SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2734, 31 March 1916, Page 2

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

The Soldiers' Club. Yesterday, owing to the foot that a large number of soldiers were on leave in the City, the Soldiers' Club in Sydney Street waa visited by a great many of them at different times during the afternoon and evening. From about half-past three- the ladies in charge wore kept extremely busy providing refreshments, a condition of things that lasted well on into the earlier part of the evening. Later a dance- was held in the gymnasium, several girl friends of the hostesses having been invited for the occasion. Mrs. W. F. Massey (the president) and the. House' Committee were the hostesses, and as is usual at the club a very pleasant evening had been arranged for. The Spinning Wheel. Misses Edith Hill and Mary Blaxland, of Sydney, who are managing the spinning industry for the lied Cross there, consider that spinning as an industry for women has "come to stay," and that, after the war. the spinning-whe>el will be almost, a rival to the sewing machine as an implement for women's requirements. For the wheel, crossbred Lincoln wool carded is requisite; merino is too fine. The difficulty about obtaining the wheels it is hoped will soonbe got over, as a patent has been taken out for a fine wheel, and numbers of the.pattern will bo made. A Splendid War Worker. One of the hardest war workers at the present time is the Duchesse de Vondome, sisteT of the heroic Kins: of the Belgians, states "The Queen." Onthe outbreak of war Her Royal Highness started a Private Emergency Fund to help the many hospitals she at once opened in various parts of France, and p.hlv assisted hv her indefatigable Lady-in-Waiting, Mademoiselle do Saint Exunery, the Duchesse has ever since carried on this splendid work with unsurnasspd vigour. Early in August, IPI4. Her Roval Highness transformed her beautiful private hosnital of Saint Michael in Paris, containing over two hundred beds, into a military one. and hv the end of the month she had onened another at Neuilly.- Altogether this energetic ladr has established and equipped five hospitals and convalescent homes, fifteen refugee and work centres (eight of which are in this_ country), and eight schools, five being in England. Surely a notalile record! War Orphans. \ The problem of the thousands of war-orphans and children of disabled fathers is becoming a pressing one, and will, of course, !*•*£& more so > states a London' cc„' The necessity of finding some mpans of providing them with proper care of upbringing is paramount, and thoughtful people are turning their attention towards the Dominions, where population will bo needed more urgently x than ever after this war. Years ago' a Mrs. Close started a scheino for putting children on a Canadian farm. The property was granted by the Canadian Government, Mrs. Close herself taking the children out, and placing them in the care of lady superintendents on the farm. Those little people were brought up in the healthiest of atmosphere, and taught all household duties and farming. Three or four boys, who went out in sickly health, passed through London lately on their way to the front. They are now big, strong fellows, averaging over sis feet. The scheme seems to have been extraordinarily successful from a monetary point of view as well. It was estimated that the upbringing of the children worked out at £80 per head, as against £280 in this country. Co-operation between the Home Government and that of the Dominions should make possible the carrying out of some such scheme on a large scale to the mutual benefit of the couni tries concerned.

Waiting For tho Zeppelin Party. Not enough has been heard of tho devotion of tho girl telephone operators during the Zeppelin raids (snys the London "Evening News"). On this last occasion there ,was reason to believe, and they themsolves did believe, that London was to suffer a visitation much more serious than any that had gone before. Yet they remained on duty, many from early morning till midnight, prepared to play their important part with dignity should the. crisis 1 come. A policeman outside one of tho exchanges in the central area stopped to listen to the sounds of singing that lca.mo from the operators' "rest room." "Have they got a tea party up there?" he asked an official who came out. "No," fho man replied, "they're waiting for Zeppelins, that's all." The Irish Nuns of Vpres. The "Dames Irlandaises" are returning to Ireland, states a recent issue of the "Manchester Guardian." They are the Irish nuns from Ypres who were driven out by the Gorman invasion from tlieir quiet cloisters there and sought a temporary retreat in this country. Thus- opens for the nuns a new chapter in what has been a remarkably varied career. The nuns were first established in their Belgian home on account of the religious troubles in Ireland, and for two centuries they lived through wars and rumours of wars in "tho cockpit of Europe" undisturbed. It was in their chapel that tho British flag captured by the Irish Brigade in the service of France at Fontenoy was hung, and somewhere —kwown only to themselves —the nuns still preserve this historic relic. The story of the Irish nuns of Ypros was recently told in an interesting volume. hv one of them, a niece of Mr. John' Redmond, and the Irish leader has exerted himself to secure for them what it is' hoped will be a permanent resting-place in Wexford. Miss Hall-Jones is the guest of Mrs. Rutherford, Mendip Hiils, Canterbury. The Newmarket Ladies' Rifle Club, Auckland, is an enthusiastic organisation, and its members are rapidly becoming very adept with the rifle. The club, has 40 members, and «very Tuesday evening practice at the miniature range in the Newmarket Public Hall is energetically carried out. Oft Tuesday the first lady to five a shot registered a. "bu'l's-eyc," and succeeding shots were all in very close proximity to the objective. Matches with cither clubs are to be arranged in the near future, and the club's instructor is confident that his pupils will givo a good account of themselves. The most effective aid to increasing the growth of hair, improving the lustre, and preventing excessive falling, is Mrs. Rolleston's guinea course of treatment. It inhides Clipping and Singeing, Shampooing, Hand, Vibro, and Electrical Massage, and Hnirdressing. Ladies are also advised how to treat and care for their hair. The methods adopted arc the best known to science, Mi's. Rolloston making a special study of all scalp complaints that retard the growth of hair. Consultation and advice gratis. 256 Lambton Quay. Tel. 1599.-4 dvt. " '

Hamua-Hukanui Red Cross Tea. Tho Red Cross tea on Wednesday last was held at Mrs. Hobbs's, Hamua, who very kindly placed her home at tho disposal of the committee. The afternoon was spent in making eye bandages. A considerable amount of work was completed. The hostess next Wednesday, April 5, will be Mrs. Twentyman, sen.', Hukanui. Manakau Baby Carnival. i It lias been said that a baby can find its way to the heart of most people, but it has been proved in Manakau that it can find its way to the purse also (writes a correspondent from A carnival run on the samo lines as a queen carnival was promoted by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Micklc, in aid of the local Patriotic Society, votes being sold at 3d. each, and tho handsome sum of £120'175. 6(1. was raised. The carnival, which lasted for a fortnight, caused a great deal of excitement, during which sports, pictures, and several "evenings" were given by tho supporters of the different candidates.. The final count was made by Messrs. Cotter, Simcox, and AtTcins, and tlio result announced at 8.15 p.m. to an eager gathering at the Manakau Town Hall. The following is tho position of the four leading candidates:—lst, baby Morn, "The Farmers' Boy," 3272 votes ; 2nd, Baby Bevan, "Maori Race," 1700' votes; 3rd, Babv Bradshaw, "Public Service," 1499 votes; 4th, Baby Martin, "Kuku Boy," 1320. Before announcing the result, the chairman, Mr. Andrew, on behalf of the Society, thanked the promoters for being tho means of raising an amount which exceeded all expectations, the parents for allowing their babies to contest, and all the willing helpers who had worked With tireless energy and good feeling. Mrs. Hurley, the senior lady on tho Executive Committee, then presented Baby Horn, the winner, with a handsome silver mug, donated by Mr. Mickle, headmaster of the Manakau School, and the oilier eleven candidates each received a silver spoon as a souvenir of the historic occasion. Mrs. Cockbum Hood (Masterton) is visiting Cliristchurch. Mrs. and Miss. Morrison, of Raratonga, who have been visiting Tasmania, Sydney, and New Zealand, leave Wellington to-day by the Maitai on their return to the Island*. Last evening they wore among those -who werepresent at the Soldiers' Club in Sydney Street.

On Tuesday afternoon next, Mrs. W. F. Massey will entertain Miss Helen Barnes, general organising , secretary for Australasia, of tho Y.W.C.A., and members of the association at afternoon tea at Ariki-toa. Miss Barnes will 6peak upon the needs of the girls of today, and of the way in which they aro met by the association. Later on, in the week on Thursday, a banquet will be given in the- ■Y.AV.C.A*. rooms for Miss Barnes by the, Y.W.C.A.

Mrs. G. Applegnrth and Miss Ivy Applegarth, of Timaru, passed through Wellington this week on their way to Auckland, en route for Samoa.

Nurse Ingram, who was previously on the staff of the Napier Hospital - and who w'ent to the front on the Rotorua last April, returning in charge of tho Tahiti's nursing staff three weeks ago, left Napier on Thursday morning by the mail train en route for the front. ,

It is,' of course, 110 longer "tho tiling" in London to bo smart (states a London writer). . But .'.bough tho upper classes adopt this attitude, it, is counter-bal-arcod by the, fact that thousands_ of middle-class women aro now earning who never earned before, while many others are getting much higher wages than. before tho war. AH seem to ho spending freely. The heads of Eome of the shops declare that they have never taken better money than during the last sales. Since shirts cannot well he made fuller, the dressmaking world is vow: altering the "outline" of the figure! Any device is good enough so long as women can be thereby induced to continue buying.

Pleasing'hair work. All hair work executed by Miss Milsom gives the greai>st satisfaction. Only.the best quality hair used, finest weaving, cool and fentherweigh.' J?o.=hions are changing p..1 the time, but whatever'the mode we hav it to show and advise. A perfect match Ruaaraantecd.. So highly satisfacory is this department that the plaits, switches, toupees, transformations, wigs, natural hair pads, and curls continually made arc always life-like, and cannot be detected when worn. In addition, clients are touffht the professional way to keep their artifical hair to colourand lustre, and look as if it were growing from the head naturally. All hair and face preparations sto'eked. Call or write Miss Milsom, M Willis Street (i doors past "Evening Post"). Telephone 814,-Advt.