WOMAN'S WORLD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9736, 31 December 1909, Page 4

WOMAN'S WORLD.

During the last week or two in the streets of Berlin have been seen messenger girls, who -not only run messages and errands like boys, but are ' aJso instructed in housework and cooking, so that they can, at any time the § housewife is delayed with household duties, be of service to her.

The Society of Women Journalists have ehosen an admirable president for the ooming year in Lady Maclaren, who has rendered conspicuous service of late years to the Liberal cause. Lauy Maclaren presided _ast December at tfie famous Albert Hall meeting, when Mr Lloyd George had his encounter with the suffragettes. The chairwoman acted with calmness and dignity throughout that trying scene. '

Miss Ruh'ama Skidmore, who was recently ra-elected foreign secretary of the ; United States Geographical Society, has held that office for twenty years. She represented the Society at the international .congress' heid in London in 1897, on which occasion she assisted the late Baroness Burdett-Coutts in receiving the members of \the congress at a garden party. Miss Skidmore' a mother is prominent in the American colony at Yokohama. "■ . ■■-...-.

The Duchess of Somerset, born a Mackinnon of Skye. is a clever and agreeable Scotswoman, with a fund of interesting information about her Highland ancestors. One of her family traditions relates to a certain dinner which Dr Johnson partook of in the oourse of his Hefaridean travels.' at the hospitable board of the Mackinnons. Asked by his hostess, if he liked the thick Scotch broth to which he had just been helped, the doctor, whose manners and customs at table left muchvto be desired, grunted out, " Madam, it is a dish best fitted to serve to pigs.'* " Pray, air," rejoined the lady, "allow me to send you another platefuL" ■ . ■

Egyptian women axe r jqinin« in the movement for women's rights,' which ia now en-, circling the world. The leader of the movement in the land of the Pharaohs is the wife of a Bedouin sheikh, who for some years past has been writing* under a pseudonym on the subject of woman's rights. I/ately she gave a lecture on the subject, .and it was ;reported that there were present more than two hundred ladies from the most distinguished, harems, .. who listened with'attention to her demands for monogamy, reform in.\ the divorce laws, higher -education for girls; and equal rights for women before the law. . - ''

The French have no " Christmas Tree " as we understand it, the miniature note of holly, decorated ( with gilt balls, iind "exhibited on the shop windows, scarcely deserving that d gnified title. " Christmas Stockings B are also p aotioally unknown. Pere TToeli only filing sabots, shoes and slippers. ■ Quite a number of such miniature footgear are in evidence at Christmas - from the tiny silverpaper pantoufle stuffed with creams or chocolates, to the giyantio wooden shoe, painted or enamelled scarlet, and fully sir feat '. long. Pilled with toys, it furnishes delight to hosts of children. Pere Noel distributing, itfs contents* with his customary benevolence.

The autumn number of " Bird Notes and News " includes a special supplement, ccusisting oi seven very beautiful photographs relating "The Story of the -Egxet,". finely reproduced on art paper from . the originals taken by Mr Mattingley, the well-known Australian ornithologist. They tell -with few words the history of the " osprey " feather, from the first soene which jhows the brooding parent bird, with the coveted nuptial plumes flowing over, the nest, to the death by starvation of nestlings orphaned by the plume hunter. " These scenes," it -is added, "are repeated wherever the egret or 'osprey ' plume xa being obtained for women's headgear." It is proposed to exhibit enlargements of the photographs in various towns, as has been done in Australia.

The education of the Princess Mary of Wales lias been receiving a considerable amount of attention lately from: both the Queen and the Princess of Wales. It has now been definitely decided that. the young Princess shall not be Bent, to a boardingschool' as was. originally proposed, and shall be educated, therefore, under the direct supervision of her mother. For this purpose Princess Mary will pass most -of hex time in the future at Frogmore, where arrangements for a suite of rooms to be given up to her and the two governesses that are tc be provided are now being made. .Befon Princess Mary begins her education in earnest, however, she will accompany the Prince and Princess of Wales : to South Africa next year, since this will be one of the few opportunities- the Princess will &Ave of seeing anything of the Empire.

Lady de Bathe's novel, " All at .Sea,"' recalls memories of the seventies and early eighties. The then Mrs Langtry's beauty made a sensation that has never since been equalled. Mrs George West, in her recent memoirs, relates how her husband. Lord Randolph Churchill, wrote in one uf.his letters, "1 dined with Lord' Wharncliffe last night, and took in to dinner a Mrs Lang try, a most beautiful ' creature." ' And . she goes on to describe how on one occasion a lecture on Grreek art was given at Kiug^B College by Professor Newton, and that Mrs Langtry sat 'on the platform facing the audience as a living exponent of the type of beauty he was describing. Also in ' those days Mdllais's portrait of her as "The Jersey Lily." had to be railed off from an excited populace when on view at the Boyal Academy; and she sat to Sir Edward Burne Jones as " Pame. Fortune " in Ms picture " The Wheel, of Fortune."

Princess Patricia of Connaught i» ono of the exhibitors et the East Berks Art Exhibition, which the Maxchionesa of Downshiro opened recently. The Prinoesg has not exhibited publicly before, says'the " Daily News," and her work will arouse much interest. She is one of many 'Royal personages who practise painting, sculpture and the crafts. In our own Royal Family, the Duchess of Argyll is the ablest artist. She has a charming talent for both oil and water-colours, and her ability as a sculptor is considerable. The German Emperor's passion for painting is well known. Queen Amelia of Portugal is an accomplished artist, as was her late husband, King Carlos, who, it' may be remembered, won a medal at the Pans Exhibition of 1900 for his water-oolours. The King of Sweden ia quite a professional painter, with a surprising command of technique. Among royal craftewomen the moat noted is ths Princess Louisa Augusta of Schleswig-HoL. etein, a clever and" original designer of enamelled jewellery. ,