Women Folk

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12301, 25 April 1918, Page 7

Women Folk

ey ** STELLA."

Miss Noon© (Amberley) is in. town. Miss Murchio (Dunedin) is in town, Mr and Mrs Miller (Oamarn) aro staying in Christchurch. Mr and Mrs G. L. Stead have left for the North Island. Mrs Macfnrlane (Hawkswood) is staying at Warwick House. Mrs St John Buckley and the Misses Buckley (Oamaru) are staying at Warwick House. Mr and Mrs Maurice Harper have returned from Lake Heron. Miss Van Asch returned to Sumner to-day after a holiday in the North Island. Mr and Mrs A. Duncan have returned to Fairlie, after a short stay in town. Miss Ella Helmore has returned from Wellington, where she has been paying visits. Mrs and Miss M’Callum (Blenheim) are visiting Christchurch, and are staying at the Clarendon. Mrs Hoadlpy and Miss Nina Headley (Napier) have returned to their home after visiting Mr and Mrs G. L, Stead. Mrs • C. A. Hutchison (Greymouth) has come to Christchurch to meet her eon, who is returning from the front. Mr and Mr- M. A. Duncan (Hokitika) arrived in Christchurch yesterday, and are staying at the Clarendon, hefor leaving foi the North Island. Mr and Mrs 8. Brice and the Misses Brice (Wellington) motored to Christchurch yesterday, and are staying at the Clarendon ' At tb® Orchestral Society’s concert last evening the Choral Hall was crowded. The. soloists for the evening were Mrs Livingstone (piano), Miss Morris (violin), and Mr Fleming (vocalist). Amongst the audience were;— Sir John and Lady Deiiniston, Mr arid Mrs A. Burnes, Mrs Bloxam, Mr aud 'hire ■Drudhoe. Mrs Wirihana Wilson, Mr ’Hobbs, Mr and Mrs Horne, Mrs Buuz, Mrs Loughnan, Mrs Eight, Mr and Mrs Hallenstein. Sirs Burrowes, Miss M. Manning. Miss INI. Jennings, Mrs Joil and Mr Neville Smith. An operetta, entitled “The Sleeping Beauty,” was very successfully performed last night by children of Holy Trinity Sunday School, at Avonside, when the schoolroom was crowded. The choruses were well sung, the staging excellent throughout, and the perform” ances of the children charming, ,The principal parts were taken by Misses Be.aby, Pruden (4) and Donaldson. Mrs Wagataff and Mr 11. E. Lake were mainly responsible for the production. During the evening Miss Elsie Lock gave two solo dances which were much enjoyed. Soldiers Entertained, A number of soldiers from the Hospital had a delightful day’s outing yesterday. when they were the. guests' of Captain and Mrs' Fcathcrbton at Kairaki. Three carloads left town for Kainpoi, whence they went by launch to K'niraka. On leaving three cheers were, given for the host and hostess. In Memoriam. (Service at St Paul’s for Fallen Auzacs.) We saw the great Cathedral dome o’erhead Clear-cut against the tender primrose sky; Then, while the London cx-owds were) passing by, f .We sat within and thought of our dear ' dead. Above the choir the two flags hung outspread ; Once more the Southern Cross was seen on high, But mistily, by many a tear-dimmed eye, 1 Old hymns were sung, and simple 1 prayers were said; .And words of comfort and of hope were! spokan, (All fain to help and cheer the wearysoul'sd And mend again the saddened hearts now broken. Then thro’ the church the mighty i i music rolled, A wave of solace; lastly ebbed again, But bearing with it something of our pain. j —Marjory Nicholls. |

“Stella" will is glad US receive item Of Interest and value to Women for publication or reference in this columtk ;

i WEDDINGS, j Francis—Piper. The wedding took place at the Avonside Church yesterday, the Rev Otho Fitzgerald officiating, of Mr Reginald Alfred Perry Francis, son of the late Mr Francis, Amberley, and Miss Dorothy Wensley Piper, third daughter of Mr H. W. Piper, of Christchurch. The bride, who was given away by her father, was gracefully attired in a rich ivory satin gown, the sleeves and corselet bodice being of Georgette trimmed 1 with fine silver embroideries. The train, which fell from a wreath of orange blossoms, was lined with the palest of blue. A white bouquet was carried. The bride was attended by Miss Elsie Wildermoth, who wore a charming frock of pale mauve crepe do chine and Georgette, and a black hat with touches of gold. Her bouquet was of autumn flowers. Miss Thelma Hobson made a dainty flower girl in a lace frock with touches of pink and carrying a pink bouquet. Mr Herbert- Francis was best man. A reception was held at Broadways. Kay—Joseph, The wedding took place yesterday ! afternoon at St Barnabas’s • Church, Fendalton, Canon Hamilton officiating, of Miss Eleanor Joseph, daughter of 'Mrs Joseph, “ Kamuri,” Fendalton, and Mr H. Kay, Otane, Hawke’s Bay. A. small reception was afterwards held at the residence of the bride’s mother, after which Mr and Mrs Kay left for their honeymoon. j Poppyland Fair, [ The Mayor, Mr Holland, opened the j “ Poppyland Fair ” in the Town Hall, I Clarence Road, R/iccarton, yesterday ; afternoon. The bazaar was very well ■ organised and towards its success no pains had been spared, and the £l5O , asked for in aid of the building of a ! new Sunday school in connection with , the Clarence Road Methodist Church ■ should readily be forthcoming. Excellent value was given for money spent at the various stalls, which were laden with innumerable useful and ornamental articles. On exhibition were two hand-made quilts with embroidered sigI natures thereon, the work of ladies hei longing to the church. The quilts are ■ to become the property of the Ohili dren’s Horne at Papanui. Entries for I the domestic cooking competitions were ■ numerous, the exhibits afterwards he--1 ing sold. During the afternoon musii cal items were given by Mrs Gandell j and Airs Fletcher, and Miss Rna Denhy I recited. The stall-holders were:—Plain needlework. Airs G. H. AVatson, assisted by Airs AT Lean, Airs Gamble and Aliss Climpson; cake stall, Airs Carr, Miss E. Johnston and Aliss AVestaway; bran tub, Miss Johnston; refreshments, Ales Campion, Miss Campion, Airs Bates i and Mrs Hight; fancy stall, Airs Arirj tue and Airs Barrell; sweet stall, Aliss , Caygiill. assisted by Aliss Hooper and j Aliss Duncan: produce. Mr Campion : and Mrs Hooper; soft drinks, Mr j Bates; Christmas tree, Alisses Neile; : competitions. Airs Virtue. The chairman was the Rev T. W. Vealie, the president, the Rev AV. T. Hooper, and the secretary, Air C. H. Virtue.

Violets. ARolets are now making a lot of growth, and in most gardens will be allowed to fun almost wild. This is a mistake, for the violet likes and pays for attention. The beds should receive a good hoeing and cleaning, and the runners should be cut off so that all the strength can be thrown in the central crowns. The beds should then be given a dose of manure, using soz sulphate of ammonia and loz superphosphate per square yard. This should be scattered on the soil beneath the plants, being careful to let none fall |on the foliage. The hoe should he put i over it again to stir in the manure. I Occasionally during the season, say, 1 about every six weeks, give soz sulphate of ammonia to the square yard, always being careful to hoe it in.

Girlhood’s Progress in Forty Years, ] I i | | I ! I

After forty-throe years of teaching, Dr Sophie Bryant, D.Sc., Litt.D., is retiring from the head mistress-ship of the North London Collegiate School for Girls this summer. During her long period of teaching she has seen remarkable changes in femininity. “When I started as a teacher in 1875,” she said, “ all the old conventions obtained. Fainting, fits and the ‘ vapours ’ were in vogue, as they were in Thackeray’s day, and girls were ashamed to show they had appetities. There is no neurosis about the girls now, and tlwy eat lumrfst.y and heartily. “Physically, there is on ex tt a ordinary difference between the Victorian and the Georgian girl. The g'rls_ of our day are much bigger and b r order. This was brought home to me in the 80’s by the fact that the costumes worn by the girls in private theatricals and in gymnasium work were larger than those worn in the early 70’s. “I attribute this increased physique mainly to the influence of sports like hockey. To the older generation of girls such a pastime would have seemed rough and unseemly, and they appeared to have strength only for very quiet games like pat-ball. The Victorian girl was very proud of her slenderness and small feet. The big girls of to-day aro not at all ashamed to go into a boot maker’s and ask for size seven in shoes. , “The mentality of girls is_ entirely changed also. It might be said tf the girls of the 70’s that they had no mentality. They were given nothing to employ their reasoning powers, and afforded nothing to think about but the one definite subject of marriage.’' “Had those girls any sente of humour?’’ I inquired. “ Well, of course, we women bm e always had a sense of humour, though the masculine convention is to the contrary; but the Victorian young women recognised that the Victorian young men did not want such a. disconcerting thing in their wives, but just sufficient humour to appreciate the humour of the male. “In spite of old standards of gentilityj mv experience is that the middleclass girl of to-day has far better manners than her predecessors, whereas the manners of the upper-class girl have chanced for the worse. "The girl of 1918 fs not intrinsically better than the girl of 1878. hut she has immensely increased onportunities, and she has availed herself of them magnificently, as shown by the splendid feminine records of the years of the (heat War.’’ For the Children. THE GIFL-OHILD. “T think I’ve found a good place, my dear,” said Mr Tom Tit. “ Not anywhere near any children, I hope?” said his wife. “ I can’t bear children, they are terrible creatures; they come- poking about and peeping, and sometimes they even take the eggs-” “Well, there’s only one child,” said Mr Tom Tit. “ and she really seems quite a nice little thing. Mr Thrush, who lives in the garden, says she is quite harmless and quiet, and never moves or disturbs him when he is singing to her.” “ Well, I’ll come and look,” said Mrs Tom Tit. It certainly was a very good • place that Mr Tom Tit had chosen, and his wife agreed to build there, although she still had her doubts about the girlchild, as she called her. But when she found that the girlchild did not show any signs of disturbing her, that she brought out some odds and ends which were most useful for lining the nest, and put a pan of water at a convenient distance, and never forgot to scatter crumbs in the morning, Mrs Tom Tit began to alter her opinion about children. She got so friendly with the girl-chiild that she let her come and peep at her while she was sitting on her eggs_. and when the chicks were out of the shell she was as proud as anything when the girlchild brought her father to see them. \ ——————— Babe Christ. (From a Painting by Pinturicchio.) Mary kneels worshipping the Child she loves, From His sweet touch a pace or two apart, While Saints and Angels in her prayer take part, And the high Host of Heaven her act approves. But the poor Babe, unwitting of His state, Of Heaven bereft and of His Father’s face, Yearns only, in their stead, for her embrace, And on her adoration scarce can wait. 0 Mary, Mother—take Him to thy breast! Toward thee, of all His glory dispossest, Ho leans, and craves no other Heaven as yet. From that dear contact learn, Thou heart divine, E’en as the raothor-heart will learn from Thine, Secrets that God nor man can e’er forget. —Pauline W. Roose.