Mostly About Women.

Observer, Volume XI, Issue 648, 30 May 1891, Page 2

Mostly About Women.

\ :— • Victoria, sister to the German Emperor, has an* nounced her intention of never marrying.

lA> petition in favour of female suffrage is being numerously signed in the Bangitikei district.

Mes Buchan, wife of a railway official at Palmerston, has resolved to be inoculated with Koch's tuberculine.

Pabis's working population includes, 332,000 women, which is 65,000 in excess of the working men in that gay city.

Mrs William K. Vandebbilt has had made an exact imitation of the English Crown, and wears it ac the opera in New York.

Signoka Majeboni is now teaching Italian in Sydney. The popular tragedienne has secured the friendly patronage of Lady Jersey, and amongst her first pupils- is Lady Margaret Villiers.

Mrs Stbeeter, a Melbourne artist, has painted a portrait of Mrs Tucker, wife of Professor Tucker, late of Auckland. Mrs Streeter is a Greek and Latin scholar, and assisted Professor Tucker in getting out a recent work.

Miss Helen Hart, the lecturess, is bringing an action for £300 damages against Mr Thomas McHugh, of the Avooa Free Press, for referring to her as ' Mr ' Hart instead of ' Miss.' She thoroughly understands self advertisement.

Margaret Mather, the actress, recently left her husband after two or three years of married life. Her reason was : ' I discovered I'd made - a mistake in marrying.' When women can earn a living as readily as men, divorce will be as easy as marriage.

Miss Conor O'Brien, an Auckland lady and old friend of the Observer, who is on the cotnmitte of the Austral Salon at Melbourne, has been appointed to represent the Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian Star at the approaching World's Fair in Cnicago. Miss Conor O'Brien is a lady litterateur of high standing.

The Austral >$alon is a club composed exclusively of ladies aud gentlemen wlu have distinguished themselves in some branch ot arc, science, or literature. Miss Bosa Vaile, who has made quite a name for herself as a writer in Melbourne, has been elected a member of the Salon ; Mrs Constance Stone; M.D., and Mrs Hood (wife of Judge Hood) being elected at the same time.

A NEWLT-MAKRiED woman named Priscilla Petrich cuiuuiioted suicide in Sydney a few days ago because she couldn't cook. If all other colonial wives similarly situated were to follow her sad example, there would be a terrible number of gaps in this year's census papers. It is an undeniable fact that colonial girls are far behind their English sisters in this household function, and we can say beyond a doubt that in most cases with the colonials cookery • is a losfc (t)art.'

Miss Jessie Weston, writing from London under date 17th April last, says :— ln a ladies' periodical last week I saw a query which ran. in this wise :— ' A lady about to marry aa Australian squatter of good position would be grateful if any of our readers can tell what sort of clothing is best suited to the climate, and whether it can be purchased there, or should she take it out with her; also, she will value any hints respecting the life, etc., as she is very much in the dark.' Where are the high schools, Munham, Girton, and even the muchdespised Board schools ? Possibly the lady has never heara of {Sydney and Melbourne, where the draper shops are superior to any in San Francisco and Chicago, and fully equal to anything in New York. In fact, as goods are made 'to suit the colonial trade, a greater variety of light materials can be found in Sydney than in most English towns.

The ladies of the Mount Eden Congregational Church Young People's Association ' took charge ' on Wednesday evening last and conducted che weekly meeting in a manner that did them infinite credit. A small committee had been at work for a couple of weeks in makiug preparations and the outcome was a programme of some twenty items, all of them well chosen and excellently performed. Miss Wood made an acceptable chairwoman, and in the. course of her opening address spoke on federation and commended it to the attention of the young men — a sly dig at some of the confirmed bachelors ! Then the musical bull was set rolling and was kept going for two hours. The vocalists included Mesdames timith and Player., Misses Hayles, Patterson (2) Bennett and May Wallace, while the instrumentalists ! were Misses Pilcher, Wallace, McLaurin and Kelly. Mrs Lyons gave a historical reading, and reoitations " were given by Misses Cox, Head, etc. Miss Head, who is a half-caste Tongan lady, also received great praise for the artistic programmes which she had prepared for , the occasion. Among the performers wno showed a plurality of accomplishments were Miss Ethel Wood, who recited and sang sweetly ; Misa Pilcher, who pUyed both violin and pianoforte well ; and Miss Kelly, who sang, recited and played the violin— receiving an enthusiastic encore for her recitation of ' Aunt Tabitha. 1 The instrumsntal ' gem ' was an arrangement of ' Massa's in the Cold, Cold Ground,' played brilliantly on the pianoforte by Miss Lizzie McLaurin. At the '. close Hey". B. L. Thorn/is moved and Mr F. G. Ewingtqn ' seconded a vote of thanks to the ladies, which was accorded with enthusiasm. In the 'matter of getting up : entertainments the Mount Edenites are agreed that ' the girls are the boys.' : '