WOMAN’S WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 173, 18 April 1921, Page 2

WOMAN’S WORLD.

MATTERS OF INTEREST FROM FAR AND NEAR.

(By

IMOGEN.)

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL If tho two most representative organisations of women, in this country have their way the next elections will see the return of several women to Parliament (states an English exchange). The joint committee for securing the election of women to Parliament was set up some time ago by the National Council of Women and the National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship, with Mrs. '.Ogilvie (Gurdon as chairman, Miss Rosamond Smith honorary secretary, and Miss Helen Fraser as honorary treasurer. It has already done a good deal of work, holding in many towns meetings which have generally been arranged by women’s organisations and which have been, well attended. It is now trying to interest men’s societies in the same way. The several party whips have been approached, and have discussed the matter in a friend!)’ way. The idea of the joint committee is that when a woman candidate stands she should be run by the local people of her own party or by a local committee if she is standing as an independent, but that the joint committee should help her financially and in other ways. It is appealing for this purpose, and, indeed, without such help few women would be able to face the expenses of an election.

Miss Ivy M. Johnson, senior sister on the staff of the Stratford Hospital, has resigned in order to go to America for further professional studies. Her resignation was received by the Hospital Board with much regret, and members decided to forward to her a testimonial and a bonus.

The wedding was celebrated at St. Anne’s Church, Newtown, on Tuesday, April 12, of Mr. E. B. Galvin, youngest son of Mrs. J. C. Galvin, of Coromandel Street, (Newtown, and’ Miss Margaret Jean Jbenihan, Jyounyist daughter of Mrs J. Lenihan, of Waterloo Avenue, Newtown. The officiating clergyman was the Rev. Father E. Sweeney. The bride, who was given away by her brother, Mr. E Lenihan, of Taihape, wore accor-deon-pleated orepe de chine and georgette, trimmed with pearls, and an embroidered veil, finished with pearls, and carried a beautiful shower bouquet of pale piuk carnations, roses, and maidenhair fern also a horseshoe presented to her by little Nancy Hill. The bridesmaid was Miss Gladys Ware, a friend of the bride, who wore a lemon georgette frilled frock, with picture hat to match, and carried a shower bouquet of bronze chrysanthemums, aujtumn leaves, and tulle streamers. The best man was Mr. F. Galvin, brother of the bridegroom. 4f'ter the ceremony, the wedding party left the church to the strains of the “Wedding March,” and with a largo number of guests were entertained at Scott’s, Manners Street. Mr. and Mrs. Galvin left for the south, and on their return will live at Newtown.

The engagement is announced of Miss Frances May Drake, second daughter of Mrs. Drake, of "Waikawa,” Manakau. to Kenneth Douglas Dalzell, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Dalzell, of Tokomaru.

At., a meeting of the Womens Civic Group held in Christchurch, the subject of a "half-way house for the detention, oteervation, and treatment’ of persons not actually insane, hut so far removed from mental normality ns to menace the community and their own interests, was discussed. The desirability of the estnl> lishment of sach an institution, was affirmed, and the hon. secretary was asked to write to the Minister of Justice (and the Minister of Health to that effect.

Miss C. D. ; Grant, of Auckland, formerly of the New Plymouth Girls’ High School, has been appointed to take charge of the Suva High School.

Matron Rothwell, of the Waikato Hospital, has resigned, after thirty years of service.

Amongst Palmerston residents who left for England last week were Dr. and Mrs. Whittaker, and Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Guy and their daughter, Mis. Harding.

Much consternation was caused among several Palmerston North women when they saw a small girl in one of the business thoroughfares riding a bicycle and trailing along behind her a perambulator in which was a baby (states the “Manawatu Evening Standard ). On turning a corner the child found that she was in danger of being run down and she immediately released her hold on the pram and cycled off, leaving it with its tiny occupant to the tender mercies of the drivers of numerous vehicle' the traffic at this time of the day being very heavy. Only by an ace did the perambulator escape total destruction, since a team of I?nderous draught horses attached to a dray was reined in on the nick of time. Meanwhile the infant stared around in wideeved wonder at the unusual activity, all unconscious of the extremely d-ingeroue predicament in which she had been placed. A lady of mature years spoke to the child on the bicycle in motherly tones, with the result that she returned to her charge and cycled off again, towing the baby as before. Many comments W ere heard as to the foolishness o parents in allowing their children to be exposed to unnecessary danger.

A London correspondent writes that the engagement has been announced of Miss Doris Helen Buckley, daughter of the late Mr. St. John Maclean.Buckley, of Redcastle, Onmaru, and of Mrs. Bucklev 4 Cedar House, Chemston Gardens, Kensington, and Lieutenant Humphrey R Sandwith, elder son of the late M . F M. Sandwith, C.M.G., F.R.C.P., JLD" and of Mrs. Sandwith; Low Wood, Ascot. Mies Katherine Mansfield, who In cd in Wellington for many years, and whose Tories are well known to ™ d ® T . s ..'’ f the London “Mercury and the Athe naeum” is included in Messrs. Constable’s list of autumn publications. _ Her hook. "Bliss and Other Storms, is nt present gaining favourable comment in the English reviews.

A Indv who has just returned from the baekblocks iu the King Country speaks of the splendid work which i* being done amongst infants unoer the auspices of the Plunket nurses (says ilm Auckland “Star”). Most of the children seen were ’remarkably well developed under the feeding system directed by tne mimes. Several of Hi« children from 18 months te two years of age have never tasted a sweet, and on account of the regularity possible on a farm, manv of them slept soundly for 16 to 1» hours out. of the 24. The old idea of feeding the babies on anything that was going was now a thing of the past, and a crust of bread given at slated intervals was what was given instead of tho old “dummy” made of l ndla ' rubber that caused so much trouble lo the young digestive functions. ‘ J ll9l ' 0 is no fear of the degeneration ot the race when such splendid specimens aie being reared by ths young mothers in the baekblocks of our country. I'reeli air, proper feeding, and good, regular sound sleep are doing wonders ior tho babies who are to be the future men and women of this Dominion.

The new census in England will reveal hundreds of names of parental invention. The war seemed to set a new fashion in baby naming—“Haig Jones,” “Beatty Smith,” “Yprcs Robinson," and “Dardanella Davis” were a few examples. "But now,” a London registrar told a “Daily Mail” reporter, "parents are coming back to the old names. For the purpose of helping them we koeji a list in parallel columns in our registers of plain, good, English names. During the Prince of Wales’s colonial tours wo had a big increase in ‘Edwards.’ One mother wanted a complete list of the Prince’s Christian names. When they were given to her she merely said: ‘Well, stick ’em on the register. They are the names for my youngster.- * The Prince’s Cliristian names are: Edward Albert Christian George Andrew . Patrick David.

■ In spite of the forbidding aspect of conditions in England, the exodus of people to that country from New Zealand continues, and, in fact, it seems io increase in volume as time goes on. Some of the latest arrivals from England do not hesitate to say that visitors from overseas are not wanted until a more normal state'of things is reached; that the presence of so many strangers only hampers the efforts that are being made U meez the needs of tin. English people themselves. This applies particularly to housing, and even to food. It, is recognised, of course, that some have urgent business matters that require long overdue attention, and that others again are anxious to see the last restingplaces of their loved ones who “Went West.” But e”en these, it is thought, would do well to wait a little longer.

Ellen Terry’s Birthday. Ellen Terry celebrated her seventythird birthday recently. Congratulations reached her from all over the world. She celebrated the day herself by a characteristically youthful gesture. She took up her abode 'in the flat in St. Martin’s Lane which has been decorated for her by admirers, to which she has come from her delightful little house in Chelsea. She has made the change so as to be in the midst of the theatres, in which she still takes a keen and discriminating interest. She follows closely the changing fashions of the stage, and she is always ready with generous help and appreciation of the younger people.She is doing a good deal of writing, and it is said that she is at present writing a preface to an American edition of the works of Oscar Wilde. The W.C.T.U.

At the monthly meeting of the Wellington Central Union on Friday, Mrs. M'Donald (president of the union) gave an interesting account of the thirty-sixth annual convention of the Dominion 1V.C.T.1T., held recently in Ashburton. Mr. Galbraith (Mayorof Ashburton) extended a hearty welcome to the delegates, remarking that no liody of women was more deserving. The fact that the convention was meeting in a no-license area was of special interest to the delegates. Tn no centre had hospitality been more cordial. The members of the W.C.T.U. in the Dominion numbered 4862, there being 90 adult unions and 7 young people’s branches. The largest union was in the no-license area of Invercargill, with a membership of 313. Work among seamen had received more support than usual. Many new subscribers were taking the White Ribbon,” the official paper of the W.C.T.U. Unions had helped with the fund fo\ the starving children of Europe. Auckland and Wanganui had decided to establish hostels for young women. Palmerston North had in full working order the “Willard Home” for children, and the Greytown Union gave support to the fund for the blind soldiers and sailors. Mrs. Lee-Cowie, in addressing the convention on “Venereal Diseases.” urged all unions to oppose a Health Bill providing for compulsory notification, and stated that in Western Australia, where the Health Bill demanded compulsory notification for men. as well as women, forty women had been brought up and not one man. This was clear evidence how the Bill would work.

The German Delegation. The eleven women secretaries of the German delegation arrived in London with many typewriters and much stationery ami other luggage (states the “Daily Mail" of February 281. They wore dressed in a quiet and businesslike style. The only -touch of colour among them was provided by the light grey kid boots, very high-heeled,- which several wore, and one girl’s green jumper. The “Daily Mail” reporter found two of the women, at the inquiry office of the Savoy Hotel studying a Baedeker guide-book. They said thev had never been in England before. Asked what they thought of London, they replied that they were going out to -have a look. Apparently ths "Daily Mail” is not altogether popular in Germany, for when the reporter proclaimed his identity the women shrugged their shoulders and indicated that ths conversation was at an end. Tn another c-ase, when the name of the Daily Mail was’mentioned, th? woman secretary replied, "Oh, yes, the ‘Daily Hate.’ ’’ Later three of the women were seen gazing in rapt admiration at the bar Office in Whitehall, which was declared be "Kolossal” and reminiscent of the AN 11helmstrasse. , “Spirit” Poems.

A book of verse which, it is stated, was dictated by a poetess several months after her death is the latest contribution to psychic studies (states an English exchange). About three years ago Judith Gautier, the daughter of the French author Theophile Gautier, died, leaving remarkable but exotic books, which were never popular. One of her dearest friends, a girl who had lived with her since they had been children, had a vision in her sleep on Christmas Day. 1918, exactly a year after Judith’s death. She dreamed that Judith was speaking to her. .he got out ■ J and, seizing pencil ami paper, wrote at Urn dictation of the spectre. This happened every night tor some time until the vision came no more. By that time the devoted fnend I).id written hundreds of pages verse. These poems have now been publiriied under the name of “The Glory of Illusion ”by Mlle. S. Meyer Gundel. Mlle. Gundel declares that the verses are in reality the words of the spirit of Judith Gautier. Until she published this big book of verse,; Mlle. Gundel had never written a line of poetry. The poems are perfectly written, though only occasionally -do they rise to any great height of artistic expression. The lines scan and cverv rule lias been strictly observed. Throughout, there runs a recollection of a great sorrow and tembto loneliness borne patiently ami in silence.