WOMAN’S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 November 1921, Page 6

WOMAN’S WORLD.

PERSONAL. Miss Hawkins, who has been the guest of Miss Roy, has returned to Waitara. e * • • Mrs. C. K. Holt has returned to Eltham. Mrs. Geo. Kvngdon left last night on a visit to Auckland. Mrs. H. C. Collier has returned from Wanganui. » • • • Mrs. Birch Johnston is the guest of Mrs. Bennett. Mrs. Bothomley (Wellington) is staying with Mrs. W. H. Moyes. * • * Mr. and Mrs. R Hunt (Nelson) were visitors here this week. * * • • Mrs. R. H. George was hostess at a children’s party for “Betty,” on Thursday afternoon. Mrs. B. H. Chaney and Mrs. T. Milroy motored to Hawera on Tuesday to- attend Mrs. Edward’s dance recital. Mrs. R. life, Tod left by mail train yesterday morning for her future home in Otane. Dr. and Mrs. Fisher (Rotorua) spent a x few days here this week. Mrs. Gordon Fraser is on a visit to Auckland. Miss Hilda Nixon, who has been spending several weeks with her many friends in New Plymouth, left on Tuesday for Auckland. On Wednesday afternoon Mrs. G. Home was “at home” to a number of friends of Mrs. R. H. Tod (who has just returned from England). Mrs. Home wore a becoming frock of purple crepe de chine and a very pretty violet hat, while Mrs. Tod wore a very smart grey eolieuve coat frock and a black lace hat.

“BILLETED.” When one thinks back a few years and remembers the stage villain with the spiky black moustache, who posed as Lord Something-or-otber, and wore a slouched hat pulled well down over one eye when moving in society; the heroine who wore rags and tatters in the fourth act because her doting father neglected to teach her to sew in the first; and the hero who goes away in the dead of night to save his brothers name, and comes back four years later with three Australian diamond mines and a Castilian ostrich farm, tn denounce the villain and gather his loved one to his khaki-clad bosom—and then compares such characters with the character? of “Billeted.” who act like human beings, one is struck with the immense advance made in theatrical art during the last few strenuous years. There have heen spasmodic attempts to revive the good old melodrama, but never with any success. The demand is for clean and clever plays, and “Billeted” is clean and clever from the rise of the first curtain to the highly effective climax of the last act. There is not a dull moment in it —it is played with an excellent interpretation of every character—and the continuous stream of humorous situation's is guaranteed to provoke smiles in the most confirmed pessimist. It is always a good plan to book a seat for a play of this description for although there may be seats to be had on the nights of production, it' will be only the very early patrons who will secure them. Reserve at Collier’s and be sure of a good seat. Prices 3s (reserved), and 2s.

THE MOTHERS’ MART. The “Mother’s Mart” at New Plymouth on December 3 is making a special feature of Christmas presents, among which will be baskets, tapa and curios sent by parents of boarders living at the islands. These are presents difficult to obtain and will make unique gifts for Christmas.

HIGH PRICES IN LONDON. “BETTER OFF IN MELBOURNE.” An interesting letter from a Melbourne man who is visiting London records his impressions of the high cost of living in Great Britain, compared with current prices in Australia. “Before I left Australia,” says the writer, “I had an idea that we were worse off than the people of England. Reports of falling prices suggested that things would be startlingly cheap in London. I find, however, that, if anything, we are better off in Melbourne. There is nothing of equal quality that we cannot buy as cheaply in our best stores. Clothes are quite as dear as on our side. Before coming away I bought a suit for £lO. A similar suit here costs £lO. Anything at less than that figure is not exactly what anyone having regard for his appearance would wear. The average price for anything decent is about £ll, and you cannot get a really serviceable suit for less. A dress suit costs £2B, which is about £lO dearer than in Australia. Velour hats from the Continent are cheap. You can get one for 355; about five guineas was the price in Melbourne when I left. Boots are dearer than in Melbourne; vou can get nothing worth while for less than 355. I believe prices are much lower for a better class of goods. Shirts and collars cost exactly the same as m Melbourne. Ties are a little cheaper, socks about the same. Books are reasonably cheap, but not markedly cheaper than we can buy them. At Covent Garden the price of cabbages is 7s a dozen, compared with 9d in former years; cauliflowers Bs, comnarpd with 7id; yarrows Ils to 15s, conlpared with Is; encumbers 6s to Bs, compared with 2s’fid. Drought has sent up the prices of butter, cheese, lard, eggs, and margarine. Sugar is dearer, and meat is a dreadful price. One butcher' remarked, ‘lf a customer is not charged 120 per cent, more than he paid before the war he is not being unfairly treated by his butcher, who quite possibly is making no profit at all.’ In the cheap cafes you pay 4d for four small boiled potatoes, 3<l for peas, 3d for beans, and a penny fl pat for butter. The only cheap food I see is bananas, which can be bought from the barrows at 2d each, quite as good as our best Fiji. “I have been watching the poor shop, and how they live beats me. The poor children in the back streets look dreadfully underfed. The women probably

never before wore so few or such flimsy clothes, but they pay awful prices, and their shoes must cost more than would keep an East End family for a month. I think it will be years before we get low prices, though Australia may work out her own salvation.”

Mrs. George Sandy s, who divorced Captain G. J. Sandys, ex-M.P. for Wells, Somerset, early this year, married Lieu-tenant-Colonel Frederick H. Lister, D. 5.0., Royal Artillery, in October. Thus the daughter of the New Zealand sheepfarming “king,” whom Captain Sandys brought to the Exmoor country after an Antipodean marriage in 1905, exchanges one distinguished English family for another, says an English /paper. Colonel Lister is the younger son of the late Sir 11. Villiers Lister, K.C., M.P., who was Assistant-Secretary for Foreign Affairs for several years. Sir Thomas’ only sister was Sir William Harcourt’s first wife. Mrs. Sandys has one etiild, a h»y of 13. It is stated in a prominent London newspaper that it has been conclusively proved that London is the cheapest place to buy clothing, and that American and Australian women are also finding that the styles are superior even to Paris. A New York girl gives the great city the palm for knitted frocks and pretty tweeds. Jumpers and office frocks are of special taste and style, and many overseas women are buying school outfits for the younger members of their families, not in “cheap and nasty” lines, but in “cheap and nice.” It is mentioned also that London is the place where the most wonderful and valuable antiques are found—jewels, pictures, furniture, lace, and curios are all to be found in London in best quality and quantity. A wedding on horseback took place at Upperby, a village near Carlisle, England. The bridegroom was Mr. Richard Lindsay Young, M.8.E., of Harraby, near Carlisle, and the bride Miss Gertrude E. Mildred, of 'York Gate, London. The wedding was celebrated quietly, and the guests limited to ten. The whole bridal party proceeded to and from the church on hunters from the stables of the bridegroom's father. Dressed in a grey riding habit, with a sprig of white heather in her coat, the bride was mounted on Paragon, a prize-winner at the recent Cumberland show. The bridegroom rode Cardonald, a winner at the Northumberland show. The best man, Captain Philip, of Manchester, rode Flying Fish, another successful horse at the Cumberland show. During the ceremony the horses were tethered in a line * overlooking a low wall into the church-yard.