In the Mirror

Ladies' Mirror, Volume 2, Issue 2, 1 August 1923, Page 3

In the Mirror

Dear Ilineinoa, — WELLINGTON experienced thrilling excitement over the Opening of Parliament, which event took place on Thursday, June the fourteenth. The day before, the liveliest topic of conversation was the Cabinet reconstruction. It was said that the Hon. J. G. Coates had assumed the duties of Minister of Railways, but it was not known what portfolio he would relinquish. Then we were told that it was quite possible that the Hon. C. J. Parr would relinquish Health in favour of Justice. If a woman's opinion is of any value, it seems a criminal thing for the honourable gentleman to be permitted to bid farewell to Health. Justice, of course, is a very fine, albeit a blind thing, but without health one is not in a position to appreciate even justice, let alone to administer it. I think the honourable gentleman should be warned; perhaps the Welfare League will take an interest in this matter. Unfortunately the weather was not in a happy mood for the Opening. At half-past two there was a steady downpour; however, this did not affect the attendance, for the galleries were filled to overflowing. Neither Her Excellency Lady Jellicoe nor Mrs. Massey was present. Lady Jellicoe was suffering from indisposition, and Mrs. Massey had not returned from Auckland. The Hon. Lucy Jellieoe was included in the Vice-regal party, and the lions. Prudence and George Jellieoe were in one of the galleries with Miss Gillett. The lion. Lucy Jellieoe was presented with a bouquet of violets, purple flowers and maidenhair fern, and Mis. Salmon (nee Miss Massey) was the recipient of a bouquet of pale pink flowers, with ribbons to match. The lion. Lucy wore a soft black satin frock and hat, with white fox furs. Mrs. Salmon was in royal blue charmeuse, a fur coat, and hat of fuchsia shades. Lady Camcross wore mole charmeuse with fur stole and hat with peacock-shaded feathers; Lady Rhodes wore dark brown charmeuse; Mrs. Statham, navy blue and grey; Miss Fraser, golden brown charmeuse with hat to match; Mrs. Parr wore navy blue, with feathered toque; Mrs. Coates, golden brown velvet and furs; Lady Ward, reseda green costume and black hat; Lady Pomare was in black charmeuse, with ermine stole; Mrs. and Miss Seddon were both in black. Following the opening of Parliament, the Prime Minister and his daughter, Mrs. Salmon, entertained the members of both Houses and their wives at afternoon tea in the social hall of the old Parliamentary Buildings. The hall looked very gay draped with flags, and the tables, which were set about the room, were beautifully decorated with spring flowers. Much regret was expressed at the unavoidable absence of Mrs. Massey, but members are looking forward to seeing her later on in the session.

MISS DALE, one of the matrons in the employ of the New Zealand, Government, whose duty it is to conduct girls from the Old Country to New Zealand, speaks very highly of the Scottish lassies entrusted to her care; she even calls them "the finest women on earth. Miss Dale should be in a position to judge; for she has made over fifty voyages from England to New Zealand, and during her voyages has chaperoned and mothered over twenty-five thousand girls. Many are the interesting experiences that Miss Dale speaks of. She has a host of friends in New Zealand, many of them being girls whom she chaperoned out here, now happily - married women. Amongst these she is known far and wide as "The Little Mother." o o o r PIIERH appears to be a change * coining o'er the spirit of the dream of woman's fashion and general appearance. Only a few short moons ago, we were confronted by females in very short skirts, bobbed hair, and manners that gave the more staid and dignified a nasty jolt. Now those in the vanguard of fashion are distinguished by their sweet demureness, their long skirts with a touch of the crinoline, and their hair dressed a la Puritan. If they are going back to the early Victorian altogether, chaperones will once again come into fashion, and our girls will be practising' saying "prunes and prisms," in the vain hope of inducing their mouths to become something like rosebuds. If this idea be carried to its limits, I prophesy the early demise of the jazz, and the reincarnation of the minuet, the gavotte, and the "threepenny bit" waltz. o o o TPIIE Emelie Polini season at the 1 Wellington Opera House delighted Wellington. Miss Polini's art is that which conceals ait, and it was difficult to believe that the parts she played were only played and not lived. Another point in her favour is one that most actresses do not possess. She is not so despairingly beautiful as to remove her into the realms of the goddesses. She might be one of ourselves, sorrowing and rejoicing, worrying and despairing, the prey of evil impulses in those she loves. All this brings her nearer to the plane of the ordinary woman, and by it and her art she creeps into the hearts of all who watch her acting. I was astonished and disgusted with the behaviour of some women and girls in the audience. When the tailor, "Jacqueline," is hurling his terrible insults at woman, some women actually giggled. And that, at a moment when every drop of blood in their bodies should have been boiling at the fearful words of this creature. I wonder what Miss Polini thought when she heard the giggles. I'm afraid I was ashamed just then of some of my sex.

. The Governor-General's Speech, as an authoritative survey of Imperial and domestic affairs, was more than ordinarily informative. Amongst other items mentioned, the news that the Government proposes to deal in

the present session with war pensions and with the question of affording relief to needy soldier settlers, will give general satisfaction. o o o AT a meeting during the session oi the Baptist Conference, London, was the Rev. J. J. North, who paid a glowing tribute to our beautiful country. He said that in New

Zealand there was room for the surplus population of Britain, and that here was a possibility for the British race of almost unparalleled magnitude. Mere, he said, were beautiful rich lands starving for white men.

He spoke in glowing terms of our equable climate, and said that if he had the tongue of an angel there would be a second exodus to our lovely land. From this, it would appear that Home folk are beginning to appreciate New Zealand, and such words give New Zealanders a feeling of warmth towards those of the old Homeland.

EVIDENTLY there is at least one minister in the Old Country who is reasonable enough to take a sensible view of the pleasures of the age. This is the Rev. E. J. Sexton, who had the courage to state his views to the four hundred delegates at the conference of the Durham, Northumberland and Yorkshire Congregational Unions at Leeds. This gentleman said that he would like to see in our religious papers every week a list of plays worth seeing. He continued: "There is a ministry of laughter; some plays, too, are as good as sermons. There are dances which are silly, and some which are undesirable, but is dancing, as such, wrong? I cannot find any grounds on which to say it is wrong.'' How different this sweetly reasonable view is from that voiced by a New Zealand minister recently, who is very much against the dance as practised to-day. Yet another of our ministers could not agree with him. He, like the Rev. Sexton, takes a more tolerant view, and asks, "Can any modem minister justify his denunciations of a game of cards, a visit to the theatre, or participation in a dance, as essentially sinful?" He says that he is satisfied that more harm is being done to Christianity in the Dominion by the narrowness and intolerance of some professing Christians than _by its avowed opponents. To the writer this appears to be a reasonable view to take, and it is a matter of surprise to observe that narrow-minded people generally see harm in the pleasures that do not appeal to them personally; and find it absolutely impossible apparently to scent harm in any of the pleasures in which they themselves indulge. 000 LAST week I had the pleasure of seeing a beautiful home in the process of building in one of the suburbs of Wellington. The fireplace was one of Old English design, and above it were the words, "I cannot warm you if your heart be cold." Don't you think that a very pretty sentiment and idea? It reminds me of the sundial mottoes we read about, such as, "I record only the hours of sunshine. Of course, that would not do for a fireside motto, but there are many that would; and when we remember the attracting power of the fire in cold winter evenings, I think a motto is a beautiful idea. 000 ANEW idea for the entertainment and instruction of children, and one which will provide a pleasant means of livelihood for adult women, is that of "Story Concerts" for children. Miss Ermyntrude Avery has initiated these concerts in Melbourne, and they are gaining in popularity rapidly. Miss Avery attracts the attention and interest of the children immediately by a pleasant little anecdote of a certain composer, and then plays some of his simpler melodies in a skilful way on the piano. In this way the children not only spend very pleasant afternoons, but acquire information and education that supplement what they receive either at school or at their music lessons. This seems to be a very good idea both for the children and for the organiser of the Story Concerts. Possibly some enterprising young New Zealand women will take up the idea, and so find means of earning a pleasant and a lucrative living, 000 DECENTLY three women artists, •Iv who have many friends in NewZealand, opened an exhibition of their paintings at the Gieves Art Gallery, Bond Street, London. The artists are Miss Baldwin Warn, Miss Dorothea Durrant, and Miss Poyntz Mac Ewan. Miss Warn and Miss Durrant left New Zealand about eleven years ago, after having spent about three years here. One of Miss Warn pictures is of Mount Cook taken under stormy

skies, one of Lake Tekapo, and one of Mount Thomas. She is also exhibiting a portrait of Captain Mousley. Miss Durrant has among her exhibits a study of Mount Sefton. The exhibition attracted considerable interest in London, and I am sure that their many friends in New Zealand will wish these ladies success. 000 SCIENTIFIC men at Home are, it is stated, busy with a new '' colour problem." They contend that complexion is an important factor in health and happiness. Most women

will eagerly admit that with a bad complexion it is impossible to be happy; but that aspect of the matter is totally ignored by these scientists. They confine their researches to the suitability of the blonde and the brunette to indoor and outdoor life. They state that the blonde is the open-air type, and the brunette the type for the city. And they assert that the blonde is more apt to take such diseases as rheumatic fever, tonsilitis and troubles of a kindred nature than is the brunette. If these learned gentlemen are correct, we may look for a general exodus of our blondes to the country, where they will be in their natural environment. With all due deference to these scientists, I wonder if they have noticed that the brunette type, at least in New Zealand, is much more in evidence than the blonde. It is the exception, rather than the rule, to see a really blonde woman.

AT last the illustrated papers containing the views of the wedding of the second son of our King have arrived. Truly, this young couple ap pear to possess all the elements of a happy married life. Many anecdotes concerning the natures and the views of both these young people have been published. The pictures of the ceremony are highly interesting to those who dwell in these far-off climes. I suppose few of us have had the pleasure of witnessing a Royal marriage. The illustrations show the splendid horse-drawn equipages, the gaily decorated buildings, the inside

and the outside of the Abbey, the sumptuously attired guests, and the Royal couple and bridal party. I think all of us hope that these two will have a long life and a very happy one. 000 THE "Charley's Aunt" Social Club of Wellington opened their season in the Concert Chamber during June. A delightful entertainment was given. This popular club has for its objects the development of literary, musical and dramatic talent; and the promotion of rational amusement and good fellowship. The prospects for the season of 1923 are very favourable, as there is a very large membership, and the entertainments given throughout the season are both interesting and instructive, 000 I NOTICE in one of our papers some advice to the homely-looking girl who attends dances only to find herself occupying the unenviable position

of wallflower. Well, it has always seemed to me a horrible injustice for any girl to have to wait to be asked to dance. A girl has to bear the expense of her evening gown, and she cannot wear the same one all the season. But when once the man has bought his dress suit he can wear it for years, and dance every dance if he wants to. But the girl's toilet is expensive, and she must have changes, yet she is often doomed to sit the whole evening out without being asked to dance. It is certainly an injustice, and I cannot see why two girls should not dance together without calling forth sneers. The writer of the article to which I refer advises the homely-looking girl to develop her personality, and promises that when she has done this she will find herself the centre of attraction, and her wallflower days or nights will be ended. Now, I cannot agree with this advice, for, from my own observation, I find that it is not the pretty girl, the well-dressed girl, the charming girl, or the lovable girl that gets the dances. No, far from it. It is the girl who is a good dancer. Take notice, the next time you are at a dance, and see if I am not right; and if you have ever been a wallflower, lend all your energies to improving your dancing, to being light on your feet and graceful in your movements, and you will find a startling and a delightful change. 000 AUCKLAND, while the GovernorGeneral and Lady Jellicoe were in residence there recently, experienced a giddy round of gaiety. During June the Governor-General held an investiture at Government House; after which the friends and relatives of the recipients were entertained at a reception in honour of the King's Birthday. During the evening an enjoyable musical programme was rendered, and the brilliant gathering came to a close, everybody having spent a most enjoyable and interesting evening. The races eventuated while Their Excellencies were in Auckland, and were largely attended. Lady Jellicoe was present on each day. It does seem a pity that everybody cannot win at the races. Everything on race days is so gay and delightful, everybody goes out to the course with heavy purses and light hearts, and most, alas! return with light purses and heavy hearts. Well, I suppose we can't all win, any more than we can all be beautiful or good or clever; and when we reflect that everything in this life hinges on comparison, I suppose we shall have to take the good with the bad, the sorrow with the joy, the wet with the fine, as we have always been forced to do. 000 HAVE you ever heard a wireless concert? It is one of the most amazing experiences possible. With a good receiver, not only can you hear the words and music of the song, but sometimes you can actually hear the singer breath! And when you realise that you are actually hearing the concert at the same time that it is being given, often miles away, you can only apply the term '' uncanny'' to it. To render an item to be broadcasted is a simple matter. The singer holds a little arrangement like an ordinary telephone receiver to her mouth and sings into that. Often there is nobody in the broadcasting room but the operator, the singer and the accompanist, and yet the song goes immediately over miles of country, over hills and valleys, bush-clad silent mountains, rippling rivers, busy cities; and the tired settler in the backblocks, if he has a listening-in set, may hear this song being sung, say, two or three hundred miles away! Wonderful! Yours, Marama.