WOMAN'S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 June 1917, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD.

PERSONAL ITEMS. Mrs. Glenn (Hawcra), wild lias been tile guest of lira. J. Glenn, has returned. *** . * Mrs. and Miss 'Brewster are on a visit to Auckland. * * » * Miss K. Hamerton leaves this morning on a visit to Wellington. * * * * Mrs. Jack Heinpton has gone on a long visit to Wellington and Ghristchurch. * » « » Misa McGinnerty, who lias been the ' guest of Miss Leatham, has gone on a visit to Carterton before her return home to Nelson * * # « Miss Fairbrother, of the Girls' High School staff, has returned after spending her holidays with her people in Palmerston North. * * * # Miss J Mackay, -with Mrs. Bennett (Blenheim), have gone on a visit to Auckland, where they will stay at "Cargen." * * » » Mrs. W. H. Skinner, who has been on a visit to New Plymouth, has returned to Christchurch, accompanied by her sister, Miss Devenish. ♦ * • * Mrs. Percy Webster has gone on a visit to Auckland. * » 1 » ,* Mrs. Harry Stocker left on Tuesday for Christchurch, . « • * • Miss N. Dempscy, who has been visiting her parents in New Plymouth, has gono on a visit to Wellington before her return to Auckland. « # * * Mrs. Grant and E. Grant are spending a few days with Mrs. Lan Grant, Inglewood. • « * * Miss G. Fookes is visiting her sister, Mrs. Nichol, Ashburton. » » • * Misses Cato (2), who have been on a visit to Wellington, have returned. * # # ♦ Mr. and Mrs. A. J. S. Thompson, who have been on a lengthy visit in the Wellington district, have returned. Miss Sybil Thomson is spending her holidays in Wellington. Miss Kathie Bennett leaves for her future home in Wellington by the mail train this morning. *'# * * Mrs. Jansen and 'Mrs. Roberts (Hawera) are on a short visit to New Plymouth. « 4» * 9 Mr., Mrs., and Miss McLaughlin (Wellington) are spending a few days here. » # # • Mr. and Mrs. Burrell (Feilding) are on a short visit; to New Plymouth, having returned from their visit to Wanganui. * » * # Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie have returned to Wellington. « * » # Mr. and Mrs. Avery, who have heen visiting Wangar.ui, spent a few days in New Plymouth before leaving for Auckland » » ♦ • Mr. and Mrs. Bensen (Auckland), who have been on a short visit to New Ply-, mouth, have returned to Auckland. Mrs. H. Brookman is the guest of lier sister, Mrs. Tignan, Remuera, Auckland. Mrs. Rennie Avery has gone to Sydney on account of her husband's ill health. / » » . » Mr. and Mrs. Rogers (Auckland) after their pleasant stay here, have left for 'Wanganui. * • • • Amongst the gnests» staying at Chatsworth House this week are: Mrs. W. D. Thompson (Awakino), Mrs. Davy (Normanby), Mrs. Erskine (Scotland), and Mrs. Charters (Auckland). SOCIAL NEWS. Afternoon Tea. —La9t Tuesday Mrs. J. B. Roy gave a very enjoyable afternoon tea in honor of Mrs. J. Glenn, who is leaving very shortly, with her husband, for her future home at Waitotara. On Wednesday last Mrs. B. Chaney entertained a number of friends, the guest of the afternoon being Mrs. Glenn. Musical items were rendered by Mrs. Campbell and Miss 0. Mackay. Mrs. Chaney received.her guests in a pretty aftxe blue shangtung, lightly finished with cream laee. Amongst those present were Mesdames Glenn, Campbell, Nicholson. R. A. Gray, G. Eraser, Bloxain, G. Millar, R. Quilliam, Kursthouse, and Misses M'Allum (2), Wade, Blundell, K. Leatham, 0. Mackay and Roy. / "SUBTLE CRAFT." The police in the Australian cities have (writes the Sydney correspondent of the Wellington Post) commenced a campaign against what one - Magistrate "described as "a lot of harpies, preying on the anxiety and love of relatives of I'.ie men who are fighting at the front." These "harpies" are women, generally described as fortune-tellers, who profess i to advise people, generally women, as to the fate in store for men who go to the front. Quite a haul was made* by the . Melbourne police. On a recent day six ; Women were lined up before the Magis- i tratc on charges of "having unlawfully used certain subtle craft." Each of the ; defendants registered an indignant "Not guilty"; but the polieo witnesses paralysed their defence. The polieo bad sent around amongst these fortune-tellers a Mrs. Connoi* ami her daughter, Miss Connor. and each had received, in return for 2s Gd and as, much interesting information about husband, brother, or 'Son at the front, irrespective of fhe fact that the older lady was a widow, with no son, and the younger was not married. Some of the angry ladies in the witnessbox showed a tendency to call down upon the heads of the police agents the wrath of heaven and to pronounce curses of a kind calculated to curdle the blood; but the Magistrate displayed no fear of the supernatural, and kept the ants sternly to the business before the Court. "How did you expect to get a truthful' reading from me when you came to mo with a lying mind?" asked one fortune-teller of Miss Connor. "Yon told me I had a brother at the front," said Miss Connor. "And you were too ladylike to contradict her," interposed the Magistrate, amid laughter. "I am a magnetic healer," said another defendant. "I would like you to explain to me what subtle craft is." "I will toll you," said the Magistrate; "ypu. < old .these people deliberate and wick" 1 'i*i tractihß with a view to obtainins j "3a «»

women were fined £lo, in default two months' imprisonment. In the other case, .a Pne of £lO was imposed, or one month's imprisonment. The Magistrate said that the crime was "a dastardly wicked thing," and, if the law had permitted it imprisonment without any option wbuld have more justly met the cases. PATHIATUA CENTENARIAN. HER INTERESTING REMINISCENCES. On Monday next Mrs. J. Vile, of Paliiatua, will attain her 100 th birthday, She has had the unique experience of seeing no less than five generations of her lamily. Mrs. Vile was born in Somersetshire, England, in ISI7, in the reign of George 111. She has, therefore, lived under five British sovereigns. She was present in London at the Coronation of the late Queen Victoria in 1837. Hsr maiden name was Ann Foster. At tlio age of twenty-eight she was married to the late Mr. John Vile, who predeceased her by sixteen or seventeen years. In 1850 the family came to New Zealand in the ship Anne Wilson, which wns known as the "starved ship." The journey occupied 221 days, and when the port of Wellington was reached the passengers were in a condition of semistarvation. Several (including one of Mrs. Vile's daughters) died on the journey from lack of sustenance. When the facts became known to the then residents of Wellington, an indigation meeting was held, and it was decided to deal in a salutary manner with the captain of the vessel. The latte:-, however, made his escape to his ship, which was lying out at sea. The late M.\ John Vile and his family proceeded to the Lower Hutfc, where they spent the first night in n barn owned by the late Mr. Liverton. For two years they lived in the Hiitt Valley, when they were forced "by the floods to retreat to the Wairarapa. In ISSS they came to what was then known as the Three-Mile Bush, but is now the township of Carterton. Thereafter the late Mr. John Vile and his eldest son (the late Mr. Job M.P.), were employed on the station of Messrs. Smith and Bevnns at Martinborough. Subsequently Mr. John Vile occupied what ia now known as the Admiral Run, near Gladstone. He and his family afterwards resided at Clarevi.ie, then at Mas> terton, and later removed to Pahiatua, where Mrs. Vile has lived for more than a quarter of a century. Although confined to her bed for some time back, as the result of an accident, Mrs. Vile still retains her mental faculties, and can discuss for hours the stirring events of her earlier career. Her family consisted of five sons and two daughters. The sons were the late Mr. Job Vile (who died at Marton).. the late Mr. Alfred Vile (who died at Lyttelton), Messrs. William Vile, John Vile (Pahiatua), and Henry Vile, Himatangi (Palmerston North). Her daughters were the late Mrs. H. Eagle and Mrs. H. Preston, the latter a groat-grand-mother. She has twenty-one grandsons, eleven granddaughters, about eighty great-grandchildren, and several great-great-grandchildren. FAMILY OF SIXTY-SIX. SMALL HOUSEHOLDS CONSIDERED BAD FORM. The Chinese are proud of large families, and a large family living together under one roof is looked upon as proof of the good temper and correct course of life of its members and as a sure path to prosperity. A large family which is able to live together without dividing up the property always receives much credit and is highly respected.. Iti.s one of the highest distinctions in China to have Wu Fu T'ung T'ang, or five generations, under one roof, although such a distinction is attained by very few. According to a recent censu3 the family of Mcng Yu Sliili, a widow, of the village of Mantao, in the territory of Wei-hai-wei, has the distinction of being the largest in the land. Her family consists of sixty-six members, and, with one servant, there are sixty-scvou mouths to be fed daily. Meng Yu 'Sliili is sixty-six years old, and has nine sons and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all living under her roof. She has not attained the ambition of being the head of Wu Fu T'ung T'ang, but the size of her family has already given her the honor and the pleasure of being the largest in China, even if she lias not five generations under one roof. There are many households with more' than forty members, and almost all old and distinguished families of China have at least twenty members. Families of small size, three or four, are considered rather bad form even if they are rich and occupying high position. Size of family is as valuable in China as size of strong-box.