SOCIAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3422, 13 January 1912, Page 4

SOCIAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Mr and Mrs Pyke and Miss Pyke are at present on a visit to Cambridge. Miss Grav entertained her friends at Waiahika on Saturday evening, when a very pleasant evening was spent. Miss Nelson, of Wellington, is at present staying with Mrs Willock senr., Kaiti. The Queen of Spain has some very interesting earrings, though they do not compare in that respect with the magnificent collection which is owned by Queen Mary. This latter will surprise even the Indian potentates. In order to prove that a woman can do all kinds of work as well as a man, Mrs Charlotte M. Poole, an American suffragist, took a- turn in the stokehold of the Oceana during her trip from Bermuda. She borrowed some old clothes and got busy with the coals, earning the good opinion of the chief engineer. She did a spell of twentyfive minutes before taking a breather, and afterwards declared that she was ready to go down again. Miss C-owlishaw, Sydney, s staying with Mrs Vincent Barker, Kaiti. With Turkish ladies moles on the face are considered a great beauty, the pretty theory being that love has kissed and left a spot, or that spirits whispering in the ear have left their light touch on the cheek. No Turkish woman is considered perfectly beautiful, in fact, without a mole or two. Mrs W. It. Barker gave a most enjoyable garden-party on Thusday, for Mrs Frank Barker, who leaves next month for England. Mrs Barker -received her guests in a shot-blue ninon, over golden brown, black hat with white ostrich feathers. Mrs Frank Barker, pale pink ninon, over pink satin, grev hat, lined with pink. Mrs Wansley, ‘Christchurch, black-and-white striped ninon, black hat. Mre Field, grey crepe-de-chine, large burnt straw hat. Mrs Jex-Blake. nale blue cloth, black hat. Mrs Willock, saxe-blue frock, black hat. Mrs J. R. Murphy, white frock, large cornflower blue liat. Mrs Gaddum, pale grey frock, mauve hat. Among others present were: Mesdames. White, Williams, Black, Slierratt. Gray, Nolan, Mann, Lysnar; Masses Davis. Gray, Nolan, Sherratt, A\ illiams. Booth, Symes, Lewis,, and ma ny others. In Sicily the fir tree is unknown as a Christmas* adjunct, but the very ludicrous custom of ‘‘beating the bachelor’ is observed by the women. All of the unmarried men in the village are driven into the church after mass by the outnumbering women and run about the sacred edifice and beaten until they declare (often falsely) that they will wed ere another Christmas comes around. Mrs Barker gave a juvenile dance m the evening, which was most enjoyab l -:. Mis Enseer left for Christchurch on Wednesday, on a short visit. The little girl Mayoress of Newport, 1.W., Christabella Millgate, performed the first public function of her year of office by declaring open_ the ladies’ branch of the Newport Literary Soei- _ ety. She wore her new chain of office, made a little speech, and was presented with a bouquet. Mr and Mrs H. Nelson, England, have been staying with Mr and M-s Wallis, Kaiti. Mrs R. E. Barton has been spending a week in town. Mr and Mrs Henderson and Mr and Mrs W. Graham left last Sunday, on a motor tour of the North Island. The reader, hearing that the import of needles at Chung King last year increased from 31,963,000 to 334,700,000, would rashly assume that needlework was making great strides in China. He would be yvrong, for the ingenious Chinese have found another use for needles—to keep off crows. It is customary, states a Consular report just issued, to ornament the centre of the roof ridge of a Chinese house with an elaborate plaster of decoration — usually in the form of a design embodying the character “fu,” meaning “happiness.” To prevent this being aamaged by crows, large numbers of net - les are* stuck point outwards into u. plaster while it is still soft. Mr and Mrs de Lautour also returned from Auckland this week. The cigarette habit among women has increased to a great extent of late. Many women show on unconquerable craving for “ a smoke,” and it is now a common thing in many London restaurants to see members of the sex puffing away at cigarettes. Mr Frank de Lautour arrives from England this morning, on a visit to TTis parents. At a meeting under the auspices of the British Girls’ Patriotic League, at the residence of the Earl of Meath, at Lancaster Gate, his lordship said there were 1,500,000 more women than men, and the future of the Empire not many years hence was going to he decided ; not by men but by women. They must! not neglect their home duties. Mr and Mrs Blair returned this week from their visit to Auckland. “My wife always leaves our house in prime order when we go away.” “What’s that forP” “She wouldn’t want even a burglar to think she was a poor housekeeper.” A. class for fat women has been formed in Kansas City, and not a member dare weigh under two hundred pounds. That is, no one will be admitted under that weight, but any woman who doesn’t lose at least ten pounds a month will be expelled. The class is to go on a week’s walking tour, and in that time nothing will he eaten except bread and milk. And they’ll lose weight, every one of them —or almost every one—for,” she added sadly, “there are some women grow heavier under exercise. But these, of course, will be expelled on the ground of insubordination.” The new styles of hairdressing at Home call for rather elaborate ornaments. Little mob caps of golden net, having a tiny bunch of roses, are lovely on the right woman, but they are too often seen on heads that would look better merely bound with a bandeau. The Venetian style of hairdressing

needs very long and thick tresses to be carried out successfully, as unless the coil of plaits over each ear is of a good -proportion the effect is rather comic. Quite tiny children in Paris are wearing their hair neatly divided into two plaits, one coiled up on each side, the Venetian mode having caught on immensely in the French capital. They say that when an ostrich is surprised he hides his head in the sand. “I wish to thunder he’d everlasting hide his tail there,” observed the man who had just settled a heavv millinery bill. Mine Sarah Bernhardt has celebrated her 67th birthday. “What is the secret of youi eternal youth, madarue,” a representative of the “Daily Mail” asked her. “Work, work, relentless work,” she replied, enthusiastically. “1 never i get old because. I work harder than anybody I know, and also, perhaps,” she added, laughingly, “because I die terribly thrice a day! Then I take a ‘ great deal of exercise. I play tennis for four hours every day. Four hours! , ■ What do vou think of that?. But work is the thing first and last.. All iny i life I have worked as hard as I can.” |