Mostly About Women.

Observer, Volume X, Issue 604, 31 January 1891, Page 4

Mostly About Women.

A Melbourne lady artist rejoices in the name of Mrs A. Thunder. Two celebrated singers are now residents of Auckland — Madame Burton and Miss Elsa May. Miss May Jordan declares that there are work-girls in Brisbane keeping themselves on 10s a week. Thbee widows of under fifteen will be among the curiosities of the ensuing New South Wales census. ' None but the brave deserve the fair, and none but the brave can live with some of them.' — Boucicault. Queen Victoria is a vigorous hater of electric light, on the ground that it isn't so warm and comfortable as gas. Miss Aston, a blind pupil, aged 17, at the Melbourne Asylum, has passed for the University matriculation examination — an unparalleled feat. Lady Boseberry left her lord the solatium of threequarters of a million, a tidy bite even out of the hundred millions of the Bothschildren. Girl graduates do not always despise matrimony. Miss Adams, M.A., of Thames, has just been joined in wedlock to Mr Arch. Buchanan, solicitor, Auckland. An Auckland lady, by the name of O'Powd lately thought it incumbent upon her to advertise that she never was related to 'theO'Dowds of Symonds-street.' Woman is still « a ministering angel.' Miss Amy Vaughan intends giving an entertainment in Auckland for the benefit of the sufferers by the Huntly coal-mine disaster. Thebe is one lady stock-broker, one lady landscapegardener and one lady dentist in London. Although they have been established for some time they have had no imitators. Mrs Daldy and Mrs Goodwin delivered addresses at the annual meeting in connection with the Costley Institute last Thursday. Miss Lumsden trains the Institute boys in music, while the Misses i'avvkins teach them drawing. Mrs Sutherland, the wife of the late Hon. Sutherland, who died last week, had only a few days before voted her by the New South Wale--. Parliament a sum of £3,000 in consideration of the political services rendered by her husband. Many people who feel shocked beyond measure at the idea of a woman speaking in public, will go nightly or travel long distances to hear a woman sing. As a matter of womanly modesty, where is the difference? Will some one rise and explain ? Miss Linda Billson, aged eight years and four months, passed the ' standard ' examination lately held at the Beechworth State school, Victoria, and secured her certificate of being ' sufficiently educated.' According to the Act this young lady need not go to school any more. The newest departure in fashionable religion in Sydney is that ladies hitherto conspicuously present at the Sunday morning services in St. Andrew's Cathedral now wend their way to the Orlando or some other warship in the harbour and take the service there. No doubt the same thing will become the rage in Auckland. Miss Annie Wynn, who figures as mother of a little stranger in search of a father, has a pleasant out- | spokenness of manner which it is quite refreshing to meet with, in these days of sham and humbug and conventionality. The other day she addressed Mr Hugh Shortland, solicitor, in her most polite manner, calling him a blackguard, and saying that he had murdered his wife. In Chicago young ladies have a craze to be vaccinated on the leg instead of the arm— as they consider the mark a blemish when in evening dress. Owing to the objections of modest young students, the head of the Public Vaccinating Department has issued orders to vaccinate in the old way— those desiring it otherwise will have to go to a private physician. Ladies will, it has been decided, in future carry round the pewter cash-trays in some Victorian churches. That the ladies will be young and attractive • va nans dire. The same thing applies to the ladies who are to collect for the Auckland City Mission. And yet most , of the clergy who are about to enlist the aid of women as cadgers would probably object to our being served with a glass of beer by a pretty barmaid. The latest idea in dress reform is that male and female attire should be practically assimilated. The coming female is to wear her hair cut short, to clump about in laced boots, and carry a stick, and to have a small felt hat planted on the back of her head. Also, she is to carry a tail coat, and, in fact, the only distinguishing feature about her costume is to be an exceedingly abbreviated skirt descending over a divided garment which will be pants in all but the name. The inventor of this costume made her first appearance in the streets of Paris, and after half -an- hour's exhibition she fled to a place of safety in a cab.