WOMAN’S WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 80, 28 December 1921, Page 2

WOMAN’S WORLD.

MATTERS OF INTEREST FROM FAR AND NEAR

(By

Imogen.)

SOCIAL ANDPERSONAL Mr. and Mrs. C. P. Murray-Aynsley, of Fendalton, Christchurch, are visiting Mr. and Mrs. F. C. Turner, Eketahunu. Mrs. A. Wilson (Wanganui) is visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. Kennedy.. Through the courtesy of the ControllerGeneral of Prisons (Mr. Matthews) the Women Prisoners' Welfare Group were enabled to supplement the evening meal of the inmates of the Terrace Prison on Christmas Day. The president of the society acknowledges a substantial donation towards this effort from the Housewives’ Union. At the Community Club, Buckle Street, Mrs. Firth was the hostess for Saturday night; Monday evening, Mrs. Pow; Tues-, day evening, Mrs. /Middleton; and' for the remainder of the week the hostesses are: Wednesday, Mrs. F. T. Clarke; Thursday. Miss Cable; Friday, Mrs. and Miss Griffiths; Saturday, Mrs. and Miss Townsend.

Christmas Day in the Women’s Reformatory at Point Halswell was not forgotten. The Discharged Prisoners’ Aid Society gave the inmates an entertainment. and. cake and fruit was supplied to each inmate. A programme of songs and recitations was given by Mrs. Hayward, Mrs. Cundy, Sirs. Chapman, Mrs. Tingey, and Master Teddy Stringer. Songs and recitations were also given by the women inmates, one of whom is a clever musician. A piano had been kindly lent by Messrs. Begg and. Co. A hearty vote of thanks was given to the visiting party, to the Hon. E. P. Lee, Minister of justice, to Mr. C. Matthews, Controller-General of Prisons, also to Mr. Hawkins, Inspector of Prisons, Miss Simpkins, superintendent of the reformatory, the ladies who had brought the inmates so much cheer, and to the Discharged Prisoners’ Aid Society.

The wedding took place in the Presbyterian Church, Khandallah, yesterday, of Miss Catherine Watson, daughter of Captain and Mrs. T. Watson, late of Leith, Scotland, and now of Khandallah, to Air. Charles A. Scott, son of Mr. and Mrs. D. Scott, of Wellington, and late of Belfast, Ireland. The Rev. Shaw officiated. The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a grey embroidered costume with a Royal blue hat, wreathed with flowers. The bridesmaid was Miss M'Gintsey, who was in a cerise frock with a grey hat. Mis. Watson, the bride’s mother, wore black charmeuse, with a black hat wreathed with flowers and fruit. The wedding was a quiet one, only relatives and one or two intimate friends being present.. Mr. and Mrs. Scott will live in Dunedin.

Misses M. Laing, M. Craig, D. Fenwick and A. Ormond, of Hawke’s Bay. arafctlfing part in the tennis tournament in/lGlmStchureh Ou 3 week. Tile engagement is announced of Thomas E. Y. Seddon, M.P., second son of the late Right Hon. R. J. Seddon. and Mrs. Seddon, "Eccleston,” Wellington, to Beatrice, youuger daughter of the late William Wood, of Hadleigh, Christchurch.

The golden wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Miller, of Hastings, was celebrated last Friday.

Tho wedding took place in St. Paul’s Church. Napier, on Thursday, of Miss Helen Macrae, daughter of. Mr. and Mi’s. Macrae, Hospital Hill, Napier, to Mr. Frank Curline, son of the late Mr. James, Curline and Mrs. Curline, of Bexhill, England. The Rev. J. Asher officiated. The bride was given away by her brother, Mr. Douglas Macrae, and was attended by her sister. Miss Phemy Macrae. The best man was Mr. Arthur Macrae. Mrs. Skinner and Miss Devenish (New Plymouth) intend leaving for a visit to England next month. ' Miss Lydia. Shaw (New Plymouth) is visiting Wellington. Mrs. M. Myers is visiting the Dawson Falls, Egmont. Miss Baird 1 has returned to Masterton from New Plymouth. Sir James Wilson and Lady Wilson are visiting Auckland. Mr. and Mrs. Rathbone (Roseneath) are spending the Christmas holidays in the Wairarapa. Mr 1 , and Mrs. Bruce Midlane, formerly of Wellington and Auckland, and latterly of Sydney, who joined the Makura at Auckland, and voyaged via Canada and New York, arriving in England in September, have been touring the North of "England, calling at Bradford and Manchester. Having cancelled their passages on the Orsova, sailing on November 2G, for the Orvieto on January 21, Mr. and Mrs. Micllane are leaving shortly for a comprehensive four of the Continent through Holland, Belgium, Germany, and Franca. Writing of the visit of some -New Zealanders to Paris, a London correspondent gives the following amusing details of "freak painting” as carried out in that city:—Mr. a.nd Mrs. C. F. Kelly (Cliristcliurch) spent the latter part of the summer and nutnmn in Cornwall, where they had plenty of opportunity for landscape painting. Needless to say, they thoroughly enjoyed their experience. During the past three weeks they have been in Paris, and have seen almost everything of artistic importance. While there tho Salon opened. If the extreme movement has crept info England, they arc of oninion that it has got very firmly into France. By far the greater proportion of tho paintings were of the .advanced school—triangles and crude primary colouring. Tho main object to tho painters seems to be to produce something different from others and to produce effects by distortions and deformity. In one room devoted to the ultra-extreme, none bu the initiated could give anv explanation of the socalled art. Thus one picture was merely cuttings from newspapers pasted indiscriminately over the canvas, another merely lines and blots, .and another gold and silver paper pasted on the canvas. Yet another was what appeared to bo a vermillion sun with stencilled figures thereon. In painting human figures some of the now school of painters have sought originality in adding now features to the body, an extra face, a few more arms, or a nose in a. now position. But, of course, in addition to those monstrosities, there were pictures which were beautiful. Mr. and Mrs. Kelly wont also to the Louvre and a numlier of private galleries. Knowing the numerous prints of these wellknown pictures, they found tho originals even much more wonderful, than they expected.

Parisians are clamouring that a modal for bravery shall be given to a little black cat. which, with its feet bound .in cotton-wool, limped across the street to revisit the ruins of its former home. When the great fire broke out at the Ma,gasins du Printemps, the cat was,, with its three kittens, in the basement of the building. Scenting tho danger it carried tho three kittens o.ne bv one out of tho fire zone to a grocer’s shop about 100 yards away. How the bravo little mother accomplished the rescue through Hie blinding smoke must remain for ever a mystery. Its kittens safe, the cat wank to the ground with her paws badly burned and her skin a mass of blisters. The shop girls attended to the kittens and the devoted mother.

Wedding at Petone. The wedding took place at Wesley Church, Petone, last week of Miss Elsie Smith, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Smith, of Petone, to Mr. R. E. Vincent, youngest son of the late Mr. and Mrs. S. Vincent, of Wanganui, The Rev. C. Blair officiated. The bride,.who was given away by her father, wore a dress of cream satin, with the palest pink georgette and satin corsage, finished with a wide sash. She also wore a bridal veil, fastened with a coronet of orange blossom, and carried a bouquet of pale pink carnations, sweet peas, and roses). The bridesmaids were Misses Lois and Phyllis Smith (sisters of-the bride), both of whom wore frocks of cream crepe de chine,, with hats to match, and carried bouquets of blue delphinium, cream roses, and carnations. Mr. D. Boyd attended as best man. The bridegroom’s present to the bride was a black fur stole, and to the bridesmaids were given silver purses. Among the presents received by Mr. and Mrs. Vincent was a leather suit case, a gift to the bride from the staff of the National Dairy Association. A reception’ was subsequently held at • the Orange Hall, after which Mr. and Mrs. Vincent left for the south, the latter travelling in a fawn costume and a hat of henna shade. Christmas at the Upper Hutt Orphanage. Through, the thoughtfulness of numerous friends, both at Upper Hutt and in Wellington, the big family of babies and children at St. Joseph’s Orphanage were catered for in royal fashion on Christmas afternoon. In the large schoolroom attached to the institution were assembled over 100 little ones, their faces allaglow with joyful anticipation. A number of adult assistants and visitors interested in the children also helped to swell the assemblage. At 3 p.m. Father Christmas was due to alight from his big airship after a projected non-stop run from amongst the children of the Far North, and had in fact reached somewhere in the vicinity of the Rimutakas when a slight accident occurred. Ever resourceful, he happened to, have his portable wireless plant with him, and so an urgent message was soon on its way to the orphanage advising them of the slight delay. Shortly after cheers were heard —Santa Clausahad arrived, and was soon surrounded by the children, to whom he related all about his wonderful visits to the many parts of the earth —the best spot being, of course, their own home—St. Joseph’s Orphanage. A large Christmas tree had been erected in the middle of the spacious hall, and this and "the surroundings had been changed into a veritable fairyland, with bunting, flags, umbrellas, toys, the work of Messrs. A. Lutz and B. Martin, whilst most of the fancy decorations had been made by the untiring sisters themselves. After the distribution of gifts, Father Christmas arranged games, and executed some dances for the children, 'which they greatly enjoyed. Then came his aeroplane and a reluctant good-bye, with the expressed hope that he would come again next year. The Sisters of Mercy tender their sincerest thanks and "warmest appreciation to the various friends in Wellington who donated so generously, silso to the committee at Upper Hutt, and the many benefactors throughout the year. Mistletoe Customs.

To those of us who wonder why there should be Christmas decorations, and not Easter and Whitsun ones, the following reason may be helpful:—“English houses,” says an old writer, "were decked with evergreens at Christmas so that the sylvan spirits might repair to them, and remain there unnipped with frost and cold winds, until a milder season had renewed the foliage of their abodes.” As to the mistletoe, this was, on account of its pagan associations, barred, from churches, with the curious exception of York Minster. Here on the eve of Christmas mistletoe was carried to the high altar, and an amnesty granted to all local offenders. Old’ belief has it that mistletoe is an excellent cure for epilepsy and all other, convulsive disorders. The apple mistletoe was good for ordinary fits. An old writer defends this belief on the ground that the Almighty must have designed the beautiful mistletoe "for nobler purposes than to feed thrushes or to be hung superstitiously in houses to drive away evil spirits.” Another mistletoe belief is that it was the forbidden tree of the Garden of Eden. Mistletoe kissing is of very ancient origin, and it seems that in olden times with each kiss the young man had to pluck a berry off the suspended, bunch. As long as the berries lasted, so might the kisses continue! Finally, you may use holly, bay, rosemary, ivy for your decorations, and might also risk laurel. But if yew or cypress is introduced, beware! "Plucke it out righte quickly,” says an old writer, "or you shall be grievouse sicke."

Miss C. G. Lord, of Mount Eden, Auckland, late matron of Rawene Hospital, has been appointed matron of the IVaihi Hospital, vice Miss M. B. Gilmore, who has resigned her position. Miss Lord will take up her duties on January 14.

A woman astronomer’s wonderful scientific gift was disclosed in the coiirse of a lecture on "Modern Astronomical Theories,” by Professor H. H. Turner, at the Regent Street Polytechnic. She is Miss Annie J. Cannon, and declared the lecturer, could classify the distances of stars in the spectrum almost at a glance, a feat that would otherwise require laborious measurement. She has classified about 700,000 of them in a vreat catalogue now being published. Her gift was, he said, comparable to that of the man who, during the war, was discovered to possess the gift oi ueinb able to straighten rifle barrels wit i amazing rapidity without any nieasuroment saev that of the eye. Miss Cannon is an America, and has 'been, curator of astronomical photographs at Ha vard University since 1911- Slie has been a student of astronomy all er and has .indeed made a profession of it. The long list of her achievements includes the discovery of no fewer than 160 variable stars.