SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 102, 23 January 1918, Page 2

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

A Welcome to Dr. Agnes Bennett. The reception loom of tho Women's Club (Sydney) could hardly hold all the ladies who gathered there to welcomo back Dr. Agnes Bennett after her years of service abroad (writes "Songa" in the "Australasian"). Dr. Bennett (who also belongs to Wellington) y.is one of the original hundred vonwn who, 16 years ago, started the Women's Club, and all the early members . who could do so, bb well as many of a later day, gathered to do her honour. Wearing the serviceable uniform of grey tweed and grey felt hat with white band, and her two decorations—the white ribbon of the Order of St. Staifa (tho Serbian equivalent of the French Legion-of Honour), and the blue and white of the Royal Rod Cross—Dr. Bennett gave a description of her association with tho Scottish women's hospitals in Serbia, which was of thrilling interest. She prefaced her remarks with a brief resume of Serbian history and the causes which led to the present war. After seeing servico in Egypt and England she was persuaded by Dr. Elsie Inglis to take charge of one of the units of the Scottish women's hospitals for Serbia. The assembling of the equipment (which comprised 1600 hales of luggage), and the selection of a staff of 70, all women, was Dr., Bennett's initial task. On the staff, were Dr. de Garis, of Melbourne; Dr. Lilian Cooper, of Brisbane; Miss Bedford, Brisbane; Miss Stirling, of Adelaide; and Mrs. Ingels, of Melbourne. Then came the landing at Salonika and the adyanco to Monnstir. The description of tho succouring of the wounded, i\ho had to Le conveyed over impossible roads full of steep, gradients and hairpin bends, the fight against typhus, which threatened at one time to wipe out the whole Serbian Army; the formation of "funk holes" for pationts and nurses—for the hospital was constantly shelled—and tho difficulty of making the staff take cover—these and other details kept her auditors spellbound. Tho women soldiers of Serbia, with whom Dr. Bennett came into frequent contact, are not, as one might suppose, unsexod/and bmtalised creatures, but simple peasant women, 'bent on helping their country at any cost. They are splendid fighters, too. Frequent attacks of malaria forced Dr. Bennett to take a holiday, but she is to retur'i to the front immediately.

How Australian Nurses are Carod for,

■ 'What the people of New South Wales do for oho nurses who are on active service is shown by the Tecord of the Australian Nurses' Gift Fund, a Sydney patriotic movement which was started with tho object of supplying all Australian nurses (on active service) with the comforts of food and apparel which in many instances are unobtainable at tho front. Tho fund has been in existence for ovor two years, and in that time £4000 in money' and goods to the value of £2000 have been collected and dispatched to the nurses on the different fronts, lit addition, gifts of special equipment are' made to the nursos leaving Australia. Thoso include warm underwear for use in the colder climates, and garments of silk for hot weather, stockings, slippers, hot-water bags and cushions, electric irons, and all kinds of haberdashery are much valued. The parcels which are forwarded to the women v. ho are on duty in France, Salonika, India, Egypt, and England contain tinned foods, fruits, tea, cd|tee, curry powder, pepper, cocoa, sweets, and cakes. Mr*. Itussell (the organiser) and her committee receive by every mail letters of grateful thanks from the nurses, ,who say they cannot find words to express their appreciation of such jiifts. A movement is on foot to extend this work to other Australian States than New South Wales.

Trenthain was a verjf popular place yesterday, a great many people leaving the city for the racecourse. Motors, motor buses, trains,- and vehicles of every description were pressed into service, and, as usual, there -were the usual wayside scenes of motors needing sudden repairs at inopportune moments. Many of Saturday's people were again present, and iu addition were: Mrs. Moorhouse, Mr. and Mrs, Troutbeck (Napier), Mr. and Mrs. W. Peat (Wanganui), Mrs. T. H. Lowry, Mrs. Webster, Mrs. C. Pearce, the Misses Tweed. Mrs. E. Riddiford, Mrs. Nicholls-Broglie, Miss . Miles, ' Mrs. M'Kellar,Mrs. Hill, Miss .J. Hislop, Mrs. G. Nathan, Mrs. F. Ward, the Misses Coloridgo, Mrs. J. Duthie. Mrs. W. Johnston, the Misses Kennedy (2), Miss Wilford, Mrs. A. Duncan, Mrs. Napier M'Lcan, Miss Clifford, Miss Russell, Mrs. Steele, Miss Turnbull, Miss Baldwin, Mrs. Whyte, Miss Goring, Miss Hannah, and many others.

Mr. Vivian Riddiford has donated £100 of his winnings at the Wellington races to the Crippled Soldiers' and Sailors' Hostel.

The "Australasian" states that Mrs. E. Coungeau has written tho libretto of an opera of Alfred Hill's, which is shortly to he produced at the Playhouse in Sydney.

Mr. F. R. Price, Postmaster at Takiika, h«s'received intimation from tho Minister of Defence that his sister, Matron Frances Price, of tho New Zealand Field Hospital in France, has been iidmitted to- hospital. Nurso Price left with the first contingent of nurses, and after considerable service in Egypt loft for England, where sbe was instructed to proceed to France to equip a field hospital. Nurse Prico was decorated a few months ayo a> Buckingham Palace with first-class honours of her profession. Prior to t-hn outbreak' of war Miss Price was on the staff of the Wellington Hospital.

A Soholastio Feat. A double scholastic honour, which is probably unique, has been gained by Miss Olive Rowe, the only daughter of Mr. T. W. Rowc (states the Christchurch ''Press). Although she only reached her thirteenth birthday towards tho end of last April, she has passed tho matriculation examination (including those subjects which urn necessary for the solicitors' general knowledge- and medical preliminary examinations), and has gained a Senior National Scholarship, being fourth on tho list out of eighteen successful Canterbury candidates. Tho age for matriculation is sixteen, and the Senior National Scholarships aro opon to candidates under sixteen. Last year Miss Rowo Rained a Junior National Scholarship, and has now pained a Senior Scholarship while still young enough to sit for the Junior. Her education was commenced at Girton Collego, under the late Miss Freeman and Mrs. Heleno Cross,.and on the closing of that school at tho end of tho first term of 1914 slio entered tho preparatory class of the Girls' High School, and obtained her proficiency certificato at the end of that year, being at that time only a little more than ten and a half years of age.

This evening tho weekly danco of tbc Sydney Street Soldiers' Club will be hold. Holders of blue tickets are reminded that it begins at an early hour and aro asked to be present.

Mrs. Logan, wife of tho Administrator of Samoa, is at present visiting Ohristchurch.