A lamentable state of affairs is presented to the readers of a prominent American journal. Is it applicable in any sense of the word to Canada? If it is, then emancipation is going hand in hand what degeneration. "To think that I should live to see the day that young women of fair social position drink, gamble, swear and smoke" exclaimed an aged woman recently. " I assure you," she continued, "I am not exaggerating." Many of the friends of our granddaughters do these things and are not ashamed of it, either. They take cigarettes after luncheon as a matter of course, use swear words with the ease of long habit, and are bored if they play a game within putting up money on it. Drinking as yet is not so common, but even that is on the increase and the afternoon tea table generally has its decanter. I do not say that the majority of girls in society do this sort of thing, but certainly there is a great number, and the worst of all is that it is tolerated with comparative indifference by the others. Take our girls, for instance. They are as conventionally proper as we could wish and yet some of their inmate friends are typical girls of the period, and it does not seem to shock our girls in the least!" These habits are marks of the fastest and least fascinating of what is called unhappily "the smart set." Thus drinking and gambling are greatly on the increase among women who, however, "fast" are still in what is recognised as fashionable society, is undoubtedly true. This indictment does not include drinking in excess--that comes under another head. But the free and easy taking of "drinks" in public places which formerly would have been considered, to say the least, in bad form is now of common occurrence.

"I must confess the women startle me nowadays," said a clubman recently. "The other day I joined in Fifth avenue a couple of women I knew, and after we had walked a few blocks one of them said; "It is 5 o'clock; come into the X-M and have something." When we sat down at a table I supposed, ofcourse, according to my traditions, that they would order afternoon tea; but not at all. My up-to-date friends called for cocktails, and after he [sic] had disposed of these suggested a second. I declined, but they each took another and seemed none the worse for it."

"No one denies that the gambling man is decidedly increasing. Many people say that the craze for bridge whist which has dominated society for the last year is largely responsible for the present excessive gambling, but it is probably the gambling spirit that has simply used "bridge" as a convenient vehicle, for the betting goes on with every game and sport--golf, squash, etc. While none of these things are intrinsically wrong, it is a great pity that women countenance and practise "them."

Hannah Whitall Smith, authoress of "The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life," a book which is largely and favourably known among most evangelical Christians, has written a splendid article for "The American mother" on The Religious Training of Children. She takes the ground, that so many people trespass on, that it is an erroneous, a criminal thing to try to win children to goodness from fear, or to coerce them into the performance of duty by giving them a sight of the reward to be expected. People often libel God--the All Father--by telling a naughty child "God does not love you when you are naughty." This is an untruth on the face of things and gives a child anything but the right opinion of God. If that statement is true, then Jesus Christ never came to earth as our example or suffered for our sins on the cross. "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" and "while we were yet sinners "Christ died for us." It is a poor preparation to make for the child's life, for after all, when with the consciousness of misery and wrong-doing one is thankful above all other things for the consciousness that the Father who loved us HIS children is still the same; His attitude toward us is unchanged; in ourselves is the change, if this is always kept in mind, life is greatly simplified, and by teaching the child that not its little self, but its little naughtiness are what God does not love, the deeper truth will grow out of that for the time of deeper need. In teaching a child that God does not love him when he is naughty you are putting the character of God, on a lower plane than your own. For what parent ceases to love their child because of waywardness, even if of the most stubborn kind. Soon enough the hard lessons of life will teach the child that human nature is often selfish and unpitying; let him at least keep the belief that Love is the divinest attribute of God. To show you what strange ideas children get from picked texts continually thrown at their heads, allow me to quote a couple of stories relative to the text "Thou God seest me." A little friend of mine was watched by a visitor while playing church one Sunday morning and this was the gist of his sermon, "Now, you little children, you better behave yourselves, cause don't you know Jesus is just sneakin' around all the time to see what you're doing." The idea he had got was that God was a kind of spy on all his actions, innocent or otherwise. The other story is of a little girl whose dog insisted on following her and would not go home, she finally said in indignant tones, "I tell you, Tray, you should go home. It is bad enough to have God tagging after me everywhere, I'm not going to have you too."

The thought of God's continual presence had been presented to these children as a menace and a threat instead of the thought of a gentle, loving friend whose continual thought was for their welfare. If children were taught to be good for the sake and beauty of goodness, and taught the results of sin not in the way of punishment visited upon them by an angry God, but rather as the inevitable result of law breaking which holds good in every realm, the physical and natural, as well as the moral, we should have more real Christian self-help and other helpful men and women, and less of the religious machine variety. If the fact could only be realized that to be religious is not necessarily to be Christian.

Mr. Walter E. Young, of Toronto, was married to Miss Bella D. Carson, in Brantford yesterday morning at 8.30. The ceremony took place at the home of the father of the bride, Mr. William Carson, Maple Avenue, Brantford. The nuptial knot was tied by Rev. W. A. J. Martin, Mr. and Mrs. Young will live in Toronto in future.

Canadians who know the facts of the case have been much amused by a story recently published in a newspaper in New York regarding a movement said to be in contemplation by Lady Minto, wife of the Governor-General, in opposition to the Victorian Order of Nurses. This Order was established by Lady Aberdeen when she was in Canada to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, and the facts which prove Lady Minto's interest in the Victorian Order of Nurses, are that before coming to Canada the Countess expressed to Lady Aberdeen her desire to further the efforts of the Order for the relief of the sick and suffering. Since her residence in Canada she has more than kept her ward, and has never failed to attend the meetings of the Board of Governors except when out or town.

Lady Minto has also interested herself directly in the work of the local associations, and instituted house to house collections for the work in Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa. The treasurer of the Central Board recently received a substantial check as a Christians gift from Lady Minto, who also sent an autograph letter to every nurse in the Order.

At the present time Lady Minto is doing all in her power to promote the erection of cottage hospitals in the sparsely settled districts of Manitoba, but instead of being in opposition to the Victorian order, the purses for these hospitals are to be supplied entirely from that organisation.

London, January 31--Lady Rachael Charlotte Fitzgerald, daughter of the Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl, died this morning at Adare Manor, the Earl's seat in Adare, County Limerick, Ireland. She gave birth to a son January 20, and was supposed to be doing well. Her death was quite unexpected.

The regular monthly board meeting of the Frances Willard Home was held this morning at The Home, 56 Elm Street, at eleven o'clock. The superintendent reported the Home in good working order, and fairly well off from a financial point of view. Eighteen girls have been provided with situations as domestic servants, two are at present in the hospital; two have been sent to their homes, and one is still in the Home. There have been in all twenty-four applications for girls to go out into service. In fact, the demand in this line always exceeds the supply.

The Frances Willard Home appears to be doing a splendid work in the city. It is often understood to be a work for fallen girls and women. This is not the case, however. It is a preventive home only. A home where girls who are strangers, and without money can be sheltered and cared for till situations can be procured for them. Some of the girls, through their ignorance of the ways of a city, are led into rather equivocable places, and it is to prevent this that the Willard Home and its able workers exist. Girls who are changing situations can also stay there at the small cost of twenty cents per day; if they are not able to pay, they are still received. Any donations in the way of clothing, supplies, or money will be gratefully received by the Home Superintendent, Mrs. Crawford.

At 2.30 this afternoon the regular Executive meeting of the Toronto District W.C.T.U was held at the Frances Willard Home, Elm Street. Mrs. Stevens, the president, occupied the chair. The reports of the month's work were read by members of the Executive. A resolution was passed expressing sorrow at the death of the Queen and condolence with the Royal family.

A general meeting of all the committees of the Missionary Exhibition was held in the Assembly Hall Wednesday afternoon, and was very largely attended. Everything points to an interesting and successful undertaking. Over 5,000 tickets have been distributed, and more are being asked for.

Miss Scarfee, of Brantford, is the guest of Mrs. Herbert Kent. Miss Carruthers, of Scotland, is the guest of Mrs. M. .J. Mawhinney, of Bedford road. Mrs. David Macpherson, returned from Buffalo last evening, where she has been spending a few days. Miss Mabel Morrison, of Spadina avenue, has sent out invitations for progressive euche for Wednesday evening, February the 6th.

The engagement is announced in Montreal of Miss Clare Samuel, of Mansfield Street, to Mr. Leonard R. Flint, of London, England. The wedding will take place shortly. Mrs. A. Cecil Gibson is still sojourning at Cambridge Springs, where she has derived much benefit. Her many friends hope soon to welcome her home again. Miss Marie Foy, who has been staying in Montreal with the Hon. Justice Robidoux for the past few weeks, has returned home.

Mrs. Frederick Camphell and Mrs. George Blaikie have returned from Ottawa.

The city union meeting of the King's Daughters and Sons will be held in the Y.W.C. Guild parlors, McGill street this evening, January 31st, at eight o'clock. An interesting program has been prepared, and all members of the society and friends are invited.

I
Whom first we love, you know, we seldom wed,
Time rules us all. And Life indeed is not
The thing we planned it out e'er hope was dead,
And then we women cannot change our lot.

II
Much must be borne which it is hard to bear;
Much given away which it were sweet to keep.
God help us all! Who need indeed His care,
And yet I know the Shepherd loves His sheep.

III
What might have been! Ah, what I dare not think!
We all are changed. God judges for us best;
God help us do our duty and not shrink,
And trust in heaven humbly for the rest.

IV
But blame us women not, if some appear,
Too cold at times, and some too gay and light.
Some griefs gnaw deep. Some woes are hard to hear.
Who knows the past? And who can judge us right?

-Owen Meredith