WOMEN OF NOTE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2722, 29 January 1910, Page 4 (Supplement)

WOMEN OF NOTE.

(From “M.A.P.”) LADY STANLEY. Lady Stanley, whose memoirs of her late husband, Sir Henry Stanley, have just come out, has a life-history of much interest. In the latter eighties the beautiful Miss Dorothy Tennant became known as an artist of great promise. Her pictures, which were studies of the London street Arab, appeared on the line at the Royal Academy ; and her parents, the late Mr Charles Tennant and Mrs Tennant, lived in Richmond terrace, and gave some smart entertainments. In 1890, Sir Henry Stanley, the famous explorer, returned from his travels, and was received with almost Royal honors in London. He and the then Miss Dorothy Tennant met at the house of the late Lady Burdett-Coutts. The attraction was muLual, the engagement speedy, and those of us who were present at that year’s Foreign Office party can remember the triumphant progress through the rooms of ' Sir Henry Stanley and his handsome fiancee. "The wedding was at Westminster Abbey, and was attended by the late Mr Gladstone, Mr Arthur Balfour, and Sir John Millais, the famous artist. And even now the guests relate how, when owing to Stanley’s sudden illness, the bride was led to her carriage by Sir John Millais, and the excited crowd cheered wildly, the great artist shouted: “I’m not Stanley, I wish I were, lucky dog, lucky dog!” Lady Stanley is now the wife of Mr Henry Curtis, a distinguished surgeon. Her second marriage took place in 1907, and she retains her title by cour.tesy. MRS GEORGE CADBURY. The National Union of Women Workers’ Congress, which has just taken place at Portsmouth, has drawn a notable woman worker to its gatherings in the person of Mrs George Cadbury, who was the ‘‘chairman” of the Congress Poor Law meeting—a posh she was singularly fitted to fill. Mrs Cadbury’s connection with women’s social and industrial questions has been a long and intimate one, and she has earnestly championed the cause of the womanworker, both in theory and practice. The “garden-city” conditions of labor carried out at Bournville, have found in her a constant and active sympathiser, and she has ably seconded the efforts of her husband, Mr George Cadbury, to improve the lot of the toilers in our workrooms and factories. Mrs Cadbury is likewise a ready and attrac- . five speaker, and is much in request on many platforms. MADAME ADA CROSSLEY. Madame Ada Crossley, who has again been delighting Londoners with her magnificent voice, after a very successful tour in Australia, is herself an Australian, and was born at Gippsland, Victoria. She first appeared in England in 1895, since when she has attained a foremost reputation among us. Previous to her first English appearance, she had sun°; successfully with the Melbourne Philharmonic Society, and she had studied under such wellknown people as Sir Charles Santley and Mme. M. Marchesi. Madame Crossley is a thorough lover of out-of-idoor life, and as an equestrian she has few equals, even among the opposite sex. Some idea of Mme. Crossley’s popularity in her own country may be gained from the fact that at Yarram recently she was met by a troupe of children who strewed flowers in her path as she walked and sang “Home Sweet Home” the while. Everywhere she went she was accorded almost Royal receptions, and she was entertained by numerous mayors and other public people. In the course of her tour, the famous contralto travelled over 70,000 miles, and sang at considerably over a hundred concerts. MISS EMILY HICKEY. The news that Miss Emily Hickey is to give some “readings from Chaucer” shortly to the members of the Catholic Woman’s League reminds us that in that gifted lady we have one; of the very few living Englishwomen who understand the difficult art of reading aloud. Miss Hickey’s intimate knowledge of Anglo-Saxbn, a knowledge which is as rare as it is profound, enables her to measure the worth of words in a way which only the expert in English can do; and ■ her delightfully soft, musical. voice makes listening to her reading a very real treat, for she entirely disdains the arts and graces of the professional reciter. People do .not sufficiently realise that the faculty for reading aloud greatly depends on the " scientific mastery of the laws of language, and it is posibsle that were a study of. our mother-tongue more general, we might hear much of an accomplishment which deserves more cultivation than it obtains. MISS KATE RORKE. Miss Kate Rorke, whose play, “The Price”—written in conjunction with Miss M. Robertson —was produced the other day, is one -of the most delightful of living actresses, and she first appeared on the stage when quite a little girl. This was at the Court Theatre, in “Olivia,” when Miss Ellen Terry, who was playing the name part, singled her out for special notice. Miss Rorke comes, of a theatrical family, and on her mother’s side can claim connection with many famous players of the past. Miss Rorke became a leading lady when only seventeen, and since then she has had successes too numerous to mention. Of late years, Miss Rorke has devoted her attention to teaching the dramatis art, and she is acknowledged to be one of the best “coaches” of the day. Some years ago Miss Rorke received a strange petition from some of her admirers. At the time, she happened to be appearing at one of the theatres in the role of a woman of doubtful integrity, and a number of people sent her a petition urging her to give up such parts in future. “Never do it again,’’ they implored.' “We love you so when you are good.” It was a curious petition, but it was an eloquent testimony to the cleverness of Miss liorke’s acting.