WOMEN'S CORNER.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16268, 19 July 1918, Page 2

WOMEN'S CORNER.

The Lady Editor will be pleased to receive for publication in the "Women's Corner" items of ® oc, { l } or personal news. Such itemsshouici be fully authenticated, and engagement noticcs must bear the signatures of both parties. Correspondence is invited on any matters atfecting, or of interest to, wo in on. Misses Jessie Cameron and Ruby Honeybone, of Waikari, are spending a few days in Christchurch. Mr and Mrs C. AY. Reid have returned from their trip to Australia. Miss A. Martin has returned from South Canterbury, where she has been paying a round of visits. Mr and Mrs MacAra, of Japan, who are spending some months in New Zealand, are at present in Akaroa. Mr 3 Orr (Oxford) arrived in town last evening. Mr and Mrs L. Watt and Mrs F. J. Watt (Asliburton), aro staying at the Clarendon. Major and Mrs Crowther arrived in Christchurch from the North yesterday. Mrs Robert Latter has returned to Barry's Bay. Mrs Walter Macfarlano (Kaiwara) is in town. Mr and Mrs J. D. McCracken motored back to Hay land, Rangiora, yesterday, after a few days in town. Mr and Mrs Hanmer Atkinson are visiting Christchurch. News has been received in Christchurch of the death of Mrs Fereday, j whose first husband was Mr D.rummond Macpherson, at ono time Christchurcli manager of the South British Company: Mr Fereday died teen years ago, and since his death Airs Fereday had resided with her children in Australia. 1 The engagement is announced of Corporal J. F. Madden, eldest son of Mr and Mrs J. M. Madden, qf Christchurch. to Mary, youngest daughter ol Mr and Mrs W. J. OUver, formerly of Auckland, now of Featherston. < Miss Ivy Lucas, of Hanmer Springs, and Miss Pearl Hack, of Leithfield, are spending a few days with Mrs Leslie j Champ, at Sumner. . , A very enjoyable concert was given in the Soldiers' Ward at tho Hospital on Wednesday evening by Mrs H. KSmith's Pom Pom Pierrots. The programme consisted of varied items, which, wore exceedingly well received, an appreciative vote of thanks being accorded the Pom Pom Pierrots on the motion of Private Earnshaw.

A party of returned soldiers from the Soldiers' Ward at. the Christchurch Hospital intend visiting the suburbs to-day in the soldiers' car to dispose of tickets in the art union of the diamond dress ring in aijl of the Lady Liverpool Trench Comforts Fund.

Quite a gloom was cast over Greymouth on Wednesday morning when the news of the sudden death of Mrs Adam Blair, of Patara, wife of Mr Adam Blair, member of tho Grey County Council, became known. The late Mrs Blair was a native of Bendigo, Australia, and had resided, on tho Coast for 48 years. She lived for many years in Greymouth, and subsequently at Marsden. She leaves a family of twelve.

Word has been received by Mr W. W. Beswick, of Oamaru, that his daughter, Sister Mary Beswick, who has been on active tho past three years, is returning to New/Zea-; land shortly. It is understood that Sister Beswick is returning in cliSrge of a party .of sisters to 'take up duty at tho Orthopaedic Hospital being established in Christchurch for the treatment of invalid soldiers by electrical treatment and massage. Sister Beswick, who is a survivor of the Marquette, and has seen service on various hospital ships, and in Egypt and i Salonica, has lately been in charge of a ward in No. 1 New Zealand Military Hospital at Walton-on-Thames. The death took place on Saturday at Norsewood of one of tho pioneers ot the .Feilding. district, in the person ot Mrs James Beattie. Tho late Mr James Beattie, for some years manager of the Bank of New Zealand, Nelson, waa for many years in the service ot the Manchester Corporation, Feilding, which colonised a large block of tho best land in that district. His residence was the first dwellinghouse built in Feilding. Mrs Beattie was justly proud of her close relationship to 3'r Francis Outram ("the Bayard of India") and Colonel Seaton, who went down at the head of his troops in +he ill-fated Birkenhead. Out of a total of

21 children she left a family of five daughters, three sons, seventeen grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. The daughters are Mrs Revington-Jones (Miramar), Mrs R. B. H. Oldershaw (Norsewoou), Mrs F. E. Pickering (Napier), Mrs Frank Rossiter (Johnsonville), and Miss Beattie (Norsewood), the sons being Mr B. A. Beiittie (Taumarnnui), Sergeant-Major D. H. Beattie (Feilding), and Mr D. S. Beattie (Apiti).

Miss Mabel Thurston, R.R.C., matron-in-ciuet of tne IN.Z.E.i)., has had tne iionour of being received'by tno Vueen, witu tne iieaus of tne Austiauan and Oanauian nursing service. On tneir arrival at Windsor tnoy were met by a carriage and driven tiirougli tno old town. . Lady Minto received tne three oversea visitors, and showed them the btate apartments. They saw the Throne Room, with its blue of the Order of the Garter. (Investitures of this Order were formerly hold there.) And its.ivory throne, presented by the Maharajah of St. George's Hall, with its portraits of English kings from James I. to George IV., by Vandyck and Gainsborough, and other masters of tneir art; the Rubens Room, the Vandyck Room, with its fine portraits of the ill-fated Stuarts, and all the thousand and ono mementoes of our long and glorious history. The Queen having returned, the visitors wero presented to her Majesty, and they shared the simple four-course luncheon, which has beon their Majesties' rule. Aftor-

wards the Queen showed them some of the Royal Family's private apartments. Later King George arrived —he had been at somo public function. Princess Mary and two young princes were present, and the oversea visitors were received in the homelike, informal way they themselves prefer, to the severer etiquetto of other days. Their Majesties- made inquiries about numbers of people they had met on their memorable tour of the Dominions, and the while showed their visitors the treasures of the Royal home; its magnificent Chelsea, Oriental, and Sevres china, and some of the finest Dresden there is in the world, mediaeval and Eastern cabinets, all priceless art treasures.

MEDICAL AND "WELFARE DEPARTMENT. It is very gratifying to find that such an institution as tho Medical and Welfare Department has been established by the Government, says the Wellington "Evening Post". It ss located in the Chief Post Office building, Wellington, Dr. Platts-Mills is the. medical officer, and Mrs \ au Slyko_tho welfare otiicor, and in tho efficient ani kincllv care oi these ladies are all the women and gill employees in the various departments. Mrs %an Slvfce (nee Miss Gillcn. a daughter ot the late Mr E. T. Uillon, herself a Ne-v Zealander) visits each woman and girl on tho staff daily, and has a kindly and thorough understanding of her fellowcountrywomen. She gives cdvico and help wherever re'quiredj and reports all cases of indisposition to tho doctor, who has her own quarters properly fitted up. The doctor also examines each girl before she is taken on the staff, and recommends what she thinks right fronj the health point of view, and keeps all necessary cases under | supervision, to tho great benefit o. I many of these employees, who may be regarded as very fortunate. With regard to the newly-established telegraph girl messengers, of whom there are now forty, a certificate of character is brought from school, or lato employers, and when passed by tno medical officer cach girl is fitted out with one of the neat and becoming uniforms, two hats and two overcoats, so as to provide for bad weather. In case of a girl coming in very wet jho has her garments properly dried at the office, or is sent home. Tho parents are asked to provide strong, sensible boots "in each ease. The hours of work are seven only, and either morning or afternoon tea is permitted, and may be obtained at tho building at a cost, of Id each. At luncheon time a bowl of soup or a pie is 3d, and tho messenger girls have their own room for lunch and rest. The supervising ilficers are satisfied that a good class of girl is being appointed, and tho fact of time being carefully kept ensures that there is no loitering. Mrs Van Slyke is ready to investigate anv comElaints, and make full enquiry atf onco, ut so far there havo been few cases, and tho girls' behaviour may be said to be excellent.

furs. COLWILL'S ANNUM. CLEARING FUR . bAijlj. 205 HIGH STKEET. A few Beautiful Linos of Fox left which will bo douDio luo price next year. CMJ.ai.ii AINU b.h.K TU-hAI. C 2561-648 , SOME WAR WEDDINGS. If there are nunaroas 01 bigamous Dewveoii o vol'seas buiuiets and jjiiush women—wuicu tneie prooat)iy wo not —suuilcteriug will not suuit Cue biame. i<or tue overseas soldier, so far from nis home, batnud m tuo artincial emotions or war, wiin to-morrow a grim uncertainty, his Jibgusn experience was ail tne unreality 01 a dreaui. 'lake tne (Januuioii iad, lor instance. A gregarious teiiow, reared aund dittorent conditions, and where tne men outnumber tne women, lie comes unprepared tor tbo dinerences or sex relationship. And as tb© attacker "back bome" —forgetting that war so close at hand may bave accentuated , tboso differences —his parapets are d<?wn. And he is, after all, only a man. - .

That is why the responsibility of maintaining proportions against the return of peace rests not on him but on the Briton at home, woman as well as man. In Canada the female is scarce. Here sho pursues, and in numbers. The eyes of the Canadian soldier open at the reputation for wealth his country's emblem, secures for him. Four shillings a day assumes for him only tho proportions of a miserable Canadian wago in peace time, j That j it should add to his market value as a I husband is amusing—and not his business. If the girl accepts the jingle of his kit-bag as a guarantee of chocolate diet for his wife, that is her business. It may lighten the marriage ceremony; it does not lighten its risks. He marvels at the of too many English girls to take his name without inquiry. He is accustomed to the woman whose' life partnership is based on a knowledge of his past, his present, his future, and thrives on assets that include office as well as home. That is why bigamy is so rare in Canada, and divorces only about thirty a year. Chasing the "Colonial'', is a dangerous game for both parties. If the mothers with marriageable daughters who thronged Folkestone in the early days of the ShornclifFe camp drew some already-married blanks it scarcely justifies State intervention. Some of them, like tho vicar's daughter who found herself the "wife" of an alrendy-mar-ried sergeant, still shout, "What we have we hold.'' «

B'samy is only one of the dangers. "Disillusionment will come to some when the soldier discovers that lie cannot discard his war-time affiliations with his kit, and when-the ciirl realises how preposterous khnki will look at a dinner party in 1925, and how different is the envy of her friends to-day from the time when," out on the lonely prairie, she will be cooking hor monls wi+h the water she *>as carried hor«ftlf. The main fault with the war weddme iq that the wcddine outlasts war. Ponce will rai«e the same old skeletons at the feast of hedonism. And neace iq goine to Ifst a long, long ti^e. — Ttv a Canadian in London "Daily Mail."

TO-DAY'S RECIPE. Honey Pinochc.—One cupful of honey, 3 cupfuls of brown or molasses sugar, 2-cupful of top milk, 2 tablospoonfuls of butter, 1 cupful of chopped walnuts, or other nub meats. Boil he honey, sugar, and milk to the soft-ball stage. Add the butter j boil one minute longer. Put the saucepan in cold water. When partly cooled beat until creamy. Add the nuts when it begins to harden.