MATTERS OF INTEREST.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1651, 18 January 1913, Page 10

MATTERS OF INTEREST.

A reunion; of members of tho "Allinnos Frnncaiso" took place on November 10 ' in Stoinway Hall, London. A paper writ-' {.on ]>y M. Dupont, of St. Maio, on "Le " Mont Saint-Michel ct 60s Lcgendcs," was - read. It narrated many of tho quaint, and quite -improbable, 6torics associated with tho famous Mont, but contained ono interesting fact about tho cost of n fash- - ionablo woman's dress in tho'fifteenth century. While Mont Saint-Michel was resisting a siego by tho English, tho chief lady an it sent a letter to a relative, ask- : ing, in tho'coinage of tho locality, a 6um equal to .£2O of our, money to pay for 'a ' now dress of which she was in need. Tho '.. English caught tho messengr. found tho letter on him, and preserved it—probably , ! tho oldest authentio document respecting a dressmaking bill. '

A novol note was struck by a recent London wedding. .The-floral decorations within tho church wcro' oOninosod, of coloured blooms, and tho bride carried a' bouquet of deep crimson "Richmond" roses instead of tho usual whito exotics. Tho entrance to the chancel was banked up with palms, bright crimson begonias, and' pink roses,' intermingling with a few. white iloworß.

* '•'::■ • ' : ■':• • .':' Miss Helen Keller, the heroic, denf. dumb, and blind Woman, believes in Socialism and in -woman Buffrago.' "Women," eho says, "will never know anything if they don't vote. Tho fact is, women havo got to have mora responsibility before they'll think it worth their while to study the problems of the day.", ..*'•'' «'-.■'.':,. ~ .-,

Butterfly farming is tho latest profitable American industry invented by a woman.'■ Miss M'Glashan, of Truckciv California, '■> lias found a way of sending butterflies in , littlo three-cornered envelopes by tho ' dozen to fashionable dinner parties, where they are liberated during the, serving of .\ the dinner and flutter among the table decorations. . ' r. i , . - . . Tho great charm about tho new industry is that it only calls for deftness of touch. . No scientific Knowledge is needed, and Jliss.M'Glashati admits that she does not , know one kind of butterfly from -an:' other. Nor is any capital wanted,. ; She took it up last July instead of going in for school teaching, and earned £15 the first week., The butterflies were' at-,'■ traded .by a s/rup spread on the leaves and twigs of trees. They were caught in glass'jars' or with a butterfly net, and the'first "harvest" resulted in a catch of : moo. <;_■■':■:■,:■■■<. :•■.;,..-- '/'."•..".' Since then Miss M'Qlasbnn has developed tho idea, and sho now collects larvao; and breeds her own, butterflies.and moths. Sho employs fivo aulstants, and,after a littlo. study proposes to offer to supply' museums and schools with mounted 6peci-, mens of evefy kind q£ butterfly and moth.

Five thousand young men-in tho Philip- v pines, making. JE4OO a year or more,' are ', in need of wives, says>tho New York. . "Herald''). One of them has written to Dr. W. P: Cutler, State Food.and Dairy,CominissMer of .'Missouri,, asking him if . ho can bo of any assistance, in tolljhg .;: Missouri, girls of tho;-,opportunity,'open.', to them. Tho writer 6aysi ''There are at '(' least iivo thousand young men over.hero? employed by tho Government in tho'Cus'-' torn and Internal Revenue Service and other branches, and all of us are getting, salaries of not less than .£4OO a.year. Now, tho trouble is, most American women over hero are married, I do not want my name i published, but you may give it to any of the ;young women, who dosiro;,to correspond with'a.viow'to 'riialfimony. I eh-. closo you ft few' of the views oftho coun-* try, antt' , ytiu?ca l n^n'ai'thcmVto' I whomSbu choose,•'"and they'chn'sco" for' thoiH6elvO»"; what kind of a. place it- is.'" •' ''■'•,?, ; , ' ; Miss Miriam Hubbard; daughter.of El-' bert Hubbard, "the Fra," is said to bo the " most physically perfect girl that has ever entered the University of Michigan.'Tho physical director of .the girls' gymnasium has passed: this' verdict. Miss Hubbard - is tall and slender, with wavy hair, era- ■ cious manner, and low, 6weet voice. Her phvslcal development is attributed to tho fact that cho lias worked in the fields, in the and open air, and has' always taken' plenty of exercise. , . ..•':'*' '■ ' *-,■''. ' '■'-*,''' *' . ' To supply children with a good mental balance tnero should lie routine and mon- ' otony in their lives (says an English doetor). They should not' have the chancoof becoming blase, and'.plenty of occupa-, tion should be supplied, the more of'tho-' child's own finding the bolter. The childneeds knowledge just as ho-needs brwul and milk, and that' knowledge .should■; never bo kept from a child. From tlio ages of six to ten many children are ner- , vous, irritable, arid unmanageable,;and ■ all kinds of advice will bo offered totheir' parents on their behalf. As a matter offact, tho child is probably suffering in reality from intellectual starvation.- Ho wants a full diet of ideas, (or.a, lily nourished and duly exercised mind takes, caro of its own stability. ■,'-,' ».'.-;, ,*.--.; : '.-,. • .:'-'.■'•"' ■■-.-

Tho Roval Geographical Soclcty v wbich. hitherto ;lms excluded women: from-.-.its ranks of "Fellows," has )*cn considering, tho matter of admitting them to followship. Lord Curzon, tho president, w setting forth the roasons : why thy council has at last decided on this new step, Bays: "Among tho inombcrs of our,council tlto proposal is advocated by some oho most strenuous, opponents of tho -political ciifranchiscment of women, on the ground that this is precisely the kind of J field in which equality, of intellectual and practical opportunity ought to bo conceded to. Sen? Mid in which a sex barrier cannot b c logically defended or equitably maintaincd." ' ■■• . .'-. .■' v

Miss V. Mace (Masterton) is tho guest of Mrs. West (Wellington).. ; , , ;: ■ Tho engagement is announced of Mia fcXl Broadbent, Bnnkton, Carterton,-. Mr. £don■■' Small, eldest eon of, Major Smaill, Kaitangata, Otago. . ... Colonel and Mrsi Johnson are staying M&ync, matron of .the, WeWon. Hospital, who has been spending tho last two months- in Australia, returnc-d■& Wellington on Wednesday, much bonefilM in health by her tong holiday. . - : j Tho Hon. C.' E. Frauor, Postmaster-: Genera lof.the Commonwealth, and Mrs. Fraaer, loavo for_the south to-nigh^,,.,. Mrs. Howitt (Palmerston North) is ing a visit to Wcllingon, and is May Wig at Cauliiold/House. ■ ' ' ,ji Tho ballot 'for tho .best-d«ora!!c(l' inblcs by tho Wtrons of St. ahomoSs Horticultural Society's show, was...announced on Thursday -evening, at tho close of the show. Tho results were:— First, Mrs. Russell; second,* si:, .".i-ir.. who both received wry handomo pri7.es donated by. Messrs. Kcid and Fcnwick. The scaled award by tho judges placed. Miss Ranson first and Mrs. Beck second, which entitles them to special kindly donated- by. Messrs. Mtcrsson Bros. .' ;.' ■'■'.; '. ■'.' •, Among the many attraction on tho programme of the reunion of the tlcrs' Association," on Anniversary llay, is a mavpolo dance and grand march by. the children, under the direction of Miss Bland, of Newtown.