ROSE FETE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 64, 8 December 1917, Page 5

ROSE FETE

HONOURING N.Z. NURSES

THE MEMORIAL FUND A great amount of interest had been aroused in the Rose which was held in the Town Hall yesterday afternoon and evening in aid of the New Zealand Nurses' Memorial Fund. Instead of tho rose shoW, which isl usually held at this time of the year, the Wellington Hose nnd Carnation Chib had centred all its energies upon this fete, lo which a unique attraction in tho way of a Dutch Tulip tiarden had been added. That tho cause was one which had commended itself to many people was shown by the result, which was to he seon in the hall, and which marked ft out as being one of the most cTiarming displays that had been seen there for a long time. Tho tulip garden, which occupied the centre of the floor, was naturally tho first to strike the eye with its gay blending of colours, its pretty arrangement of beds, and its summer-house covered with wistaria, while last, but not least, was the little pond in which floated water-lilies. A low white picket fence surrounded the garden, and inside the enclosure attendants (with Mrs. TVilford in charge), wearing pretty quaint Dutch dress, sold the tulips, to the roots of which prizes were attached. The tulips, it is hardly necessary to state, wore artificial, and were of tho prettiest shades of colour, blue, purple, lavender, yellow (some with wonderfully clever markings on the petals), flams, and variations of the colours already mentioned. The novelty of the idea and the wonderfully clever way in which the garden had been carried out made an appeal that was hard to resist, and tulips left the hall in large numbers. Another great attraction was the splendid decorative display of roses on stands in front of tho platform, made by Mr. T. Waush. The miniature arch of "Daily Mail" roses (Madame Edward Heriot't) was greatly admired, and other roses which were exceedingly beautiful were the "Lndy Hillingdou," the ."Red Lettpr Day" (viviJT crimson roses), "A. 11. Waddell," and many others. Several stalls . had been arranged rotHia the hall, among them being a combined stall of flowers, lemons, and cakes, of which Mrs. H. Gore and Mrs. Johnston (of Kelburn) were in charge. The flowers on this stall were gorgeous, and the way in which the three had been arranged, with a trellis-work covered with.scarlet ramblers, enhanced ■heir beauty. Great masses of sweet peas of every conceivable shado of colour had been sent in from many country districts, roses, carnations, hydrangeas, Christmas lilies, pansies, Iceland poppies, in fact every kind of flowers that blooms at this time of the year. The lemon stall had been most charmingly arranged, tho predominating colours, of course, being shades of pale yellows and greens. Not the least of its attraction was the refreshingly fragrant scent of the lemons. Tho cake section of the threo .stalls also made an excellent display of a great variety of homc-mado calces, bread, scones, etc., while all the attendants wore white dresses with black and white frilly check aprons and large trimmed hats.

Anotucr stall which made a very fine display of flowers was that of Mrs. Walter Nathan, and here again quantities .of beautiful flowers had been sent in, so that it was practically nothing but a mass of vivid colouring. 'J'lie sweet peas were especially fine, and the difficulty was to find space for them. Thore was also a produce stall which did excellent business, a feature of it being the fine display of [vegetables which had been sent in; Mrs. W. Young was in charge, assisted by Mrs. Matthew-Holmes;- Mrsi A. M. Johnston, Mrs. Mitford, and others. ■' Mrs. Joseph had a swost stall, at which all the delicious sweets for which she is so well known were sold, including ices. She was assisted by Miss Joseph and other helpers. In charge of the tea room, which was underneath tho gallery, were Mrs. Hiley and Mrs. J. Findfay, who also sold strawberries and cream. The fete was opened at 3-o'clock by Surgeon-General Henderson, who was formally welcomed by Mr. Harcourt, president of the Jlose and Carnation Club. In the course of his speech, General Henderson said that the obect for which tho fete was held, that of raising a fund for tho relief of necessitous cases among the nurses that may arise, through no fault of their own, and so commemorating the splendid work of our nurses must appeal to everyone. In ordinary life, people perhaps hardly appreciated at their true value the scientific worth of tho miree whom they called in to attend upon them, but tho war had shown how invaluable they were and how scientific that work . was. New Zealand had done ndbly in regard to the war, and in addition to her soldiers she had sent or would have sent in a little

while 450 nurses to ivprk in .the hospitals overseas. Of their work the doctors and matrons had spoken most highly, and had said how very glad they were to get New Zealand, nurses in their hospitals. In England, France, Egypt, Salonika, and wherever the war was being waged, the nurses were doing their part, and many ol them had not been spared tho dangers of being under gunfire. General lieuderson spoke of the wonderful lyork that had been done by a nursing sister in Serbia. She had plunged into that incredible suffering and misery vliii-n had fallen upon - that country, had worked for the'relief of that suffering as far as was humanly possible, had shared in that terrible retreat over the mountains, walking every foot of the way, and finally iiad been decorated by .King Peter. It was nothing new to read of nurses being mentioned in dispatches, and seven bad secured thi highest honour that could be conferred upon them—that of the First Class c>l .the Royal lied Cross, while 16 had had conferred upon them the Royal lied Cross (Second Class). The great strain under which nurses so often worked was referred to by the speaker, and under that strain their health sometimes gave way. It was for such cases as these, and for those who through the advance of years were no longer able to carry on the struggle that the funds raised in honour of the New Zealand nurses who had given their lives for their fellow-men were being raised. Just as the flowers which they saw about them diffused their fragrance and brightness wherever they were, so did the nurses bring comfort, sympathy,, and hopo to the men who were suffering so greatly, and courage to those who had yet'further trials to face. General Henderson then declared Hie fete open, and wished it all possible success.

Anion"' those who were present, were the Mayoress, Mrs. J. P. Luke, and Miss Hester Maclean, matron-m-chict of the N.Z.A.N.S., whose work was spoken of in terms of praise by Genera! Henderson in tlie course of his speech.