SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 78, 27 December 1919, Page 4

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Mrs. M. Eggers, who has been headmistress of tlio Poiianginft School for the past two years and has been transferred to Waituna West, was entertained at 11 farewell social by the I'ohangina residents last week, and received a presentation ns a token of esteem and appreciation. Mr. and Mrs. 11. D. Robertson, of Auckland, have returned to London after visiting Norway, Swollen, Denmark, Holland, Belgium,* and France, and are now at tho Carlton Hotel (states a London correspondent). Their return passage to New Zealand was booked for the Orsova, sailing on November 22. | Miss Helen Card'ner, of Dunedin, reI ocntlv gave a farewell concert there prior to taking up her residence in Wellington, where she is already well known as a silver in amateur opera. Speaking ot her the "Otago Daily Times says:"Vcrv few in the community have <lona more' to assist, in a voluntary way, the advance of music and tata a more prominent part in entertainments than illss G Helen Gard'ner. Miss Gardner is probablv best known in connection with the production of comic opera, in which f=ho has always proved that she possesses talent far bevond the ordinary. llio name of Gard'ner has been a familiar ono in Dunedin for a number of years Mis* Gard'nc"''s father, Mr. Maitland ffird'ner I : 'ut been foremost amon? Hie loeaV ''M celebrities of tho past. Tt is a. di , -' i: ' , Hv musical family that , Miss Gard'uc"' belong to, and she is onlv ono member of it who has taken ur> music as a profession with considerable success. A special feature about Miss Helen Gardner's public appearances has always been that there was never any lark of animation in anythin" she did: this samp animation usually being a sadly deficient quantity in those who. do not • give themselves wholly to tho stage."

Miw Marearet Sutcliffe, who is playing | t-ho Fairy Malevolence in "The Ripping Beauty"'pantomime with .7. C. Williamson in Melbourne, will be Tomembered ns a former teacher of elocution in Wellington. .Anion!! weddings recently celebrated in Groat Britain (states the "British Australasian" of November fll were those ot Air. George Frederick Drahble. eldest son lof the Into Mr. Frederick /Dra«)le, of New Zealand, to Miss Abce Dorothy Scott", eldest daughter of Mr. "Jul Wr*. S'cott, of Northwnod; and of Mr. William Donslns Welsh, eldestson of the late Captain W. Welsh, P.N., to Irnie Clendinni'ig Widow _ of Mr. Chnrlcs TT. T. Merton, of Christchnrch, New Zealand. The wedding toolc pineo at Pl'. Alhan's Church, Eastbourne last week of Miss Fav E. finvirwl; eldest daughter nf Mr. Rnvwnrtl. of Eastbourne, and Mr. Cedne TTnelcworth. youncest son °f 51r ' J - TTnoVworth. of Lyall Bay. The 0. M Stent performed the ceremony. I lie hri<le, who wp« pyon away by her hro-, flier. j\Tr. G. ?. Bayward, wore a frock nf white sil'" voile and a wide, ensh ot blue sat'", Her veil of fine net was fasHied with nrnnee blossoms. and she carried a shower boimuet of whih rnyesaml n ink carnations. Mis=> Waimoni. Miss Collo'n Ravward. nm» Mi-s »>T* Reid were liride°mn''ls, -ml Mr. P. ITackworth and Ar.- V 1? Wells wre host man and pro'onisinaii rcsnectivelr. A reception was -ftenvards he'd, and later Mr. ami MrM| Hackwork left for the north, before sailing for Sydney, whero they intend to live. .. , • Tt will nroheWy interest some people j™ lorn that, Tmiisn M. Alcotts b?ok "Liltle Women." has been dramati-ed and was nlavcd in tho New Theatre, T.ondon. recentlv. It met with an enIhns'tistic rerention._ _ Com ™°M it tl'c drnmat'c. critic of the Paily Vews" stated tlint "one would not -av« thought it possib'e to dramatise a book Mas no areat excitement, of plot or incident, and that relies entirely on he naturalness, linmonr, and pathos w'th which everyday neonle are described, ivin? thoir everyday lif c * And 1 lias 'been done!"

A largo number of the V.A.D.'s. who had so manv venvs of traimns and who did such excellent work during the war, are no«'. available' for civilian serv'ee Mates the "Manch.e'ter Joint Commitr-e of B-e British Bed Cross aml the St John Ambiilnuo" Association, under whose direction they have worked, l a" anreed to maintain their jomt control. but til" problem is how and where to emplov tlw V.AA's to the best advantage. ' T bo St. John oriaui'ation was. of cuii'se, formed lone before the war for civilian as well as war service, while the Bed Cross was by ih constitution not allowed to do anv civilian work it kept itself prepared for war. s°rvicc. Any "cheme arrived at hv the Joint Conjmitfeo ,11C!"'S co-oncratinn "'lih tho Ministry of HealH'. the Ministry of Pensions, and - if the W«r Office deede to maintain that organisation, the Territon.l Force Association. That is to say. they would look forward to ' doing inf«nt health and welfare work, to help—as Colnnp] WpW> nt iecont confovmice—with disabled roldiers requiring orthopaedic treatment, and anywhere else Where they mieht be useful. Obviously a scheme so wide in scone requires careful prenaratiV'i, and it may be a Jong lime before the results of preliminary discussions and conferences can be mado known.

,\t the meeting of the lieajlqiiarters executive of tho Women's National Beserve last week, it was decided to close the Bcsorve office till February ... Mis. Hone is leaving for an extended holiday to Hawke's Bay. The Victoria League, New Plymouth, lvis donated four dozen towels to the Women's National Eeeervo residential nursery. Mis* ft. Scott left to-dav on aft extended holiday trip to Auckland. Tlio secretary of the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board acknowlpd"cs the following donations for Clirist,nas cheer: -Mr. W. Fraser Short, JIS; Anonymous, & 1? c •'«, Jo lirdns tiivl and Mrs. ft. Smithy «£- eaoli; Si'. Minecnl: de Paul Society, Si. ' Some memhers of the senior ond junior departments of the Y.W.C.A. left on Boxing Bay for a week's camp at Haywards. The ?a 111 ping ground is in a deliglitiul spot. _ ' "Mr. and Mrs. Simon Edilson, proprietors of the Hotel Grand Central, gave'a Christmas dinner "in honour of their infant son to about 100 guests stayin" in the house. The room was prettily decorated with, flags and Chinese lanterns, the tables with flafr.s, bon-bons, and a uiiitiuely-desisned menu-card boro liho compliments of the season. The dinner was thoroughly enjoyed, and a. very pleasant gathering terminated at about ;i.30 p.m.

Women Referees. Should women referee in football matches? This important matter camo before the Surrey Itefereos' Examination Committee at Woking, when Mrs. Butler, of liydo House Ripley, presented herself for examination as a qualified referco (states an English exchange). So keen was she to obtain her certificate that, being detained, she wired that she could not arrive until a certain hour. 011 her arrival the committee informed her that tlicv knew of 110 rulo under which they could examino her. Her rfply was that her application form had been accepted, and therefore she ought to be examined. The committee decided to refer the point to tho Football Assnciat'cn. Mrs. Butler proved that she had a sound knowledge of tho game. She trains the school team, as well as "rcferceing" in matches, and after tho committee's decision she provoked an argument and "tied up" at least one member on points of offsido.

Christmas at the Receiving Home. ' Simla Clans can have had few more genuine welcomes than lie received on Tuesday afternoon at tho Wellington Receiving. Homo, 117 Tinakori Jfoad. As most people know, the liecc-ving j]om° is tho temnora.lT home ot those little ones who, through thfi death or misfortuno of their parents, become the wards of the Stale. .Nowadays the State is no luush guardian, and through its oiiicinls it endeavours to make up as far fis possible io these children for the handicap with which liio has started for them; that il; is at any rale sometimes successful in this effort was clearly proved oil Tuesdav afternoon, it one may judge by tho happy faces to bo seen there. This year more than a dozen children, varying in age from U years |o a few months, are lodged 111 the home; to the entertainment of these homeless little ones as much care and lhough';jvns given as falls to tho lot of the richest children under tho most fortunate cil--umstances. A few children had been jnrited, to share the pleasure of the inhales of tho honiQ, and these, with many >lder girls, now out in service, who and obtained a holiday for the occasion, made a really merry party. _ Many kind friends who are interested in this parlieularlv humano and useful work 01 Hie Sin to had sent donations, and Mrs 'vt-Jackson. and her staff had wonted nobly to' make Chi'xsl'.inns a really happy reniory for these small citizens, lbe 00m, which in normal times jfi dovoted 0 the clerical work of the institution ivas gaily decorated for tho occas:on n-itli coloured streamers and ribbons, :onverging 011 a magnificent tree, covjred with gay ornaments and lmng with resents for every child. Mr. Beck, the Superintendent of Special Schools under he Education Department, acted as "atlier Christmas, and distributed. the pfts amid great excitement. Enthusiasm ■cached its height when Mrs. Pyt-Jaek-ion discovered what seemed to bo a *olden nugget hidden in coloured papor; ;his turned out to 'be a charming scent >ol tie given to the manager by her staff n token of the good and sympathetic vork that she has dono during the year, diss Holmes, the matron, also found hat her work had boon appreciated j>y hoso associated with her. After the roe had yielded rip its last treasure. 110 children wevo given a "rcally-truly '.'hr'stmas tea—with crackers, cakes j_elies. and trifles, and all that a child Kiiild possibly wish for. Music and games nought a most memorable day to a ilose. Disappointment was expressed by he workers that owing to tho lack of nac© and funds they wore unable to xtoml their hospitality to the. children rim ore boarded out with foster parents, ind hope that some day the.v will bo bio to introduce Father Christmas to hem also.

Women in Engineering. According to a report, issued by the | Women's Industrial League, on women ill the engineering trades, the number of women employed by engineering firms is 81 per cent, above the number of those employed by the same firms in pre-war days, though during the waf tlio lwrcentago increased to as much as GOO (states an English exchange). In every class of engineering work the number ot processes on which women have been engaged has enormously increased. In tho machine tool section, for instance, a dozen processes' aro now in women s hands as against none previous to the war j in foundry work and steel manufacture the proportion is 18 to 5. Totrazzini Again In London; Madame Totrazzini lias grown a littlo more massive sinco she w'as last heard in London, but her voice has lost nono of its range or magnificent quality (says an exchange). She fairly electrified the large Albert Kali audience with "Ah, fors o liii," and particularly with her rendering of the mad scono from 'Hamlet, as set by Ambroise Thomas. Tho tenderness. the sincerity, and the overpowering pathos which she read into tins, ono of the most poignant passages_ in aH literature, wero Shakespearean in their sublimity. Tho audience accorded tho singer a great ovation. Madame letrazzini was assisted by Mr. Frank millings, the tenor, and Madame Rcnee Ohemot, a French violinist of exceptionally brilliant gifts.