LADIES' COLUMN

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14039, 23 October 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

LADIES' COLUMN

Social Doings for the Week.

"By Ghcllie."

Mrs Curnow left for Invercargill by tho first express on Monday.

Mr and Mrs Norton Francis (Waimate) caino into town ou Tuesday.

Mr- Donald Campbell, of Otipua, is spending a short holiday in the country.

Mrs and Miss McCalluni, "Glengyle," Waimate, spent a few days in town this week.

Mrs H. H. Loughnan (Christchurcli) and her youngest daughter arrived in Timara this week.

Dr C. E. Thomas. Miss Rhodes and Mr Arthur Rhodes left for England 011 Wednesday last on a holiday trip.

Mr and Mrs R. M. Wright of Ohoka, North Canterbury, aro visiting their daughter, Mrs H. R- Harris of Washdyke. Mr It- M. Wright has for many years been a leading figuro in public life in North Canterbury.

Mr Richard Evans, Kaiapoi, accompanied by his eldest daughter Miss Ethel Evans, returned home 011 Saturday Miss Evans was the guest of Mrs H. Marriott (North Street) during her stay here.

Dr Lyon arrived in Timaru from Wellington this week and stayed at the Empire Hotel. Dr Lyon succeeds Dr Bett at the Public Hospital, the latter gentleman having taken over Dr Thomas' practice, during his sojourn in England.

Visitors at the Empire Hotel this week include Mr and Mrs Garrard, Lyttelton, Mr and Mrs Hall (Nelson), Mr A. Mcintosh (Shag Point), MrWhite Parsons (Christchurcli), Mr TV . P. Tnrton (Queenstown), Mr Henning (Wellington), Mr C. Brooke-Taylor (Christ church). It is with pleasurable delight that we aro all looking forward to the prod action of the " Pirates of Penzance " by the Timaru Operatic Society in the Theatre on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday o£_ next week. The dresses of the leading ladies aro entrusted to the able supervision of Mrs J. WWood, who las had previous experience in England, and also in New Zealand in that way. Miss Marie Ray, of Pleasant Point (who is the leading lady) will, I understand, wear a very elaborate gown of cream satin, with Indian embroidery. Mr J. W. Wood will conduct the orchestra, which I am sure, will add considerably to the enjoyment of the opera. Mrs Wakeham, Mr Jordan, and Mr E. Bndd are figuring in the cast, and their talent is already widely known in South Canterbury, and no doubt will receive a good reception.

A large and appreciative audience erected Archdeacon Harper in St. Mary's Schoolroom, on Thursday evening of last week, when Jio delivered a lecture on "Sicily, Ancient and Modern." The address was altogether very delightful to listen to. and Archdeacon Harper made it all the more enjoyable with a- recital of his visits and experiences in the different parts of Sicily. The limelight views shown on the screen wero highly interesting, s»»td a word of praise .is due to Mr, Hardy for his clever manipulation of the machine. Amongst the fashionable assemblage I noticed Mr. and Mrs \V. 11. Ftiden, Miss Gwladys Foden. Mrs. and the Misses Miles, Mrs. and the Missies Hasselt, Mrs and Miss Hole Mrs. MalcoTmson, Mrs. * and Miss ShirtclifFe. Mr. and Mrs. Perry, Misses Ram" M"i. and Miss A»> "etN. Mrs. and Miss Conn. Miss Beckint?han. Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt,-Mr and Miss Knnbley. Sirs G. R. M. Jones, Mrs Pringle.

The grounds of the Main School looked exceedingly gay on Thursday afternoon, when the annual garden party was held in aid of the prize Jrttnd. The function was organised by 3liss Sibly, a member of the teaching staff, and she is to bo congratnlated on the splendid resnlt of tho afternoon's programme. The maypole dance was a pretty and attractive item, the little girls looking very pretty in frocks of black and red with pom-poms to contrast. The club swinging by girl pupils was especially clever, and was made very effective with pale blue clubs being used which harmonised with the white frocks of the performers. A word of praise is duo to the management of the tea rooms, and although a large number of people partook of a dainty afternoon tea, there was never any crowding in the rooms, a decided comfort. Amongst the large assemblage were Miss Avtson wearing a handsome trained gown of black satin trimmed with black applique, small black tnrban hat with wings. Miss Sibly, white embroidered linen, very smart wide white bat with black velvet crown and trimming. Miss Sibly, graceful trained'empire gown of black coflienne trimmed with black silk applique and velvet ribbon, black picture hat. Mrs Adams, black Directorie gown, handsomely • braided white "bucket" hat trimmed with black vel-

vet. Miss Cobnrn, smart Directorie gown of white linen, with all-over embroidery coat and a moss green "bucket" hat wreathed with pink roses and finished with green velvet streamers, completed this lovely toilette. Mrs George "Watts was handsomely gowned in cinnamon brown silk voile with trained skirt. The bodice was made with a cream lace yoke defined with a paler shade of brown velvet. A black ostrich feather boa and black picture hat completed the toilette. Mrs Beckingham, leaf green tailor-made large green hat. Mrs Kirby, pale gray black hat. Mrs Lawson, nandsome trained gown of black mescaline silk ,black hat garlaned with white sweet peas. Mrs Strachan, black silk striped voile, grey bonnet with grasses. Mrs Knubley, dark green tailor-made, long lace stole, black bonnet. Mrs' W. C. Raymond, dark green tweed tailormade. green hat. Mrs Manneririg, nale grey Norfolk costume, heliotrope hat. with sweet peas. Mrs Shirtcliffe, black satin- striped voile, black bonnet with tangerine roses. -Mrs Mausford, dark brown linen Directorie gown. Miss Mansford, leaf green linen, black and geen hat. Mrs W. A. Pearson, dark brown tailor-made, smart shaded mauve hat. Mrs Bascand, black satin strined voile, very smart large white hat. Mrs Callaghan, dark green Directorie gown, green and pink hat. Miss Napier, lovely trained empire gown of uhite embroidered Swiss muslin, smart <iunanon brown "bucket'' hat touched with pink. Miss Rooney, also wore .1 lovely white embroidered Swiss muslin gown, anil large heliotrope hat. Miss A. Davidson, beautiful trained gown of leaf green striped ninon,- largo pale blue hat wreathed with green rose*. Mrs Macdonald, sage ureen pinafore dress, green and pink hat. Mrs I. I. Bradley, black cloth, black picture hat. Mtss Bradley, very pretty truck, of pale blue silk muslin, pale bine and white hat. Mrs Ilobert Holdgate. dark blue tailor-made verysmart pale blue "bucket" hat trimmed with black tips. Mrs J. H. .Holdgate, dark blue Secilian- Stinson, dainty gown of heliotrope floral voile," heliotrope hat. Mrs Cullmann, pretty gown of pale, blue silk voile, moss green hat with pink roses. Mrs

Miller. <l:trk green linen, green li.it, Mitlcr. white embroidered mu>lin- Mrs. -I. Millar, green and brown check tweed. tusean hat- trimmed with brown velvet- ribbon: Mrs. (Dr.) Ta - hot pale grev direetorie gown, handsontelv braided with black, brown and pink hat: Mrs Ma ben, handsome {-'own of black striped voile: Miss Ma ben. cream frnek. verv smart shaded heliotrope bat: Mrs. Captain Tate wore a pretfv heliotrope hat, with a black irown: Miss Tate, white frock; .Airs. Panton. liandsonie (imvn of cinnmon brown taffeta, appliqurd "'it' l ( - :n ' brown velvet, black and wlnte hat.. Miss Panton, preen striped 'frock, green floral sat: Miss Holdgate. black tailor-made, black and white hat; Miss Pallcson. dainty white muslin frock, cinnamon grown liat; Mrs. A. Hardy, dark green costume; Mrs. H. E. Russell. brown tailor-made, brown picture liat: Miss Gilchrist, Unlit Green frock: Mrs. A. «T. l)unn. navv Wuo tailor-made, iirecn and blue hat* Mrs. Chalmers, dark bine costume. black hat: Mrs. W.-l-eMd wore a smart grey coat over a black gown. The presentation of trophies won by tho members of the I'imaru Ladies' Hockev Club took place 011 Thursday night "in the Stafford Tea Rooms. The proceedings took the form of a supper and musical evening, which proved one of the most enjoyable in the history of the Club. In a humorous speech, Mr CTlias. G. Snow, Vice-President of the Club, handed I)r. Cox's trophy, a gold necklace, to Miss An Id, the player showing the most improvement during the vcar. The gold medal presented by the coach (Mr Keith), was won by Miss W. Hunt, as the best back in the team. To show the appreciation of the members for the patient and skilful tuition to which the great success of the Club this year is due,*Mr Iveitli, the. coach of the team was presented with a pair of silver-mounted military hair brushes and case, suitably engraved. The Club having won the South Canterbury* Competition, and A. L. Marshall, Cup. Mr Keith returned thanks i«i a few well chosen remarks. His task being as he said practicallv a sinecure, owing to the willing and enthusiastic manner tiie Club had fallen in line, with any suggestions he thought fit to make for the improvement of their play." During supper the toast of the health of the Vice-President and coach was received with musical honours, and responded to in happy vein. The musical part of the programme included trios by the famous Black Family, and Madame Von-Amin, who again kindly consented to sing, an item lyj Ovid Musin was well-known violinist, was greatly appreciated, and an encore was the inevitable result, and responded to with that skill and grace throueh which he has .already won the hearts of his hearers. Hie Vice-President gave a small item which so delighted the ladies that lie had to respond with anothei;. The sinking of "Auld Lang Syne" brought a pleasant evening to a close. RATIONAL DRESS. London County Council have recommended that teachers and students in elementary school should ho encouraged to wear "rational dress. Rational dress is taken to mean tho dress usually worn school gymnasiumss both by teachers and pupils, and many ladies are in favour of the general adoption of something of tho kiwi. The rational dress in ono form or another lias been very often tried. Lady Harbertons' costume has few adherents in England, and on the Continent tho movement does not spread with great rapidity, although artists arc often engaged in designs for decoration. Rational dross abroad is either long «>r short. Its principal feature is tho little bodice from which every garment is hung, so that the weight is on the shoulders and tho waist lino is not accentuated at all. Flat shoes are, of course, generally advocated, and an occasional wearer of sandals may he seen. If tho rational dress, as understood in London schools —i.e., a short pinafore dress, with a hlouse, bloomers which do not reach below tho knee, with long stockings and soft shoes—were to become tho uniforfh of t] 10 London elementary school teachers, it would have a doubtful reception. Somo regard is as both convenient and hygienic, others dcclaro that they would never wear it. MARRIAGEABLE AGE. Different nations have different ideas as to the marriageable age. The young German marries as soon as he can support a wife in a modest way, and the domestic qualities of tho German girl fit her particularly well for marriage and family happiness. Not to he engaged when she has reached the age of 17 is, says the Daily Telegraph, a cause for regret ;n tho mind of the German girl who has not been influenced by English or American opinions. Thus in Germanv one meets many -happy households and contented families, who mako their way very comfortably through life without worrying themselves much about position and dress standards and so on, as do English and American women. The Italian weds with the same enthusiasm as the German, and young happy marriages are common enough. The Ttlaian woman of fortv considers herself a little elderly. Tho Frenchman is more guarded in his selection. Reason lias more to do with his marriage, as a rulo ,than sentiment, and things are frenuentlv arranged by parents or friends. French marriages arc happy enough, hut the marriage of reason has nlwnvs an. element of dulness about it that would not. commend it to people of less cyil- - temperament. The eld°rlv girl_ is a orodnct of England and Amenta . only. A girl of 23 does nob exist hi Southern lands. j

"SLAVE TRADE" IN HEIRESSES

A HUMILIATING POSITION

Some faults of American men dealt with in tho "Atlantic Monthly" I>v Anna H. Rodgers. She n«otes with approval Musterburg's condemnation of the rapid womanising of almost the entire education of the American vouth. He says, if the entire culture of the nation is womatiised, it will be in the end weak and without defensive influence 011 the progress of the world: —ln this country, "the whole higher culture is feminised.'" Eighty-five per cent, of the patrons of theatres are women, says our critic. "Women me the readers of our books, they make up an American audience at a public leelures and concerts. They control our charities and our church work. In Europe at- least one-half of the per* pie present, at an art exhibition are men: in this country one. sees less than five per centum of men present afc such an exhibition hv actual count. The gerni of femination is firmly planted in the whole national intellectuality, until now woman has the practical monopoly. The pure native resources of our nation awl our politics remain in the hands of men: it is al>out nil they have retained, and the suffragists begrudge choiu even that. Hut her sharpest ]>eii is reserved lor the failure of men to protect- their daughters and sisters from European adventurers. Site says: —'*1 he resuonsibilitv for the present humiliating slave-trade in which rich American girls an* .sold to the titled descendants of England and tlw Continent is almost wholly the fault »f Hie men in this country."

Th>> writer surprises a Kuropoan reader, who alw;iv= . thfiiirlit. that American women trained their

men to bo abject courtiers ami slaves by tolling how tho American mother yields to the insidiious attentions of the foreign .suitor for her daughter s hand: —'"That, subtle relationship <'t sex which European men of any age always have the art of establishing with a woman of whatever age; their attention, their quick courtesy towards women, their habit of listening nbsorbedly when a woman speaks —all this is absolutely new to tho American mother, that .she becomes hypnotised by it, and can no longer distinguish truth from falsity, or a mere national point of etiquette, from a personal thoughtfulness ami delicate tenderness of feeling. She lias been so long used to being treated as a social encumbrance, snubbed, interrupted, unconsidered by all. that to separate principles from manners, without tho aid of her husband, who. "leaves it all to her," in the old, honoured, American way, is to demand of her impossibilities." The father wakes up and "gets mad." as the saying is, when it is too late. On the other hand: —"If the truth were told, most young American men ore not especially interesting. They do not keep "P their reading. They have a national obtundity when it comes to music, to art. to literature: nor do may of them make any of thest things at all seriously. The young among them arc not good conversationalists. Our cloverist men are monopolists, pure and simple. They lecture admirablv. They are born orators along modified lines. They are inevitable story-tellers. None of this is conversation and women like conversation, like its courtesies, which at least pretend a little interest when their turn comes in the came. Knowledge of people and affairs outside our own country pricks more than one bubble about our young men." BLOUSES AND MILLINERY. Tlio blouso which is arranged in such an original fashion with wide braces of finely embroidered silk is worn with a skirt of plain soft cashmere, chosen in a beautiful shade of wall-fiowcr brown. The blouso itself is of Shantung silk, matching exactly the colour of tho cashmere, and embroidered braces aro fastened securely to tho skirt-, both back and front, with largo buttons, covered smoothly with brown silk. Finely tucked net is employed to mako tho chemisette, which, by tho way, is finished in front with a wide, band of embroidery to match tho work which adorns the braces. A narrower strip of the same embroidery finishes the elbow sleeves. With this gown, a. hat of wall-flower brown straw has been sketched, lined under the brim wit-h soft folds of palo ping silk, and trimmed, with a pink silk scarf, patterned with a floral design in brown, and tied 011 ono side in a very large full bow.

In many other colours and materials this samo idea might he most successfully carried out. The gown would bo very prettey, for example, if both tho bodice and skirt were made in sil-ver-grey cashmere and the braces in soft silk to match,' embroidered with sprays of shaded violets and green foliage. In this case the chemisette might be of ivory white or cream net, adorned as in the sketch, with a broad'band of embroidery. Or, again, tho gown might be of a nattier blue fine, cloth, and the blouse in crcpe de Chine of the samo shade, with the embroideries worked in a slightly darker tone of blue.

A very becoming design for a blouse carried out in silk, and arranged with a. number of tucks which run diagonally. is now arranged with quite a. now kind of narrow corselet, with a belt and shoulder-straps cut all in one. The gown in this case is of vieux-rose cloth, and the belt anl shonhler-st,raj>s .aro edged with several lines of tailorstitching in a darker shade of rosecolour. Vc.rv prettey ornaments, made of narrow "silk braid shaped like buttons, and arranged in gradual sizes, trim iJic front of this blouse, and appear again upon tho shoulders and at tho waist. v The under-blouse is of vieux-rose soft silk, very becomingly tucked, and arranged with cross-over fronts and <1 chemisette and under-sleeves of lace. It is worth noting, as a nretty detail of this dress, that a wide lace shoulder scarf is provided to match the chemisette and sleeves. Very characteristic, too, of tho coming mode is the large bat of hlaek Tagel straw, with a b'g flat bow of vieux-rose ribbon for sole trimming, placed on ono side of the hat in a fashion at. once original and becoming. Black hats of various descriptions are enjoying a considerable vogue at the moment . trimmed in this way with large coloured bows, carried out sometimes in satin and sometimes in silk ribbon. Girls of an economical turn of riind may very easily take advantage of this fashion and arrange to wear with one black hat » number of different bows, at different, times of eonrse, chosen to match the colour of the gown with which the hat' is just then being worn. A good supply of fancifully designed hatpins, with large and liigblv ornamented heads to harmonise with the different linw of ribbon will help to add variety to this arrangement.