ABOUT WOMEN.

Evening Star, Issue 4033, 29 January 1876, Page 6 (Supplement)

ABOUT WOMEN.

Among the coming weddings is first, though not least, that of Mfle. Bettinan Rothschild, with her cousin Leopold, of the Vienna branch of the family. Though heiress to an immense fortune, Mile. Bettina has had received a most practical education. If circumstances should ever so decree it, she could earn her daily bread as a governess. She passed her examination last winter at Paris, and obtained a first-class diploma as competent to conduct a primary school. Her fiancee has also learned a trade : he is said to be the most skilful blacksmith in all Viemia, These little precautions against hard times are customary in the Rothschild family, who do not think them useless.

A LADIES’ SCULLING RACE,

The following account of a race between five young ladies, on the Haarlem River, U.S., is taken from a Yankee paper :—The fair Sheehan got away with a good lead, and bent down to her work with a display of skill and grace that immediately showed that she was mistress of the situation. Miss Kyle, Miss Walton, and Miss Roberts came next in a line, doing good work; and Miss Williams, pulling a graceful oar, brought up the rear. The conduct of the male spectators was outrageous. They literally yelled at the girls as they were striving for the victory. The shout of “Go it, Mealy;” “Give it them, old gal;” “Mary, your back hair’s coming down ; ” .“ Now then, Walton;” “Let her rip;” “Put your shoulder to it; ” “ Turn over and get inside ; ” “There’s a bully girl;” “Hurrah for Ward s Island,” and the like were heard on every side. Nothwithstanding the jibes of the males the girls pulled on manfully, and as Miss Sheehan came up to the judge’s boat, at the end of the first mile, she looked tolerably fresh, and pulled well and easily. As she rounded away and started on her second mile, the 400 orphans on Randall’s Island yelled with delight. Miss Walton rounded the judge’s boat next, and showed severe signs of distress, but with compressed lips shot forward on her last round with the grim determination to faint or win. The pretty Miss Roberts came next, and was suffzring considerable inconvenience from her blonde tresses, that had escaped from their plaits and were waving in the breeze. Miss Kyle followed close ou Miss Roberts, aud was biting her lips with vexation at being so far behind; but throwing her whole strength into the task, she steadily closed the gap between herself and Miss Roberts, and after a severe struggle, in which the fair contestants looked daggers at one another, the fair Ollivier had to succumb and allow third place to the gallant Mary Kyle. As they rounded the lower stake-boat for the last time, one of the police boats in their anxiety m. a S°°d look at the charming Miss Sheehan, fouled her boat, but did not cause any serious delay. As they came up towards the judge’s boat, the cheering and yelling was terrific, and Miss Sheehan, when she passed the judge’s boat a winner of the most extraordinary race ever witnessed on the Haarlem River, must have been astonished at the ovation which she received. Miss Walton pulled a plucky oar all through, and came in second, with Miss Kyle third, and Miss Roberts fourth. Miss Williams gave up, but with practice will do well some day.

AN EPISODE IN BARONESS COUTTs’s LIFE. Connected with threatening epistles, one long passage in the Baroness’s life is hardly credible at this day, because a subsequent alteration in the law would render its recurrence very improbable. Soon after it became known that the youngest daughter of Sir Francis Burdett had succeeded to Sreat wealth, an Irish fortune-hunter, named ffinn, sore with the beatings he had already received in his couutry from the brothers ®f two heiresses whom he had persecuted, began to write impertinent love letters to her. These were thrown aside with similar effusions from hundreds of other suitors, kttpwn and unknown. When Dunn’s handwriting was detected, his letter's were handed, unopened, to the family solicitor. Still they arrived daily, disguised writing and many other tricks being practised to insure delivery. Miss Coutts had occasion to visit Harrogate; there the fellow followed her. He managed to secure a room opposite to hers in the same hotel. Up to this time he had mistaken one of her maids for herself; but undeceived, adopted a shameful expedient to let the young lady know that he was her offensive correspondent. He paraded the passages of the hotel in such a menacing way that she was afraid to retire to rest, He actually drove her lady friend, her aunt, and establishment, to another abode. Thither Dunn tracked her. Miss Coutts dared not to take a walk, nor an airing in her carriage, nor to visit the pumproom, nor to go to church, nor to any place of amusement; for Dunn obtruded wherever she went. • A bodyguard had to be formed of male friends and relations. A Bow street officer was also sent for, to be in constant attendance, At last Dunn overstepped the limits—they were then rather wide in such cases—of the law, was taken before Knaresborough magistrates, and sentenced to two months’ imprisonment; but, being a sharp lawyer (he had been called to the Irish bar) he was released sooner. He continued his persecutions in London, and showed consummate cunning in keeping on the windy side of the law. The policeofficer had to take up his abode inside Miss Coutt’s house; for Dunn seldom left the outside. He paraded Stratton street from morning till night, and the officer had to ride on the coach-box whenever Miss Coutts and her constant companion and friend, Miss Meredith, drove out. They dared not even take a walk in the Park, nor visit any institution or place of amusement, nor go to church, nor go out to dinner, but Dunn was sure to present himself, either to throw letters into the carriage or to kiss his hand, or to perform some ridiculous or threatening antic. Miss Coutts could not retire out of town in any direction, but her persecutor followed.- He danced about her at seaside promenades, and leaped the palings of country houses. In spite of sundry onslaughts from provoked male friends, in spite of frequent appearances at policein spite of the best obtainable advice and skill, this torment lasted for fourteen years.

a woman’s convention

The National Woman’s Congress recently assembled in Weiting Opera House, in Syracuse. Among the prominent women present were Prof. Maria Mitchell, Julia Ward Howe, tne Rev, Phebe Hanaford, Miss Louisa Alcott and Mrs Livermore. The Congress was re-opened by an address on Woman in Journalism, by Mrs Croly (Jennie June) of New York. The speaker came to the conclusion that men are utterly unfitted to do the highest duties of journalism. Women alone have the qualities for such positions, she said, and it will not be long before they will show it. They must taqe the lowest places, and be trained for advancement. There is a great need for a woman's evening paper in New York, and such a one would get 50,000 circulation in twelve mouths, and would pay almost from thp start. Miss Strazey, of Boston, read the translation of a paper entitled ‘Womenin Medicine ’ —the opinions of a French professor, who opposes allowing wopfeo to engage hi the xuedidal He was answered in jihe pqpor td the effect that no danger to either sex would" come from co-education, ‘ and that no wore dauber he appre-

tended in the dissecting-room than in the ball-room or saloon. On the contrary, the inquiry carried on in the former in open daylight gave far less advantages for moral hi jury. In the evening an address was delivered by Mrs Mary E. Livermore on SupSrflous Women. She combated the idea that unmarried women are superflous members of society, and said that through all ages unmarried women have accomplished untold good, and have elevated the race by their noble and unselfish work. All women, she declared, should be educated and fitted for some legitimate industrial pursuit. The audience was the largest ever assembled in the Opera House. Hundreds were unable to gain admission, and many were compelled to sit on the floor.