WOMAN’S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 July 1922, Page 10

WOMAN’S WORLD.

- NEW ZEALAND ABROAD* <> AN INTERESTING LETTER. The following interesting letter is from a Wellington gisi. I am just back in France again after the Easter holidays. I set out a fortnight ago, and met an English girl at Toulouse. We went together first to Pau, where there is a very fine old chateau of Henry TV and a magnificent view of the Pyrenees. From there we went to Lourdes —the Catholic place of pilgrimage of people from all over the world. It is a most curious place—a compound of tinsel and beauty. It seems that 50 years ago a peasant girl, Bernadette Soubirous, had visions of the Virgin in a grotto, and asked the priests to build a shrine. They did so, and people came with all sorts of ailments, bathed in the water, and were cured. The two churches of the grotto are in beautiful Gothic style on the outside, but are spoiled on the inside by all sorts of queer things, such as banners, wooden legs, crutches, eyes, etc. Thence we went to Cauterets and the Cirque de Gavarnie—right in the heart of the Pryenees. The Cirque is a huge snowclad amphitheatre of mountains with a Spanish village on the saddle. Near it is the Bretch de Roland, which the Paladin is supposed to have made with his sword Durandhal. From there we went to Bagneres de Bigorre and Foix—both viliMM in the Pyrenees—and finally to Carcassone. Do you remember it in W. J. Locke’s “Adventures of Aristide Pujor?” It is a wonderful Moyen Age doubly-forti-fied city, with parts of the fortifications Roman and parts Visigoth. At Cerbere we met a party of French people from the Syndict d’lnitiative, and went with them to Spam. The six days in Spain were wonderfully arranged. We paid 350 franca—stayed at the best hotels, had ill our amusements, even the tiniest expenses paid, and were entertained lavishly. Considering Spanish hotels—second-rate ones —are £1 a day, I don’t yet know how the president of the syndicate managed it. The first night (Good Friday) we stayed at Fiqueras, and saw a curious religious procession of monks and choirboys with huge candles and with tableaux representing “The way of the Cross.” On our first night at Barcelona we were serenaded (the Fete of Csramellas) by the choir of Spanish students with glorious voices. At midnight all the choirs massed at the Place de I’Hotel de Ville and sang love-songs together.

In Spain also we went to a bullfight. It was a wonderful mise-en-scene—almost as if a book were coming true, but the r ality was crudly horrible. The Spanish crowd, however, was a great study. It certainly is the Latin race with a strong dash of the wild Moorish type. Barcelona is a beautiful city, with glorious boulevards, or ramblas, with huge avenues of plane trees and rows of flower stalls among them. . The roses and carnations there are exquisite, and very cheap. Three huge bunches .for sixpence; a big bag of oranges for the same amount of money. All the animation of Barcelona begins at 10 pan., and continues until 2 a.m. Theatres and cinemas begin at 10 or 10.30.

We proceeded also to Mont Serrat, where there are the most curious perpendicular rocks I’ve ever seen. There the Benedictine monks make the liqueur Benedict. We went also to Tarragona, and were Entertained at the same time as the Belgian Consul for Spain, with great ceremony. At Tarragona there are the remains of the famous Roman city, and even old Ccitiberian walls. At Gerona we were once more entertained. The president of the syndicate was an old Professor of Larin who had been turned out for something political. He fixed me with his glittering eye, and for solid hours, while we saw cathedrals, renaissance courts, and Moorish remains, he talked Latin to me, and made me dig up fragments of an ancient knowledge to answer him. The only Latin thing that ever remains in my mind is “Odi profanum vulgus” and about six lines of Virgil. All that part of Spain seemed to be expecting a revolution, for there were armed soldiers everywhere.

WONDER SWIMMING GIRLS OF NEW ZEALAND.

GWITHA SHAND AND PAULA HOEFT. (Sydney Referee.) Time was when Australia possessed in Miss Fanny Durack the star girl swimmer nf the world. America has lately taken first place in this, as in other branches of swimming*. There is now an indication that New Zealand is destined to rival the U.S.A, in developing girl swimmers of phenomenal speed. Mrs. Fernandez, hon. secretary of the Auckland Ladies’ Swimming Club, a great enthusiast, whose husband is hon. secretary of the Auckland centre of the N.Z.A.S.A., was, prior to her return to New Zealand, after spending a holiday with friends in Sydney, entertained at the Wentworth Hotel by the members of the N.S.W. Ladies’ Amateur Swimming Association. Mrs. Fernandez is mo’f enthusiastic about the wonderful feats- of the Maoriland girls. Misses Gwitha Shand and Paula Hoeft, whose doings last summer were sensational; she desires to have them perform in Sydney. “Gwitha Shand lias made amazing progress during the past four years,’’ said Mrs. Fernandez. “Winning her first championship in 1917. her time for the 100 yards was Imin. 43sec. Tn the next season she carried off the 100 yards championship of Maori land in Imin. 17 4-5 sec. (a reduction of 25sec). “In 1920 Miss Shand.” continued Mrs. Fernandez. “«wam second to Miss Violet Walrond in the 100 yards championship of N.Z. and the 100 yards girls’ intermediate championship. Tn 1921 the Christchurch girl blossomed as an excellent performer over all distances, winning the 100 yards Dominion championship in 69sec. (record), 440 yards in 6min. 41 3-ssec. (record), 75 yards girls and 100 yards girls’ intermediate championships of Now Zealand in 51 2-ssec. and 71 2-ssec. (record) respectively. “Last year, although beaten narrowly by Miss. Paula Hoeft in the 100 yards Dominion championship, which

was swum in G 5 2-ssec. (the best time ever recorded bv an Australasian lady swimmer and 3-ssec. better than Marie Wehselau’s Hawaiian record). Miss Shand turned the tables bv winning the 440 yards championship in the record time of 6min. 26 2-ssee. (some seconds better than Ftheida Bleibtrey’s best). THE AMERICAN STROKE. “Gwitha Shnnd swims 50 yards in 20 3*siec.: she is IS years old, and swims

the American crawl stroke, Paula Hoeft, since her fine performances In the championships, has improved, as her times show: 50 yards, 28 3-*ssec. (l-ssec* better than the accredited world’s best by Misses Bleibtrey and Wehselau); 100 yards, 63sec. (4-ssec. faster than Miss Bleibtrey’s world’s record); 75 yards, 48sec.; 66 2-3 yards, 40 l-ssec; 440 yards, fimin. 25 i-ssec. Miss Hoefe is 18 years old, of GermanSamoan parentage, swims the American crawl stroke, and is practically self taught.” Mrs. Fernandez describes her as the most lovable, healthy girl, of Amazonian build.

There is not any doubt about the genuineness of the performances of these girls. Next season should see them shatter some of the present-day standards. A remarkable feature in their improvement is that they have so little time to indulge in swimming practice on account of unfavorable climatic conditions, yet they are miles ahead of our Australian girls, who enjoy vastly improved facilities for perfecting themselves. Yet it is strange that Dominion men swimmers are not within earshot of the Australians. Mrs. Fernandez says there are many most promising girls in sight in New Zealand. Miss Piri Page is expected to do big things, and Mrs. Fernandez’s eleven-year-old daughter gives promise of turning out a particularly slick performer, if Australia cannot produce girls capable of holding their American cousins, New Zealand apparently can, and will.

THE REALM OF FASHION. Tn allusion to the continual criticism of long, short, tight, loose, and medium skirts which, like the poor, is always with us, an exchange says:—Lady Diana Cooper a woman of queenly figure, puts the silly males right on this complex matter of fashion in the course of an article which she contributes to the Daily Mail. “Some of those who have written on this matter—l think they were men —have pointed out. no doubt from careful observation, that different lengths of skirt suit different types of beauty,” she writes. “The fact, is indisputable. Juno needs a train, and Trilby does not. But when male contributors deduce from this simple truth the apparently equally simple doctrine that Juno should wear a train and Trilby go without they are unwittingly advocating a procedure which, if carried to its logical conclusion, would lead to nothing else than Bolshevism in the realms of fashion. Law was invented because, people differ as to what is right and wrong. Law may be fallible, but it is nil we have to go by. Fashion was invented because we cannot agree a.s to what is beautiful. Tf you want a warning as to the results nf disregarding fashion go to an artistic tea partv in Chelsea. When skirts grow short Juno must grin and hear it, and bide her time while Trilby makes the hay. For the skirts will come down again as surely as the loaves fall in autumn, and Trilby’s short hair will look silly when it, has to bp worn with a long train. The wheel of fashion will turn a full circle, and Juno will sweep into the ballroom again, trailing clouds of glory, every inch a queen. As in business every man must, do the best for himself. keeping within the law. so in dressing every woman must make the most of herself according to the fashion of the year. Nobodv can afford to neglect it. Some fashions seem more sensible than others, but it is not really fashion’s business to he sensible.”

UNSUPERSTTTIOUS BRIDE. Miss Dorothy Loder, a niece of the Duke of St. Albans, who was married a few days ago to Captain the Hon. W. J. J. Palmer, the youngest son of the Earl of Selborne. bravely, defied a. number of superstitions which surrounded the marriage ceremony, says a wirter in the Melbourne Age. First of all. she decided to be married in May. although this month is usually avoided by society brides because of the widespread belief that it is an xinlucky month for entering the matrimonial state. A more pronounced defiance of superstition was in choosing the thirteenth of the month for the ceremony. Part of the decoration of her bridal train consisted of peacock’s feathers, which are considered to be very unlucky. And in her going-away dress and her hat she wore green, which is an unlucky color. She also offered to walk under a ladder if anyone would put it up in a convenient spot, Her marriage was a soeial event oi* some importance, and in order to allay the alarm of superstitious friends present at the ceremonv and the wedding breakfast. each of them was presented with a bunch of white heather, which is considered to be a particularly lucky flower. No doubt Miss Lpder’s defiance of superstition was based on serene ponfidenee in her future happiness with the husband she ha« chosen. But the pessimistic outlook on matrimony, as well . s the optimistic outlook such as she displayed, has been known to exhibit indifference io superstition. What a triumph for Msm was the reply of the confirmed bachelor who, when asked if he didn’t agree with the belief that it is unlucky to marry on Friday, said. “Wliv only Friday?”