WOMAN'S WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2351, 6 January 1915, Page 2

WOMAN'S WORLD.

[Br Imogen.]

MATTERS OP INTEREST PROM PAR AND NEAR

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

A Reform Garden Party at Hastings. Under tho above heading wo published on Monday last a contributed report of a social gathering of Mr. H. M. Campbell's election coinmmitteo's which was alleged to been held nt li«s--tiiigs on New Year's Eve. Wo, arc .now informed that tho wholo story \va'6 a fabrication, presumably concocted by some porsoh with a distorted sense of humour. Wo much rogrofc that wo should •havo been led by the appearance of gehuinoness and the name attaohed into publishing this bogus report, and must extend our apologies to thoso ladies and gentlemen, whose names wero mentioned therein.

Australian Nurses and the War. A writer in oiie of the Australian newspapers, commenting upon the uniform which the nurses will wear at the front, remarks' that "it is more than advisable, iii faot it i 6 absolutely, imperative, to give our nurses a uniform that will not hamper their efficiency. The early Victorian bonnets in which the defence authorities have arrayed our .nurses are perhaps the most defective i>art of a uniform that needs radical alteration. They will, be inadequate either for keeping off the sun in Egypt or- for giving protection from the oitter cold in Europe. Since the beginning of the war matures and descriptions have appeared in English papers of the.comfortable modern costumes adopted by many Red Cross units. If the military authorities have no ideas of their' own, models for imitation are not lacking. Li this matter, Canada has been mbro progressive;: the uniform of the nurses from the Dominion, and particularly their felt hats, has excited much admiration in London. . It is a foolish conservat- ■ ism which decrees that our nurses must continue to be clothed in a costume that they might have worn in the days of the Crimea." The writer also goes on to say that "no announcement has yet been made of the allowances that are to he granted to nurses who are ■invalided • permanently .or temporarily. People who remember what the -nurses looked like when they returned froin the Boer War—a mere picnio compared with this terrible conflict—realise how the hardships of a campaign make temporary wrecks of. the women. who are working night and day in the hospitals. Unlike our. soldiers, our nurses havo no deferred pay, and out of her salary of £60 a year a. staff nurse cannot save much. Appeals have be§n'made in Great Britain, which have already met with some response, to wealthy people to offer their country houSeß as. convalescent homes for nurses; so it is foreseen there that some provision must be made for this important branch of the service."

Russian Women and the War. When one knows what it means to ah agricultural population to'lose its strongest workers, tho cheerfulness with which they aro given up becomes awe-inspiring; for, once the villages aro emptied of the capable men, the entire work falls on the women, writes a Russian woman writer in the. "Outlook." It is not for nothing that tho Russian peasant woman is respected by her men and counted as their equal in all labour. She ploughs and sows and reaps with thorn, rising before the sun and,ceasing work only whon the day fades. .And the work she-has to un-. dertake when her. men have gone-to the war is no'lighi one. . Each .family: has at; least five or six acres to cultivate! The pasturo land. the village holds in common. It is usually the custom in time of stress for the workers to'.do all the field work in common. At three in the morning the women/ and even the children, turn put to work; at.eleven they have a meal of dry, black bread arid perhaps a small oucumber. Then, while the sun is high, they sleep; and from four o'clock they work again till sunset. The "fete of Saint Eliyah, on August 2, is tho day by which the reap? ing is usually finished, and tho orops stand ready to be garnered for tho winter. This, among others, is a fact which the Germans havo miscalculated, They thought that the crops were still standing, whereas they had all beon out by the date of the declaration of the war, and as I write the women are threshing the corn hurriedly, and the orops aro already safely stored for the winter, There is othor. work, too, for the women to do—shoeing horsoß, mending ploughs, soythes, wheels, and so on. The blacksmith has gone to the war, the wheelwright also; so the peas-, ant woman wields the hammer and sonds tho ohips flying with the axe. In the autumn she. fells the trees, and shears tho sheep. And all the winter she spins and weaves, waiting for her men to come back, hoping always and teaching her children to love their country and their father, who has gone to defend theip against a strango foe. The mpujik has been a serf, he has been beaten and mercilessly taxed by his Government at various times,' yet his love for his country is even more deeply rooted'and stronger than his. religion. Perhaps it is to some extent a love for tho land—for that which is the greatest factor in his life, feeding body and soul alike, Its beauties . appeal to hia imagination, its changes and it's immutability to tho strain of mystio fatalism in his nature To bo parted from the land,is a tragedy for every Russian peasant. Some, we«ks 'ago I came upon, an extraordinary group in the. London streot which is still known as "Petticoat Lane." In the middle of the street stood a sturdy girl, a 'handkorr chief on hdr head. Sho was singing ono of the slow, plaintive, and most beautiful of our Russian folk songs. Round her stood a group of Russian peasants in long kaftanß, utterly unconscious of everything around, the tears triokling down their throats, their'bodies swaying sloWy to the melody. As tho gii'l finished, ono of them drew tho hack of his hand across his eyes and said, in a hushed voice, "Brothors. atfyomo now they're cutting tho hay."

Miss Meredith (LlandafF, Masterton) and Mrs. M. Meredith' aio visiting Wellington. ' . , Mr. and Mrs. Harloy Dcnald (Mastorton) and their children aro visiting Wellington. The engagement is announced of Miss Elma Holmes, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Holmos, Rurnoll Avenue, Wollington, to Mr. L. S. Thompson. For Face Massage, Shampooing, all Hair Treatments, and iSlcctrolysis, lira. Rollesions's is recommended. Spacious Private Booms, Qualified Assistants, and Personal Attention. Switches and Transformations of every shade a speciality. Hair guaranteed to keep its colour. 25G Lainbton Quay.*

The Colour Question. } A stranger i might be forgiven for misundorstanding tho cry of white Australia if ho visited the various surfing boaehes this summer, writes an Australian correspondent. At Manly, and Coogce the dusky tint of tho skins of tho inany malo surf enthusiasts would certainly lead him to tho idea that a coloured people wore among us. Seeing that in all probability coloured skin was originally tho outcome of exposure to the ami's rays, it is open to wonder whether among tho seaside population another generation may not take oil permanently the brown tint which tho prcsontrday. bathers spend so much titnO acquiring.

"A~ very enjoyable "kitchon tea" was given by Miss Poynder 011 Monday evening for Miss Gdxah, whose marriage is to take place very Bhortly. Music, singing) and competitions entertained those present, aiid l later in the evening the hridegroom-elect arrived and thanked the hostess and -guests for their kindness to himself. smd to Miss Coxah, who has but recently arrived from England,' Mrs. W. Collins (Brisbane, Queensland) arrives shortly on a visit to her Mrs. Fitzclarence Robertß, Diinedin. The Lady Mayoress of Melbourne has cabled the. sum of £1000 to the Minister of Belgium in London, the amount being' the first instalment of a' Christmas gift for distreSßedl imris in Belgium. Mrs. Ohatfleld 1 is Spending a few days with.her ; sister, Mrs. Hadfield, at Waikaua'e.'. Miss Hopper, matron of the Dannevirke Hospital; is visiting -Wellington, and is staying at the' Grand Hotel. In Sydney an appeal is being made for funds wherewith to run.a refreshment stall upon tho wharf when the next troopships leave Sydney for the front. From all appearances the idea is meeting with considerable approval and. support. The marriage, took place in St. Matthew's Church, Hastings, on Monday, of Miss Edith May Wade, daughter, of Mr. and Mrs. A. Wade, of Hastings, to Mr. William Albert Taylor, of Timaru. Miss Marjorie Gray and Misa Winnie Sutton wore bridesmaids, and Mr. C. Kean was best man. The ceremony was performed by Archdeacon Ruddock, •and a reception was subsequently held at tho residence of the brido's parents,. The wedding took place quietly on •Wednesday, ■ December 30, in the Waneanui East Presbyterian Church, of Miss Ada Forgie, youngest daughter of the late Mr. Forgie, of Dunedin, to Mr. Duncan .Oram Corby; son of the late Mr.' Duncan Corby, of Wanganui. ■■

On. Sunday the death took place in Napier of Mrs. A. Heaton, mother of Mr. Frank Heaton, principal of the Napier Boys' High School. The deceased lady, who lived with her son, had not been' in good health for some time past. Mr. and Mrs. Peter Dawson left for Napier on Monday. Mr. and Mrs. Lind. arrived in New Zealand from Calcutta on Monday, and have gone on to Dunedin. They have been engaged in 'missionary work in India. " , \\.y' Mrs. Hubert' Nathan and her children are staying at Sumner. Mrs. J. Norton (Christchurch) passed through Wellington yesterday' on her return from a visit to Auckland. The engagement is announced of Miss Margaret Eva Turner, daughter of My. Herbert Turner, of Burntwood, England, to Mr. A. E. Pattinson, of Hayward's Lyceum staff, Pctone., The Misses Arndt, who have' been spending some years in England and on the Continent, were among the passengers who. were travelling by >the Runic, which arrived in Melbourne last week. Unfortunately,' owing' to ail epidemio which broke out on board, the passengers are quarantined, »so that their return to Wellington will bo eomowhat delayed. Attend your Hair. This is the time when hair splits and treats off in short lengths. There ere two essential Lubricants which feed and nourish the Scalp, one for those with greasy hair (2s. 9d. and ss. Jar), and one For those with dry hair (3s. and ss. Od. Jar). Call or write Mies Milsom, and she will direct you the pro. per on* to use. With these instructions— Dandruff, Irritation, Palling and Grey Hair, iare prevented. They leave tho hair soft, and g1063y, promoting new growth rapidly. Whon washing the head always use MUrom's Pore Herbal Soap (Is; a cake), and Shampoo Mixture (2s. 6cf. a bottle). Through ignorance so much hair is spoilt by using coarse soaps, powders, and harmful washes. The hair ia a delicate plant, its culture known to few. It's'a study of a lifetime. 'Therefore, be guided by one who has had long ex perienoe. Bo fair to. your hair, commence now; keep a clean nourished 6oalp, and your hair will last a lifetime! All fate preparations etocked. ■"'■• Best Hairwork, Switches, Puffs, etc., latest designs Featherweight Transformations, light and cool. Prices on application. Miss Milsom, M Willis Street, i , doors above "Evening Post,"- Telephone 814.»

For Weddings.-Appropriate Bonrmera for either large or small weddings are being continually designed, and embody the unique, distinction of all Miss Murlay'B creatibnß. Flowers for all occa,. sions iforwarded to. any part of the Dominion' by. Miss Murray, Vice-Regal florist B8 Willis Street-Advt . '