WOMAN’S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 October 1922, Page 6

WOMAN’S WORLD.

I PERSONALS. /•Miss Olivia Shaw is visiting Napier. Mrs. D’Arcy Robertson has returned I from Wellington. Mrs. R. G. Scott (Dunedin) is the guest of her uncle, Mr. W. H. Skinner.

The Misses McKenzie (2), who have i ecn staying for two or three days with Mrs. D. H. Thomson, have returned to Wellington.

Mrs. J. C. Nicholson has returned from a visit to Wanganui and Palmerston North.

Miss Sargant (Rotorua) is the guest of Mrs. F. H. Robertson.

The hostesses at the Community Club next week will be Mrs. Brodie and Mrs. D. Morrison.

Mrs. S. Burgess and Mrs. Duff leave on Monday to spend a few days at the mountain.

Mrs. W. H. Wood and Miss Howell have returned from Auckland.

Miss Bickford, who has been the guest of Miss L. R. Baker, has returned to Mokoia.

Miss Tidy returns to-night from a short visit to Inglewood.

Mrs. Stevenson (Dunedin) is the guest of Mrs. L. M. Moss. Mrs. L. C. H. Dawson is visiting Feilding.

Mrs. C. H. Wyatt returns to-night from a holiday in Wellington.

Miss Mamie Ellis left on Wednesday for Christchurch, prior to leaving for Australia, where she will continue her study of dancing.

Miss Ina Dempsey, who has been in England and on the continent for about two years, arrives in Wellington on Monday by the Manuka.

Last Saturday Mrs. Courtenay gave a mosL delightful afternoon tea for Miss Veda Millar, whose marriage to Mr. Black takes place next month. The afternoon took the form of a “white shower’ afternoon, each guest bringing • a small gift of something white, and | consequently Miss Millar received “showers” of useful d’oyley’s, tray cloths, handkerchiefs, etc. Golf croquet was played on the lawn and delicious afternoon tea was partaken of in the drawing room. * * # »

On Thursday, to celebrate their 21st birthday, Miss Helen and Mr. Bracken Wilson gave a dinner party for several of their friends. The table was beautifully decorated with flame-colored azalea mollis and marigolds. Later in the evening they were “surprised” by a party of the younger set and a very merry evening was spent in music and jazzing. Mr. Phil Atkinson and Mr. Claude Kyngdon proposed the health of the twins, and when they replied together it caused a great deal of amusement. ENGAGEMENT. The engagement is announced of Miss Ts’obel Henderson, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henderson, of Christchurch, to Mr. Walter Lowery, yougest son of Mrs. A. Lowery, New Plymouth. SKETCHES IN THE BACKBLOCKS. (By C.S.L.) “Wid the acres mostly on end, begorra!” said an Irishman, viewing his backblock purchase of land for the first time; “and as for the track that got me here, it’s like the snakes that niver were in ould Ireland, wid it’s ins and outs, and round-abouts, and goings back to where it starts from and all. A man need be careful where he would be stepping, or he’d soon be dining with Si.’ Patrick, glory be!” “Oh, yes,” said a settler, in reply to an enthusiastic visitor’s rhapsodies;

•‘the scenery’s right enough, though, maybe, if you lived here you’d think less of it, and more of the ditches they call roads, hereabouts.’’

However, this same lack of communication with the outside world draws the settlers close together, and though their homes are miles apart, each is keenly interested in the other’s welfare, and vie in neighborly acts of kindness and of love. Fol* instance, Farmer Brown sent a splendid-looking cow, but a poorish milker, to a sale. Going to his neighbor Smith’s one day, he saw this cow in his paddock. He insisted on buying it back, and since then it has been the custom of all in the valley to warn each other of the “crocks.” One soon learns thoughtfulness for others in the backblocks. To save your papers, and at the first opportunity pass them on, to share your vegetables or fruit, to send scraps of ribbon and print, and a box of home-made toffee to the children —such little things in themselves, but productive of such a harvest of goodwill. These teach one early that forgetfulness of self which helps to make “a perfect man.” If, in turn, our labor and other agitators could sojourn for a while in the hackblocks they would soon learn to look for the good in everybody and cease their hectoring. “In the towns,’’ said an old lady once to me, “human nature does so prevail.”

The Victoria League in New Plymouth, by encouraging these hardy country people to join them as members, is doing a great work in bridging the differences between country and town. The backblocks and his wife on their annual visit to town—the event of the year —find rest, refreshment and kindly courtesy at the club rooms. He regards with gratitude the gift of a box of books for himself and neighbors, deeper gratitude, because he is mostly inarticulate, than the donors guess. He

often wonders “why’’ they should bp sc kind. Tn the days of the war. when thev furnished the goods for us to sell on our “soldier days,” in the substantial help they have given to our nursing cottage hospital, and lately in the giving of a complete stall to our bazaa" to raise sufficient funds to get another missionary, the same question has again and again been put: “Why?” 1 think the answer lies deep in the bosoms of our president and her devoted band of Victoria Leaguers, who so splendidly practise the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as ye would that they should do unto you."