WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 214, 19 December 1910, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

| (Conducted by "Eileen"). j NOTES FROM LONDON London. October 28. WOMEN DOCTORS ON DIVORCE. A number of eminent women doctors gave evidence before the Royal Commission on Divoice on Wednesday, and all spoke with no uncertain tongue on the i iniquity of the law as it now exists with regard to the standard of morals expected of women as compared with that of men. All held that there should be an equal moral law for men and women, and considered that this would lesseii the necessity for divorce. Miss Helen Webb/ M.S., who has been twenty-two years in medical practice and nineteen years in the hospital for women in the Euston-road, expressed the view that the continuance of any marriage which is physically and morally injurious to the offspring is a menace to society, and calls for greater facility of divorce in all classes. Dr. May Thome, of the Liverpool Stanley Hospital, gave particularlyoutspoken evidence. She said that the standard of morals expected of men, unmarried as well as married, had hitherto been less high than that demanded of the large majority of women. The standard of morals that men expected from one another on this point was admittedly lo\V. If polygamy were necessary to men, then the present marriage system was insufficient. If polygamy were not necessary, then misconduct could not be too strongly condemned. Young men should be helped, as far as possible, by a strong expression of public, [opinion to combat this indulgence. At present public opinion condoned, if it did not encourage it. j WOMAN'S GIFT TO THE NATION. I Mrs Mary Greenfield has recently made an important gift to the Egyptian collection of the British Museum in the form of a large and magnificent copy of the Theban Book of the Dead, to which, is added a large collection of invocations, address?s and -hymns to Air.en-ra, the God of Thebes. This papyrus was-written for a princess called Nesi-ta-neb-asher, the daughter of the great Queen Nesi-khensn. who flourished between B.C. 1040-1000. The Greenfield papyrus was i... >usly obtained from the famous cashe at Der-al-bahari some time before the year 1870. It lay for some years among Mr. Greenfield's treasures, but during the present year it was taken to the British Museum and tlui'e examined and unrolled, by t'he authorities. It is remarkably complete. Very few characters are missing at the beginning, but the excellence of the papyrus and its thickness have preserved the text in a remarkable state of integrity. The actual length is 122 ft, and it is with one exception the longest papyrus in the world. The exception is the famous Harirs papyrus, now in the British Museum, which contains the history of the reign of Ramesis 111., and is 135 ft in length.

A UNIQUE BEQUEST.

A remarkable will has been left by a man named Franz Botor, a wealthy bachelor of Budapest, who died last wteek. He was known as a violent woman hater, and in his will he explains that he never married because modern women are utterly ignorant of the principles of cooking. He leaves his entire fortune to the municipality for the purpose of establishing a free cooking school in order that young girls may be taught how to prepare food in a civilised manner. The testator ironically observes that he bestows on his relatives the privilege of daily free dinners at the school! The municipality of Varadin has accepted the bequest, and will at once begin the erection 1 of the new cooking school. COMPLIMENTS FOR COLONIALS.

Never have Australian women 'been so universally praised as by Miss Lily Brayton since her return from the suniiy South, and in an article recently published on "The Women of Australia: Happy People Living in a Happy Country," Miss Brayton (who in private life is the wife of Mr Oscar Asche, the well-known actor) say:—"Of course it is good to be home i again in England, arid of course it is good to be acting in London; but neither my husband nor I, nor. indeed, any member of our company, will -jver forget the splendM welcome we had from the Australians, and we are looking forward to our next year's journey back again, particularly as this time we are extending our tour to New Zealand." "The Australian women are splendid," she says in another place. "I certainly believe they must be among the most beautiful women in the world. Certainly I myself (have never seen so many lovely women at one time as I saw at race meetings and other functions in the Southern Hemisphere. The Australian women are not only good-looking; they are so well turned out. They seem to lhave the knack, as the Frenchwoman 'has, and sometimes the American, of knowing exactly the right sort of clothes each individual should wear. The Australian girl cares nothing for convention, and lives a free, healthy life, sharing her brother's pride of country and inspired by a complete and most admirable sense of selfrespect. WOMEN MEDICAL INSPECTORS. A woman doctor —Miss E. M. Magill—has been appointed to inspect girls in the Essex County secondary schools. The appointment is made in accordance with a recent decision ot the Essex Education Committee that medical inspection should be extended to all children attending secondary schools. WOMEN' COUNCILLORS.

Xo less t'han twelve women candidates were nominated on Monday for the municipal elections in England and Wales, which will take place on November 1. At the present time there are fifteen women town councillors in the Ui'ited Kingdom. One of them, Mrs. Garrett Anderson, has been Mayor of Aldeburgfo for two years; while another. Miss Dove, was nominated as Mayor of High Wycombe two years ago, and was only defeated by two votes. Eight councillors complete their terms of office this year, and while Mrs. Garrett Anderson and Mrs. Woodward,, of Bewdley, are retiring, their six colleagues are coming forward at the polls. At Middlesborough a "married woman" councillor is to be nominated. According to the Qualification of Women (county and borough councils) Act, 110 woman shall be disqualified by reason of her sex or marriage from being elected, or being a councillor or aldermen, provided she has the necessary qualifica-.

j tions. The ordinary married woman who is not a widow is not on the burgess roll. The name of Mrs. Coates Hansen, the proposed Middlesborough nominee, has, however, been entered on the rate book, at the instance of her husband, instead of his own. If the nomination is accepted, and Mrs. Coates Hansen is elected, she will be the first "'married woman'' town councillor. A ROYAL SHOPKEEPER.

The Queen of Roumania (the popular "Carmen Sylva" of literary fame) has lately opened a book shop at Bucharest. WuMEX ON HEALTH AND' MORALITY.

I A private conference, in which women I doctors, trained nurses, women Poor Law j guardians, and rescue workers are tak-

ing part, on health and morality is to be held at Caxton Hall next month. LADY TERRITORIALS.

An entertainment was given at Gravesend on Tuesday in support of the Ladies' Voluntary Aid Detachments for the Territorial Army, and during the evening a letter was read from the Duke of Argyll, in which he said: "We send you our best wishes for the success of your lady Territorials. Without their aid the task becomes so difficult that misgivings as to the success of the movement must arise. If the Government are not strong enough to apply compulsion, the ladies are; and where they l«ad, who will not follow? The (Soutill of England would be the first part of the country to see the shells fly in case of war, aad the ancestors of those living there were the first to set the example for defence. I believe that the southern ladies will see to it now that' tiheir ltfrds and themselves follow their fowrfatJiers' action."

SOCIETY PEOPLE IN A SCRAMBLE.

A GOVERNMENT HOUSE FIASCO.

Wellington society is saying uncomplimentary tilings about the vice-regal reception on Saturday night (says the Petone Chronicle's Nine hundred citizens were innocently led into the most undignified of scrambles, such as will not occur again, I should imagine, when his Excellency the Governor hears ihow his guests, other than a few, "enjoyed" themselves at the function. When society got its invitation to the reception, it pictured the most impressive and dignified of gatherings, but the invitation nst must have got'mixed up with the Post Office Directory if one judges of the numbers who tried to get standing room in the reception apartment. Mercifully it rained, and there were not sufficient cabs to go round, so some lucky persons stayed away. A long silent line of cabs waiting down the drive resembled a funeral procession, and so slow was its progress that the simile occurred to many of the occupants, and they elected to sacrifice a little dignity and make their appearance at the reception room on foot. Here a silent human semaphore waved, first one arm, then the other directing the guests, and expectantly they flocked through to the ball-room to greet the Governor — but there was no greeting! Astonished society stood in a big crowd, looking for its hosts, but Lady Islington did not appear until half an hour had elapsed. Lord Islington, accompanied by. some official, ventured now and again into the crush, but the expected presentations were "off,'' and people wondered whether tltis was the latest method of being thoroughly impartial and democratic. Tihere was stringed music to soothe the disappointed one, and after an 'hour of aimless waiting (made interesting in some quarters where outspokenness is counted a virtue) two doors opened, the mob—for, however welldressed and disciplined, it resembled nothing else so closely—pushed its ' way down the "run"—of course I mean ''corridor"—to the supper room. But not yet! There was no reason to complain of his Excellency and a few distinguished guests (including the Honorable "Roddy" and two other junior members of the Ministry) keeping the gallant nine hundred outside the door while they supped, but when the generality of persons reached their refreshment, they might have all been provided with the feeding implements usually found in polite "society. No wonder an unfortunate gentleman lost his head, also a cup of coffee, which latter found an unwelcome place oa a lady's dress. Over the subsequent proceedings I politely draw a veil, leaving the sympathetic reader to imagine how long it would take nine (hundred persons with limited assistance, to find the right cab on a very dark and wet night all departing from the same narrow exit, and all endeavoring to look as if they enjoyed it. Next time the Governor gives a reception, it is understood that his usual advisers will leave things to an organiser, Mr. James Moore, the seamen's missioner, or someone else with an eye to the proprieties.