WOMAN'S WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2708, 1 March 1916, Page 2

WOMAN'S WORLD.

MATTERS OF INTEREST FROM /AR AND NEAR.

[By IhogenJ

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Mrs. John Vile, sen., of Pahiatua, will celebrate her 100 th birthday in tho month of May. The old ladj, who has lived under five British Soveioigns, came to New Zealand with her husband and family sixty years ago. For some months past (says the \\ai-ra-rapa Age") fche has been coiitiiicu to her bed, but her friends hope that she may see the century out. Captain Holmwood and his daughter, Mrs. A. Stewart, who have been spending some weeks at Seatoun, returned to Masterton yesterday. Mrs A Myers, who has been living in Auckland for the past three months, has returned to 32 Hobson Street. Nurse Horsburgh and Miss Tennant were • passengers bv the Rot-orua for London. Both intend- offering their services for war work among the -wounded. y We are requested to state that the Hutt Patriotic Shop will in future be opened each Friday, instead of Saturday* This is in consequence of the alteration of the weekly half-holiday m the Hutt. Mrs. Fitchett returned to Wellington on Monday from a brief i'isit to the Wairarapa, Miss W. Moore, who has been staying with Miss Stewart, at Seatoun, leaves to-day for Wanganui to stay with Mrs. F. Moore, Ratanui, The Mayor's Patriotic Fund lias provided the cadets on hoard otto of the troopships with "tuck boxes" _ containing sweets/ cliocolate, biscuits, and liquorice, and the executive of the central Countess of Liverpool Fund Committee forwarded to the men some gramophones. . All the representatives of the different committees of the Countess of Liverpool Fund who were invited to attend the ■conference called by Her Excellency the Countess of Liverpool have arrived in Wellington, save two, who were not able to come to Wellington for that purpose. ! A suggestion that was^ brought*forward by tho Countess of Liverpool Committee in Christcliurch, that gehtlcmon should help with tho knitting of socks, has been acted upon, for during the past week a returned soldier brought in to the depot a. pair 'of socks which he had knitted 1 , himself.

The hon. secretary of the Soldiers' Hostel Committee reports linving hud most generous results in response to the appeal which was made to residents and peoplo generally of the Wellington Military District for produce for the campaign on Friday. A large quantity of supplies have been promised, and the committee will sell in the streets orf that day poultry, vegetables, fruit, and produce of all descriptions. Stalls will be erected in front of the Government Buildings-, at Veitch and Allan's corner, at tlie comer of Boulcott and Willis Streets, and at Courtenay Place, and at) these stalls goods will bs sold at city prices. To-morrow afternoon a "furnisKing tea" is to take place at the now cottage that lias lately been acquired for children at St. Mary's Homes, Ivarori. A tram leaves Government Buildings at half-past two. i Miss Fellingham and Miss Lotighlin, who liavo been visiting. re-. turned to Newman on Monday. The meeting of the representatives o! tho three (societies who are engaged in Organising matters in connection with concert parties to Trentham has been adjourned to Friday. The Prime Minister has received a communication, apparently in good faith, as he thinks, from several young women, suggesting that a women s mounted oorps be raised for servico abroad, or for some war service. The suggestion is that tho members of the corps should be country girls, accustomed to outdoor life, and able to I handle horses.

CHRISTMAS AT WALTON HOSPITAL NEW ZEALAND GIRL'S LETTER. Writing to her parents in New Zealand, an assistant in the New Zealand Hospital at Walton-on-Tiiaines, Eng. land, says: "I must tell you about Christmas Day. The men got up first thing in the morning, l and a batch of about 30 of them went up tq the Manor House (where the nurses live, and sang carols at 6.15 a.m. They then paraded the halls and disappeared quietly out again. When the nurses started for the hospital a little later, they found the men all ranged up otitsido as an escort down to the main building, There was a short servicc at 9 a.m., but none of us could attend, for we were going at top speed in the kitchen. Well, somehow or other, we managed'to get everything done in time, 20 turkeys, bread, sauce, gravies, tons of vegetables, sausages, not to mention 30 Christmas puddings, with brandy sauce aild mince -pies. It was a great feed. The committee and a good many other New Zealand people came down for the day and did noble work. "All the men dined in the hall together ; they generally have it in tlieir own wards. The cooks marched in, .in procession, with the . burning plum pud : dings. All the lights were turned off, so you can imagine it was a great sight. As we marchod in, the men set up a great cheering, and in fact a good deal of cheering when not otherwise engaged went on during the- whole meal. There was a terrific din and all the squeakers and whistles from the crackers added more to it. The tables were beautifully decorated, and the prize for the best one was won by Ward 111. Luckily there happened to be very few bed patients, and even they were brought to the hall on stretchers to en--joy, the fun. _ "After they had eaten all they possibly could the men asked if they could wait on the staff/while they dined. You never saw anything quite so funny in your life. They put on our aprons, which only went half-way round, and had to be pinned, and then all came clamouring to us in tho kitchen for food* until we wore nearly in hysterics with laughing. In the middle of the pandemonium about ten men from Ward It marched in. They were the band, and _it was 'some' band, too. Every musical or unmusical instrument they could lay hands on had to be requisitioned. One man bringing up the rear was the drum. He had a coal shovel and a poker. One man had a pennv whistle, and through it all he played most beautifully. "Then came the cooks' turn to have dinner, and our waiters, stuck to the job nobly, and did us well, being most ■pressing and giving .'us simply stupendous helpings. Then we all, the men too, buckled to and got washed up and cleared, so as to get back to the hall. There was an enormous Christmas tree and a present for everyone, Mr. Daiston, the adjutant, as Father Christmas', out the name on each* parcel, and the man with, a ticket to match came up and got it. After that came tea, but I forgot to say that while the presents .were being given out, 1 was chucking oranges, squeakers, and chocolates about tho whole time. They had fifteen big cakes for tea, besides other cake, fruits, sweets, and crackers galore. ■ , "We dashed home afterwards for our Christmas dinner, and then came back for the concert in the evening— the combined -effort of the men and the staff. The men were very keen for a dance, but as this was not allowed, the.y played games, and ended with ,a short waltz, and then went to bed after a very- strenuous day. They all felt pretty weary next morning, and were quite willing, to' stay in bed for breakfast.. Luckily, it was Sunday, which was an easy day for the staff, too." In a later letter the same writer says: "We had a party on New Year's Eve. Miss Russell, sister of Lady Hardwicke, of Auckland, arranged 20 tables with progressive games of all sorts,_ cards, threading the needle, smelling various things in bottles, etc The men all enjoyed it so much, and they then marched up to I lie Manor •House, and with'great solemnity si ool: hands with all the nurses as the click struck twelve, and saw; 'Auld I ai;g Syne.' They all seemed to enjoy themselves thoroughly', and all behind quite properly." >