WOMAN'S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 July 1918, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD.

PERSONAL Dr. and Sirs Brownie are at prcaeul in New Plymouth. * * t • Mrs Percy Stainton is visiting her mother, Mrs W. Ambury. • • • • Mr and Mrs W. H. Skinner (Christchurch) are expected to arrive in New Plymouth next Wednesday, when they will be the guests of Mrs Skinner, sen. * * • • Mrs T. Wilford (Wellington) during her short stay in New Plymouth was the guest of Mrs Crooke. * • • • Mrs A. Alexander is on a visit to Wellington to bid farewell to her son, who is leaving shortly for the front. * * • • Mr. and Mrs Richardson (Christchurch) are on a visit to New Plymouth * • • • Mrs S. Weller, who has been visiting her mother, Mrs P. W. Hall, has returned to Wanganui. * * • • Mrs Rathbone (Opu>iakp) is on a short visit to New Plymouth. * » * • Hon. 0. Samuel and Mrs Samuel return to Wellington on Monday. Miss K. Hamerton is on a visit to Inglewood. * » • ♦ Miss Potter (Auckland) is on a visit to New Plymouth. * -» • • Mrs J. Clarke leaves on Tuesday for Blenheim. * • » • Miss E. McAllum, who has been acting Hurse in the Featherston Camp, has been promoted as Matron in one of the hospital ships which leaves shortly en route for England. A circular will he forwarded early in the week to those ladies who have undertaken the management of teatables at the Cafe Chantant on the 11th, 12th, and 13th. The circular will explain exactly what will be needed for each table.

HIGH SCHOOL OLD GIRLS' CONCERT. At the concert given by the High School Old Girls' Association on Thursday night in the Good Templar Hall, the star item of the programme was a threeact comedy entitled "Only a Hoax," and the ten young ladies who produced the play have every reason to be satisfied with the success attending their efforts. This little band of theatrical performers worked like Trojans to make it the success it was. Not only did they* re-paper the scenery (which was secured after great difficulty) but they completely changed the whole contour of the stage, with beautiful furniture lent to them by Mrs 0. McAllum, Messrs Baker, Hayden, and Hofmann. The plot embraced a scheme whereby two young ladies, whose parents were supposed to be residents of India, and who were the wards of two elderly maiden ladies in England, endeavored to administer a rebuff to the prying inquisitiveness of their guardians. The girls conceive the idea of planning a secret meeting at an inn a few miles distant with two "young.men," and accordingly a letter is left on the doorstep of the residence of the girls' guardians (the Missel Annabel and Fanny Crawford), in which all the plans for the meeting are set out, and the "young men" arrange to appear at the place of meeting in the attire of ladies, lest there should be ay difficulty in completing the hoax of the guardians. The letter, of course, is found by the servant, Sarah (Mrs. Dell), who gives it to her mistress (Miss Annabel Crawford), who at once sees in it a deep-laid scheme to thwart her authority as guardian, and immediately takes steps to intercept the meeting. The leading role (Miss Annabel) was splendidly played by Mis s Dora Bedford, who maintained a perfectly austere attitude throughout, and was responsible for much | of the merit of the performance. The part of Misj Fanny, who was completely under the thumb of her elder sister, was well sustained by Miss Sybil ThomsonMisses Mona Corkill and Elsie Bullard were bright and vivacious as mischievous young wards, and entered very heartily into the presentation of their parts. The guardian ladies decide that, instead of going to town, they will visit the "Pretty Lass" Inn, intending to arrive there before the time of the arranged meeting- The young ladies, however, when their guardians have left, make all haste, and reach the inn before their guardians. The innkeeper (Janet), which was played by Miss Norma Collins, wa», of course, "in the know," and the girls, on their arrival, quickly effected their disguise as waitresses of the inn, and were ready to receive the Misses Crawford on their arrival- The play between the guardians and their disguised wards, who were really most impertinent waitresses, was very amusing, and the plot thickened a 9 other visitors arrived at the inn. The entrance of "Xady Porker" (Miss Alice Brewster) and "Miss Trotter' ' (Miss Ruby Clarke) was the signal for an outburst of indignation on the part of Miss Annabel, who charged them with being disguised men, come there with the intention of effecting a clandestine meeting with her wards (the Misses Elsie and Miriam Harcourt). Other friends of the girls, Gertrude (Miss L. Mills) and Enid (Miss M. Mouat), also call at the inn on their way up to town to spend the afternoon with the Misses Harcourt, and they endeavor to persuade Miss Crawford that she must be mistaken over the whole matter, but she reproduces the letter which was addressed to "EH." and "M.H.," and, of course, could bo meant for no one else. The guardians are persauded to return home, greatly disappointed at the nonappearance of their wards at the meet-ing-place. Those "in the know" suppressed their enjoyment of the hoax with admirable self-control. In reaching home, they have, of course, been outdistanced by their wards, who are found innocently entertaining their friends. Fresh complications develop when a police officer is announced inquiring for the ladies who insulted "Lady Porker" at the "iPretty Lass" Inn. The terror displayed by the hysterical Miss Fanny land the assumed bravado of Miss Annabel were well contrasted. The tangle was unravelled somewhat by the.young ladies persuading the officer to accept a .written apology to "Lord Porker" for* the insult offered his wife, but the business of inducing Miss Annabell to sign. the document which bad been prepared 'for her was a somewhat difficult one- In even this humiliation, Miss Annabel main-

stagp furnishings were excellent and the dresses appropriate. Mrs R. H. Bartley, who acted as stage manager, was in turn, also deserving of the highest praise. During the evening, baskets of sweets were sold by a bevy of daintly-clad maidens, and with the result of their sales, and that of the concert, a considerable sum is expected to be handed in to the fund.

Madame Melbu, speaking to a Sydney Morning Herald reporter of her recent tour of the United States, stated that she had given' three big concerts for patriotic funds in the States. "All this considerably fatigued me, but America is so strenuously in the war, with wheatless, meatless, chickenless, and eatless days, whereby an enormous surplus of food reaches all the Allied forces in Prance, that it was impossible to refuse. Enthusiasm creates the flame of response, and they 'kept the home fires burning' all round me. Medical advice was all against extra work, as my tour was a chapter of accidents. Eight of them—a whole octave. At Fort Worth, Texas, as soon as I appeared in the opening vision of Marguerite, the pole of the back scene fell, smashing my wrist, and knocking me backwards in my chair from the raised stage. My back was bruised and wrenched, and I pas buried under the At St. Louis a chauffeur broke both legs, in the audience, as you may imagine. At St. Louis a chaffeur broke botli legs. and was nearly killed, through running into our motor car, in which I was sitting with Lady Susan FitzClarcnce and Major Fenwick, a wounded officer. Wc all escaped unhurt beyond an alarming shock. On the line to Duluth the locomotive boiler burst, the fragments grazing our windows. In Chicago my private ear in the rear of the train unhitched, ran back, and was ultimately stopped by a signalman. At Chicago a bomb went off under the box in which I sat with my party, but exploded downwards instead of up. Soon after, I scalded my arm with boiling water, and was laid up for three days. On the railway to Boston our train cut a horse and cart to pieces. Fragments flew all about, but the driver was saved by being thrown on to some wires. Finally, on the way to Pittsburg, we ran over an Italian snow-shoveller, who was killed. All these sad adventures and shocks led to my being ordered a fortnight's rest cure in a Passadena hospital, and it did me a world of good. I am now eagerly looking forward to joining my son and his wife at Coombe Cottage, 'where rustic pursuits and music will still further consolidate my

BEWARE OF THE CAT. CARRIER OF DIPHTHERIA. "I love little pussy . . ," every child learns to chant; with faith in the nursery assurance that a cat, kindly treated, will do no harm- How many a child has suffered for a belief in that false prophecy! Time has proved that the common cat, of which the fur and paws can spread germ 3 of disease, can be a danger to a community. Probably cats have carried diphtheria into many a New Zealand home during the present epidemic. This domestic animal may take the disease itself, and thus pass it on directly to children, or it may be a carrier of germs left on its fur by diphtheria patients, who have fondled "the pet."

PROOF POSITIVE. At least one boy in Kclburn caught diphtheria during the past few days direct from an infected cat The attention of the Health Department was drawn to this suspected pet—an apparently perfectly healthy Thomas—and experts soon proved, by bacteriological examination of mucus from the cat that the animal had diphtheria- The father of the child say s that he had always a dread of cats bringing disease into the home, and his vote had always gone against keeping the risks. Surreptitiously, be had also resorted to strychnine thrice, but the cat seemed to regard this poison as a tonic, and declined to die. Before the citizen could make six move attempts (to complete the traditional nine), diphtheria intervened, and the Health Department gave the cat a painless passing.

OTHER EVIDENCE. When making enquiries about diphtheria to-day, a Post representative was informed by a Government officer that he had just received a letter fi >m a friend in England. The message stated that when an outbreak of diphtheria occurred in the Wickham Abbey jchool recently, there was short shrift for all cat pets, by order of the medical authorities. Even much - prized "Persians" were not spared in the decree of death.

OFFICIAL ADVICE. Dr Watt, District Health Officer, says that though the Department has not had its attention drawn to many cats actually affected with diphtheria, it is wellknown that cats can contract this disease, and they .can be also carriers. The departmental inspectors always warn people against admitting cats to sick rocm, and they also the prompt destruction of cats on which igns of sickness have been observed*.

PRIVILEGED PUSS. The destruction of dangerous '-. is apparently on a haphazard basis; u is left largely to individual discretion. In the case of dogs, the Registration Act gives a local authority power to destroy unregistered waifs and strays, and even others whose ownera try to dodge the tax, but New Zealand, unlike some other countries, has no system of registration and taxation of cats. This nuisance has not yet had the serious attention of Parliament, though it has been mentioned occasionally by a member of the 'Legislature.

ABPEAP.AN£ES DECEIVE. Some persons, while admitting that certain cats may spread any disease, may scout any suggestion that their cats, living in a clean locality, may be spreaders of disease. It is important to give iheed to the truth that a cat prowls about in all manner of dirty places. It :nay pick up germs of disease some distance away from its home. The cat's method of washing (the "cat-lick") may make it 3 fur a hotbed of disease. Persons who allow children to play with cats expose them to risk of ring-worm and other skin diseases, as well as to the serious smalady of diphtheria-