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MANCHESTER SOCIETY OF WOMEN PAINTERS.

The pictures of the Women Painters of Manchester have been on view last month in one of the rooms of the old Town Hall, and the merit of the exhibition has received cordial recognition from the public. There are about a dozen exhibitors. The chief contributors are Miss S. Isabel Dacre, Miss Annie L. Robinson, and Miss Eleanor S. Wood. The other members who sent in works are Miss Jane Atkinson and Mrs. E. Beresford, and there are some contributors who are "associates," namely, Miss Fanny Sugars, Miss Julia Pollitt, Miss Jessie Kingsley, Miss Florence Monkhouse, and Miss Emily Beresford. There is some clever decorative work by Miss Atkinson, and there are one or two noteworthy examples of what may be called humourous compositions by Miss Beresford. The three designs of Spring by Miss Julia Pollitt evince a good knowledge of drawing, and she has a far more ambitious work, capital in composition, but a little crude in colour, in the illustration of a scene from "Romola." The chief attractions of the exhibition are the works of the Misses Dacre, Robinson, and Wood. Miss Dacre has some excellent portraits, several landscapes, such as "The Borghese Gardens," the "Courtyard, Rome," and some composition pictures, "The Fountain," "Il Fratre," and best of all the "Florentine Mother and Child." Miss Robinson has some charming Florentine drawings, and Miss Eleanor S. Wood has besides several studies of still life and flowers, very delicately executed, a portrait of the late Dr. Mellor, of Halifax, which is excellent.

There were 97 pictures in the exhibition, 25 of which were not for sale, and during the week it was open, 32 pictures were sold, which realised collectively £479 188., so that the artists may be congratulated on a very tangible proof of success.

LIBERAL GATHERING AT LIVERPOOL.

The Liberal Party has been lately very active in Liverpool, and on January 7th a great reception was given at the Reform Club by the President of the Liverpool Nine Hundred (Mr. R. D. Holt) and Mrs. Holt, to about 2000 guests (including ladies) connected with the

Liberal Party. The Liverpool Mercury, Jan. 9th, makes the following comment:

To have brought a thousand ladies into associations which are calculated to interest them more actively in politics must be regarded as an event of happiest augury. It is not the place here to speak of the inconsistency which bows to the political influence of women, and yet denies them the franchise. It is sufficient to recall such names as those of Lady Holland, Lady Palmerston, and Lady Frances Waldegrave, to show how important a factor the sex may become in political affairs. Nor is it in society alone that their power may be exercised with effect. Even Liberals are too apt to overlook the extent to which politics are an affair of the home. As we all know, the prices of bread, of tea, of sugar, and of twenty other articles of domestic consumption have been materially affected by legislation. Education, too, lies largely within the domain of the mother; while the long list of other questions, equally political in their bearings, in which the husband and the wife may be said to be mutually interested, may be supplemented by yet another list of those in the solution of which women are more deeply concerned than men. For these, as well as many other reasons, upon which we need not pause to enlarge, we regard with satisfaction any movement which tends to bring the women of the household into more intimate association with its men upon political topics. And it is because we look upon gatherings like that which was so happily brought together, and so pleasantly welcomed by Mr. and Mrs. Holt at the Reform Club, on Saturday, as being a long step in this direction, that we number the reception as perhaps the most important, as it certainly was the most agreeable and interesting, of all the Liberal meetings of the past week.

SCOTCH MARRIAGES.

A case decided in Glasgow three weeks ago brings up the question of the anomaly in the Scotch marriage laws. The case was briefly this: The petitioners, who appeared to be mere children, and who had recently come from Ireland, applied to the Sheriff in Glasgow to have an irregular marriage legalised. That is to say, having "taken each other as man and wife," they petitioned the Sheriff to grant a warrant for its registration in order to complete the legal formality. This in Scotland is termed an irregular marriage, and it is recognised as a legal marriage if the contracting parties are of the age of fourteen in the "man's" case and twelve in that of the "woman." The Sheriff in this instance doubted the accuracy of the parties' statements that they were of the prescribed age, and caused inquiries to be made. The replies given by the parties and their parents were conflicting, and the father of the boy begged that the

marriage might not be legalised. Notwithstanding all this, the evidence bore out the assertions made that the parties were of the age set down by the statute, and that they had been resident in Scotland for three weeks, and the Sheriff was thereupon obliged to gant the warrant applied for. Sheriff Lees, who granted this warrant, made the following comment:-"It seems to me deplorable that any encouragement should be given to such a union, but as the proof in regard to the ages of the applicants, though not so satisfactory as could be wished, is yet not insufficient, I have no option save to grant warrant for registration of their marriage.

The system of irregular mariages in Scotland has led to endless confusion. Last year, according to Sheriff Lees 143 applications similar to that referred to were lodged in court in Glasgow alone.

MISCELLANEOUS.

THE "LILY" CLUB.-Mrs. Gillilan, 21, Porchester Square, Bayswater, W., is Treasurer of a club for women "between fourteen and thirty," which was opened at 11, Desborough Terrace, Harrow Road, on February 6th.

WOMEN AND SANITATION.-A large and influential gathering was held, by permission of Canon and Mrs. Farrar, at 17, Dean's Yard, on January 31st, to hear a description of the work of the Hastings Sanitary Aid Association from Mrs. Johnstone, the Manager. The chief reason of the success of this Association is, probably, that it provides a woman instructress. Dr. Richardson once gave his testimony that in "one of the cholera epidemics he found the women by far the most useful and practical coadjutors." "No point in the warfare against disease," he said, "is anything like so important as that of getting the women of the household to work heart and soul with us sanitarians.

THE Athenæum says that Miss J. H. Harrison has just published a book on the "Myths of the Odyssey," and that they are not acquainted with any book produced by any man at either University, which does so much for the popular knowledge of ancient art as this work

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MISS C. C. HOPLEY has been for a long time collecting information respecting the Ophidians. The result of her labours will shortly be given to the world in a book published by Griffith & Farran.

THE greatest novelty in "specialist" journalism is a monthly magazine edited by a lady, and called the Woodhen, devoted to the interests of artificial hatching.

HOME FOR LITTLE GIRLS, BELFAST.-The Committee of the Women's Temperance Association met by invitation in the house of Mrs. R. Corry, Benone, Windsor Park, lately, to confer on preventive work among young girls. Upwards of forty ladies were present. At the last annual meeting of this association it was suggested in the report that the members should make an effort to rescue young girls who might be found in a destitute and perilous position in the streets and lanes of this great town. Two papers on this subject by one of the members have been printed and circulated. These papers have awakened a deep and wide-spread interest in preventive work among little girls. The plan proposed is to have a cottage home or homes where these girls, under a good house mother, would be trained in the fear of God, and fitted for usefulness in the present life. The ladies present manifested the deepest interest in the work.

FOREIGN NOTES AND NEWS.

THE Gazette des Femmes says that two silver medals have just been awarded to ladies for saving life; one to Madame Herminie Brontet who rescued a girl who was drowning in the Doubs; the other to Madame Marie Chauviniat, an innkeeper at St. Viance, Correze, who stopped the progress of two fires, and herself became seriously

burned.

The following ladies have been named officers of the Academy Madame widow Dubernet, communal teacher at Villaridrant. Madame Nullet, independent teacher at Nevers.

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Madame Muscat, independent teacher at Carpentras.
Madame Reignier, communal teacher at Lyons.

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and Madame Eudoxie Allix Dubruel, directress of the Chevé Musical Classes, who for forty years, by indefatigable exertion has popularised the teaching of music by means of figures.

The Minister of Public Instruction has also given silver medals to eight other lady teachers.

The Medical Physiological Society has received as foreign associate Mdlle. Nadine Skwortzoff, who has presented to the Society a memoir upon "Blindness and deafness in Aphasia" which their report says shows great erudition, sustained application and a talent for observation, which is usually only found among the most experienced clinical professors.

WOMEN ARTISTS.-The exhibition of the Association of Female Painters and Sculptors just opened in Paris comprises, it is stated, ninety-six works, the production of thirty-six exhibitors.

A WOMAN FREE MASON.-A correspondent from Paris, writes January 20th: "I think your readers will be interested to hear an account of a masonic banquet, at which I was present, on the 14th inst. It was offered to Mdlle. Maria Deraismes on the occasion of her initiation as a Free Mason by the Masonic Lodge at Pecq, near Paris. She is the first woman who has ever been admitted as a Free Mason since the Revolution of 1848, when a few were admitted during the general excitement. Covers were laid for 260 persons, nearly half the number were ladies; all the masons present wore their insignias. The "Venerable" (chief of the lodge) presided, and Mdlle. Deraismes sat at his side, she also wearing the handsome blue scarf bordered with red and embroidered with gold, being that of an apprentice of the order. In an opening speech he presented Mdlle. Deraismes to the company as the first lady admitted Free Mason in France since 1848, and as having been thus elected in recognition of her eminent services as the most eloquent and learned female champion of free-thought in France, in the great struggle recently and still carried on against the clerical party, in which she had distinguished herself, both by her public speeches and some learned works-that he considered they were honoured that day in receiving and welcoming her among them, &c., &c. Her name was greeted with enthusiastic applause. Mdlle. Deraismes replied to this speech in a most eloquent discourse which lasted about twenty minutes, and was interrupted frequently by loud and longcontinued applause. Had I sufficient memory to do justice to her eloquence, I should give her speech in extenso. I saw a lady shorthand writer present, writing from time to time, and if I should be able to procure a copy I will forward it for publication in your journal. About half-a-dozen speeches followed from distinguished men, all insisting on the complete emancipation of woman as the surest means of true moral and intellectual progress.-On Mdlle. Deraismes rising to leave, and passing down the room, all the Free

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