A CORNER FOR WOMEN READERS CONDUCTED BY NINA VIVIAN

THE OTTER PRESENTATION

The Officers' 'Mess Room' of the Armouries was indeed a charming picture yesterday. The decorations of bunting and the good old Union Jack were both artistic and patriotic. On the table facing the door, at the left, was placed for inspection the costly and beautiful gift of the Women of Toronto to Col. Otter. The presentation was an excellently chosen one. Three silver salvers, three exquisite comports and a loving cup, suitably engraved, in a handsome blue lined cabinet. The cabinet had a background of green holly and palms and showed to the best advantage. Gradually as the hour approached for the presentation, the rooms filled with a fashionable throng, literally filled, for moving around soon became a practical impossibility. Promptly at four o'clock the Government House party and also Colonel and Mrs. Otter arrived, and Miss Mowatt, after reading the address, presented Colonel Otter with the cabinet in the name of the women of Toronto. In Colonel Otter's reply he said that words utterly failed to convey his gratitude to the women of Toronto for their beautiful gift signifying as it did to him, the already well known fact that the women of Canada had been with the boys in action heart and soul. Col. Otter said that in paying this compliment to the women of Canada, he wished also to include women in general and the Boer women in particular--if it had not been for the extreme fidelity, hardihood and courage at their wives and sisters, the Boers would never have been able to prolong and put up such a fight as they had done. The Colonel felt assured that should Canada ever be in similar circumstances, her women would be found able and willing to take the helm in office and shop while the men defended the country with blood, if need be. This presentation would also be of great benefit to the young men of the different regiments, as it would prove to them that they would at all times find, if they did their duty by Queen and country, that the women of Canada were not only willing to follow them with interest and anxiety during a campaign, but to give them the "reward of valour afterward." At the close of Colonel Otter's reply to the address, Miss Phyllis Nordheimer, a charming little lady, presented Mrs. Otter with a shower bouquet of pink roses. Afternoon tea and conversation were the closing and not the least important items on the program. Among those present, one noticed Mrs. Nordheimer, Mrs. Ince, Mrs. Harry Patterson, Mrs. Otter( mother of Colonel), and Mrs. A. J Stewart, Mrs. Fraser Macdonald, Sir William and lady Meredith, Colonel and Mrs. Sweeney, Colonel and Mrs. Grassett, Lady Gzowski, Mr. and Mrs. Gzowski, Mr. and Mrs Armstrong Black, Mr. and Mrs. J. K Kerr and many others.

LETITA YOUMAN'S' BIRTHDAY

All over the dominion to-day the different local committees of the W. C. T. U [Woman's Christian Temperance Union] in Canada are celebrating anniversary of Mrs. Letitia Youmans' birth by a day of prayer. Mrs. Youmans might be well called the mother of this organization in Canada. This splendid woman was born in the hill country of the township of Hamilton, West Northumberland, on the 3rd of June, 1827. Ontario, the immediate vicinity of her birth, was called Baltown, and was really a rough back woods settlement, which offered few chances for improvement or culture. Mrs. Youmans' power as a public speaker, she probably owed to the wonderful combination of nationalities in her parentage. Her father was a native of the Emerald Isle, her mother, a native born American, her maternal grandparents were French and Dutch. One might say that from her Irish father she inherited her warm sympathies, from her mother her shrewdness and insight, from her French and Dutch progenitors her eloquence and her stick-to-it-ive-ness, respectively. She was named after Lady Letitia Berry, an English gentlewoman whom her father admired very much. Letitia married in 1850 and lived in Picton until 1874 when her active life work may be said to have been begun. She herself said that an earnest address of Nena Dow's (the ardent temperance orator), was the first thing which awakened in her mind the conviction that the liquor traffic was the deadliest of crimes. Before the year of the Woman's Temperance crusade, when the W. C. T. U first took definite form Mrs. Youmans had organized in the vicinity of her home in Picton a Band of Hope numbering two hundred children or so. When the first great convention was held in the United States she attended it, an uncredentialed stranger, and seeing that the Canadian women seemed keenly interested in the work, she was invited by the committee in charge to address a mass meeting being held in the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, Cincinnati. Her information, grasp on her subject and charming eloquent earnestness fairly electrified her audience. She went back to Canada and there started the Canadian W. C. T. U which has since assumed such vast proportions. Mrs. Youmans was president of the Canadian organization for many years. The last ten or twenty years of this heroic life were spent under conditions of great suffering. Mrs. Youmans became the victim of chronic inflammatory rheumatism, but during this time the sufferer was seldom idle; she transacted W. C. T. U. business continually, and in 1889 at the request of her friends and co-workers dictated the story of her eventful life, to which the late Francis Willard wrote an introduction. Mrs. Youmans died a few years ago in Toronto, but her work has been ably carried on, and every year her birthday is celebrated by a day of prayer for the cause of temperance. The program for to-day is as follows: the morning session will be held from 10 o'clock to 12 with Mrs. Cowan in charge.

PROGRAM FOR THE MORNING

Mrs. Cowan in charge: 10.30--Hymn, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name." No.140. Prayer, evangelistic superintendent. Responsive reading, Daniel 9:3-23. Addresses--Five minutes on each of the following subjects by different leaders (1) Does the Church need a great spiritual awakening? (2) Is a great revival the supreme need of the Dominion? (3) Should the young children be converted and early brought to Christ? Confession--Our lack of faith in the glorious extent and fullness of the atonement of Christ as given in the Scriptures. Our lack of said converting power, and in consequence the small increase of souls. Our want of love and saving power toward the drunkard. Our lack of interest in the innocent children of the Dominion as shown by the scarcity of helpers in Sunday School and Band of Hope work. Hymn. Prayer--A number of sentence prayers for personal blessing--Make me a New Testament Christian; a partaker of the abundant life; an intelligent and zealous soul winner. Hymn, "Saviour, Thy Dying Love," No.119, Remarks--Words of experience, praise, etc. until noontide prayer. Hymn, "Take My Life," No.416.

AFTERNOON, 3 TO 5 O'CLOCK

Mrs. Jas. Fletcher in charge, Hymn, "To the Work," No. 176. Let different members repeat verses on praise, such as "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me." "Bless the Lord, O my Soul," etc. Bible readings by Mrs. Fletcher. Address--5 minutes on the following: Mrs. Stevens, president, The benefits of provincial prohibition, the influence and effect of the all day devotional meeting held at World's Convention in Edinburgh; the Scriptural mode of raising money, Hymn, "Standing By a Purpose True," No.7. Prayer–For trained temperance soldiers, for 25,000 white ribboners in Canada before 1902, for God's richest blessings to rest upon our Dominion and Provincial officers, our members, their children, the "Y's" and members of the Band of Hope. Hymn, "My Faith Looks Up to Thee," No.160.

NEWSPAPER CONTRASTS

One of the American newspapers publishes as supplement to its New Year edition a sheet reprinted from one of the few and one of the best of that few, news sheets published at the beginning of the nineteenth century. It is a very quaint and amusing affair, but one's laughter takes a more sober turn when one realizes the fact that the men and women who will stand on the threshold of the twenty-first century with their feet almost inside its door, may get just as much amusement out of our papers of 1900. This paper of 1800 published in Pittsfield, Mass, contains (can you imagine it?) only one item of local news. Think of the pages devoted to locals now. The advertisements, which are such a powerful factor in the newspaper world of to-day, were confined to appeals from the trades people to the tavern and innkeepers, to inspect the new wares in the line of rum, brandy, gin, wine, essence of peppermint (one is pleased to learn that this diabolical stuff once came under the same head as intoxicating liquor), and "mint cordials." In a word the newspaper of the year 1800 and for some time after was the village tavern, so that gossip really began with the "superior sex," and the women were simply the receptacles which received this tavern gossip second hand. How nice to have found out this fact at last! Think what a prominent part "woman" her whims and fancies, her fads and clubs, and professional work occupies in our present newspaper, and listen to this. The only woman mentioned in the Pittsfield paper of 1800 is spoken of to impress the fact on the local public that she was converted before she died. To paraphrase Bancroft's famous epigram, "Westward the star of Empire takes its way," one might safely say "womanward the star of Empire takes its way," and who knows but the woman of the twenty-first century may look back on us as poor spiritless creatures, striving like the camel in Olive Schriener's little parable to rise upon to our knees only in the desert sand. At least one has always the consolation that the pioneers of any movement have the most heroic tasks to perform. As for the man side of the question, it was a man who once said (he was an Irishman I'll admit)-- "Disguise our bondage as we will 'Tis woman, woman rules us still."

PARISIAN NOVELTIES

The long coat of this season as worn in Paris, France, is very unlike our English and Canadian automobile coat. While the latter is rather a masculine affair, the Parisian article is essentially feminine. French women of taste do not often gravitate toward the masculine in dress, appreciating as she does to the full, what an advantage over mankind the dainty follies and fripperies of woman give her. So the coat in Paris this season is embroidered from top to toe with embroidered revers and embroidered Empire belt. The skirt reaches to the bottom of the dress, and is laid on either side in box pleats. These pleats are also embroidered, in a charming pattern, continuing up over the front of the garment. Another Parisian novelty is in the bolero line. The bolero is made to give the effect of three boleros, one over the other, and is finished with three little collars; the top one rolled quite flat over the other two. This bolero is to be worn with a high Empire belt, fastened with a large buckle; a high turnover collar and cravat knotted several times. The effect is said to be very captivating.

MCLEAN--ERSKINE

The marriage of Miss Margaret Stephens McLean, daughter of the late Mr. William McLean to Mr. Kenneth Erskine of the Molsons Bank, took place yesterday afternoon in St. Stephen's Church, Bellevue avenue. The service was read by the rector, the Rev. A. J. Broughall, and appropriate wedding music was played both before and after the ceremony by the organist of the church, Mr. Wedd. The bride wore a handsome travelling gown of pale grey cloth, with a vest of white satin and lace; grey hat to match, trimmed with white accordion plaited chiffon, gold braid and with a pale grey plume. Her bouquet was of white roses and maidenhair fern. Her bridesmaid was her sister, Miss Phila McLean, who wore a becoming gown of khaki color, with a black velvet picture hat. The groomsman was Mr. Kenneth Molson, of Montreal, who is a cousin of the bridegroom. After the ceremony Mr. and Mrs. Erskine left for a trip to Detroit. Among others present were; Mrs. McLean, Mrs. Willie McLean, Mr. Henry McLean, Mrs. Cunliffe, of Montreal ( the bridegroom's sister), Mrs. Broughall, Mrs. Moorhouse, Miss Ada Temple, Miss Eva Langtry, Miss Mary Wilson, Miss M. McVity, Mr. Frank McLean, Mr. Chas. McLean, Mr. Harry McLean, Miss Flossie Smith, Miss Jaffray, and Miss Nellie Macdonald.

KUPITZ--HUDSON

At St. John's Church last evening, Miss Lizzie Kupitz of this city was united in marriage to Mr. Fred Hudson, of Cincinnati, the ceremony being performed by the Rev. A. Williams. After the wedding the couple left for a trip through the United States before settling in Cincinnati.

JARRETT--BAIRSTOW

At eight o'clock this evening the wedding will take place of Miss Jennie Jarrett to Mr. F. J Bairstow. The ceremony will be performed by the Rev. W. W. Weeks at the residence of the bride's sister, Roncevalles avenue, the bride being attended by Miss M. Taylor, and the groom by Mr. Fred Wood.

THE WAY OF IT

This is the way of it, wide world over,
One is beloved, and, one is the lover,
One gives, and the other receives.
One lavishes all, in a wild emotion,
One offers a smile for a life's devotion;
One hopes and the other believes,
One lies awake in the night to weep,
And the other drifts off in a sweet sound sleep.

One sounds aflame with a God-like passion
One plays with love in an idler’s fashion;
One speaks and the other hears.
One sobs, "I love you," and wet eyes show it,
One laughs lightly and says, "I know it,"
With smiles for the others tears.
One lives for the other and nothing beside;
And the other remembers the world is wide.

This is the way of it; and earth ever
The heart that breaks is the heart of the lover.
And the other learns to forget.
"For what is the use of endless sorrow?
Though the sun goes down, it will rise tomorrow.
And life is not over yet.
O, I know this truth, I know no other,
That passionate Love is in one's own Mother.
Ella Therier Wilcox