the Embassy in Vienna. This, it' is said, was done with a view to breaking off an attachment which had existed” for some time. Now, however, the Duke, taking matters in his own hands, has resigned from his regiment,, and is making preparations for an early marriage. The date of tho ceremony was given as April 11, tho .day on which the Duke, reaching tho age of 24, attains his full majority, and comes into entire possession of the large family estates in Westphalia. _ As the House of Croy is not a mediatised one, there can be no legal or royal objection to the marriage. The Duke of Croy’s own largo fortune, .states the New York Herald (Paris edition), absolutely sets in the background the question of a dowry. Last January tho Duke absented himself from all the functions of tho court season to join the Leishman party at Oberhof for the winter sports. Miss Nancy Lcishman’s elder

sister is Comtessq Louis do GontautBiron,

THE GIRL WHO STAYS AT HOME.

When I speak ,of the girl who stays at homo, I am not thinking of the girl whose parents have plenty of money, and whoso only object in life is to have a good time. lam talking now of the middle class girl, who, when sho loaves school, instead of launching out on some independent career, of her own, stays at home to help her mother with tho household duties. . How often do wo hear the cry, "I can’t understand it. Girls never want to stay at homo now.” But really, is it any wonder, when one considers what is tho usual lot of tho • stay-at-home girl and compares it with that of the girl who is . earning her own living in som-o other way? The fact of the matter is that most parents never seem to realise when their daughters cease to he children. A number of old school friends who had met together were discussing this question the other afternoon. “Well,” said one, who had been married just a year, “I am still rejoicing in' tho new sense of freedom. I■ am sure nobody had kinder parents than I had, but really they fussed after me too much. , However much X was longing for a breath of fresh air, 1 mustn’t go out if it were the least hit damp, for fear I should take cold. When tho clock struck, ten I was ordered off to bed, no matter how interested I was in the book X was reading or the work I was doing. Then if my sister happened to como to my room for a little' confidential gossip, father would bo sure to tan at tho door, and say we must not talk any longer or we should he so tired in the morning. „ They never seemed to think you might sometimes like to bo alone. If you didn’t want to bo with tho crowd all the time they thought you wore unsociable or asked if you were feeling ill. ’ -- “I don’t think oven that is so trying as tho money question,” .said another. “I reallv don’t see why a girl who is .working at home shouldn’t be paid a salary just as .she would be if she did tho same work anywhere else. And then I do think she ought to. he able te spend it as she likes. There’s mv cousin Kate. , She does '.Til the dusting, arranges , the flowers, does the chief part of the cooking, and is really quite a treasure in the house. She is 25, and yet Aunt Jane will persist ir buying all her clothes for her still. Kate was nearly crying about it the other day. She said sho wouldn’t care how small it was if sho only had a proper allowance to do as sho liked with, instead of having heaps of clothes sho didn’t really like, chosen and naid for by -someone else.” I think this question of money really is at tho bottom of most of tho discontent, Apart, from that, it seems to mo disastrous to let girls grow up with no idea of the value of money. How can they be expected when they become wives or when they havo to look after themselves to understand thq management of a limited-income P 1 , I. know of one very sensible father Who seems to have solved tho question satisfactorily. Ho has three daughters. The two elder both chose to take,up teaching as a profession. They qualified accordingly, and obtained good positions. When the time came for the third daughter to leave school, her father, laid tho matter before her. “Wo should be glad to have you at home,” he said, “but at'the same tune wo should like you to follow, your own inclinations. If there is anything else yqu would jrrefer to do, I will do my best to fit you for it. If, on the other hand, you choose to stay at home and help your mother, I want you to understand that you must not think because you are at home yon can do as you like. I shall, expect you to fulfil the duties that are given you just as you would if you occupied a similar position elsewhere. I shall pay you a salary equal to the. amount your sisters had’left, at the corresponding ago after they had deducted all the numerous expenses which will not fall upon you, living at home. “ I shall expect you not only to make that cover your expenses for clothes, piq 'os'[o SitnpjA’ueAO pne .'aivf iv.upea also to save a certain, proportion every year. It will,bo no good to come to mo with a doleful tale of having no money left to pay your cab fare. If I paid it, I should deduct it from your next quarter’s salary, so that you would learn that even cab fares cost something, and should be considered.” “I mean you to be quite independent. Of course, yoUr mother or I will be glad to give you advice when you wish it, but we shall not ask you question's about how you have spent your money, or interfere in any way as long as you keep within the limit. “There is one other point. I have kept a strict account of tho expenses of your sisters’ training. I want to be absolutely just, and hot'to do more for one of my children than for another. ’ I regard the cost of that training as an investment which brings in interest in tho shape of tho salary they receive. As long as you stay at home you will bo receiving' a similar rate .of interest, and I shall arrange that a sum equal to that spent on them shall he given to you on your marriage or if you do not marry, added to your share of my worldly goods' at my death.” . The girl chose to stay at homo, and, feeling herself treated with perfect justice, and allowed full freedom of action as far as money was concerned, she, at least, has never regretted her choice, . ■ If only more parents would follow this excellent example, I feel sure the daughters of the present .day would be just ns eager as they are now reluctant to belong to tho number of girls who stay at home. —B. M. M., Daily Chronicle. ■