SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1692, 7 March 1913, Page 2

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Wedding at St. Peter's. A quiet wedding took place at St. Peter's Church on Monday when Hita Dora Stevens, of the G.i'.O. Staff, was married to Mr. C. J. Norton, Postmaster of Ashburton. Tho service was conducted by the Venerable Archdeacon Harper. After tho ceremony an "afternoon tea" was held at the residence of the bride's mother, 19 Thompson Street. Mr. and Mrs. Norton left later for the south. The G.F.S. Campaign. The Girls' Friendly Society campaign fund in Auckland in aid of a new building has reached the vicinity of i!2(X)0. This morning a donation of*.£2s was received from Mr. J. J. Craig, and one of ls. from Mrs. C. C. Abbott. The socioty's objective is a sum of .£BOOO.

The Women's Convoy Corps. The doctors and nurses of the Women's Sick and Wounded Convoy Corps, who havo just returned from their three months' service at Kirk liilisse, did a thing probably never done in warfare before (says tho "Manchester Guatdian"). They established and maintained a hospital by themselves without any man's assistance, and English women reason to congratulate them on the efficient way they carried the work through to the admiration of the authorities. Tho venture was cautiously undertaken only after the President, Mrs. St. Clair Stobart, had had a personal interview with the Queen of Bulgaria, had been assured by the Red Cross Society in Sofia that tho offered help would ge most welcome, and had received instructions from the head of the Bulgarian Army Medical Staff to proceed to Ilirk Kilisse and establish a hospital in its empty houses. Mrs. Stobart gives an interesting account of tho seven days' frosty journey in bullock carts over the Rhodope Mountains and across the plains of Thrace to tho milder climate of straggling Kirk Kilisse. Within forty-eight hours of their arrival they received tho first batch of patients, fifty wounded men from Chatalja. Seven hundred men in all were received, and ontrelief was given to many more who in less stringent circumstances would have been regarded as serious cases. Officers were treated in the Bulgarian hospital, the great majority of them small landowners or their sons, fine decent men. ' chivalrous, grateful, and boyishly pleased with their treatment. During the night before Christinas they oocupiwt themselves learning English words, and next morning delightedly greeted the nurses with "Merry Christmas." Thoir marvellous recuperative power—shown on many occasions by the rapid healing of longneglected gangrenous wounds—Mrs. Stobart ascribes to tho simplicity of their lives, plain fare, and their generally high standard of morality. They had no showy qualities and little imagination, but impressed the staff as possessing the sterling qualities which go to make a great nation. Considering the rough hospital arrangements and tfie bad sanitation it is amazing that only ono patient out of tho 700 died; The corps had reason to be thankful for its earlier training, for ingenuity was demanded of all departments, and not least in the kitchen. The cooks had even to skin and dismember the carcasses of bullocks and sheep with which they were supplied, and everything had to be smothered with red' pepper to please the taste of grateful patients.

Miss Dupro is leaving Wellington today by. the Maunganui for Sydney. Mr. and Mre. John Scholium, sen., celebrated their golden wedding on Wednesday at their residence Puhoi (Auckland district). Mrs. F. Samuel returned to Wellington yesterday from Paraparaumu, where she judged the domestic and floral (bouquets) sections of tho Paraparaumu Horticultural Show. .During her stay'there she was the guest of Mrs. Hadfiela. Dr. Earle and Mrs. Barlo (Wangamii) and Mrs. Good are staying at the Mountain House, Egmont. Mr. R. W. Carpenter, editor of the Auckland "Graphic," with Mrs. Carpenter, arrived in Masterton on Tuesday. Mrs. Riddiford (Marton) and Mr. and Mrs. Arkwright are in town and aire staying at the Empire Hotel. Mr. and Mrs. Caselberg (Masterton), and Miss Caselberg are staying at the Empire. Miss Munro (Masterton) has come to Wellington to bid farewell to hpr niece, who is leaving to-day for England. Mr. and Mrs. F. Cameron and Miss M. Cameron (Hastings) are in town and are staying at the Royal Oak Hotel. Miss Cameron leaves by the Staunganui for Sydney to-day en route for England. The engagement is announced of Mr. W. G. Douglas, only sou of Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Douglas, "Monzie," Parnell, to Miss Freda Perry, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Perry, Vogeltown, New Hymouth.

W.C.T.U. At the Women's Christian Temperance Union Convention yesterday the secretary's report showed that there ore 135 branches in the Dominion with a membership of 3U4. Miss Hodge (a member of the Const,itiitional Suffrage Society), and Miss Newcomb (secretary of the Women's Votes Association) addressed the convention, urging the support of the women of England and other countries in their efforts to gain the voto. The speakers pictured the dreadful sufferings of women and children at Home through unjust laws. The treasurer's report showed tho receipts to be J!2-43 18s. 7d., and the expenditure ,£l-)3 18s. 7d'. The banner presented .by tho New Zealand Union „ for the greatest proportionate increase of members was won this year by Oxford.— Press Association. Auckland Women's Reform League. The Auckland Women's Political Reform League opened : the new rooms in Williamson's Chambers, Shortland Street, on Tuesday afternoon. There are three very pleasant rooms, a lounge room, a large afternoon tea room, which can be used for meetings, also a kitchen and all nicely furnished. On Tuesday afternoon the Mayor, also Mr. G. J. Garland, secretary "of the Reform League, were present. The Prime Minister sent his .congratulations upon tho opening of the League's rooms. All afternoon the tearoom was crowded with and their friends who were all charmed with the daintiness of everything.

Mrs. Von Sthrmer is the organising secretary, Mrs. president, Mrs. I). W. M'Lean, vice-president, Mrs. Brig-, ham,'lion, treasurer, and Mrs. Ross hon. secretary. The houso committee consists of Mesdames St. Clair, Harty, E. Hall, Misses Campbell, Thompson, and Kerr Taylor. > Tatting for Men. • The cheerful suggestion made some years ago ly Madame Sarah Grand, that old gentlemen should .be. taught to knit, has found a sympathetic soul in Mr. Gerald Fitzgibbon, of Ealing, who is starting a club for gentlemen tatters (writes'an English correspondent). Mr. Fitzgibbon is an indefatigablo tatter, and may be, seen in the tube, train, or taxi with his busy little Bh little dancing about in his hands, spinning yards of very. good and very' pretty lace. The idea is one to bo commended, from a utilitarian point of view at any rate, and every woman should be delighted to encourage husband or brother in this hobby. Tatted lace is very strong, and gives everlasting wear when done in coarse cotton, and is a most satisfactory border for all that household linen that requires lace. Mr. Fitzgibbon is offered hearty congratulations in his venture, and Phyllis and all her sisters are urging, all their male relatives to join the club.

Echoes of Devonshire. A number of Devonshire pcoplo living in Auckland have banded themselves into a society. to meet in social intercourse at intervals, and on Saturday afternoon the first gathering took the form of a garden party, held in the grounds of Mr. iV. W. Gliddon-Richardson's residence. Mr. Richardson, who is secretary of the society, together with Mrs. Richardson, received the guests, who passed a very .pleasant afternoon in social chat and in 'admiring tho lovely flowers and ferns in the conservatories and grounds. Tho ladies' committee dispensed a most welcome and dainty afternoon tea. Death of a Pointer.

A much-respected representative of Marlborough's fast diminishing band of early settlers passed away this week in the person of Mrs. James Sinclair, of the Old Renwick Road, whose husband predeceased her recently. She had reacned tho nee of 82 years. Her first husband was Mr. Robert Thotnsan, a staunch pioneer of settlement in thi6 district, and ; sho came out to New Zealand from Glasgow with him in the year 1855. Theyi camo to the Wairau'shortly after arriving in the oolony, and Mr. Thomson died here in the early 'seventies. Mr. James Thomson, of the-Old Renwick Road, and Mr. John Thomson are children of the first marriage, as also are Mrs. Robert Robinson, of the North Island; Mrs. John Watson, of Spring Creek; Mrs. Laidlaw, of Fairnall; and Mrs. Thomas Watson, of Foilding. Mr. William Sinclair and' Mr. Charles Sinclair, of this district, are sons by the second marriage. The deceased lady's long association with the fortunes of the Wairau Plain is a record of the finest and sturdiest type of settler, and it is remembered by many friends and admirers to her lasting honour. The strength of character that enabled her to meet the hardships of the pioneering days was allied with a kindly disposition that earned for her the esteem of all with whom she came into contact.

Mrs. E. Stuckey and her son, Mr. Arthur Stuckey, of Levin, leave for Sydney' to-day en route for tho Old Country. Mr. and Mrs. W. Pilkington, of Hataitai, ieave for Sydney by the Maunganiii to-day on their way to England. Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Northcroft, of Auckland, leavo Wellington for Sydney to-day by the Maunganui. Mrs. G. R. 'Howe, a wealthy resident of Boston, who has been touring New Zealand, leaves for Sydney by the Maunganui to-day. ' .