WOMEN OF NOTE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2716, 22 January 1910, Page 4 (Supplement)

WOMEN OF NOTE.

QUEEN MARGHERITA

Every one will be glad to hear that the popular Queen-mother, Margherita of Italy, has derived much benefit from her recent “cure” at Wiesbaden. She lias greatly enjoyed her stay at .the beautiful German spa, which, by the way, is quite the prettiest of Teutonic watering-places, and withal a decidedly gay town, in the season. The widowed Queen, who is a keen traveller, has boon spending a great deal of her time motoring in the lovely Tamms district, and this is possibly compensating her for the loss of her favorite country sport, mountaineering. Tall and stately, with graceful bearing and regal presence of one “born to wear a crown,” Queen Margherita is one of the most genial of women, and dearly loves to throw off the pomps and etiquette of Boyaltv to enjoy herself like any ordina’rv tourist. Sho is particularly devoted to everything English, and is always keen to road English literature, of which she is a ready patroness. AIRS. HAMLYN. , The educational world can boast of no rival to Airs. Hamlyn, the wife of the wild-beast importer, who has started a “school for monkeys.” Her skill with her pupils has already boon exhibited in her successful training of the renowned “Consul,” and now Airs. Hamlyn is preparing another debutante in the shape of “Diana,” who is being taught her manners, and already has made great progress in the art of getting civilised. Mrs. Hamlyn’s gifts as an instructress are undoubted, and slie has a method of training to which her strange scholars do credit. MISS MARIA RUTKOAYSKA. A record change of occupation has snrelv been rung by Allle. Maria Rutkowska, of the Court Theatre, St. Petersburg, who has recently retired from the ballet there, where slie was a bright particular star, to become —a barrister! It is a far cry from dancing on the stage to pleading in a law court, but Allle. Rutkowska lias apparently all the dash and energy which is the peculiar distinction of tlie Russian woman, and has followed tlio needful curriculum for her new' calling «at the University of Zurich. The Swiss bar will profit by her gifts, for it goes without saying that in her own country they would be somewhat wasted. QUEEN CHRISTINA OF SPAIN. The charitable regard displayed by the Queen-motlier, Christina of Spain, for her poorer neighbors was well illustrated tlie other dav by her ready succour to a workman who fell down in the street through sunstroke, and her impulsive kindness in leaving him the contents of her purse is very characteristic of her practical charity. The Queen. mother is a notable woman of manysided gifts, and, among other talents, has no mean capacity for musical composition. Her faculty for governing she inherits from her Hapsburg forebears. and her religious zeal is unbounded, she having strongly influenced in this respect the young King Alfonso.