A CORNER FOR WOMEN READERS CONDUCTED BY NINA VIVIAN

The Women's Musical Club met this morning at the temple Building, with Mrs. George Dickson, the President in the chair. The subject of the morning was Beethoven and Brahms, whose works were happily illustrated by several interpreters. It was decided that the club would attend in as large numbers as possible the concert of the New York Ladies' Trio and Miss Lillian Carllsmith in Massey Music Hall on Saturday evening.

The time for the royal wedding in Holland draws near, and no doubt every woman’s mind in Holland is filled with thoughts about the girl Queen and her approaching nuptials. Queen Wilhelmina has the Queenly privilege of if not actually selecting ,at least making known her preferences in the matter of wedding gifts. She shows her uncommon common sense by desiring that the presents from the ladies of her court, the women of Holland, the lawns, cities etc. should be [?] in some way more remarkable for being characteristic of the donor, than for mere intrinsic value. Ex-President Kruger has presented her with a thimble, which she considers very characteristic of him, though I fail to see in what way, unless as a gentle hint for her to set about mending his torn and worn-out fortunes at once.

The women of Holland are presenting Queen Wilhelmina with a drawing-room suit, which is to be entirely the work of their own hands. Affairs of preparation are nearly completed and the great event will probably take place at an early date.

"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown," and pretty nearly as uneasy is the life that bears the burden of an immense fortune. I didn't make a mistake when I said "burden," because that is the word of all others, which fits the situation. Truly, great wealth brings great pleasures, but it also brings burdensome responsibilities in its train. Miss Helen Gould is known to be philanthropic and generous to a degree, and the impudent way in which people attempt to give her opportunities to exercise philanthropy is something marvellous. With colossal assurance they make the most unreasonable demands upon her private fortune. Her way of replying to these demands is a simple but effective one. From time to time she has an analysis of her week's correspondence drawn up and printed--these printed reports from her only reply to these imperative charity seekers, some of whom seem to be sadly lacking in self-respect to say the least. In one week recently Miss Gould received 1,303 letters; of these 1,177 were begging letters containing requests for money varying in amount from the founding of a colony in Cuba to the releasing of a gold watch from pawn. The entire sums mentioned in these letters amounted to about $1,500,000. One girl was anxious to have $2000 in starter to purchase the kind of wedding outfit, which she considered necessary to her happiness. A young man requested the gift of a house and lot (the house to be furnished, please), that he might marry at once. There were requests for bicycles, pianos, washing machines, in fact, almost every imaginable thing. Miss Gould might easily find ways in which to dissipate the millions of Jay Gould [sic] almost as quickly as Count and Countess, Castellane.

An enterprising and inventive women named Mrs. Dunham Wheeler has proved herself a public benefactor. In introducing for kitchen walls in lieu of wallpaper the white and blue oil cloth used for kitchen tables. Owing to the smoke of the cooking, the walls of the kitchen need replenishing more often than any other part of the house, and landlords are not fond of expending money for the best of tenants. With a few tacks however and the requisite amount of table oil cloth, your kitchen may verily become a little haven of purity and prettiness. And its main beauty will be in the fact that it may be cleansed at will. Of course tiles are the ideal material for kitchen and dairy walls, but failing this expensive luxury surely nice clean white oil cloth is the next best thing.

A recent number of Harper's Bazaar cites a novel but useful method of arranging fresh air excursions. Berlin has conceived a novel plan of furthering the right development of children. This provides for an interchange of city and country children. Thus the poorer classes of Berlin who cannot afford family outings are enabled to send their children to the country, and in exchange they receive children from country homes, who are thus provided with the liberal education town and city life affords. Reciprocal selfish interest in their own prompts considerate treatment of the visiting children in each home. The plan works so successfully, the intention is now to extend it and make it international, establishing an interchange of children between different countries. The question arises in the American mind, why have homes at all under this system? Turn children over to State institutions and let the work of modern education merrily proceed without the slightest obstacle which preservation of the family ideal imposes.

J. R. Bone. B. A., '99 (Toronto University) who is being married to-day in the Church of the Redeemer to Miss Edith Evans daughter of Manager Evans of the North British and Mercantile Fire Insurance Company was tendered a supper last night by the Delta Kappa Epsilon of which he is a member, at Webb's. Among those present were G.W. Hastings, B.A., Ross Gillespie, W. Douglas, H. H. Montgomery, R. Montgomery, M. McKay, H. Jamieson, R. Fitzgerald, P. A.Gregg, L.Wilson, A. N. Mitchell, W. Gourlay, H. Chown, H. Moore, J. Hunter, C. Carson, G. Bertram, R. Parsons, W. Ross, W. Parsons, H. Gurney, P. Montague, A. Cawfield.

A very pleasant skating party was held last night by a number of the members and their lady friends of the Toronto Canoe Club, on the ice adjacent to the club-house. After a season of enjoyable exercise on the ice, the party retired to the club parlors, where refreshments were served by the House Committee. Music and dancing were then announced and the "decks" were cleared for action. After a very jolly hour the party dispersed, much pleased with the excellent arrangements made for their comfort at the initial skating party of this popular club.

You are one of those women, who charm without trying,
The clay you are made of is magnet ore;
And I am the steel, yet there is no denying,
You led me to loving you more and more.
For you are one of a thousand beauties
Who think they are leading exemplary lives!
They break no commandment and do all their duty
As "Christian" women and "model" wives,
But with drooping of lids and lifting of faces.
And baring of shoulders and well timed sighs,
And the devil knows what other subtle graces,
You are mental wantons who sin with the eyes.
You lure love to wake, yet bid passion keep under;
You tempt us to fall, yet bid reason control;
And then you are full of an outraged wonder
When we get to wanting you body and soul,
And half of the evil on earth is invented
By vain pretty women with nothing to do,
But keep themselves manicured, powdered and scented,
And seek for sensations amusing and new,

From "An eating Woman's Love."

¹ Several of these columns appear on this site, all written by [Rev] Calvin McQuesten all under the pseudonym of Nina Vivian.