WOMAN'S WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2885, 25 September 1916, Page 2

WOMAN'S WORLD.

MATTERS OF INTEREST FROM FAR AND NEAR,

(By Imogen.)

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL Auckland Gifts (or the Soldiers. The Auckland Women's Patriotic League have been holding a display of the boxes and billies which the league is forwarding on behalf of the people .of Auckland Province to the men on active servicc in Egypt and France, and also .to prisoners of war in Germany and Turkey. Later a samplo of the gifts to bo sent to the men at Samoa; and the men on the transports, will be shown. There are four varieties of boxes, each containing an assortment of the following articles:— Socks, pipes, tobacco, cigarettes, hand kerchieis, sweets, bootlaces, chocolate, coifeo and milk, extracts ot soup, towels, condensed milk, Every gut also contains a small iced Christinas cake specially mado in. a tin'. In addition tnore is enclosed in each gift a photographic or other post-card of Auckland Province' views, a folding post-card, one sido of which contains a message from the donor, and the other the name and address of the donor. Tlio latter can be detached and sent back to the donor at small trouble to the recipient. The card contains a request that the gift may be acknowledged direct .'to the donor. A message is enclosed from the Countess of Liverpool, containing the following words: "Government House, Dominion ofiNew Zealand. All good wishes and kindly greetings from New Zealand. You are always in our thoughts.—Annetto Liverpool." The ■•boxes are made of imitation leather cardboard, and bear a label containing a Buitablo message and the TJiiion Jack and the New Zealand Ensign, the whole presenting a heat and Christnias-liko appearance. Saturday's Street Sale of Flowers and Flags. Oil Saturday, bright and early, the ladies who had undertaken' charge of flower stalls in various parts of the city, and tlieir assistants were astir to catch the passers-by with their fragrant posies of all tho flowers of spring. Most lovely flowers had been sent in for this street sale from various country districts, and buyers were quickly met with, so much so that far wore flowers could quite easily have been disposed 'of. 'Tho flags, too, which several members of tho staff of Messrs. Kirkoaldio and Stains had undertaken to sell for tho same cause — that of the Christmas Gift Fund for tho Soldiers—went off very well, and both thoy and the flowers were instrumental in brightoning the march of tho mon of. tho Seventeenth Reinforcements through tho streets very considerably. It was quite uncommon not to see a soldier decorated in hat, belts, and shoulder-straps with'posies, and as for. the flags, they were very much in evidence, It is just as well that such occasions as the inarch of the troops should bo mado as bright and cheerful as possible and certainly theso two things, tho flowers and tho flags (and tho small boys) wero factors in. . helping to make it so on Saturday. About £150 was tho result of Saturday's effort which makes a very nice : tmclcus for the further schemcs which < the coinmittcc have-in hand for further' efforts. In connccti'on with Saturday's effort a story tluicinakos very pleasant hearing is told in connection w'ith a taxicab driver. Just after the committee's earriors had desired ..all,"' tho flowers from, the railway station,, another batch came in, and. a member of uho committee put "them on a car to gotthem taken to tho Town Hall. On arrival thoro the driver asked: "Arc these for tho soldiors' gifts?" On being told that thev wero, this very nico man replied:. "Oil, then, there is no fare to pay.", , Next Friday afternoon His Worship 1 the Mayor will perform the opening forcmony of the new Marble Bar in. lanners Street. The entire takings, from half-past two till closing time at night, are to be handed ovor to the Soldiers' Christmas Gifts Fund. Mr. and Mrs. Cracroft Wilson and family, had been living for some years in England, have returned to C'hristchurch. . Lady Stout has returned to Wellington from a visit to Napien. Gisborne, and Auckland. 1 The Spinsters' Club has, with tho aid of several schools, reached the £100 which it was anxious to make by penny collections. Members appealed, to the schools, and a kind response was made. The Newtown D.H.S. sent £1 'Is. -7d. direct to. Mrs. Lulte. > The Mount Cook Girls' contributed £1 os. Gd., l'etouo D.H.S. .',£ l 135.; Northland~l2s. Id. Another school contribution to the pudding fund was £4 15s. 3d. from Clyde Quay. •Mrs and Miss Macdonald, of Wangantii, with Mrs. A. H. Collins, are staying at the Empire Hotel. Mrs. . Macdonaldls down to say good-bye to her son, who loaves with the Seventeenth Reinforcements.

I British/ and Allies' Relief Fund. I Miss Litchfield and Miss Morison have receivee] at tho Town Hall parcels of clothing for the British . and Allies' Relief Fund from: Mrs. Joseph (Grant Road), Miss Sladden (Petone), Mangaweka Rod Cross Society (one case), olio anonymous case; two anonymous parcels. Unfortunate Infants. The latest war names to be recorded at a double christening aro "Rosa Dardanella." and "Lillo Eouvain." 'Both, it is needless to say, are daughters of soldiers. Coif. . Tho final of the ladies' championship, of tho Johnsonville Golf Club was played on Saturday between Mrs. F. Buddie and Miss Davis. Mrs. Buddie won with a good deal to sparo. A Valuable Nogleoted Flan*.. Dandelion, once looked'upon as only a weed, is rapidly becoming a plant of commercial importance, for it. is valuable in many ways. Tho "Scientific American" prints pictures of a dandelion farm near New Haven, Conn., and of tho gathering of the crop, detailing at tho same- time some of the nianifotcl virtues of the plant. "The use of dandolion leaves as a pot herb or salad in the early spring ( is wellknown in this country," it says. The country people mako from them a tonic recommended for purifying - the blood. Its use for' the table' has become 60 universal that in a number of places large fields are devoted, ciltiroly ,v to its culture. The leaves, when boiled, form an agreeable' substitute for the spinach and other greenß at/ a much earlier period oftbo season' than that in •which any other plant is found to ripen in this climate. The flowers are used for making so-called dandelion wine." Many tons of dandelion roots are imported from Germany, Austria, aiid Franco every year, local growers seemingly not knowing that the' roots aro worth moro than tho tops. They are dug up in the'lato fall' or' early spring, when they contain the full virtue of their medicinal qualities. The dried foot is sold by wholesale druggists at from lid. to 14d. a pound. Feilding Notes. Miss Livosay gavo a delightful Rod Cross tea last week. Among the guests wore: Mesdames Innes-Jones, Walker, Lothbridgc, Miles, Etchings, Binns, Fitzgerald, Broad, Ward, Waymouth,' Miller, Mason, Misses Brown, Miller, Waymotith, Walker, Levin, Inncs-Joncs, Robertson (Wellington). -, Miss Robertson is the guest of Mrs. Broad. Mrs. Miles has boon staying in Wellington. N Mrs. AVaymouth has gone to Wellington. Mrs. Haggitt is in Wanganui. Miss Wright (Wellington) is tho guest of Mrs. Miles. Thra St. John's Church hold its annual bulb show oh Friday. Tho flowers were. most beautiful, in . spiEo of tho boisterous weather we have been experiencing. Tho principal prize-win-ner was Mr. Norman Gorton. Among those present woro: Mesdames InnesJones, Walker, Fitzgerald, Hitchings, Broad,- Binns, . Lethbridge, Mason, Fowler, Haggitt, Browne, Barton, Bla'kall, Fry, Fitzherbort, Levin, Roberts, Atkinson, and many others.. . Taranaki has just had a visit from an- interesting lady—Miss Kirk, from South Africa (reports the Hawera "Star"). Sho came over to New Zealand especially to learn all 6hc could about cheese-making, and the Government Dairy -Division officers .gavo her all the'information at their disposal. But she was, not satisfied with this; she went into the factories and worked at the cheese vats for days and days, so as to gain ,-a practical knowledge as well. In .conversation with a reporter, Miss Kirk said that they were not taking on cheese-making in South Africa in tho way they were in New Zealand. They were mostly farm dairies, but in their own way they had made : quite a lot of fairly Mod cheese 'this last year or two, and there appeared to be an inclination to develop tho industry over there, to scafuo extent. Some districts were quite suitable for dairying,- and doubtless good herds of cattle would soon be! established.' At present'there was a large number of Kalßr cows, and one moderately good herd of 80 of these had managed to give '40 gallons of milk to their factory per day—an averago of half a gallon of milk por day per cow.

-' "I think most grocers are strongly in favour of girl assistants,".the manager of one of the largest establishments in London said to a pressman last month. "They are vory quick at learning the trado, and I am inclined to believe they have come to stay. It's all nonsense to say. they' don't "put their minds ou their work, and that it's no use training thorn, as they won't stick to it. They will; they like tho work, and can do it well. Of course, they cannot lift tho heavy weights, but .they know the goods, and our lines are varied; they do up parcels neatly, and please the customers, because they take an interest in what is wanted." A girl assistant was noticed behind the counter of a local establishment the other day.

WELLINGTON ORPHANS' CLUB A "LADIES' NIGHT." The Wellington Orphans' Club lias every renson to bo satisfied with the success of its "ladies' night;" which was given in "the Town Hall on Saturday 9vening. It is true that a mishap occurred in. connection with the lighting of the stage, which refused at the last moment to co its duty for the. benefit of tho orcliestra that was stationed. there, brut in. spite, of the difficulties, which such; an occurrence naturally entailed upon the performers an enjoyable and well-executed programme was given. Most elaborate decorations beautified the hall, the work of Orpbaus Dodderill and Cooke, the colour scheme at once striking a note or warmth and cheeriness. JVom the ceiling had been hung innumerable .nags, large and of every conceivable colour,'and aJJ.round the' outside of the galleries wei;o placed at intervals sinking designs carried out with shields, pennants/and lances, on which were inscribed such mottoes as ."Honour the Brave 1" "Well done, Anzacsl etc., 'etc. Alternating with -these were other Warlike designs carried out in red and yellow drapery, while red and yellow ornamented the. walls underneath the galleries. The barren wasto of the organ.; ;seats, usually; so obtrusive and empty, were hidden from view by a dark: .green curtain drawn right across from side to side; forming an excellent; b'aokgrorund for three, very, .brilliant Chinese umbrellas, ou- which' rioted all manner of strange beasts and birds." As already mentioned, the .'orchestra'still further ornamented the stage, in company with a variety .of palms and pot plants. Altogether the decorations were extremely effective. _ , - Tho programme opened with amusioal episode entitled "A Hunt in ;a" •Forest," played , by tho Orphans' Or- ■ r.hestra, a band of some forty or fifty instrumentalists (principally violins and j cgllos), a medley of • sounds, dogs, roosters. and birds being introduced. Orphan Hamilton Hodges sang the. "Prologue from 'I Pagliacci,'" with orchestral accompanimcufc, a contribution which was quito the best thing of the 1 evening, followed by au encore, r "Coming Home" : (somowljat of a descent after th*r provious mimber). Orphan W. Crawford contributed a sories of "water scenes" ivith clever facial and vooal expression,'- and Orphan S. liaslett Extoi) contributed, two songs (bracketed), "If You Would Lovo Me" •And "Kathleen." ■ With "Brian of GlemaTt," Orphan Rupert Sleates d'elighted his audience, and ho was brought back tor two 'other .'bass songs, in. Fortunately tlio programme was a fairly short one, or the encore habit would very likely have prolonged it until midnight hours, us practically every item was either twice or three times encored. Orphan Herbert Wood sang spiritedly ''The Drummer Boy," .with chorus by the Orphans. .' _ ' _ " During the interval, the Rev. Mr. Hunt . (Chief Orphan) made an apology fqr tho estromely, inconsiderate action i#f tho lighting apparatus,- which had promised to bp a calamity to tho orchestra. Tho audience • was 'thanked ■ for its large attendance, and attention was drawn to the decorative work-of the two Orphans already mentioned in thisconnection. Supper was then handed' •round by the general assemblage f>{ Orphans, all of whom wore a Broad blue; band across their chests, which;: sot;

them apart from ordinary'mortals on this occasion, and proclaimed them to bo tho hosts. Contributing to' tho second part ot tho. evening's entertainment were tho orchestra, with an overture, "Pique Dame," following which was a humor> otis sketch, "Tho Burglar," by Orphan .1. Culford Bel!, tho Judgo, Orphan J. Eraser Thompson, • the Burglar, arid Orphan Len' Haulon the Butler. Some humour at the piano was given by Orphan Ernest Luks, and a quartet, "Spin, Spin," by Orphans Wood, Exton, Goudie, and Meatus, was._ another distinctive feature of the evening. As a grand finale, the "Soldier's Farewell" was given by the Orphan Chorus, followed by the singing of the National Anthem. Orphan George Holloway was tho' accompanist of the evening, and did very good work at the piano. Tho programmes which were issued wero quite charming, in tones of buff, brown, and blue, the last-uanicd'colour being supplied by tho little blue how of .ribbon with which they wore tied together at the top, whilo.aU the printing was carried out in brown ink.