WOMAN'S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 162, 18 October 1910, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD.

(Conducted by "Eileen"). STORY-TELLING FOR THE CHILDREN In many homes the story hour is the happiest time of the day for the family circle, and mothers are beginning to realise more fully the possibilities of stories as a means of creating the proper atmosphere for the germination of a dei sire in the child lor good, wholesome literature. The tiny seed rarely ever tails to grow into a good healthy mental and moral atmosphere. If mothers would cul-

tivate the art of telling stories occasionally to the children they would find it xi delightful change from reading them. How much more interesting direct from the mouth to the ear without the ai<4 of the printed page it is—and the little ones appreciate this even more than the older people do. So much of the dramatic is possible, too, when hands and eyes j are unconfined. To be a good story-teller is to be "king among children," is the way a prominent teacher has intimateu the child's eager love of stories and the story-teller's power in moulding habits of thought and feeling. You may admonish a child again and again to be loving and it makes little impression, but give him a story in which something shows its love through action and it lives in his mind' and affection. Not all mothers are gifted with this story-telling ability, it is true, but everyone has some talent which can be developed by practice. It takes hard work for most people to acquire the art of telling a story well, but it is wortll all the efforts if the tales told are pieces of good literature, for to be familiar with them

will be of lasting benelit to the child. With a selection of good stories at her command the mother is ever ready to illustrate a point and further develop the all-sided nature of her little one at the - opportune time. With such an immense ,j range of choice not the least difficulty ; is the selection of suitable books, espe- , cially by busy mothers. The old myths, fables and Uncle Remus, with his quaint conception of the animal world, will always hold a place in the hearts of the young, aiul many useful bits of instruction may be conveyed through them. It is well to be alert, however, for many of these stories need to be modified before they are given to little children. For instance /'Little Red Riding Hood" should end happily, lest some sensitive little one receive a grievous injury; then, too, the morals of "Jack and the Beanstalk" may be improved bv leaving out his stealing

propensities, and it is well to keep silent about many of the deeds of the hero?* of the myths. Children gain more of the desired truth in story form if you select stories in which the moral is not attached at the end, but which pervades the entire story. Do not attempt too many explanations, because children as a rule resent them, as they disturb their own pleasurable exercise of imagination and reasoning power. So let them work out the meaning themselves. At .first attempt stories with which you are thoroughly familiar, telling with all the fervor and enthusiasm possible. At the same time study closely the expressions that play over the face of the listener and you will soon gain confidence and power. Add two or more new ones each month to the list until you have a profitable selection

at your command. COURTESY TOWARDS CHILDREN Great injury is done not only to the present happiness of children, but to their future character and conduct by the lack of politeness in our intercourse with tliem. Their possessions are their own. How often do we forget that! They are ridiculous trifles,, they are worthless and in our way, yet we have no right to show them without warning and consultation. A sister's or an aunt's gentle persuasion will do much, to gain pleasant consent to yielding up the treasures which encumber too much space or are laid down in unproper places. A box or l>asket provided to hold these priceless sticks and stories and once or twice a little pleasant aid in gathering" them, and the collector will be gained over to what he sees will , surely preserve his property and at the same time the little fellow will have learned respect for other people's pro- ; perty and the proper way to ask leave , to touch and ihamlle. While mothers are < busy with their often overwhelming j •duties it may happen that to an elder . sister much care of the children who • are able to &muse themselves is given ( and here she will have a delightful chance 1 to help them to acquire the attractive ] manner which is such a help in future ] life and give a practical demonstration 1 of the comfort and joy of a home govern- < ed by courtesy to old and young alike. ( NOTES FROM LONDON i'

London, August 26. Suggestions for memorials to Florence Nightingale are pouring in, and one is for the provision of up-to-date institute buildings in the neighborhood of her much-loved Derbyshire home. During her life Miss Nightingale took a great i i interest in the Lea and Holloway Read- I I ing and Recreation Institute, which for I many years was handicapped by lack of ; suitable premises. Two rooms in the I house of the village grocer were all the I accommodation provided. The "Lady of the Lamp's" interest in the work may be gathered from the following extracts from letters which she wrote to Mr. Ebenezer Sutler while lie was secretary of the Institute:— 1 hope more lads will poin the Institute. Do not von consider fourteen to sixteen the dangerous age? I wish you had a room (and a manager) for them. I am glad the age hits been lowered to fifteen. All experience makes me feel that boys should be admitted as early as fourteen. I feel almost inclined to sny for every black slirn-p .that the .Institute reclaims and ma'kes a member of I will nd ( l .lj lls to our subscription. No VIOLS AND WK'iniO. A concrete instance of the pernicious >

effect that the reading of foolish -novels may have on an imaginative mind was ' given this week by a mother at the inquest held on the body of her daughter, a girl of eighteen, -who was found in her room clutching a revolver in her right hand and shot under the heart. Evidence was given that the girl had read silly novels and had complained of headache, but her mother said she had no trouble at all either at home or in business. FROM A NEW ZEALANDER. Among the numerous lloral offerings sent in affectionate remembrance of Miss Florence Nightingale for her funeral was one with the following inscription: ''From a New Zealander, whose mother (now dead), when a young girl, had the honor of presenting Miss Nightingale with a bouquet as she passed through Nuneaton railway station on her return from the Crimea." YOUNG- GARDENERS.

The experiment—of which I wrote in its infancy—of teaching young children in the East End practical gardening by allowing them to cultivate small plots for themselves lias already proved itself a success in a corner of Canning Town, rightly described as "one pf the slummiest districts in London."' Here Miss A. C. Sewell, an enthusiast on the subject, secured a piece of waste land and established "The Children's 'Garden Club." Twelve vegetable gardens were allotted to big boys, twelve (lower gardens to big girls, and eighteen small gardens to children under ten years of age. The club was open an hour and a-half each morning' before nine o'clock, and the voluntary attendance of children during these hours to give care to their gardens may be regarded as one of,the most valuable features of the experiment. A TTOMAN FIREMAN. A presentation, consisting of a beautiful silver stand of roses, was made on ] Wednesday evening to Miss D. Lawrence 'Smith, at Hurstpierpoint, near Hassocks, for the great pluck she showed recently at a farm fire, when she went oil' with the Hurst Fire Brigade and worked magnificently with them for twelve hours. EMIGRANT GOVERNESSES. The Emigrants' Information Office is warning women and girls to be very cautious in accepting offers of employment as governesses or in a similar capacity in Central or South America, even though comparatively large salaries may be offered. The status of a governess is not the same in these countries as in the United' Kingdom. It would be wise, before accepting any such offer, to communicate with the British Consul in the district from which the offer comes, and to wait for his reply before accepting it. The terms of the engagement should be embodied' 111 an.ftgl'Gemeiitj the signatures to which should be duly legalised by A Consul of the country to whieli tile governess is igoing before she leaves the United Kingdom. Governesses aro ach'lß' ed to register their names and addresses at the British Consulate as soon as they arrive in the country of employment. The same precaution should, of course, be taken by girls in New Zealand who wish for opportunities of travel.

ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE. 1 A friend returning from a holiday visit ' to the United States brings with him a 1 charming love story, commended to the novelist in search of incident in his plot (says Sir H. W. Lucy in the Sydney Morning Herald). Among the passengers outward bound was a demure little German maiden—a veritable Gretchen, with her blonde tresses a la Marguerite. She knew not a word of English, and travelled with her aunt, also a German, whose home was in America. This aunt, growing confidential, soon after starting told > fellow-passengers tha.t she was taking her . niece to America for a year at the request of her parents, who wished her to ■ forget a lover upon whom her heart was ■i set, but of whom they did not approve because of his lack wealth and title. This aunt had never seen this lover, and could not describe him. But she evi-' 'dently meant to do her dutv and fulfil her trust. The maiden, with her firm little mouth, reserved and silent, did not look as wretched as she ought to have done under such circumstances. There was among the passengers a man, tall, stern and scholarly, whose English was broken. He showed little disposition to be sociable till on the third day, when, the purgatory of the mal-de-mer being safely through, he begged the aunt to present him to the little"fraulien. This she did readily, and the acquaintance ripened into intimacy. This pleased the aunt, happy that .her charge was willing to be entertained, and was so rapidty forgetting the old love. .The couple took possession of the cosiest places day and evening. If one approached .too near one heard him reading aloud (always from the same page), and she demurely listening. When the steamer reached Xew . York the dark man took the wee blonde maiden by the hand and led her to her aunt. "I am ," he said, "the lover | from whom you fled, and from whom nobody can take the fraulein he loves. And now, 'gnadige fraii,' we will all three drive directly to a Lutheran clergyman." And they did, the poor aunt looking so helpless, the demure Gretchen with fresh ribbons in her hair, and the prospective bridegroom— all in a motor car. RECORD FOR QUICK WEDDINGS. The French record for quick weddings —l4 minutes exactly—is (snvs the Paris correspondent of the Dailv Telegraph on Au]t>ust lfl). now held il>y >l. and'Madame Durrieuv. of Balincourt, near the river Oise. Madame Durrieux (nee Blanche Xelia Josephine Delacroix) became Baroness Vaughan, and was left a "morganatic widow" bv the death of Leopold IL, Kin of the Belgians. Her marriasre at Balinconrt, where the splendid estate which the late Kinir bought, her is situated, was not only rapid, but early, being celebrated at <> a.m. The hope was that iio French reporter or photographer would be up early enough to intrude, but that hope was frustrated. Several camera tormentors uol, or pretended iliey -of, snap-hots of flu. bvid,. aml bridegroom from with their faces concealed by umbrellas.' A reporter describes M. Durr'ieux as ktv-' performed a curious war dance be- | bind ii jmnisol to I>jifVli* the photograph-J i '*! 7" hi'le-s. he succeeded in ob-l-liliilly a pii'l ure. supposed to be of the iH'idegnniiii. in which, however, there is 111111 ' 1,1 I,t ' h ''<'n of M. Uurrienx than one whilr After the 11 minutes' weddiu;!', M. and Madame Ourrieux took to ■ljieir heels and ran from the reporters. ''J 1 " I'ei'M'euted pair s:iv tlint. their one wish now is lo retire into private life. M, I Minions, who owns horses, will pro--I'iilily tihii'l a stud at I'alincourt.