Apparently all match-making proclivities are not confined to the fair sex, although that is the sex which gets the credit. However with women's native generosity and unselfishness, we are willing to share the honors with the gentle-men. Some recent disclosures in the Sate of Maine prove that it will be only just to accord half the honors to the opposite sex at least. Now as New Englanders are always and have always been, from time immemorial, noted for their thrift and "forehandedness," the public officials of the township of that State have taken to dealing in matrimonial ventures as a satisfactory method of disposing of this difficulty, and the paupers also. One of their ventures was brought to light by a lawsuit between the towns of Hudson and Charleston, as to who should have the care of two paupers who had just been united in matrimony. A half-witted girl of twenty years of age, formerly belonging to Charleston, had been married to an aged pauper of Hudson, sixty four years of age, and also half-witted, with a pension of twelve dollars a month to support a wife. The town of Hudson was suing the town of Charleston for her board and maintenance since her marriage to the aged pauper, Calvin D. Curtis, of Hudson. It seems that this marriage had been arranged for and carried out under the motherly wing of the town officials, simply to get the care and support of Clara Tozier off their hands. It is a diabolical arrangement, and when one looks into it, contains much more of wrong, particularly to the next generation, than appears on the surface. The marriage of two half-witted, almost imbecile, creatures is rather more of a menace to the welfare of any State than their individual support could ever be. The lawyers for the defence actually had the temerity to contend that it was a love match, pure and simple (simple it certainly was, as the two poor creatures in question were sitting in court with hardly wit enough about them to understand that they were under discussion). The case needs no further comment, it certainly speaks clearly enough for itself to recommend that when all's said the feminine is perhaps the better sample of genus match-maker after all.

Mrs. J. H. Leonard and Miss Findlay are the guests of Mrs. D. McNicol, of Cote St. Antoine road, Westmount, Montreal. Mrs. McNicol has sent out cards for a reception in honor of her guests.

Mrs. Geo. Baird is visiting her sister, Mrs. William G. R. Gordon, of Elm avenue, Westmount, Montreal.

Mrs. H. C. Hammond, who has been visiting her dauighter, Mrs. E. W. Parker of Montreal, has returned home.

Miss Masson and Mrs. Nicholson Cutter will be at home to their friends on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 63 St. George street.

Miss Amy Cassils, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cassils, of University street, Montreal will be the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Osler for some time.

Mrs. A. H. Beaton (nee Rogers) will hold her first reception at her new home, 430 Markham street, on Friday afternoon and evening, will afterwards receive on the first and second Tuesdays.

The Duchess of Marlborough while hunting with the Heythorp hounds yesterday was thrown from her horse while clearing a fence. The horse rolled over her, but she escaped with nothing worse than a severe shaking.

Through an oversight, Mrs. C. R. Cockburn's name was omitted from the list of General Committee of Arrangements for the Second Contingent presentation. Mrs. Cockbun is convener of the committee.

Edith M. Thomas in Harper's Bazar

This afternoon the monthly board meeting of the Methodist Deaconess' Home was held. The principal business laid before the meeting were the reports of December work. The work is in excellent condition. The superintendent, Mrs. Scott, says she cannot meet the demand from different parts of Ontario for trained deaconesses to assist in pastoral and mission work. The Home is full at present, but the Christian young women of the Church do not seem to have awakened to their opportunities along this line. About an average of three young women a year are sent to the foreign mission field.

Nowadays when all girls pine for "dens" of their very own, where they may take their girl friends and chat over their little hobbies and fads in camera, every mother who remembers her own girlhood yearns to give her daughter the desired room. Sometimes lack of an available space is the main obstacle, but with wise treatment may become a very comfortable den. For an instance read the following: "A Cambridge woman, says The Boston Globe, finding herself teased by a daughter of 16 for a den of this kind, has just accomplished some marvellous effects with an ordinary room. Indeed, if you could have seen the place before its renovation and get a glimpse of it now, you would scarcely believe your own eyes.

"The bedroom as it originally stood cannot be truthfully described as a pretty apartment. The paint was dark, the paper of dull color and antique pattern, and the furniture old-fashioned. The room, too, being situated at the very top of the house, possessed the disadvantage of a sloping roof. As a set-off against this, however, the window was very large, and a pretty one.

"The first thing that this matron did was to dispose of the old-fashioned furniture."

"Her next act was to get an estimate from a jobbing decorator who agreed to furnish a new paper, hang it, brighten up the ceiling and repaint the wood-work of the room, all for $10. an Empire wall paper of pale apple green, figured in pink and violet was selected, and for the woodwork, ivory white paint. Three coats of paint and a top-most varnish were required to completely destroy all traces of the old paint.

"The painting finished, she set about her task of furnishing. For the floor she purchased a cream matting with green figures and a cheap but pretty rug.

"Then she purchased a neat little white enamelled bed with gilt trimmings. Fortunately, this fitted into a little recess in the room, so across this spot a brass rod was fixed and then supplied with a curtain of cream-colored cretonne figured in pink. When drawn, the curtain completely concealed the bed from view.

"Another odd recess just large enough to hold the washstand-a single one-was treated in a similar fashion so that during the day the two most romantic pieces were well out of sight. Dainty dotted Suisse supplied the window curtains, and the mantel drapery consisted of fancy silkoline to correspond with the general color scheme.

"As regards the bedroom suite, it was inexpensive, and consisted of the bed, dressing table, chiffonier, washstand and two chairs.

"For covers for the dressing table and chiffonier linen squares with torchon edge were used, and these were made at home.

"Next she provided a dainty 5 o'clock tea set in white china, an ivory (celluloid) dressing set for the toilet table, and the toilet ware itself was selected of art green."

A soiled linen basket is by no means a strictly beautiful object, but when an old one was enamelled white and a big spiky bow of broad green satin ribbon tied onto the handle, it didn't look half bad.

"A few simple photograph in frames of stained green wood helped to relieve the monotony of the walls, and on the mantelpiece was placed a pair of Cupid candlesticks in white china. For the student's lamp there was a crinkled paper shade in a tone of pale apple green and cream.

"A big basket chair, which had seen its best days as regards appearance was the very quintessence of comfort when enamelled white and provided with fresh cushions covered in silkoline and cretonne. A plain white wood writing table and a folding 5 o'clock tea table were also enamelled white, as were a little set of plain wood book shelves.

"It took only a few days to furnish the room, and as all will agree, a very beautiful effect was accomplished with the expenditure of only small sum."

Among her other bright and pleasing characteristics, Madame Bernhardt is credited by her friends with being the possessor of a saving sense of humor. It is said that her sense of the ridiculous is most keen; nothing is too subtle for her to grasp. She always plays tragedies, but she thoroughly enjoys life's comedies.

Madame Bernhardt has also a great eye for the fitness of things. In accommodating and adapting her costume to suit her roles, she is truly an artist. Harper's Bazaar describes one of these costumes that this clever woman invented herself in this manner: "The foundation was Venetian velvet of the [type] called rose aurore. This she had crushed and broken by being put through a press. It was then spread to the fumes of sulphur and saffron, to give it indefinable and subtle tones, and afterward with one of those curious little instruments for spraying color upon materials, that have been invented in these days, all over this shimmering material draughtsmen designed strange Arabesques and heraldic flowers in faint colors." Just imagine the effect, and the originality of the mind, which evolved the design.

By the way there is being prepared for issue a new Bernhardt souvenir. It is to contain ninety-six pages, and will take the form of an historical and critical sketch of the French actress with an autograph introduction by herself.

In a paper called Points on Health--in the January number of Health Culture--there are some very common-sense remarks on what he calls "The Prayer Cure." He handles the subject a little without gloves and perhaps a slight note of sarcasm may be detected, but on the whole it appeals to anyone possessed of mere "horse-sense," in their impartial view and criticism of this and kindred subjects. Dr. Page says: "I have been unable to see any objection to the plan of praying for health, providing the patient does not rest his case there: but if the precedure tends to make him do this, even in the remotest degree, I am sure it is very bad treatment. It is as easy for some persons to pray as to loaf and overeat." By the way, that reminds one of that funny little incident in "The Farringdons," where one of the humorous characters of the book--her name has slipped my memory--says in substance that a good many of people's spiritual disorders are the outcome of overloaded stomachs. She refers to her own husband as always retiring and giving himself up to "wrestling in prayer," when a fit of indigestion marks him for its own--and quotes herself as saying to him that "she would be ashamed to take of the Almighty's time for three mortal hours when a pinch of carbonate of soda was all he required." Dr. Page goes on to say, however, "These people can pray three miles easier than they can run one, and they take it out in praying. These saints develop, or try to, their mental and spiritual faculties, but neglect to take proper care of their bodies, and this is self-abuse of the worst kind. Since the soul is confined within the body, the laws which govern that body, must be obeyed, else the soul and mind cannot expand naturally. The average middle-aged saint, says a writer in the Young Men's Magazine, is not as healthy looking, nor is he as well shaped in body as his frame-work will allow. He is in this shape through neglect of exercise, improper eating, etc. The saints must have stronger bodies to bear well the burdens and heat of the day that soul winning and bread and butter earning casts upon their shoulders. They must exercise, exercise, as regularly as they say their prayers if they would acquire and maintain condition." Dr. Page's article commends itself very highly to the writer, at least. For indeed, "Health is the vital principle of bliss."

Miss Susie Little, B. A, the new travelling secretary of the Dominion Young Women's Christian Association, has arranged to be in Ottawa from the 11th to the 13th of February. She began a three months series of visits to the Canadian association on Saturday, when she went to Hamilton and will return to Toronto on the 22nd of March.

Miss Sara Carson, of New York, will also spend three months visiting the Canadian associations. She will reach Canada the first week in February.

A directory of all the associations in Canada, in cities, colleges and hospitals, has been prepared and may be procured from the Young Women's Christian Guild. In addition to the name of each association the various kinds of work taken up are mentioned and the names of the officers given.