SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1313, 16 December 1911, Page 10

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

I Slackness of Fibre, One of tho points touched upon last evening by Mies M'Lcan in her animal report was that every girl should receive au education to lit her, if necessary to earn her own living. That is, she should learn to do some one thing well—either domestic, commercial, or professional. This was a girl's right—iirst a good general foundation, and, afterwards, a cultivation of her special gift's. Many unfortunately went to work who might, and ought, to stay at boms, but this ivould continue to happen so long es parents did not givo tho homo girls an allowance. It was good training for ft girl to have her own pocket money, and to learn how to use it to the best advantage. Wage earners, Miss M'Lean continued, should bo (aught to givo a faithful return for tho emolument which they oxpccted, and the habits of faithful, loyal, steady service should be laid in youth. Thcro was a well-grounded fear that parents in New Zealand were not sufficiently insistent on ready and prompt obedience, and not sufficiently alive to tho dangers of youthful lawlessness. There were evidences of a slackuess of moral fibre in Now Zealand that were alarming, Arrivals by Home steamers saw the worst form of it in tho hooliganism that needed tho arm of tho law to keep It within bounds. The physical libre, even, seemod degenerating, and was, in children, unequal to the strain of enduring a shower of rain." If children were not disciplined in the home, the schools alono wero not equal to the task of tuiuing . out a healthy, well-balanced typo of girlhood and boyhood The Bishop of London had. said: "No one was a greater curso to - himself, or to the world,' than the undisciplined young man, or the hysterical or j neurotic woman, and, in many eases, this arose from defects in early- training." I Tho Harm of Competitions. Yet another matter dealt with lust evening by the principal of the Girls' College was that there was evidence of a serious interference with th«- steady, methodical work of schoolgirls by the institution of public competitions, open to girls of school nee, She hoped that tho management of these competitions' would, another year, confine them to tlmse outside the limits of schools. Not onlv ivas ■school tvorlc unsettled fdr those com peti- • tors by. their abs-enoe, but also for some time both before and after. From another point of view—bringing children of tender years into unhealthy publicity— they wore to be deplored. Eveu if thev were still loft open another vc.ir to children of school age, Miss M'Lc-an hi'ped that Ihe parents would not oilow their children to enter for them. She was strongly of the opinion that they were likely to prove more harmful than uetful to young children. Prosintationi. .On Wednesday morning tho pupils at the Eastern llntt school presented Miss Mnccy with a beautiful afternoon tea tray and fjveral other very nice articles. The headmaster made the presentation. Tho Rev. .T. M'Cavr thanked the pupils on her behalf. In tho afternoon the stall, of the school presented Miss Macey with a benutiiul Queen Anne teapot. A Wtlcomo. Mrs. Andrew, who, ius Miss Vera Dall, was a member of the teaching ( sta(f of the Wellington Girls.' College, was' piesenl at the college prise-giving in tho Sydney Street Schoolroom last evening. The girls of the college took the opportunity of presenting her with a beautiful bouquet of pink sweet p*;i,s, and of expressing their pleasure at seeing her again. Miss M'Lcan and Miss Richmond wore also the recipients- of bouquets. Recital at Carterton. A recital by Mr. W. Heap's pupils was held in the I'resbytcrian Sunday Schoolroom, Carterton, on Thursday evening, when there was quite a largo gathering of pupils, and their parents and friends. The pupils acquitted themselves very well. The programme included Ucetho'ven's "Sonata rath-otic" and eolcction from "Lucia di Lammcrmoor," besides other classics. Among other items were songs by Mr. Caton and Master Roy Gravestock, and a violin solo by Miss Mansfield. Everything passed off very pleasantly and successfully. An Opportunity. Miss M'Lcan, principal of tho Wellington Girls' College, remarked in the course ' of her report that tho staff wero an- I xions to see on tho walls of the new | rooms of the college some coni<s of good pictures, and that, if any friends would like to promote a lovo for tho beautiful among them all. the staff wouli earnestly com mead this present opportunity of doing so. Felldlng Note*. ' Miss Livesi'.y has returned to Marten. Miss Spain has gone to Now Plymouth for a few weeks. . Mrs. Gicsen has returned to Auckland. Mrs. Woollams has returned from I'almorston. Mr. and Mrs. F. Myers, who have recently returned from England, have taken a house in town. Last Wednesday afternoon Mrs. Roberts gave a v«ry enjoyable bridge party. Amonjj tho gueste were Mesdames Willis, Gillespie, Horroclts, Carr, M'Callum, Kingdon, Alymcr, Atkinson, flalliday, Stewart, Clayton, Jones, Long, Fry, Mackav, Montgomery, Misses Spain, son, and others. The lucky winners were Mesdames Kingdon and Alvmcr. Mrs. Gillespie gave a bridge party on Thursday afternoon in honour of her two guests-Mrs. Woodward and Miss FergusE»n. Mrs. Gillespie was wearing a floral taffeta gown: Mrs. Woodward, black chiffon, and Miss Fergunson white muslin. Among the guests wero Mesdames Willis, Barton .Aylmer, Miles, Clayton, Horrocks, Roberts, Wheeler, Atkinson, M'Pherson, .Tones, Mackav, Fry, Stewart, Ilalliday, Montgomery, Johnson, M'Allum, Glasgow. Miss Spain, Fergusson, Atkinson (Wellington), and others. The prize winners wero Mrs. Woodward and Miss Fergusfwu. Miss W.vatt has gone to Australia for tho Xmaa holidays. Miss Freeman left Wellington yesterday on a visit to Sydney. Some little tinio ago a rumour was going the rounds that clever little Lottie Sargent (Mrs. Frank Greeno) had had to retire from tho stage on ncconnt of dangerous illness. Refutation comes in tho form of a letter from Mrs. Greene herself, who is enjoying a rest at Loura, in New South Wales. She writes to n Wellington friend, stating that her throat complaint had been roused by nn iilccr on tho larynx, which, however, had completely disappeared. The letter also contained the news that Mr. Frank Greeno (woll known in New Zealand) was about to rehearse for tho coming production of ?Xba Quaker GirL,"

This afternoon (ho Sunshine Guild in» having a garden fete in tho grounds bolonging to Airs, Barnard, in ill Daniel Street, for tho purpose of raising funds with which to buy comforts for the in. mates of the Victoria Homo. Should it bo wet the function will bo held in tho roomt of the Young Women's Christian Temperance Union, Constable Street. Miss Clifford and Miss Toohey arrived in Wellington from Christchurch yesterday. Miss Mm a Hugo returns to Welling'ion to-day from Auckland, for the Christmn* holidays. Miss M. Oakley Browno is giving a "breaking up" party in connection with her music classes on Monday afternoon, Miss Irene Webb (Talarcra Terrace) is on a visit to Nelson. The St. John Ambulanoo Association Nursing Guild district nurses desiro to thank all friends who helped to make their annual tea and Christmas tree a success. Tho Women's Social and Political League are giving an afternoon tea at tho Tiffin Rooms on Tuesday next, December 10, when tho league's energetio secretary, Mrs. Moore, will bo tho guest of honour. Miss N. Cameron (Moron, Greytown) arrived in Wellington yesterday by tho Tahiti, on her return from a visit to Sydney. Miss J. Margoliouth left for Sydney yesterday, vrhore her marriage to Mr, Isbiston will take place. Mr. nud Mrs. Took, of Tahnna, recently celebrated their golden wedding. Thp old couplo are still halo and heaity, in spito of the flight of years. Mr. Took is an old ago pensioner. Mrs. Watson, who hag been staying with Mrs. Mcnzies for somo weeks, left for the south on Thursday with her children.