"A son of the sea looked upon a vestal of the lightning, and saw that she was fair. Within seven days they will hie them unto the god Hymen, and after pledging their vows Neptune's son will join the ranks of Mars."

"In other words," she continues, explaining herself, "and in more mundane phraseology, another war wedding is to be celebrated."

"This one, next week, is between the champion swimmer of Victoria, and a young lady, who has heretofore been employed in the Telephone Exchange. The young athlete is a lieutenant. He leaves with the next detachment,of troops, but before he leaves will celebrate his marriage with the lady of his choice. She is fair-haired and very pretty."

A social butterfly used in the past to seeing men and women fluttering together in equal amounts, wherever "Clio" fluttered in 1915 men's absences reminded her of the war.

"A spring-like warmth smiled upon the opening of the Grand National Race Meeting on Saturday. Tender blue skies, vivid emerald turf and happy flowers all voiced a note of gladness which, for the moment, made it difficult to bear in mind the awfullest of tragedies [the Great War].

"But oh, yes, the vacancies were dreadful. Groups of undiluted feminine were to be seen all over the place."