WOMAN’S WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 49, 21 November 1921, Page 2

WOMAN’S WORLD.

MATTERS OF INTEREST FROM FAR AND NEAR.

(By

Imookn.)

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

There died at the Caversham Benevolent Institation. last week Mis. Caroline Anderson, in her 97th year. Mrs. Anderson was one of the heroic band of nurses who wont out to the Crimea under Florence Nightingale. She also served as a nurso in the Indian Mutiny.

Miss Ellen Terry will begin rehearsing soon for a film version of ihe opera, “The Bohemian Girl,’’ in. which she is to be the nurse, Buda (states an English exchange). Miss Terry is looking forward) to her new activities. She is no stranger to film work. With her there is to be quite an array of stars, including Miss Gladys Cooper, Miss Constance Collier, Mr. C. Aubrey Smith, Mr. Ivor Novello, and! Mr. Henry Vibart.

Nearly 700 women recently met at Sheffield for the annual conference of the National Council of Women of) Great Britain and Ireland. In her presidential address the Countess of Selborne said, that they had. read a good deal in the newspapers recently of superfluous women. The women themselves did' not regard the position so seriously; in fact, at present the single woman with no one dependent on her could earn her living more easily than her brother. They were, therefore, far from the point at which, they could truly speak of any able-bodied woman as superfluous. They wanted her services in a great many other capacities than those of wife and mother. At present we did not lack mothers; the nation was increasing satisfactorily—too fast if we were confined to these islands, fast enough to provide colonists for our Dominions as quickly as they could' be absorbed. But in one respect the mothers had the grandest opportunity of Jstervice. Women were the moulders of the national type. Even the dullest and most uneducated women had some sense of this high calling.

Mrs. Both mby is vioiung Mrs. Moyes, New Plymouth.

A two-days’ campaign for funds for the Plunket Society in New Plymouth was started on Friday. The total for the first day, with collections and street sales, was .£358, and it was anticipated that Saturday’s takings would be about £lOO.

The death of an old colonist, Mrs. Charlotte Zillah ’Pearce, aged 85 years, occurred at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. G. Lairibi in Auckland. Mrs. Pearce, who was born in Devon, camo over with her husband from Melbourne in the early days of the Otago gold rush. Mr. Pearce started and owned the "Wakatipu Mail,’’ and afterwards ran a newspaper for some years at Hokitika, r-. u the --t Co'i-t he took a printing plant to the Thames, where he established the first newspaper in that township, the predecessor of the present "Thornes Star." Mrs. Pearce, who was predeceased by her husband by 30 years, leaves two sons, Mr. J. A. Pearce and Mr. W. J. Pearce, and two daughters, Mrs. G. Laird and Mrs. G. Nevill, all of Auckland.

The Greytown Flower Show >vas held on Friday last, and was most successful. There was a large number o e exhibits, and in roses and sweet peas it was quite the best yet held. The decorated tables were a marked feature of the show. The exhibits came from all over the valley. Mr. Booth, of Carterton, and Mr. Wilton, Masterton, were large exhibitors.

The annual gathering of the Kelburn Normal School branch of the Young Helpers’ League was held' on Friday. Miss Maitland (president) introduced Mr. Clark, of the Wellington Edrcation Board, who spoke on the work of the Darnardo Homes. The silver bodges were presented by Mrs. Clark to the following children Vivienne Tait, Joyce .Morgan, Olive Sutcliffe, Audrey Sutcliffe, Wallace Brown, James Buddle, Jack Buddle, Ray Hollis, Dick Morpeth, John Taylor, Jim Tullock. Professor Tennant thanked the workers, and congratulated the habitation on the amount collected. The following enthusiastic members held bazaars during the year: —Vivienne Tait and Joyce Morgan, who raised .£l4; Kathleen and Ted Platts, £2 10s.; Jean Cathie, Edith McKenzie, Aileen and Gertie Davidson, £1 10s. An acknowledgment of the contributions, amounting to £52, has been received by Miss M. Thornton, secretary of the habitation.

Miss Ruth Wallace is accompanying Mrs. de Courcy Russell, of "The Humphryes," Victoria, on a tour of the South Sea Islands.

The “Revue” of the International League of Red Cross Societies has the following:—"Russia has frequently suffered from famine, but never has the situation been so desperate as at present. The last famine occurred in 18911892, and the Government at that time was obliged to make a great effort to meet the situation,, special credits being voted. Thanks to the preceding fruitful years, there were large reserve stocks of cereals in other provinces; furthermore the transport system was in good order and could be mobilised within a short time. Despite these favourable conditions, the Government was hard put to it to meet the situation, for it was not merely a question of providing food for about 20,000,000 people, but also of organising the sowing of fields for the next season. The present situation in Russia bears no comparison with that both the region and the population affected being far greater. Civil war following on three, years, of the world war has made it impossible for’the country to re-establish its profoundly shaken economic system. . The greater part of the inhabitants, owing to disease and under-nourishment for the last three years, has been weakened both physically and morally, to a degree which cannot bo realised even by inhabitants of those European countries which have been devastated by the. war. The populations of the, famine-stricken regions have set out in search of breed :jt; was the case in the Middle Ages. The official Press announces that millions of families are leaving their homes end seeking safety in flight.. A vast migration is taking place which further e nnplicatcs an already desperate situation. Enormous herds wander through rhe country, destroying everything in their path and leaving behind them a trail of corpses which no one has cither the intention or the possibility of burying; as an inevitable result, cholera, typhus, and scurvy are rampant.

■‘For the great part these nomadic hords tend towards the centre and the west of European Russia. Is there any hope of stopping them? We feel there ij none. To be sure, it is difficult exactly to gauge the extent of this migrator}’ movement nt present, but it need only lie /recalled that thousands of fugitives Have already arrived, at the frontiers of I’oland and Rumania.”

The engagement is announced of Miss Jean Boattie, elder daughter of Dr. and Mrs. R. M. Beattie, of Mount Albert, Auckland, to Mr. William A. Blomfield, second son of Air. and Airs. AV. Blomfield, of Takapuna.

Airs. Robertson (Wanganui) has come to Wellington to meet her mother, Aire. Shirtcliffe.

Airs. R. AV. Eoydhouse, of Carterton, and Airs. E. P. Cameron, of Masterton, are at present in AVellington, and are staying with Air. and Airs. D. Al. Sutherland, Central Terrace, Kelburn.

His Excellency, tile Governor-General, has extended his patronage to the concert which is to be given by Mr. Horace Hunt this evening, al which Mies Butts a play, "The Satin Slippers,” will be produced.

In gaol at Atlantic City, clad in a bathing suit, lies the novelist Louise Rosine (stated a New York message recently). She is charged with violating the municipal bathing regulations, in that she appeared on the beach with the stockings of her bathing suit rolled, lielow her knees. This is a crime of considerable magnitude in the large seaside resorts of the United Stales. When a policeman reminded her of the regulations and requested her to cover her knees she ie alleged to have replied: "Most certainly not. My knees are none of the town’s business.’? When taken to the police station she still reused to roll up her stockings, and rypuld not give her address or accept bail. She announced her determination to remain, and will take the case to the Supreme Court, if necessary, us a protest against "stupid restrictions of women’s freedom.”

The Rajah of Pudukota and his wife (whose difficulties with the Indian Gov-p-mmeot in regard to the succession of their son were referred to in a cablegram last week) are well known in Melbourne, where they lived for some time. At present they are living-in London, in Park Lane. Last month' their flat was entered by burglars, and jewels valued at £5OOO were taken. Referring to the Ranee’s jewels, the Sydney "Sun” said: "Every woman who loves pearls remembers the famous string of the Ranee of Pudukota, who was formerly Miss Mollie Fink, of Melbourne. Jt was said to W' one of the few really perfect necklets owned by a woman of the Western world, and, curiously enough, originally came from the East, where the inimitable and. the priceless are hidden away in the jewel caskets of princesses and favourites of potentiates. The Ranees pearls were a wedding gift from the Rajah »n her marriage to him some years ago in Melbourne. Each stone matches as _to colour—a pellucid ivory with a faint glow of pink, and they are graduated in size from that of a pea to the size of a small marble, the centre half-dozen being indescribably beautiful. The fastening is comprised of a flawless diamond set round with smaller stones, and a more than ordinarily patent security device secured the precious nope from accidental unfastening.”

The death is announced of Mrs. Hancock, an old and much-respected resident of Wellington, who passed away at her late resident, 47 Fairview Crescent, Kelburn, yesterday after a slioit ilness. The deceased 'ady arrived in Wellington with her husband, the la _ Mr. John Hancock, in the ship Star of India in November, 1874, and had resided in Wellington ever since. She leaves two daughters (Miss and Mrs. Deckie) and one son (Mr. H. Hancock, late of the Telegraph Department).

“Paddy’s Market.’’ 1 The effort of the Commercial Travellers’ Association to raise money lor Christmas cheer for homes and orphanages } n * h ® ton district by means of I addy s -L ket" is meeting with a great ’ encouragement, big business being Iran - acted. The goods are of every kind, and bargains innumerable are to be obtained there So well did the market do on Friday and Saturday that some of the stalls were completely sold out one the special attractions being the flour which P the flourmillers of the Domrnio recently displayed at the Industrial Exhibition. Novelties, clothing, groceries, sweets, household requisites, furniture, etc are to be bought at Paddy s Market; but so large has been the attenofor the latter.

W.C.T.U. The annual meeting of A* F^ r ±k niO Mre aS So:mld h °(president) last week. Mrs. are secl . etarj ,’ s report showed thaP during u6ef ul k , ha 4 6^^ld dOT 6e venty-four members were Ribbon ” sixty subscribers to ™ T U tilisVeting desires to place - Washington, and the hope was ®xpre>sAd that the delilierataons would tend t fellowship among the nations.