WOMEN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 276, 14 April 1913, Page 6

WOMEN'S WORLD

SITED FOR BREACH AT 73. SAID TO HAVE PROPOSED IX 15 MINUTES. An old man of 73. wlio some lime ago liad ii legacy of f-W.ODI) loft him, was recently sued at Dublin for breach of promise. The plaintiff' was aged 31, and the defendant, Patrick Duignan, retired farmer, formerly of Fishortown. Counsel said that plaintiff had been governess in the South of France, and came ■home last October. Defendant knew she was coming, and asked a "Mrs. Morrison to find a suitable wjfe to share his home. As a consequence of communications between defendant and Mrs. Morrison, the parties came together, and agreed to marry. The necessary permits for the marriage were procured, but defendant broke off the engagement, and alleged that a trap had been laid for him. Then he went to Longford, and married another girl. Mrs. Morrison said that after defendant was introduced to plaintiff he asked witness to find out the lady's mind if she would marry him, as he liked her appearance and manner. Witness told him that plaintiff would consent. Subsequently he said. "I. have iny flower here," referring to plaintiff. Judge Wright: What admirable language. (Laughter.) In cross-examination witness said she first brought Lizzie Sheerin, Emily's sister, to meet Duignan. and counsel read i a letter from Lizzie Sheerin to defendant in which she wrote: "I have made up my mind I will accept your promise of marriage, and hope we may get on well, and that you will never have cause to regret the honour you ' pay me." Duignan wrote in reply: "Yours to hand. lam glad to know you are an obedient child to your parents. I quite understood before you left you wanted a young man which I hope to get. and wish you many happy days." Witness said she believed the engagement to Lizzie fell through.

Counsel referred to defendant as being "like an unshaven orang-outang," and asked if it was love at first sight. Witness did not know. Defendant, she said, made up his rniid in a quarter of an hour.

Plaintiff, in cross-examination, said defendant never kissed or squeezed her. Counsel: He called you a flower?— Yes. ' In further cross-examination she said she knew defendant had jilted her sister, but thought it was her sister's fault, because shs asked for a settlement.

Counsel for the defence declared that the object of the action was to extort money, and nothing else. "Having failed with Lizzie, they liava tried to impose Emily on defendant," he said. The case was dismissed.

A GIRL'S MISSION

A STORY OF AERIANOPLE.

In Hip year 1657, when Sultan Mahomet the Fourth had removed his Court to Adrianople, an English Quaker servant girl appeared one day in the Royal encampment demanding speech of the Grand Turk "about the tilings of her religion." The story of her adventures reads like a fairv tale. The mission set out from England in 1657, "to convert the Grand Signior." It consisted, of three men, all of them Irish, and three women, of whom Mary Fisher was one, and, according to contemporary accounts, the only one who reached the. goal of their journey. They started with the help of the newly-formed Quaker Fund for the Service of Truth Abroad, which contains items for this year under the head of "Turkey." to the amount sf £177 5s 7d. At Zante, which thev reached by way of Leghorn, the first separation occurred, and Mary Fisher, still accompanied bv her two women friends and by one of the men, pushed on to Smyrna. There she learned that the Sultan was to be found at Adrianople, and thither she resolved to pursue her journey. But the English j Consul, having tried in vain to dissuade her from an enterprise which seemed to him both mad and dangerous, put her on board a ship bound for Venice. When she learnt the destination to which she was being carried, Mary persuaded the shipmaster to set her down upon the nearest coast. From this point there is no further word of any companion, and it seems certain that it was alone and on. foot that she performed the land journey of 500 nr GOO miles along the sea coast of Hie Morea, Greece, and Macedonia, and so across the mountains of Thrace to the broad plain w'<»r> Adrianople lies, watered by the River Maritza. Here the Sultan was ci>'"imped with his army and the wli'<>lp of his vast retinue of courtiers and attendants. It was onlv after many that Marv found a friend bold Hionah to siv'uk. for her to the Grand Vizier and •'"'l him that "a woman was come who h'td something to declare frn -, i the Great r 'ni\ to the Sultan." Map- had her audience, she spoke the thoughts that were in her mind, the young S'ultan( he was only 17), listened gravely, treated her courteously, and set her on her way to Constantinople—she refusing an escort. Mary eventually reached England in safety .but the Sultan Temained a loyal follower of the Prophet. PENSIONS FOR MOTHERS New York .March 25. What is known as the Mothers' Pension Law, which was recently passed by the Legislature in Utah State, became effective yesterday. Under this new legislation all mothers who are compelled to work for a living will received,£2 a month for the support of one child, and an additional fl a month for every other child. The aim of the Act is to enable mothers to remain at home, iu order to rear their children properly. THE POPE'S SISTER Rosa Sarto, the Pope's eldest sister, died shortly after mid-day (savs a Rome message of February 11.) The Pope's three unmarried sisters, who lived with their brother when he was a pariah priest, bishop, and cardinal, purposely came to Rome to reside in a small house within a stone's throw of the Vatican, at the doctor's suggestion to alleviate their brother's home-sickness.

The sisters spent much of their time in the Pope's company, and often dined at the Vatican. 'They continued to cook his favourite Venetian dishes, dam iiis stockings, and take care of their brother, the same as when he was a plain humble priest. A year ago, Rosa, who was almost an octogenarian, was attacked with paralysis, since w.hen she has been bedridden and unable to visit the Pope, who regularly had a dailv telephonic conversation with her. Last week she had another attack, and her ease became hopeless. Yesterday the Pone telephoned his blessing, as it was feared that she would die during the night. He also sent two Venetian secretaries to his sisters' house, where they remained until (he end came. When the secretaries returned to the Vatican the Pope n-uessed the bad news, and retired to his private chapel, where he spent the afternoon in prayer. This evening the two surviving sisters went to the Vatican and consoled the Pope, who though yen- grieved, is bearing his calamity wilh resignation. T am authorised to deny that the Pope left Ihe Vatican secretly and visited his dying sister.