WOMAN'S WORLD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10753, 26 April 1913, Page 4

WOMAN'S WORLD.

Miss E. G. Kemp, lecturing at Caxton Hall on "A Woman's Ride Across the Roof of the World," said a custom in Chinese Turkestan wa.3 that -when a marriage was celebrated a bill of divorce was written out* so that ma.rria.ges often lasted only a day. A Married Women's Property Act has teen passed by the Texas Assembly. Under tho new Act all property of either husband or wife before marriage is to be the separata property of each, while all acquired after will be held fn common. Men also may reap benefit bv the measure, as the husband's property will no longer be subject to debts contracted by the wife iithar before or after marriage. Fraulein Pauline Werner is leading a movement in Germany to require all girls to do compulsory domestic service, just a-s the young men do compulsory military service. A Bill recently introduced in Congress provides for a. domestic- science bureau in connection with the Department of Agriculture, a ail also proposes that domestic science shall be taught in all public schools. Among the numerous lady authors of title is numbered Lady whose da/upiter, Miss Clarissa Tennant. is one of the debutantes this season Lady Glenconnar, who was the daughter of Mr Percy Wyndhatn. i 3 the author of some books of poems, chief among which is " The White Wallet." Perhaps the most noted of these noble poetesses is Lady Margaret Sackville, whose poems are yety beautiful. Miss Rosa'i'-d Travers. author of "Letters from Finland." hss recently been lecturing' on Finnish literature at the Imperial Institute, before the Anglo-Rusfian Sociaty. She showed that, though t&sre was a laiff? mass of old Swedish literature dealing: with Finland. Finnish literature itself was modern, that is to say, a thing of the nineteenth century. Of the five leading authors de«,!t with by Miss Travers. at. least one was a woman.

All over the world an increasing interest is taken in the teaching methods of Dr MontesBori. The latest evidence of this is the formation of the Montessori Society in Britain, which recently held its first mesting in Caxton Hall. London. The principle of the movement is 6aid to have been discovered first by Povtsseau. The results gained by Dr Maria Montessori among the defective children in her official charge at Rome have been marvellous.

The great-souled nagTe3S. Harriet Tubman Davis, lias just, died in an American infirmary at the supposed R?e of ninety-eight. She was called the 'Blade Moses, having herself conducted so many fugitive slaves over the border in days before the war. Though poor and illiterate she did great things for ner own race. In her small hut she made the beginning of a negro orphans??, afterwards taken over by the authorities. She died, it seems, as poor as she had lived.

A romantic tale is told of the recent lovematch between Miss Helen Gould and Mr Fin la,}- J. Shepoxd. They had known each other 'iu a friendly way before, but it wis a railway accident which first kindled the spark oi affection that has resulted in the marriage of the famous philanthropist, hitherto, and for long' years, proof against the wiles of Err?. Mr Shepard'g energy and devotion to the wounded pa&sengors was noted by Miss Gould, and a deeper feelingthan friendship was stirred in both.

With a view to keeping in touch with conditions affecting the work of women and children in the principal industriaJ centres, the Canadian Minister of Labour intends to appoint four female correspondents of the "Labour Gazette." The correspondents will be located in Montreal. Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver, and will supply monthly reports, paying attention to wa-ges, hours, living ivr.d working conditions, and the doing's in women's industrial organisations. The Minister considers that there ajc features of female labour for which there has not be-on sufficient, moans of investigation ft;id publicity, so is appointing corre.wondents to specially attend to it. A gentleman in the employment of the African Lakes Company writes: —"Coming 1 up the river we stopped at Shupanga,. ana visited the house in which Mrs Livingstone died, and also her grnvr What, struck me most was the inferiority of the stone erected over the prave of suc.h a noble woman. It occurred to me that in connection with tho centenary celebrations an appeal should ne made to have a stone erecteo which would do honour to th;s self-sacrificing woman. Foreign residents who are buried besida her h;.ve much better monuments." This is a mailer whirh should appeal to many, ar<d. say?' (lie " Westminster Gazette. ' it ;s to bo 'he! while Livingstone's memory _is h-.i."i!the w.'e who nci "inpanie.l i' Mh\' of his waiKliriU'js wi. i no*