WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 224, 16 January 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen"). BIG HAT DANGER Women's big lints are now arraigned as a serious menace, to bealth by their wearers. >Yomen are becoming roundshouldered owing to their use, with all the attendant physical ills that such a condition implies. "1 have lately noticed that a large proportion of the women who come to sees my ■ advice are becoming roundshouldered," said a well-known instructor in the art of physical cultureto the Daily .Mirror. ''l Jieedly hardly enlarge on the dangers to health arising from this condition—it results in the dangerous compression of the various vital organs. The cause is largely the enormous hat. A woman in such a hat cannot sit upright in a train, cab or omnibus; she has to keep her head forward. An interesting opinion on the deterioration of women's physique and appearance due to large hats and other eccentricities of fashion was given to the Mirror by an Australian advocate of physical culture, who has now been some years in England. "When .1 came to England a few years ago,'' she said, had generally a much finer carriage than they have now. By their following of eccentric fashions they have deteriorated physically. "Englishwomen used to have more beautiful frames than the women of any other country, and it makes me sad to see the change. It is a most serious matter, and results in the production of puny children." A well-known lady lecturer on physical culture also had something to say on the subject. "I have noticed that the ordinary woman is not nearly so smart as she used to be in appearance, or so well set up;' she said. ".She is supposed to be better euueated aiiu more interested in public life, but it seems to me that she has grown careless about her physique. "The modern WDman, with her large hats and high heels, is doing herself great harm. She not only injures her lun»s and chest, but her whole body. "I myself have to wear a moderately large hat for the sake of appearance when facing an audience, as little hats do not suit me, but I find my hat very tiring and in my way when travelling in cabs and trains. What the really large hats must be like 1 can only imagine."

WORK FOR GIRLS. A PROGRESSIVE SOCIETY. The Girls' Realm Guild, which has now been in existence for a. number of years, was formed with the object that girls of the leisured class might assist others of their own class, who, through loss of means, might have to support themselves without having received a proper training; and, secondly, to relieve the sufferings and 'privations of the poor,. Mrs. Theodore Bruce, wife of the Hon. Theodore Bruce, M.L.C., South Australia, who ;.s president of thu Society, is at present on a visit to Auckland. In conversation with a Herald she expressed greai pleasure at the steady progress the various branches of the guild in X-t-w Zealand were making, and in support of the same stated that the Auckland branch had recently collected JI!J7 by means of a bazaar. 'Un Adelaide," said Mrs. Bruce, "the Guild has been in existence for three years, and has over 3l>o members. The Countess of Dudley is patroness of the Society, and Bosanquet and others take ti keen interest in its work. The Adt'laide branch has done a great deal of good work in assisting girls to find suitable employment. Recently a young lady iwfio showed considerable musical ability was sent to Europe to continue her studies. Of course, wo make strict enquiries before giving assistance, but whenever a case is genuine we are only too pleased to help. We also provide outings for children in charitable institutions. In three years at Adelaide we ...stributed .-CKKH) in various ways. The outlook throughout Australasia is distinctly promising, particularly in Xew Zealand."

ELACK AGNES AND Thrl SIEGE OF DUNBAR. i Foiled in his attempts to subdue Seotlajnl, and anxious to begin his continental expedition, Edward 111. sought to'gain time by ana-king overtures of peace to tiio Scottish leaders. These, however, were rejected; and, reduced to the necessity either to abandon or prosecute his pretensions to the 'French Crown, to the great delight of the Scots, he preferredl the bolder alternative, and declared war with Franco on October 7, 1.337. The command of this English force in Scotland thus became entrusted to the Earls of Arundel, Salisbury and Norfolk, along with Edward Baliol, who were invested with ample powers to receive all the Scottish leaders who might be willing to accept terms. All attempts to secure an armistice with tile -Scots having failed, the Earl of Salisbury laid siege to the Castle of Dunbar. This reckoned one of the strongest in Scotland, was built on-a chain of .rocks stretching into the sea, and could be approached from the mainland only by one passage, which was strongly fortified. In the absence of the Earl of March, it was defended by hia countess, a daughter of the illustrious Thomas Randolph, Earl of -Moray, whose lofty patriotism and indomitable courage she appears to have inherited. Though Salisbury assailed the castle with the best-constructed 'military en-' gines of the period, and encouraged his' soldiers by heading the detachments who attempted to storm it, "Black Agnes,'' as tin* countess iwas commonly called, from her complexion, continued, during live months, to defy his utmost attempts. Her vigilance, self-possession, and eontempt of danger were united to a rude and biting wit, which, while it animated< tin- garrison, seems to have greatly dis-l concerted the besiegers. When the! .stones, thrown from tho English engines,) struck the walls, she ordered one of ker maidens with a, white napkin to wipe off J the dust, in derision of their vain at-[ tempts on her impregnable castle. j Among other engines, Salisbury em-1 ployed the formidable .machine called a]

''sow" (so famous in the siege of Berwick) 1 ,, in order to ell'ect a breach in the citadel, by undermining the walls. As the huge engine 'advanced, Agues saluted the carl with th« taunting rhym.e: "Beware, ilontagow, For farrow shall thy sow!" and almost at the same moment a mass ot rock, which hud been kept in readiness, was hurled against the sow, dashing it to pieces, and killing or wounding Mid greater part of the soldiers who were concealed within. Foiled in all his attempts to storm the castle, Salisbury converted the siege into a strict blockade, and, with the assistance of a large lleet, so completely environed the fortress that its brave defenders were nearly famished. But Sir Alexander liamsayl of Dalhousie, availing himself of a dark night, sailed from the Bass in a light vessel filled with provisions and manned with forty resolute soldiers, and, after passing .unnoticed the English lleet, entered the castle by a gate near the sea, Animated by this welcome reinforcement, tho garrison made la sudden and vigorous sally on the besiegers, driving in their advance guards. The' English at last .withdrew from Dunbar, where for 19 weeks the heroism of a woman had defied a powerful army, as- ; sisted by the best military engirds of the day, and led by one of the bravest and most experienced of the English nobles.