SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1391, 18 March 1912, Page 9

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Presentation, Miss B. Mitchison, who is severin; her connection with Messrs. Briscoo am Co., Ltd., after being with the firm io 71 years, was presented with a gold watel on" Saturday by the employees of th warehouse. Tho presentation was mad by Mr. A. Newbold, accountant, who es pressed the regret of the stall' at tho los of Miss Milcliin.son, and tendered lie their good wishes l'or her success in tli future. Feilding Notes. On Saturday there was a large attend anoe at tho i'Vilding tennis court?; mos of tho tournament games being played oil Afternoon tea was provided by Mrs. Miles Among tiioso present were Mesdame liarton, llallidny, Lnwson, Kodmaync Macpherson, Montgomery, Gorton, Jlisse Spain, Wyatt, Shannon, Prior, Hill, an' many others. On Wednesday night a surprise part, visited Mrs. Leslie Gorton at Awalniri After tho rooms were cleared, dancin; took place and a very enjoyable evenini was spent. Among the party were lire Montgomery, Mrs. Wheeler, Mrs. M'Pher son, Misses Shannon, liruce, Wheeler Prior, Walker, Hill, Messrs. Montgom cry, Graham, Shannon, Gretnslade, Ellis Hawke, Darton, and others. Mrs. Barkm has given several smal parties lately in honour of her guest Miss Insoll (Hamilton). Mrs. Carr has returned from tho Beach Airs. Guthrio has returned from Wei lington. .Mrs. Luxmore, Jlrs. G. Luxmore, ar.< Mrs. Banks are spending a few weeks a l''oxton. Mrs. Gillespie is staying nt Rona Bay There was a large attendance at tin horticultural show on Wednesday. Tin weather has been so bad lately that om hardly expected to see such splendid en tries. Some of tho decorative classeswcn exceptionally good, Mrs. Billman am Mrs. M'Kenzio taking the majority o prizes. Among those present wei'n Mos dames Tlorrocks, Miles, Alymer, Barton Binns, Prior, Lolhbridge, Macnherson Montgomery, Miers, Stewart, Woollams Cobbe, Lflvion, and others. A prcsenta t.ion was niado to Mrs. Barron, who hai worked hard as secretory for sovcra years. Miss Insoll (Hamilton) is staying witl Mrs. Barton. Mrs. Barton (Gisborne) is tho guest o Mrs. Lawson. Mrs. Lethbridgo and Mrs. Atkinson havi returned from Auckland. A Gisborne Wedding. The marriage took place in St. An drow's Church, Gisborne, on Thursday .of Miss Nellie Thomson and Mr. F. E Porter. Mr. J. Thomson, brother of tin bride, gave her away, and the Rov. Mr Grant officiated. Mis 3 Gladys Coope attended the bride, and Mr. J. A. M'Leai was the best man. The bridegroom': present to the' bride was a gojd bracelet and to the bridesmaid was given a gol< cross, set -with emeralds and turquoises After tho ceremony a largo number o guests were entertained by tho hrido'i mother at the residence of Mr. A. Thom son. A New Playwright, The newest playwright to appear ii England is Miss Getha Sowerby, who* play, "Rutherford and Son," produced ii London in January, met with install' success and recognition. Critics, who wen puzzled by her identity, suggested, some of thorn, that the writer was a woman others (says the "Manchester Guardian' J prophesied a brilliant future for Mr Sowerbv, but none watching tho develop ment of that grey story could have guessed the youth and charm of Miss Cicthr Sowerby's real personality. She is t Northumberland woman, who has dividec the last few years between London nnci Northern couiilie?. Her childhood wa; spent in Northumberland, and she know; and understands the ways of those Nor thorn folk as no Southerner could. lh< people of tho play," she said, nro ot o typo familiar there, though, of course, 1 would not for a moment suggest that ll is a common thing for children to be sacrificed by their ambitious parents, a; tho Eutherf'ords were. You cannot live in those industrial towns without feeling how life revolves around the great nidustries, and how they dominate the though! and aspirations of'tho community." Mi=Sowerby, with her sister Millicent, who i? a clever illustrator, has published several children's books and written many shorl stories, but "Rutherford and Son" is hei first play. It was begun several years ago and written at odd times for her own pleasure, but without any serious though! that it would over I>o produced. It la.\ uncompleted for a long time, until « friend, an actress, who chanced to sec tlu manuscript, urged her to complete the play. The play was accepted by the firs! person to whom it. was submitted, arid its production was arranged for with extra' ordinary rapidity. Early in January the first arrangements were made, and or February, 1 the town was placarded witl; posters announcing London's appreciation and tho authoress was gazinc in astonish; mrnt at her own success. _ Tbc story line passed into another medium, and the words clothed in flesh were hardly to b< recognised. "It happens on tho stage as 1 imagined it," she said, "but there-is tin; feeling of not being acquainted with mj own people Hint is ?o strange tn an unaccustomed playwright." The critics liavt been congratulating her on her knowledge of stgecraft, but she has had no provion; connection with tho thenlro in any way though she has always taken the keeuesl interest in it and in tho modern drama