SOCIAL AND GENERAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3660, 23 October 1912, Page 9

SOCIAL AND GENERAL.

The great drawback to a dining room table 'with a polished top is that the hot dishes and plates mark it so quickly. To avoid this some people keep their tables always muffled in thick felt, but what is -ne use of a beautiful polished surface if it is never seen ? An ingenious woman has invented a much better way of saving the tables from hot dishes without hiding its beauty between meals. She bought a number of asbestos mats, and made linen covers to fit them, and thus provided herself with effective and useful mats to ho placed under each hot plate. To make the covers sho took some thick white linen and cut it into rounds a little larger than the mat. The under side was cut in two pieces to overlap in the centre. The two rounds were sewn together, and a narrow edging of heavy lace stitched all round. Then the asbestos mat was slipped in, and the overlapping pieces lightly sewn together.

Playing at Suffragettes was the excuse given in a case at Macclesfield, England, Children’s Court, in whicn "William Sharpley, Fred Newton, and "William Oldham, whose ages ranged from twelve to fourteen years, were charged with breaking windows at the marine store of Mr. Sweetmore and the Bridge Inn, an adjacent pub-li'j-house. In fining the lads each 2s fid and costs, and ordering them to report themselves periodically to the probation officer during the next six months, the Mayor remarked -that the lads had better go and play Suffragettes elsewhere.

A wedding party in Marseilles sex out the other day to walk to the church for the ceremony. Martin Odetto was to be married to Mario Petrasso. They were all merrily walking along when the bride suddenly stopped, and declared that she turn forgotten something at home and would be back in a few minutes. The others, thinking that Marie was concerned about the preparations for the wedding breakfast at her father's house, agreed to go on slowly.and wa'.t for her outside the church. They waited over half an hour, and the bridegroom Avas just about to run back and hurry up his promised Avife Avlu-n he received a telegram from her begging bis pardon for the inconvenience Hie had caused and announcing that she had suddenly changed her mind. Slio has not been seen since at Marseilles, qnd it is believed that she. lias gone to join some relatives in the country.

An extraordinary breach of promise ease has come before the Courts in Vienna, the plaintiff being a servant girl and the defendant a railway worker named Hofer. The latter did not deny promising marriage, but said that the promise was conditional that he and his sweetheart should live together for six weeks in order to see if they suited each other. The man’s defence was that his sweetheart would not make a good housewife. On two occasions during the tidal when he returned from work she was not in the house, and he deducted from this that she would not look after his interests. To this argument the girl replied that in order to add to the man's small income she herself went out and earned money. The judge found for the defendant, on the ground that he had attached a condition to his promise, and after the trial had come to the conclusion that the marriage would not be a happy one.

If there are any wealthy American ladies who would like to be duenesses they have now an opportunity that may not occur again (says tile Argonaut). There is also a vacancy for a queen, but something more than money will be needed to secure the place. It iSj of course, unlikely that, earthly titles can relax the rigidity of democratic principles among women who yearn for nothing but babies and votes, but there may he some rare exceptions who still hanker after titular distinctions. It is like this. It is just possible that Portugal will go royalist if the monarchical party can buy enough bayonets and dynamite for the approaching primaries. They don't call them primaries in Portugal. but there is no practical difference if we may judge from the language There are two possible Manuel and Miguel, and, curiously enough, they are both in need of money ami are ready to part with all kinds of titles at a great reduction for cash. Miguel has already secured an American wife, or been secured by an Amenean wife, sc that he cannot offer a throne, there being absurd conventions about polygamy and divorces in Portugalf Manuel, on the other hand, is still unmarried,, speaking in a technical sense, and is open to offers. Of course any transactions with these gentlemen imply a good deal of gamble, but that should do no more than give a zest to the game. ■ It will be necessary that they, first secure'control of me Portuguese convention and appoint the temporary chairman, but they believe that they have delegates enough for -this purpose, admirably armed and ready at the first signal to pour over the frontier and loot the Republican towns. Then they will have to settle the matter of the nomination 'between themselves, and of course the only valid titles will 'he those conferred by the victor, so that

there is quite a sporting element in the business. Both Manuel, and Miguel are ready to allot the titles on receipt of applications, accompanied Avif.h cheque Avhieh will not be returned. Price lists are not issued, but preference tvill be given to those sending the largest contributions.