WOMAN'S WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 277, 19 August 1919, Page 2

WOMAN'S WORLD.

(By Imogen.)

MATTERS OF INTEREST FROM FAS AND KBAEj

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

-hwk «t ?h S i . r a\so -CIO.OOO for the 10l n lm?\ Auckl, \ U(1 Centra of tho St. m-» B • "o anc ? Asi «>«atioii is to be f, , 1 'J '"' ,>or -, 14 was ''"P™. I™J i/ *■ P. rovil lp °no motor ambulance ready tor nervico at any hour of o day or m sht. The association hoped u'nvl- a PP OI "t three trained nurses for lni ,- ln ■ - I ' lo ass ouiiition also had in view tho erection of a sulj-st'a-tiou at Lpsom, and money was also needed for general work. Tho monthly meeting of tho Ladies' Auxiliary of the Boys' Institute was iold (it tho Boys' Institute, Mrs. J. llis<t>P, president, being in tho chair. Tho rollowing other members were presentMesdames Moorhouse, Wilson, Troup, Jloore, Brown, Pavton, Watkins, Stantoil, and Misses M'Leod and Gilchrist lloutino business was transacted and accounts passed for payment. Opportunity was taken to welcome tho new matron, Mrs. Wills, late of M'Glaahan College for Boys, Duiiedm. A Cinderella dance in aid of St. Joseph's Bazaar is being held this week in tho i\ew Century Hall. Miss lloran and Miss Troy arp ( the joint secretaries. The Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Sprott) and Mrs. Sprott are giving an "At Home m the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall on Friday. In a lecture on "Tho London Child and tlio Kineraa," at the County Hall, Spring Gardens, London, recently, Dr. C. W. Kimmins quoted from essays written by GOOO children, showing that 2o per cent., mostly girls, liked domestio and fairy stories, 15 per cent, preferred adventures, tho children of. the poorer districts were keen on "serials," 5 per cent, liked "crook" stories, 3 per cent, were intorsted in lovo stories, and only 'i per cent, in educational films. Girls wero rnoro interested in domestic and fairy stories, and boys in cowboy and adventurous films. The love" interest starts among girls at tho ago of eleven. Explaining why she had never been to tiio ldnoma, one child wrote; "My sisters wont, and three days afterwards ono had scarlatina and tho other measles." •Another wrote; "It is not healthy, sticking inside a'hot placo taking other people's breaths." Dr. Kimmins stated that u committee of psychologists would soon be appointed to inquire into tho educational value of the fijm.

The matron of the Wellington Hospital acknowledges the following sifts-.—Crutch, books, journals: Mrs. C. A. Hunt. Graphics: Mrs. Martin (Kent Terrace). Books: Mrs. Adams (Terrace), Jlr. Hogg. Flowers: Mrs. Suckling. Papers, .Mrs. Wharton. Children's Hospital—Toys and books: Mns. Adams (Terrace). Souvenir books, oranges, and wvccts: A. S. Paterson and Co. Dressed doll and dolls' clothes: Mi's. Adams. Sweets-. Misq Veitch. Concert and dressed dolls: Coit'ege girls\

Tho Navy League has secured, tho use of tho Garrison Jla.ll, Buckle Street, for the purposes of a dance to bs tendered to tho officors of H.M.S, New Zealand on I'riday evening next.

In Stockholm (Sweden) 15 women aro now town councillors, and of these ono Liberal, two Conservatives, and two Socialists havo been returned, leaving -10 who aro entirely new members. Ono of tho objects for which Swedish Socialist women ai'o working is that of pensions for widows. They aro of tho opinion that this is tho best way of guaranteeing to women who aro tho solo support of children the possibility of (Jevoting themselves to the care of their children,' and that unmarried mothers and divorced or deserted-wives should be guaranteed assista.neo from tho community for the support of the children.

, Miss Emilia Polini, tho clever actress who has mado a very favourable impression on Australian audiences in "Do Luxe Annie" and "Tho Eyes of Youth," has been re-cngascd for a further term by tho Tnita. An early visit to tho Dominion is promised.

Orders aro being issued to tho effect that nil officers of the New Zealand Ex-, petitionary Force attending the citizens' ball to Admiral Lord Jellicoo shall wear uniform. With tho elaborato decorations that aro planned, to say nothing of tho charming colours of tlio 1 frocks that will bo worn, tho sceno should bo a brilliant oner Within the last day or two a considerable number of invitations Have been issued.

The girls' branch of the Ladies' Auxiliary. of the Navy League arc entertaining tho officers <Si. the New Zealand at a dance in tho Drill Hall, Buckle Street, on Friday' night, August 22. Tho end of tho week promises to bo very gay with all tlio different events that havo been planned for tlio entertainment of tho officers and men of the visiting battleship.

The Vanishing Jazz. , The jazz is falling into its grave unwept, unhonoured, but not altogether unsung (stated a London paper at the, end of .Tune).- Mr. .lack May, who was responsible for introducing 'it in this country, has been composing its obituary notice. "I predict that within two' months it will lmvo passed away, and at the end of three months will' bo forgotten," he said. "The jazx is dying of its own fury. The main reason for its decay is that jay./ bands can be danced to, but not listened to without a shat-. lering of the nerves. Another reason is that pseudo-ja.-a bands havo; sprung up all over tho place. Giving themselves fancy names and' providing themselves with a cymbal, a Jow's harp, an old tin oan, and a trumpet, they have described 1 tho resultant unholy noise as 'jazz.' Naturally. the British public could not stand .that for any time. Then it has been the fashion to describe everything' 'loud' as jazz this or that. Wo have got 'jazz socks,' 'jazz parasols,' 'jazz tics,' 'iazz frocks.' That would kill anything. The real jazz is rather difficult to explain. Five men will play a tuno on diflorent instruments while two or three of tho instruments' will go off into tremolos or lit.tlo side bits which may not be written down and which they make up as they go alongis 'Our experience,' s-.vid a director of Ashtoh's Tloyal Agency, 'is that among tho better-class people iazz is a dead number.' "

"Ns Troops Out Yet!" A story is told in tho Cambridge Magazine of what happened to two girl graduates in,Jnpan, who happened to bo ardent advocates of what are generally called women's rights. On May 22, states a Sliimonoseki messago to the "Asahi," the graduation ceremony of tho Bniko Jogakulin, at Mnruyamacho, fihimonoseki, was held when Hirotsn Shidzuko, one of the graduates and a daughter of the director of tho school, delivered a speech advocating an extension of fetnnlo rights and claiming womon's suffrage, much to the surprise of tlioso present. At a farewell • mooting held tho some night at tho school, under the auspices of tho Student.-;' Association, Okaljo llnruko, another graduate, spoke, pointing out the erroneous character of tho education now being given to girls, which, slio said, is conducted in accordance with the out-of-date teachings of Cu.fiiicius. She emphasised I lie necessity of women's emancipation. The girl orutor wont oil to urge the abolition of tho licensed prostitution t-ystem of Japan, and tho importance of temperance, referring also to the question of men's chastity and the necessity of women's suffrage, ,'t'he police headquarters of Yamaguchi prefecture, which wore int'oinicd of tliX event, some timo ufi.erwards, aro ile-jjrihed as being greatly mi'prised at what had takou place, and lost 110 time in dispatching detectives to Shimonosoki to nuiko a full investigation into tho matter. The Shimono.;eki mes'Jag'j to the Osaka jonrnnl r.dds that the liaiko .fo-akuin is a mis,;ion school, with some Korean girls aiming its students a fact which led (he local police U) keep a walclmil eye 011 the institution on tho ocenoion of the .eccnl disturbances in Korea. No troops so far have been called out to ileal with (ho girl graduates, states the "Japan Chronicle."

Clubs for Women.

The new London club which is to be founded by somo of the members who have seceded from tho Lyceum Club points to it growing need among women, "states an English exchange.

There aro not enough clubs for women in London. Some of tho older clubs, associated with tho Army and Navy, are very good, but they do not appeal to tho professional woman who works for her living and who wants to havo a direct say in tho management of tho club to which she belongs.

The club so many of us really need should not be confined to one profession, but to all professions. The teacher should havo a chance to meet the actress, (lie medical woman tho opportunity of getting to know the artist, the highly qualified business woman tho .hope of making friends with women who write. Work, rather than tho typo of work, should be tho common bond. Such a club should bo situated in the heart of London; it should mako a special feature of woll-cooked meals. It should -bo open later than ten, at which hour one wellknown woman's club shuts its doors. And it should possess soveral bathrooms —an important point for women living in "converted" houses without baths.

Almost all women smoko to-day, so rather than a'Toora for smokers there should bo a room for non-smokers.

Above all, each member sbonld bo encouraged to talco an active interest in tho club; details of management should not be left to an autocratic committee which-is not at all representative of the club members.

. To crown its success there should bo a club hostess to mako introductions. Women do not as a rule join clubs after the fashion of men, to seek solitude. But unless there is somo tactful, kindly person to break the ice for one it is tho most difficult thing in tho world for tho shy woman to make acquaintances in a club. The club hostess would prove invaluable in bringing together women who really wanted to meet. ■ A Great Centenary, In May last the-fourth centenary of Leonardo d'n. Vinci, scientist, man of letters, poet, and painter, was celebrated in Italy, "l'ho Tahl.et," in referring to Ids work as an artist (one of the greatest of Italy's golden age) describes "La Giaconda" as "that disturbing,. sphinx-like portrait which gold could hardly buy today, in which Leonardo's art at its lushest and his genius in its full flower may bo studied by any one who visits the Louvre and has eyes to'see-«$ so many havo not. Vasari tells that when its cdlours were I'rcsh there was a touch of vermilion at the lips that has faded- nowj but on the whole tho picture is admirably preserved, and has suffered little from 'dccay's defneing finger.' Like tlio Moses of Michelangelo, like tho Madonna di San Sisto of liaphael, like Giotto's tower and Brunelleschi's dome, La Gioconda will remain for ever the monument aero perennius of tho long dead hands that painted her." Irresistibly tho writer in "The Tablet" turned to Walter Pater, who wrote in words that will always bear retelling: "Tho presence that roso thus so strangely besido tho waters is expressive of what in the ways of a-thousand years men [had come to desire. Hers is the head I upon which all 'the ends of tho world j are come,' and tho eyelids are a little weary. It id a v beauty wrought out from within upon the flesh, tho deposit, cell by cell, of strange thoughts and fantastic reveries aud exquisite* passions. Set it for a moment beside ono. of those white Greek goddesses or 'beautiful women of antiquity, and how they would, bo troubled .by this beauty, into .which tho foul', with al'l' its maladies - has passed!. "AH Ih.o thoughts and experience of'.the .world havo etched and moulded;there, in that which'., they, havo of power to refine and make expressive ,tho'outwafd form, tho animalism of Greece, the lust of Homo, tho mysticism of the. middle ages with its spiritual ambition and imagine tivo love. . ."

And then follows tlio most wonderful! pieco of prose that Pater over wrote—

"She ;ig older than tho rocks among Ji'hich she site; like the vampire, she has been dead, many times, and learned tho secrets of tho grave; and has been a diver in. deep seas,.and keeps their fallen diry Q.bout her; and trafficked for strango webs with Eastern merchants: and, as Leda, was the mothor of Helen of Troy, and, as 'St. Anne, tho mother of Mary; and iill jlhis has been to he.r but the sound of lyres and flutes, and lives only in the tlel.icnoy with which it has moulded tho changing lineaments and tinged the eyelids and tho hands."

Roses from Ypres. Somo moving incidents were witnessed on tho occasion of tho recent visit to Ypres of tho King and Queen of the Belgians with their guests, President and Mre. Wilson. Among the ruins of Ypres, King Albert read tho following legend: "This is holy ground. No stono of this fabric may bo taken away. It is a heritage for all civilisod pcopleo." "I am_ glad that has been done," said tho King, "this is indeed sacred ground." Somo forty children, of both sexes, natives of Ypres, wero led forward by tho parish euro and presented tlio Queen and Mrs. Wilson with bouquets of white roses gathered amid the nuns.