A Message from Lady Northcote.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 376, 21 August 1908, Page 2

A Message from Lady Northcote.

Lady Northcote left Government Ffnu-e Melbourne, in the middle of July, » c d her departure wis ma-kel by a wonderful series of enthusiastic testimonies to her po clarity, One of these—the visif of a gronp of •Methodist Ladies’ College prefects—recorded in the August ‘’New Idea,” aod Lady Northcbte’s farewell message to th : schoolgirls of Australia is reported in full, ft is a unique message and is worth careful study not merely by the schoolgirls, but the women of Australasia generally. Lady Northcu.c spoke of the qualities of courage and endurance, and curiously enough, on the opposite Sga to that on which her words are recuriis the illustrated account of the wreck of the "Quetta,” from which disaster only two women were rescued, under circumstrnces of exceptional courage and enduance The “Quetta” went ashore off Thursday Island, in 1890, ani 209 souls perished. Two white women were saved, and one of them, M:s3 Alice Nicklin (now Mrs Horsley) writes for the first time the account of her trying experience a. She waa plunged with a seething, swming mass of humanity, into the watery depths, and came to the surface in a semi-consciouF condition, long after sb* had given up all hope. She first used the carcase of s sheep for a “float,” later secured a plank, and after many hours in the water reached an island from which she was rescued. M The story is thrillingiy told and is accompanied by a picture recalling another famous wreck, the “General Grant,” from which only ona woman was saved. These are but two of the many ’‘spsaial” feature* ef the August issue of the "New Idea.” Others that may be briefly mentioned are A full page of phot jgraphs of th* childrenf of soms of the world’s monarchs, an excellent article (illustrated) on Melba and Bernhardt, an account ef Ellen Terry’s romances also a fine picture of early life in Australia by Mary Gilmore, a clever Nature-study by Charles Barrett, and the last of a series of fashion articles by Monsieur Worth, of Paris. Among the usual departments, perhaps she most interesting general annomcemeat ie the award of a cash prize of Cii, to a reader, for’exercising the b-st taste in a fvwhion matter. .‘The New Idea” every month prints a page of blouses, or hats, or costume* as the case may be, and invites reader = to place them in order of fashion-merit, giving cash prizes of £lO or over for the bast lists sent in. On the fiction side there are three or four good serials, and a number of really first-class short stories, by local and jassida writers. Many examples of verse of Aus. tralasian writers are given, and the domestie features are as strong and useful as ever. “The New Idea” indeed is a wonderfully good sixpeuceworth.'