WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 201, 4 May 1912, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen"). sociAr™. 1 ™ 11 I NEW PLYMOUTH. Never in the annals of New Plymouth has there been such a dearth of social news. Whether it is that the community is suffering from rheumatic gout on account of the cold weather, or that they have suddenly grown wiser and care not to spend their money, I know not, but I do hope, if it be so, that they will not remain in these coma-like conditions long, for what will I do? Even those thrice-blessed words "poor thing" would be of no avail no matter how sympathetically they were said, and "I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed; so citizens behold my fate." Last Monday evening Miss Wade gave a very enjoyable fancy dress party, which took the form of progressive games. Each guest was requested to come masked, so you can imagine how weird and grotesque we all looked when gazing into one another's black and > blank-looking countenance with all earnestness, trying to recognise one's mutual friend. In guessing, Miss Kyngdon received the first prize, Miss Mathews coming second. For the pro-) gressive games, Miss Standish was first and Mr. N. Bewley and Mr. R. Standish second. A delicious supper was served in the dining room, after which vocal j items were rendered by Misses Blundell, '• O'Callaghan. and Leatham. On Thursday last Mr. and Mrs. 0. M. Curtis, Stratford, gave a ball in the Town Hall to celebrate the debut of their daughter, Miss Ellie Curtis, and several 'of our boys and girls were amongst the invited guests. Amongst them were Mr. C. and Miss Webster, Mr. S. Burgess, Messrs. A. and N. and Miss' , Bewlev. PERSONAL. j Mr. and Mrs. Barin, Palmerston North,; { arc on a visit to New Plymouth. Miss Standish left on Wednesday for a trip to England, and was accompanied as far as Wellington by Mr. R. Standish. The Ven. Archdeacon and Mrs. Evan6 left last Monday on a trip to Wellington. Miss S. Bayly, who has been the guest of Mrs. Clem Webster, has returned to Stratford. J Misses E. and K. Penn left last night J for a trip to Auckland. Miss J. Faulkner, Gisborne, is the guest of Miss Grant, Yorke Terrace. A presentation was made to Miss Standish, prior to her departure for England, by St. Mary's choir, which took the form of a gladstone bag initialled in ) silver. The function took place at the ( Kia Ora tea-rooms last Monday after- ] noon. The presentation was made by J the Rev. J. Wilkinson. J Mrs. Fitzherbert. who has been on a [ visit to Wellington has returned. j Mrs. Atkinson has returned to New 1 Plymouth after a pleasant trip to Hamilton and Rotorua.

I A ROMANTIC WEDDING BUTLER -WEDS AN HEIRESS. London, March 23. On February 9, the Morning Post contained the following short fashionable announcement:—"A marriage has taken I place very quietly between Mr. StephenFox and Miss Maud Ward-Fox." Only this week has the fact been known that this notice covered -a romantic wedding three years ago, between a butler and a rich daughter of the house, recalling in many features "The Admirable Crichton" of Mr. J. M. Barrie. Mrs. Ward-Fox was the widow of the late Colonel Edward Ward-Fox, of Hadj don House, Bakewell, Derbyshire, and | both mother and daughter were well J known and popular in the county. When !' Mrs. Ward-Fox died this year she left estate valued at £101,408, with net personalty £82,083. Under her will each of . her daughters was left £13,000 upon | trust, and there was a legacy of£2oo to her ''butler, Lounds, if in my service at | my death." The good-looking, well-educated butler was «ven then, and had been for nearly three years, the husband of Mrs. WardFox's daughter Maud. When, on February 9, the announcement of the wedding of Mr. Stephen-Fox was published no one in Bakewell knew that the name of Stephen-Fox covered the identity of the butler Lounds, and it is generally supposed that the quiet character of the wedding was due to the family bereavement. The connecting link is a document of deed-poll, filed among the records of the Law Courts, indexed under date January |26 of this year. Passages in this docui, I ment run:—■ We, the undersigned, Haydon Ste-phen-Fox, and Maud Mary StephenFox, his wife, at present temporarily residing at Exmouth, in the county of Devon; the said Maud Mary StephenFox, being the daughter of the late Colonel Edward Ward-Fox, of Haddon House, Bakewell, in the county of Derbyshire, and of Eleanor Ward-Fox, his wife, of that place and of Brainhope, Torquay. . . . the marriage of the said Haydon Stephen-Fox and the said Maud Mary Stephen-Fox (he then being Haydon Lounds) having taken place at East Teignmouth Parish Church, on the 17th day of April, 1909, do hereby assume and adopt and determine to take and use . . . the surnames of Stephen-Fox, in substitution for and in place of the surname Lounds, and for the purpose of evidencing --.■•.'. . our determination we do hereby declare our intention upon all occasions in future of using the surnames or compound surnames of Stephen-Fox. To this document the signatures of the contracting parties are set and witnessed by "C. Brian Catling, Union of London and Smith's Bank, Exmouth, bank manager." Mr. Stephen-Fox is described as an accomplished linguist, and on the Continental journeys of the Misses Ward-Fox he acted as guide and companion. He has been -with the Ward-Fox family for nearly 20 years. He and his wife are both about 40. His father, who lives at Worksop, and employed at a carriage ■building and motor works, it is stated, possesses a letter from Mrs. Stephen-Fox stating that they would make their home in Canada. A STRAIGHTFORWARD JUDGE In the Shoreditch County Court, London, on a recent occasion, a solicitor was cross-examining a woman as to her morality, and do so in a manner that provoked condemnation from the presiding Judge. Judge Cluer is reported to have interposed, and used this vigorous language:—"ls every woman who misconducts herself not to be believed? Ts that what you, sir, suggest? What do you say about men? Are they entitled to be believed though they are guilty of misconduct ? Why not apply the same rule to men as to women? You never ask a man whether he is guilty of immorality. A woman guilty of immorality is just as likely to tell the truth as your client." His Honor found for the woman. Truly a righteous Judge.