LIFE IN THE CITY.

B' Life is a journey; on we go Through many a scene ol joy and woo Xaval Weather— A Bluejacket's Comment — Afloat and Ashore—Officers' TeaParties — A Cheery Chaplain — The Captain s Rooms—Quaint Curios— A n Interesting Photograph — Aft and Forward—The Earl and the Girl — A Coming Marriage— Visitors to Wellington—New Boohs—The Latest Hats. The weather experienced by the Squadron was absolutely appalling. Until Monday our visitors never saw the sun, and hardly saw Wellington for the driving rain and mist. Even to come ashore was unpleasant, often resulting in a ducking from sea and from rain. The bluejackets accepted the position with cheerful equanimity, and enjoyed all the fun going in spite of the weather. One mau remarked drily, " They told us tho sun never sets 'ere. It must be surely because yer sun never rises ! " The Admiral and Lady Fawkes went about a good deal, going various motor rides, visiting Bcllevue Gardens, dining with the Mayor, and all the expressing much enthusiasm over the Pbeauty of the district. No less than nine of the oilicers went fishing to Waikanae, and returned much impressed with New Zealand as a country to settle down in. They had excellent sport, too, on the whole, aul the lovely river was looking its loveliest on Monday and Tuesday. There is any amount of fish "to be caught, too. A day or two in the country, shooting or fishing, must be the purest delight to men shut up in the narrow confines of a ship. On both Sunday and Monday the officers of the various ships gave tea-parties to their lady friends. On Sunday it rained hopelessly, but the few out of the many invited who braved the stormy weather were re ward .'d by a delightful afternoon. Naval men are adepts at that cheery hospitality that makes one at home at once. In the Cambrian, to winch we were invited, the ward-room was gay with llowers, silver, all sorts of dainties, and a blazing lire, and music helped to make the afternoon pass very quickly. The chaplain —whom, after the'time-honoured naval custom, they call " Padre"—was the cheeriest of souls* with a line voice, and sang many times. Quaintly enough, his name was Chappie. «* Captain Gaunt's rooms were a perfect Pimiseum of curiosities. He has had great opportunities for picking up interesting things, for, besides his other wanderings in the East, he was Resilient for some time at Wei-hai-wai, and has a wonderful photograph of his house there- quite a Chinese residence, with the gods of the household set iv front of the verandah. His drawingroom, of which he also has a photograph, was a most picturesque room filled with quaint treasures, among them some wonderful Oriental draperies. On the floor of his cabin is a fine leopard skin, the animal to which it belonged having been shot by the Captain in Abyssinia. Wonderful temple brasses from Pekin hang on the walls, and much of the furniture is Japanese, marvellously carved. One gorgeous chair, in red and gold lacquer, used to be a seat of honour in a temple. In a cabinet Captain Gaunt, keeps his medals and orders—a goodly show —among them a splendid Roumanian decoration. He was stationed for some time on the Danube, and saw a good deal of Princess Marie of Rjmmania and her two pretty children. A very line signed picture of the Princess—in her colonel's uniform—hangs over the mantlefiece, and Captain Gaunt showed me post-cards, with childish expressions of affection, from the little girl and boy. Captain Gaunt's wife, a very beautiful fair-haired woman, whose picfe hires, some by Alice Hughes, are much in ■evidence, is at Ilobart with her little son. "She will not sea her husband for some time, for the Cambrian leaves Lyttelton for Central America. There are so many interesting things about the rooms that I tore myself away with difficulty. A magnificent large hammered silver box for cigars and cigarettes was a wedding present from the CommanJer-in-Chief. Close beside it is a Chinese puzzle of carved ivory. The whole interior, cheery with the blazing fire, is essentially comfortable, and the tiny Persian kitten, dozing in a cushioned chair, gives it a "homy" look. But we are at anchor. Probably when heavy weather prevails it is not so enviable a domicile, for the traditions of the fleet place the Captain's cabin aft always, and the motion there is greatest. Between him and the seamen, iv order, come the oilicers and marines. This was probably a relic o£ the old days when mutiny was not unknown, and was for the purpose of protecting valuable lives. About the Earl and the. Girl there are divers opinions, as, indeed, about all farces, to appreciate which one needs to be in a special frame of mind. Sheridan himsdf is exceedingly amusing as Jim Cheeze, the dog trainer, and Miss Heba Barlow was excellent as his sweetheart. A charming song, Wp Won't you come back to Bom-Bom-Bay ?" Jhas captured the large Wellington audiences, who now join lustily in the chorus. Mrs Dooley's Joke is now on, to be followed by King Dodo. Of private entertaining there is little. Miss Rena Butt's marriage to Dr. Napier M'Lean takes place to-morrow. Dr. , and Mrs M'Lean will go for a delightful wedding-trip through America and the Continent Miss Butt's bridesmaids are to be Miss Ewen, Miss May Blundell, and Miss Elsie Watson Mrs Handyside is staying with Mrs Miles at present. She does not intend returning tj Akitio. Mrs Miles has just come back from a visit to Nelson, where Mrs Will Kennedy and her daughter were also staying. Mrs Riddiford and daughter are in town, intent on trousseau shopping, Miss Riddiford's marriage to Mr W. Bunny taking place at the end of next month. Mrs Frank Gordon, from Hawke's Bay, is a guest of Mrs llott, and Madame Webb is staying with her sister, Mrs Robert Loughnan. A recent engagement is that of Miss Elsie Elliott to Mr "Stanley Wheeler. There are quiet a number of interesting new books. Chamber's " The Reckoning " is quite up to that author's high standard, and " Starve Crow Farm," by Stanley Weyman, is an exciting tale, laid in very diflerent scenes from those in which that writer usually ''Rose of the World," by A. and •Egerton Castle, is another new and charming book, and " The Wood-carver of Ljmpus," by M. E. Waller, is pronounced delightful by those who have read it. An authoress who has been much in request lately is Myrtle Reed. Of her three books, " Lavender and Old Lace," " At the Sign of the Jack o' Lantern," and :< The Master's Violin," the latter is usually preferred, though all are pleasant reading, and most artistically got up. I had some fascinating glimpses of Aylmer's hats a day or two ago, and am wondering whether the more pronounced of them will ever decorate Wellington society. They are extremely Parisian, exquisitely made, wonderful in tints and materials, but hardly suited to the simpler tastes of New Zealand. Nearly all have basin-like crowns, and long draperies of aerophane or chiffon, sometimes reaching below the shoulders. They are of all materials, beaver or felt predominating One had the basin crown of Neopolitan violets, the brim of ivory felt, an 1 clusters of in reddish-purple shades on one side and under the brim. The banis another feature of the new hats. •Parisian milliners declare it must be seven inches deep, and when this is set under a hat it gives it the jaunly tilt desirable. A won-

derful example of tho latest style had the crown made of a chinchilla fur, the head in front; round this were soft' draperies of smoke and dull blue tulle, and a cluster of shaded feathers fell over tho hair at one side. A wide hat was made entirely of oldfashioned shot silk of red and purple. From the deep bandeau beneath right across the brim was a wreath of deep purple roses, ending in two glorious crimson flowers. Tho great art in draping a hat is to make the veiling or chiffon appear as if carelessly thrown back and over, not tacked on to the other decoratious. An expensive and original hat was of tartan straw, and a smart blue straw had the broad crown arranged with little wings set like a star in the centre of folds of silk. Prune, reddish purple, and brown appear to be the coming colours. There was not a single green hat, and orange, too, appears to be out of fashion. Several topees, the white, green-lined Indian helmets, are -making their appearance. I noticed one draped with a green veil that was rather becoming.