MAIL NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 555, 27 October 1902, Page 3

MAIL NEWS.

BONNETS AND GOWNS, GERMANS OUTItI VALLING THE PARISIANS. Berlin, September 12. Berlin is rapidly becoming a serious rival of Paris in millinery and dressmaking, especially as far as American ladies are concerned. T'iie Americans prefer Berlin makes to those of Paris because the prices are more moderate, while the styles arid quality of the goods have so much improved in recent years that even the most stylish ladies do not hesitate to patronise Berlin. Girl models, speaking English and attired in the style of fashion which meets the American taste, are now a special feature in Berlin shops. STABBED IN MISTAKE. NOVELIST’S EXCITING EXPERIENCE. Paris, Sept. 12. Pcrcival Pollard, an American ’playwright and novelist, was walking in a street in Vienna, when tie was stabbed in the shoulder from behind by a young Austrian, whose sister fiad complained to him that all unknown American daily annoyed her on the street. I fen ring Pollard speak English, and noticing that he was partly bald, the feature described, Hie Austrian attacked him, and was about to stab him a second time, when Pollard shrieked, and turned round. Then the offended girl saw that her brother had attacked the wrong man and herself warded oil the blow.

The victim bled profusely, but the wound proved to lie in no way serious. lie accepted 'he apologies very profusely offered, and begged the officers who rushed upon the scene to deal leniently with his assailant. He says that the experience will prove to lie valuable to him in a novel that lie is writing. q here are, over fifty American writers and artists in Vienna this season,

ACTRESSES’ HUSBANDS, AND FREE RUN OF STAGE, Paris, September 12. No sucii seemingly unimportant matter has ever caused such a heated controversy as a court decision that an actress’s husband is always entitled to free access behind the scenes. The case arose out of a manager refusing to admit- a soubrellc’s hupband. 'l'he actress demanded that the contract lx; cancelled, and that she lie paid heavy damages. 'l'he court held that stage life admittedly exposes a woman to constant temptations, or at least undesirable attentions ; that it is a legitimate desire oft the part of a wife to be protected against such things, and that at any rale it is the indisputable right of a husband to be her protector, whether she realises the necessity for one or not ; that a manager cannot deny the husband free access to the wings and dressing-room, and that an actress cannot sign away this privilege; so the case was decided against the defendant and there is consequently much indignation among managers of theatres. It is declared by one that he sometimes employs two hundred chorus girls, all of whom say that they have husbands or fiancees, and he pretends to fear an awful invasion by the husbands. On the other hand some actresses regard the decision as a reflection on their respectability. Some married women fear that their husbands may get too fond of coming behind the scenes, and may have their attention distracted by some of thei. flirts among, the chorus girls Any way, the only ones who seem’ fully satisfied with the decision are the husbands.