THE SOCIAL WORLD

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1384, 2 November 1916, Page 28

THE SOCIAL WORLD

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Announcements of engagements and contributions or interest relating to weddings and social gatherings should be sent to Lady Editor, “Sporting and Dramatic Kaview” Office, Auckland. In all cases the writer’s signature and address must be attached (not for publication). Photographs of wedding groups will be reproduced by arrangement. The freedom of the City of London will be presented to Mr. Massey, Premier of New Zealand, on November 6. * * * * The Countess of Glasgow, who has been on a visit to Ceylon and India, to join Lord Glasgow during his furlough, has arrived back in Wellington. She was met on arrival by her son. Lord Kelburn, and a number ot friends. « ♦ * ♦ The engagement is announced in English papers of Mr. John Hugh Langdon, of Bristol, late 9th Battalion, A.1.F., to Miss Elizabeth Harwood, of Wairarapa, New Zealand. * * * His Excellency the Governor, while in Dunedin on a visit to the hospital ship Marama, was the guest of Dr. Ferguson. The Minister of Justice in the Grand Duchy of Baden has decreed that single women engaged to soldiers killed in the war or reported missing may style themselves “Frau” (Mrs.), and also, in certain cases, may adopt the family name of the men to whom they were engaged. * * * ' The matron in charge of the New Zealand nursing service, Miss McLean, has advised the Minister for Public Health, Hon. G. W. Russell, that the following staff has been appointed to the hospital ship Marama: —Matron, Miss E. Brooke; Sisters L. A. McNiel Brandon, G. Garrard, C. Hawkins, J. Edmonstone, Moir Cumming, and Gill; Staff Nurses A. Taylor, C. Drummond, R- E. Bursell, M. M. Park, B. Taylor, G. Ward, A. B. T. Fabian, C. Jessep, E. Carruth, M. Herbert, L. Reay, and V. M. Trott. Mrs. Heath, a Tasmanian lady, has three sons at the front. The thiee boys are triplets, aged 23. “Falling in love is the beginning of all wisdom, all sympathy, all religion.” Mr. and Mrs. M. Fraer, of Dunedin, celebrated their golden wedding oil October 20. Mr. Fraer was presented with a hot-water kettle from the staff of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, of which he is enquiry officer. * ❖ Miss Beatrice E. Dormer Maunder, a New Zealander, organiser of the Belgian Military Hospital, BourbourgChampagne, had the honour of receiving a visit from H.H. Prince Alexander of Teck (states a London correspondent). After making a complete tour of the hospital and talking to the wounded and nurses, Prince Alexander expressed his entire admiration :for the hospital. New Zealanders will recall that Prince Alexander accompanied King George and Queen Mary, when, as Prince and Princess of Wales, ;they visited the Dominion. The Prince spoke of his visit in warm terms of admiration, and of the beauties of his trip through Rotorua in particular. ■> * ■» * The members of the Auckland Croquet Association decided at the annual meeting to donate £25 to the Red Cross Fund, and to hold a competition during the coming season in aid of the Patriotic Fund. The engagement is announced of Miss Gwladys Johnson, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Johnson, of Christchurch, to Mr. Cyril St. G. Rux-ton-Mander, only son of the late James Mander and Mrs. A. H. Mander, of Wellington. * * * * Mrs Isabella Duncan, widow of the late Mr. Andrew Duncan, third Mayor of Christchurch, died at her residence, St. Albans, last week. Capt. J. C. Duncan, medical officer with the Maori Contingent, recently wounded in the Somme fighting, is one of her seven sons.

Miss Gladys Worboys, daughter of Mr. J. H. Worboys, of Wellington, is doing Red Cross work at Frees Heath Military Hospital, Whitchurch, Shropshire. The Rev. A. J. Beck and Mrs. Beck were welcomed at a social at Thames to mark Mr. Beck’s appointment as vicar of St. George’s Church, in place of the Rev. Dr. O’Callaghan, who has retired. The Mayor (Mr. H. Lowe) made a cheery little speech and extended a hearty welcome from the town. * * «« * A Wanganui resident who was driving through the Mangawhero district the other day was surprised to see a girl of about 18 handling a doublefurrow plough and a three-horse team with a skill that would have done credit to the most expert ploughman. * * * * Mr. Corfe, formerly headmaster of. Christ’s College, has returned to Christchurch after living for some time in England.

A prominent Wellington citizen passed away the other day in Mrs. rrancis. The deceased lady was 81 years of age, and was notable for her services in connection with educational matters in Wellington, particularly kindergarten work. For nearly thirty years she was mistress of the Mount Cook Infant School, thus completing fifty-seven years of actual teaching, retiring at the age of seventy. She is survived by two sons and two daughters. Mrs. W. H. Vickers (wife of the manager of the Bank of New Zealand at Cambridge) is the elder daughter, and Miss Francis is at present in Wellington, where she has a private kindergarten. * sj: f; The Wellington Hospital Board decided that payment of £l5O be made to Miss F. K. Payne, on her retirement, in recognition of her services as matron, and that the board place on record its high appreciation of the many years’ faithful service she has rendered to the ’Hospital and its institutions.

As the result of Red Cross Appeal Day in Auckland, the sum of £4500 was realised. <t * * ♦ Christchurch has initiated a “bottle” campaign in aid of the Lady Liverpool Fund, and results on a large scale are expected. Empty bottles are collected and sold by auction. Linwood School has collected 10,000 “empties,” and at Dunedin 307,500 have been sorted and put into 2077 cases. A Wanganui sister on the Maheno, writing to her relatives about the vessel’s trips from France to England, stated that they carried over 11,000 wounded. Owing to .the smallness of the ship and the difficulty of loading and unloading the wounded, the writer doubted if the Maheno would be kept long in Home waters. Mrs. John Gow, who died at NorthEast Valley, Dunedin, the other day, was in her 103rd year. She was a native of Auchterarder; Scotland.

Sister Brandon, who relinquished the position of matron of the Rotorua Sanatorium, having been appointed to the staff of the hospital ship Marama, was farewelled at a social in die recreation hall of the sanatorium. Colonel Stuart Newell, C. 8., on behalf of the soldiers in the sanatorium, presented her with a manicure set in a leather case, bearing a silver plate suitably inscribed. A unique gift has been made to the Palmerston Museum in the form of a Chinese coolie’s waistcoat, which has been presented by Mr. and Mrs. Urquhart, of Shanghai, who are on a visit to the Dominion, and were recently in Palmerston. The waistcoat, according to the “Standard,” is made of small bamboo stems strung on hemp string in lengths of about an inch, and farmed into small squares like the mesh of an ordinary net of netting wire. It is apparently a decidedly airy garment, but one that no doubt meets the requirements of the hardtoiling coolie.

Mr. C. J. Parr, M.P., who has just returned to Auckland from England and France, stated that he saw hundreds of thousands of women all over England “working day and night in the making of guns and shells. They are splendid. Parliament cannot refuse women the vote after what they have done in this war. Nor will women in England ever consent to go back to the position economically they held before the war. Their whole outlook on life is being swiftly changed, and after this, in industry and politics, the British woman is going to speak with no uncertain voice.

A well-known Melbourne woman, who went abroad two years ago with her beautiful dark hair only very sparingly sprinkled with silver, has come back with a perfectly-groomed head of hair that is quite grey (writes “Clio,” in “Punch”). She says grey hair is all the rage overseas. In these sad and serious times the hair of so many women has turned grey; and instead of, as in more frivlous days, aiding nature to keep up an appearance of youth by the use of dyes, they now frankly let it go; and even, in order to hasten the change, undergo a bleaching process. Also grey-haired women have revived the fad for a black velvet patch on the chin. These patches generally have a tiny jewel set in them, the wearer’s “lucky stone” being chosen. A beautiful Russian, wife of one of the members of the Russian diplomatic circle in London, set this fashion for grey hair and jewelled patches.

The Misses Clara Rogers (SV eilmgton and Rangiora), Ada Ballantine (Wanganui) and Dora Murch (nawera), of the New Zealand Volunteer Sisterhood, have come to London from Egypt, says an English correspondent on September Sth. Tney have lately been working in the Escekieh Gardens canteen, started by tne V.M.C.A., with the assistance oi the voluntary sisters and local ladies. As many as six thousand men were served on the busiest days, and the canteen supplied a much-needed want. Later they went to Tel-ei-Kecir to work at another canteen, opened under the patronage of Lady Godley by Miss Rout’s organisation. The latest tidings of Miss Rout give news ol a donation of £7O 10s., sent by Mrs. Norman Gurr, from the people of Danaevirke, to be used by the Volunteer Sisterhood for the New Zealand soldiers. Miss Rout has decided to use the money for the benefit ot little groups, of soldiers stationed at various points along the lines of communication through the desert. There is still a large number of New Zealanders in Egypt, the majority of them being stationed not far from Tel-el-Kebir, where the Soldiers’ Club of the Volunteer Sisterhood is stationed. Spring and summer were combined with judicious dressy effect at Trentham, says the “Post,”, reierring to the recent races. Some smart suits were worn, while several dainty spring 1 rocks were noticed. There was a predominant sprinkling of khaki, and the brighter hues of the ladies’ dress confections made a pleasing contrast. In the Vice-Regal box v ere her Excellency Lady Liverpool, who was accompanied by Mr. Gavin Hamilton and Captain Gage-Williams, A.D.C. Her Excellency was smartly gowned in a dark plaid costume, her small black straw toque having spring flowers as relief. Quite sensible in cut and colour were most of the frocks, and in no case was the toilet bordering on the ultra-modern. A very pretty outfit was of cream, the skirt short and not too full, while the long straight coat was loosely belted, and edged with a broad band of white fur at the bottom. A white boa and a becoming wide white sailor with black veil completed what was one of the smartest race costumes. Navy, tete-de-negre, cream, and elephant grey were mostly worn, the gayer colours being conspicuous by their absence. The dress display was quite in keeping with the war period, the general effect being restrained sombreness, if such , can be represented in frocking.

Mrs. de Castro, of Wellington, who is now in England to rest her eyes, which have been affected by the heat and glare of the desert, has been for a year working in different parts of Egypt (states the “British-Austral-asian”). For some time she was lady superintendent of the British Soldiers’ Cafe in the Ezbekieh Gardens, and took ah active part in the formation of the Empire Nurses’ Club in Cairo and the Nurses’ Convtfescent Home at Helmieh. Latterly she has worked in the tea-rooms and Soldiers’ Club at Ismailia, which was started under her superintendence, and she has also given great assistance to a similar institution at Port Said. Mrs. Castro and Mr. Hay arranged the Strangers’ Free Tea on Sundays, and the former was able to get sufficient funds from New Zealand to carry this work on for six months. Mrs. de Castro hopes to return to Egypt, but if her health

does not permit this she intends to open a canteen and hostel for soldiers at Rouen. “I had a look in at the New Zealand Soldiers’ Club in Russel Square, and was delighted with the place,” states a writer in the “British-Australasian.” “It has sleeping accommodation for 200 men, or proportionately twice that which the Australian institution offers. The restaurant, canteen, recreation and music rooms, and other appurtenances of the club are first-rate, and the inclusive tariff of 3s. a day is well within the means of its patrons. Bed, breakfast and lunch are Bd. each, and dinner is Is. Baths are free, and the bathroom, with its plunge baths and hot and cold showers, made me want

to be a New Zealand soldier. They do not understand shower baths in London, but they do at the New Zea’and Club.”