WOMAN'S WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2653, 27 December 1915, Page 2

WOMAN'S WORLD.

— •' MATTERS OP INTEREST FROM /AR AND NEAB.

(By Imogen.) •

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL The Soldiers' Room. Thousands of soldiers wore in i-oirn for tlie Christinas holidays, and it is needless to say that such ii| place as the Soldiers' Room, in Sydney Street, was much sought after, and was greatly appreciated by the many men who were practically strangers to the City. On Christmas Eve it is estimated that fully a thousand soldiers must have visited it during the time that it was open, and the ladies who acted as hostesses had a very busy time, morning, afternoon, and evening. Mrs. C. Earle.ivas in charge of the refreshments for lunch, which was carried well into the afternoon, and in the evening the committee and the Misses Kennedy (2) were the hostesses. The club room had been specially decorated for the occasion with flowers, foliage, etc., and tho table in the slipper room had the' red, white, and blue much in evidence among the decorations. The 'Misses Kennedy had donated some large Christmas cakes, and these stood.on stands, which had! been draped with .small flags, still further accentuating the patriotic note. Midway during the evening His Excellency the Governor and the Countess of Liverpool, accompanied by Sir Robert and Lady Walker, arrived and were received by the president, Mrs. AV. P. Massc.v, Mrs. Firth, and Jlrs. C. Earl'e. The Prime Minister and the Mayor and Mayoress were also among the visitors to the room. Immediately upon arriving at the club, His Excellency proceeded to read a message from His Majesty the King to the soldiers and. sailors of the Empire, which was received with vigorous cheers by the soldiers in' return for the greetings and good wishes it contained. The Prime. Minister was called , upon to make, an announcement'to .the men .ill regard to accommodation for the. night— a' matter which had begun to'take the'aspect of a problem since the City had. become the centre for sonic thousands of troops who would be obliged to. spend the night iu town. Mr. Masscy also paid tribute to the work which had been done for the soldiers by the ladies, and of tho great appreciation which was felt for their hospitality.. This was also received with very hearty cheering. . ■''There was no lack of entertainmentdancing in the gymnasium for those who wished it (and there were many in spite of tlie very hot evening), billiards, and music. The choir of St. Paul's, under tlie leadership of Mr. Robert Parker, sang carols in the earlier part of the evening. ' Later songs were contributed by Mrs. Hempton, Miss AVilson, Master Winston M'Carthy, and little Miss Rita M'Gee, and one or two of tho soldiers either smig- or recited. ' Altogether it.was a very pleasant evening; and it appeared to-be-much appreciated by the very large .number of .soldiers who were present. ; Before leaving, His. Excellency tho Governor wished the gathering tho season's greeting, and both he and Mr. Masscy expressed the liopo that by this time next year the war would be well over, and peace with honour brought about. . On Saturday (Christmas Day) the Soldiers' Room Was again very largely thronged wit.'i soldiers during the day, and again lunch and t-lid usual tea and slipper arrangements were carried out, the hostesses being Mrs. Joseph, for lunch, and the Khandallah ladies in tlio evening.. Yesterday at an early hour, in the morning a large number of soldiers were seeking,for admittance, and fully a thousand must have been entertained at 'lunch alone. Mrs. Robert Pearson was in charge for the-'committee, and in tho evening Lady Stout provided tea and supper. With her was Mr-s. Wilford. , .. To-day lunch will again be provided, as well as the usual tea and supper, and a- programme of. entertainment will ho contributed, finishing with dancing.. Cifts to the Hospital. The following amounts have been received bv tho Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board as donations to the Christmas Fund: —Mr. E. D. Bell, £2 25.; Mr.-S." Gilmer, Mrs. M.-A. Williams, £1 Is. each; Crabtreo and Sons, Mrs. E. M. Davcy,' 10s. 6d. each"; -0; R. Smith, 10s.; Morrison and Gilbred, ss. • The Matron of the Hospital acknowledges tlie following gifts:—For Sick and Wounded Soldiers: Plum puddings and jam, etc., Mrs. A. H. Miles; box of lettuces, Sir Francis Dillon Bell; raspberries, Mrs. Kirkcaldie; flowers, N.Z. Natives' Association, Mrs. O'Connor; scones Mrs. Ledger. Soldiers' Comforts Guild: Jelly and eggs! For Children's Wards: Scrap books, Mrs. F. T. Castle and Mrs. W. Clark (Northland) ; fruit, eggs, flowers, sweets, and toys, Petone Methodist Christian Endeavour; toys, Messrs. J. Myers and Co., Messrs. Hcyin'an'son, All Saints' Infant Sunday School; dolls' clothes, Standard V, Mount Cook Girls' School;_ dolls and toys, Petone District High School (Standards I and II); Christmas .gifts, Mrs. Grady and Mrs. Smith (Wadostown); 1-jooks. toys, sweets, Mrs. Angara (Coroinandel - Street). Mr. H. A. W." '. M'Kenzie, Mrs. 1 M'Kenzic, and Miss M'Kenzie left on j Friday by the Pateena for 'Nelson.

The Nurses' Rest Hospital. In a letter from Egypt, Mayor G.. Barclay, of tlie Now Zealand Engineers, '•vritcs as follows:—"A few days ago I Jiad the pleasure of making a. trip to Aboukir Bay, and visiting the Nurses' Rest -Hospital," which has been established there by the British Red Cross and Order of .St. John. Tho hospital is located in Aboukir House, the seaside rosidoiie.e of Mr. G. B. Alderson, of Alexandria, who lias kindly granted tlio use, not only of this building, but also of his house-boat, wliicb lies anchored in the hay a short distance from the shore. Aboukir House has room for thirty nurses', while on tho liouse-boat there is room for an additional fifteen. To Aboukir House nurses who arc run down, - or who havo been ill are sent, n'nd it speaks volumes for the place that the accommodation is at all times taxed to its utmost capacity. At tho time of my visit the inmates of tho hospital comprised members of the Military .Nursing Sisterhood, and also voluntary aid nurses, belonging to the Red Cross and jO'rdor of St. John. Amongst the first-mentioned wero a number of Australian and four-New Zealand nurses. At' Aboukir Ray, as restoratives to . health, the patients' are allowed bathmg and also walking and riding exercises, while rowing boats and a- yacht are at nil times at'their disposal in the Bay. This bay has a place not onjy in Egyptian, but also in British history, for it was here that Nelson fought and defeated the French in 1798, the place 'which is now the anchorage of the house-boat being almost identical with the spot where the inner flank of the French fleet rested during the. great naval battle. At Aboukir Bay also, in March, 1801, oh the site where Aboukir House now stands, there landed the British forces under Sir Ralph Abercrombie, .while round the Bay, some of tlicm in a more or less advanced state of decay, the old French forts are sull to be seen. Even the house-boat has a history. It was. a British sloop of war at the time of tlie Crimea—one of England's walls of oak. With such associations antd environments, small wonder that Aboukir Bay has proved so highly successful as a rest and convalescent home for .the nursing sisterhood." — / Mrs. Waymouth and Miss Slack, from Palmerston North, and Mr. and Mrs. A. Wilson, from Auckland, are staying at Jlrs. Facer's, 36 Hawkestono _ Street. Dr. and Mrs. M'Naughton Christie are gono .to. New Plymouth for the Christmas holidays.: Miss Cooper and Miss Moss acknowledge gifts of flowers lor their stall in iiouth's Buildings from Mrs. ■ Gooder, Miss Skerreti), Miss- Godfrey, Miss Davis, Miss Dascht, Jlrs.,'Jones,. Mrs; Wiison, Miss .'Johnson, Mrs. M'Crackeri, Mrs. Bunny,. Mrs. C. R. Pearse, Mr, Marsden, Miss Douglas, Mrs.' Shine, Mrs. S;- Kirkealdie, Mr. S. Weston. The room will be closed till January 7. A cablegram from London announces the marriage of Captain.Ramsay, of the Ist Australian Contingent, to Miss Mabel Greenwood, daughter of Mr. G. Greenwood,'of' Teviotdalc, Amberley. This is the third marriage within a few weeks of Canterbury ladies iirLondon. The others wero: Miss Maire Rhodes to..Major Hutton, and Miss Nancy. Chapman to. Lieut. Campbell. • The- following guest? registered at Hotel Braeburn (Wauganui) during the past, week: —Misses F. M. Jones and M. Smith (Adelaide), Mr.'and Mrs. T. Moore-'Fletche'r ' (Wellington), Mr. and Mrs. A. Baxter (Hunterville), Mr. H. C. Jay (Wellington), Mrs'. George Bennett and daughters' (2), Palmorstou North j • Miss Jennin (HalcombeJ, Mr. G. H. Sexton (Wnitotara), Professor and Mrs. J. M. E. Garrow (Wellington), Messrs'. E. 51. Hodder and G. Bennett (Palmerston North), Miss ' Dalley, 'Misses F. and B. Thompson (Waitotara), Sir. and Master Ifeiller (Palmerston North), Mrs. Geoffrey Potts (Palmerston North), Mrs. R. A. Honoyman (Marton), Miss Fortington and Masters Connor (2), Raorikia), Mr. and Mrs. Porritt (Palmerston North), Mr. Maekay Sniall (Napier), Mr. and ■Mrs.' A. J. Terry (G'isborno), Mr. J. L. Pritt, Mr. H. W. Iversley (Wellington), Mrs. Hitching.*; and family (Levin), Mr. and Mrs. Webb aud son (Timaru), Mr. Climie,' Mr. Climie, jun..; and Mr. K. J. Gould (Hastings), Miss Penn (New Plymouth), Mr. William Connor (Raorikia).. ■ On Friday the Patriotic Cake Room ill Hannah's Buildings was visited by very many people, flnd the sum of £30 was- taken: It is hoped that even in tlie midst of the holiday time the cause for which it has been opened will be rememhered, and that contributions of cake, sweots, etc., will bo liberally contributed.

Soldiers' Christmas Entertainment at the Town Hall. It was a very happy arrangement made by the Mayor and Mayoress for the euteriainmeut of the soldiers at the Town Hall on Christmas Day, and had'it not been for that many of the soldiers,'owing to their large numbers, might have iared somewhat badly, in spite of the hospitality of the Soldiers' ltoom Committee, and that of private citizens as well. The large chamber had been furnished with a large number of small tables, as well as with long ones running down tho sides of the room, decorated with flowers, .and by the time the afternoon was in any way advanced it was estimated that close upon threo thousand soldiers must have been entertained at lunch. The Mayoress and a large body of helpers were naturally kept very busy indeed, especially for lunch, and so constant was tlie call made'- upon their energies, and also upon tho food, that by tho time- lunch was over the last ham-bone had been reached. Luckily, however, it was found possible to obtain a further supply for the evening meal, and much anxiety on tho part of tlie helpers was • allayed. Though it had boen anticipated that a very: large number of soldiers would make their way to the Town Hall on. I Saturday, the number that did far and away outreached anticipations, but so generous had the supply of , food been that beyond that .one cause for momentary anxiety tliero wati no shortage of food. Many of those who were helping with the arrangements had been out at the camps helping with the Christmas dinner to tho troops on the previous Thursday, and some were again helping at tho Soldiers' Room in the evening, so it may be imagined that the week has _ been, somewhat strenuous. With soldiers in from May Morn, Trentham, Tauherenikau, and elsewhere, the difficulty was • to find accommodation and meals, arid in this respect the arrangements made for their entertainment at the hall was a great boon to the men.

Soldiers' Room Hostesses. , To-day lunch ivill again be provided at the Soldiers' Room as well as tea and supper, the hostess being Mrs. C. Earle. On Tuesday thero will again be lunch, and the hostess f or the day will be Mrs. Coleridge. On Wednesday Mrs. A. H. Miles will provide tea and supper, Thursday Mrs; A. Pearce, Friday (New Year's Eve) the Soldiers' Room Committee, and, Saturday Mrs. "Matthew Holmes and Mrs. Blundell. A Christmas Party. On Thursday evening last a Christmas tea and party was given to about 90 children by members of the, Victoria Rebecca Lodge No. 2,1.0.0. F. Tea was on the tables at 6 o'clock, and to tlio delight of all a kind friend sent Christnias puddings afire. After a most enjoyable evening of games and "items by the children, Father Christmas; went around and gave every child a toy and merry greeting. Before leaving threo hearty cheers were given for Father .Christmas, and after rfoeiving a pieco of Christmas cake and a basket of sweets, the children went home tired j and happy.

Through the Soldiers' Room 'Committee (per Mrs. Chatfield) a great many , soldiers were the guests of different Wellington ■ people during their stay in town, and had it. been possible to acquaint them of the need many others would have been only too pleased to have entertained soldiers in their homes. The arrival' of such large bodies of ti'oops was,. however, so sudden that it Was difficult to make their arrival known in timo to people, who could have offered hospitality,' aDd the bust had to be done in hurried circumstances.

Mrs. Hugh M'Meuamin, "Ngapara," Feilding, is spending the Christmas holidays with her parents at the Hutt.

Mrs. A., Warburtou is visiting Masterton for a month, and Mr. and Mrs, A. L. Warburton are visiting Waipawa.

Can I be taught to'look after my own hair? Yes. Consult Miss Milsom. She will advise you. All hairwork the very finest quality and weaving. Made daily, the latest transformations, toupees, wigs, switches, plaits, pads (natural hair), and. curls. Those distant please post pattern of. hair and describe requirements. Reply and quotation immediately sent and advice as to what to wear. Jliss Milsom can make any woman look- smart for the new season's millinery—whether the hair bo abundant ,or scarce. All complexion and skin requisites stocked. Miss Milsom, Barnett's Buildings!' 94 Willis'Street (4 doors past "Evening Post"). Tel. 814.— tdvt. .

Ideal for .the Beach or for the country, or, for home—our Washing Hats at. Is. to'3s. Gd. A-hat the boys delight to wear. ' Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., Manners St.— Advt. ' •