WOMAN'S WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2530, 3 August 1915, Page 2

WOMAN'S WORLD.

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

MATTERS OF INTEREST FROM FAB AND NS4E.

[By Imogen.]

Wedding in Samoa. In the Foreign Church, Apia, the marriago took place on June 7 of Mr. Stephen J. Smith, of the Police Department, to Miss Daisy M'Farlane, of Seatoun, Wellington. The ceremony was' performed by Captain-Chaplain H. Wells-Smailes, of the Relief Force. The brido was given away by Private Smith, a brother of tlio bridegroom, and a member of the S.R.F., and the best man was Sergeant Copeland. Wedding at Eketahuna. The wedding took place in the Methodist Chureli, Eketahuna, on Wednesday of Miss Anna Susan Daniel, lato of Hastings, to Mr. Georgo Albert Carter. The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a gown of white ninon over pink satin, with a veil and wreath of orange blossoms. Miss Elsie Pilcher, of Mangateretere, attended as bridesmaid, and wore- white embroidered silk voile ■with, a pink mob cap and roses. Each carried bouquets of pinlc and white flowers, with maiden-hair fern. Mr. Maurico Carter was best man. Samoan Native Wedding. Some interesting details were given in the Samoa "Times" of June 7 of a native wedding that was to take place the following day between the belle of a village and her lover. Before the.two could get married they had to obtain the consent of the manager of the Samoa village, who is personally responsible for the Islanders while absent from the land of their nativity. The romance, it may be stated, began when the Samoans left their home in the South Pacific and went to San Francisco to exhibit their arts at the Exposition. The celebration after the marriage was to bo typically Samoan, and would last for three hours, the natives beating their tom-toms, dancing the Siva Siva, and singing Samoan songs. These, sung at a Samoan wedding, toll of the romance of the bride and bridegroom from the time they first met or saw-each other till they became united.

Madame Wielaert, tlio well-known soprano, is to appear as Rosalind in "As You Like It" with the Auckland ( Shakespearo Club 011 Thursday evening. Hie "Orlando" will- be Professor Maxwell Walker, the-academical bowler.

A deputation from the Alice Parkinsou Release Committco waited on His Worship the Mayor yesterday morning with the view of securing, the.use of tho Town Hall for' a public' meeting to protest against the severity of tho sentence, ana to endeavour to secure the release of Alice Parkinson! Tho deputation consisted of: Mesdnmes Rae, Moore, . Kcay-Brown, M'Mulchay, and Donaldson. After the speakers of tho deputation had put their case, His Worship in reply said he would require to place the request before liis council, and no would not stand in the way of it being granted. .The decision of tho council would be communicated to the secretary. ■ , Captain and Mrs. Wray, who Lave been paying farewell visits to the West Coast and.-to friends in the south, arrived in Wellington by the Willochra 011 Saturday. Captain: Wray leaves very shortly with the next Reinforcements. Miss Wolters, Carterton, is the guest of Mrs. Waters, Karori. . Mrs. Henry Hall and Mrs. W. Young were the hostesses at the Soldiers' Room last evening. ' Music offered attractions to some of tho soldiers, and others found the writing tables, the magazines, and comfortable seats before tho fires very pleasant and useful.

Mrs. Rolleston and Miss Litchfield have received at 47 Molesworth Street parcels of clothing for the British and Belgian Relief from: Mrs. Rowth Ptikera, Feilding; Mrs. Urwin; Mrs. A. Urquhart, ICoroeka, Dann'cvirke; Mrs'. J. H. Freeman, Kelbum Parade; Mrs. Routh and pupils, 134 Coromandel Street.

Yesterday morning ' the Australian nurses were motored out to Trentham by the Mayor and Mayoress, who wore accompanied by somo 'of the committee members of the Military Hospital Guild and of the Mayoress's Committee of the Countess of Liverpool Fund. The drivo was a delightful one, the morning being bright and sunny, while tlio glimpse it gave to the nurses of the country round about 'Wellington was much appreciated. Lmnch and a visit to the hospitals took up somo time, and tlio party did not return to town till about lialf-past four in tlio afternoon.

Darwin's Wife. In "Emma Darwin: A Century of Family Letters," by Mrs. Litchfield, a reviewer in tlio "Australasian" says that Mrs. Litchfield iias written in the second volume a fino pen-portrait of her mother,, and the warmth of her filial appreciation is more than justified by the evidence to be found in Mrs. Darwin's own correspondence. Tile references in this pen-portrait to Mrs. Darwin's attitude towards her children and her husband's interests are particularly noteworthy. One passage runs as follows "The keenness of lier sympathy never deadened. She lived with her children and grandchildren in every detail of their lives. But she was never a doting mother. She knew what we were, and never imagined ive were perfect or interesting to the outer world. I remember one little speech— not true, but still characteristic—'l do not feel my sons are my sons, only young men with whom I happen to be intimate.' . It expresses one fact which lay at the root of her. happy relations with her children, grandchildren, and nephews and nieces, her profound respect for their individuality. But I think her most remarkable characteristic was her absolute sincerity. In little things and great things it was the same. She was incapable of playing a part or feigning a feeling. The little things of life host illustrate this, for in great things we are many of us sincere. For instance in answer to some visitor who remarked how interesting it must bs to watch my father's experiments, she told the simple tnith—that to her it was not interesting. She once said to my sister that when she married she had resolved to enter into my father's tastes and thought she would be able,' but found it impossible. Ho used to tell how, during some lectures at the British Association, he said to her: 'I am afraid this is very wearisome to you, 1 to which she quietly answered: 'Not more than all the rest.' He often quoted this with delight. She was also quite incapable of the weakness of pretending to care for tilings because it was correct to do so. Few people would venture to say as she did, when speaking of Tennyson's. 'Queen Mary': 'It is not nearly so tiresome as Shakespeare.' "

Mrs. Parkes (Feilding) is visiting her mother, Mrs. Carley, in Masterton. Miss Vallance (Masterton) is visiting Wellington. Miss M. M'Kenzie, M.A., has been appointed a teacher in the secondary classes of -tho Masterton District High School. Of their tour in tho South Island tho nurses are enthusiastic, and they say that never in their lives have they seen scenery like that round about Lake Brunner and through the Otira Gorge. To see icicles hanging about the waterfalls was an altogether now experience to them, while to guard against the cold while travelling in these regions the Government had placed at their disposal khaki overcoats, for which they were very thankful. The Rolleston Glacier they thought very beautiful, and of the hospitality they experienced from' the AVest Coast people they cannot speak too highly. Altogether they are thoroughly enjoying their travels in New Zealand. Last evening' they left by the Main Trunk for Auckland and Rotorua, where they will probably spend a fortnight before leaving the country . for good.

Mrs. J. P. Luke (Mayoress o.f Wellington) has received ;from Mr. J. Macintosh, the Consular Agent for France, the following letter of. grateful acknowledgment:—"About May 24 last some Tahitian soldiers ivere delayed in Wellington awaiting their return to the Islands, arid for the kindness which was extended to them at the time by yourself and His Worship the Mayor (particularly in connection with the gifts of clothing made by you to them), I am directeil by the Consul in Auckland (Jlonsieur Rigoreau) to convey to you his deop sense of gratitude and sincere appreciation of your kindness In assisting the men in this way. I should also be glad if you will allow me to express my own best .thanks for your kindly action in this matter."

Although the Salvation Army observed June 17 as a world-wide day of prayer on behalf of the war, Commissioner. Hodder lias readily agreed to the suggestion of the Prime Minister and has issued instructions to every corps in the Dominion to unite in observing Sunday, August 8, as a day of prayer.

tßoofal World Upside Down. Over here, the social world grows more and more topsy-turvy (writes an ■ English correspondent in the Sydney '■"Telegraph"). A Birmingham paper informs us> t'hat Mrs. Asquith, the wife of tho Prime Minister, aspires to try !her hand at' making shells and fuses in. one "of the large, munition factories in -the north. When inspecting one of the large shops Mrs; Asquith was astonished at the skill attained by some of the women workers, and exprasscd her desire to "do lier bit" in-tho shops. ! She wishes to do a week's work in one shop, and then another week in a second, and 60 on, thus gathering experience of women's work under ordinary conditions. (Incidentally, Mrs. Asquitli . 'informs the world that she has had tho unique experience for a, woman of \ being'in the trenches during recent ' .visit to France.) A general's daughter 5s driving tho motor delivory van of a big London store, and a clergyman is hailed as a hero by a local paper for. .offering to take round the morning's milk, thus "setting a. man free!" Militants In Another Cause. Speaking in Chicago'recently, Miss Christabbl Pankhurst, in the course of a vigorous advocacy of the Allies' cause, said:—"l believe that the deluded Kaiser thought the existence of the militant women in Britain was a sign of Britain's weakness. He knows better to-day. He knows now that the same fighting spirit which the women have, shown in their campaign for freedom is in the. men who are beating hack the German hordes on the battlefields of Europe. You never could have had militant .women except iq a very much alive country. The militant . •.T/cmen, whether you agree with them or'not, are the product of- a free 6oil, and old England stands to-day where she always did, and tho British people are not tho tame degenerates that the Kaiser thought it would be so very .easy to defeat."