A LADY'S LETTER FROM LONDON.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 5465, 24 January 1885, Page 5

A LADY'S LETTER FROM LONDON.

Feminine Facts, Fanoios, and Frivolities.

(BY ELISE.)

precis,

Ciiristmas Presents—The Ammoniaphone— Type Writers—"Bib and TacicKß"—Revelations op an Infant—Furs—Sables—Tiik Finney-Garmoylb Cabe—Miss Finney in Court — Her Dress — Tns Adams-Colk-uidqe Scandal—A Chief Justice and a FATnEn—Board Wages—Miss Coleridge— Disoust ok tiik Jury at the J imam's Partiality—Judgment OvKii-aui.ED—Adams's Revknoe-A "Society Journal Lihel caße-damagkß £1,000 and costs—"the Candidate " at the Critkrion Theatre— Amubino Comedy — Description— "inn Grand Mogul "—Failukb—Live Serpents —Dresbes Wokn in Diplomacy.

London, December 4.

Dear Mr Editob,— Frost in the air, gaudy annuals on the bookstalls, and countless pretty things in tho shop window* sorro to remind us that Christmas, with its inovitnblo festivitins, is coining, and that, as a well-conducted family, wo must forthwith perpetrate the annual oxtravaganco of buy. ing presents for our kinsfolk. Thoro do not seem to bo many novoltios to chooso from this year. Tom says he moans to give all our friends who sing "ammoniaphones." You know what they aro? Dr. Carter Moffat's now machines for improving and increasing the volumo of tho voico. They are soiling by tens of thousands. Since tho experimental concertwasgivenin St. James's Hall, and peoplo discovered that, even after two or thrco inhalations, their compass percoptibly increased, almost all professional singers have invested in ammoniaphones. The coat is only ono giiinoa, bo that tho invention seems worth a trial at least.

Hall's typo-writer is another " knowing " present either for a lady or gentleman. Till rocently " The Remington " (a machine liko a small piano and costing £21) has heon the only type-writer.in use. Now, howover, an American firm havo invented a neat little machino which fits into a box a foot long and a few inches high, can be conveniently carried in the hand anywhoro, and worked by a child aftor halfan-hour's practice Mr O'Donnel, Mr Herbert Gladstone, and other M.P.'s now do all their correspondence with Hall's typo-writer. You can make two admirablo press copios

from its work, or. if you use a hektograph, 50 to 60 copies. The cost of Hall's machino is £3.

Have you uny young—that is comparatively young—married couples amongst your acquaintance?? If so, expend one shilling on a tiny booK called "Bib and Tucker, tho Revelations of an Infant in Arms," and send it them. Nothing more doliciously humorous has boon written for a long timo. My attontion was drawn to it by seeing a gentleman buying a dozen copies at Glaisher's in the Strand tho othor day. " Who is that ?" I asked when he had disappeared. "Mr Walter Besant, the novelist," was the reply, "Hois so struck with ' Bib and Tuckor' that ho means to send several friends a copy."

It is not much use dovoting a groat deal of space to "chiffons" at this time of the year, for we are now wearing furs, sealskins, and heavy oloths, which would bo far too keavy for your climate, oven in the dead of winter. Sablos and sealskins aro extremely fashionable this year. I met Mrs Cornwallis West in Bond-street the othor afternoon. Sho woro a long sealskin coat that reached almost to tho edge of hor dark blue dress, and a seal-ikin bonnot with blue and rod feathers in it. Lady Dudloy'a sables are exquisito and priceless. Thoy aro of the rarest ahado, and match porfectty. Mr 3 Langtry wears a closo-litting costume of blackest-blue velvet, with ruff and cuffs of sable and toque to match, The Princess of Wales has a costume of dark green in tho same stylo, only rather plainor. Her sables are also a wonderful set.

" Tout eat Finney " was, I regret to say, the vilo punperpotrated by Tom as he put down the MG^obV' tho other evening aitor reading mo a report of Miss Ftnnoy 's breach of promise case against Lord Garmoyle. We wero not ablo to got into Court to vitness tho trial, but Cousin Horbort, who is a briefless barrister, was thoro, and declares ho enjoyed himself immensely. Miss Finney, accompanied by an elderly lady— probably hor mother—occupied a seat on tho bench, and was the observed of all observers. She wore a very becoming costume of muchbraided dark green cloth, and though partially veiled during tho AttorneyGeneral's speech, seemed perfectly indifferent and sell-possessed. Tastes differ, of course, but I cannot say I 'admire Miss Finney, or Fortescue, as sho profers to be called. The lady certainly possesses a sinuous languishing kind of beauty of a certain sort, but it requires careful dress to set it off. In servant's garb, for example, she looks positively plain. Scandal-loving Londoners have boen more than compensated for the partial collapse of the Fortescue-Garmoyle case by fhp astounding disclosures in Adams v. Coleridge. What family has not a skoleton in its closet nowadays? Fancy the Lord Chief Justice of England putting his daughter and servants on miserable board wages whilst he was feasting and being made much of in America! Fancy, too, the greatest of England's judges, the supposed embodiment of benignjustjco ftnd unswerving moral reotitudo, conspiring with his Eon to blacken the character of a poor and therefore unwelcome suitor for his daughter's hand ! Imagine, too, this example to tho nation turning his only daughter out of doors, striking her out of his will, and gonorally playing the stern parent of fiction I Our sympathies (mine and Tom's) are altogether with Mr Adams. There can be no doubt ho had been verbally libelled continuously, and that tho great influonce of tho Lord Chief Justice had been strained to its utmost to injure and ruin him before ho availed himself of tho Hon. Bernard Coleridge's written attack to ventilate his wrongß. Tho scene in Court, too, was disgraceful Justico Manisty, who tried the ca6o, threw every possiblo impediment in the plaintiffs way, and exhibited a partisanship with the Coleridges that, thank goodness I has drawn forth the sternest reprehensions, from tho pross. The jury wove disgusted, and although imperatively ordered by the Judge to nonsuit Adams, indignantly declined to be over-awed by the power and position of the defendants. They found for the plaintiff damages £3,000, whioh is, of course, equivalent to saying that Bernard Coleridge and his father, the Lord Chief Justico, maliciously and knowingly libelled Mr Adams. Judge Manisty's attempt to overrule this verdict will probably succeed; but the fact remains that 12 good men and true have indirectly found Lord Coleridge guilty of a shameful act. In any case Adams's revenge ia complete. The idol has been smashed, and only very common clay remains. Lord_ Coleridge's prestige might have survived his treatment of Adams, but the picture of a great man's home, of the daughter on board wages, the cheap fish for lunch, the fuss about lighting the drawing-room fire, the son selling wine on commission, and the general atmosphere of parsimony and meanness, will never be forgotten. Miss Coleridge, the heroine of the story, is 36, and no beauty. She can, however, talk half-a dozen languages, and hasposeed the examination of "Musical Doctor." The friendship between herself and Adams was purely platonio, and would have remained so, but for malicious acquaintances who talked scandal about the pair, fed co forced Adams into a proposal of marriage. The great success of the leading " sooiety^' journals has naturally raised up heaps of cheap imitations. Prominent amongat the least reputable of these Is a little paper called "Modern Society," whioh began life by calmly reproducing the greater part of "Truth," "The World," "Vanity Fair," and Life" for a penny, This was stopped after a time, and "Modern Sooioty" then had recourse to the London letters of the leading American papers, which are written by first-class men, and often contain matter too pungent for British nostrils. The system answered, and "Modern Society" has now a circulation of 00,000 weekly according to the publishers' returns. A few months ago, however, it inserted sundry free and easy libels about Lady Colin Campbell's mother, a respectable old lady living quietly in a London suburb. Proceedings wbro taken civilly (a much safer and more certain means Of redress than criminal jit'osecution), and the other day a sovore jury mulcthed the worthy proprietor of "Modern Sviciety " one thousand pounds and costs. The paper has since been sold.

"We spent a very merry evening at the Criterion Theatre on Saturday week, when " The Candidate," a new 3-act comedy by a member of Parliament (name unknown), was produced. Like all such piece's, "The Candidate " deals with the troubles of a too-much-married husband. In this case the hero is Lord George Oldacre, whoso life ia made miserable by his mother-in-law—a

strong-minded woman with a mission to "preserve the peers" and a penchant for Mr Goodevo, a fat oily missionary from tho Fijis. Oldacre has been asked to contest the borough of East Hampton in the Conservative interests against Mr Bradley, tho great Radical bugbear and atheist. He seizes this opportunity to enjoy a fortnight's holiday in London without his wife's knowlodge, and persuades his privato secretary, Alaric Baffin, to assume hia name, and go and canvass at East Hampton in his stead. Thoro is no risk, he points out, for, of courso, the East Hampton Radicals will never return a Tory as Bradloy's confrere. Unfortunately, Baffin hiinaclf is an out-and-out Radical, and when ho finds himself in the mid«t of an energetic mob of Bradley's adorers at East Hampton, with a water-butt conToniontly handy and angry voices ominously asking which sovt of brick he likos best, he forgets all about his assumed r6le, and at once proclaims his genuine oonviction. Those are of tho extremost anti-Coneervative character; in faut, compared with them the viows of tho lato mombor, Mr Henry (meant, of course, for Labouchere), were 'flabby." Tho East Hampton men aro dolightod at his conversion, and return Lord Oldacre at tho top of the poll.

At tho end of tho fortnight {i.e., the day aftor tho declaration of tho poll at East Hampton), Oldncro cornea liome, and is pestered to givo tho result of tho election, but cannot, as Baffin hasn't returned. Ho getshimsolf into a fearful mess, from which, howover, tho Secretary's arrival with tho astounding news of his olection oxtricatos him. Preparations are boing made for rojoicings on a large scalo when tho post arrives and retribution sets in. Oldacre l'ccoivos a post-card of congratulation from Gladstono, and cordial letters from Bradley and Henry. Those, together with tho Tory newspapers containing articlos on the "Renegade Peer," "Extraordinary Recantation of a Rich Conservative," &c, fall into his mother-in-law's hands. Baffin, moreover, has made love to n protty widow whilst at East Hampton, and she writes to Lord Oldacro affootionatoly as " my darling popsy-wopsy," announcing her immediate arrival. The wretched nobleman finde himself obliged either to boar tho onus of all Baffin's misdoings or else confess his own, which, alas ! includo a flirtation made with a pretty actress in London. Complication folio .vs complication till at last Baffin confessos, and Qldacro turns on his mother-in-law and defies her, having first proved hor favourite missionary v humbug. Tho piece bristles with polltioal allusions and jokes, tho latter at tho oxponso of each party in turn. Thus, it is no soonor observed that "Radicals will ba loyal-for a sovoroign " than someone rotorts "Consorv; iveß will do anything—for a crown," and thoso who might bo disturbed by playful argumonts about abolishing tho House of Lords are soothed by heariug tho caucus doscribodas a "machino for turning out politics as thoy do Brummagom jowollery." Tho piece is capitally playod—Mr Charlos Wyndham as tho volatile OUacro, Mr Goddona as Baffin, and Mr Blakoloy as tho fat, unctuous old missionary who " superintends tho salvation " of his " doar Fijians " from a distanoo—boing all inimitable

I saw Mr Labouchoro —to whom, as Mr Henry, froquont allusions woro mado— laughing heartily in the stalls, and tho groat Bradley (Bradlaugh) himsolf was said to bo lurking nomowherc ac tho back of ono of tho private boxes. The pioco, I need scarcely s;»y, mado a hit, and will run for many a month to como.

" Tho Grand Mogul," Amdran's now comic opera at the Comody Thoatro, has failed miserably and deservedly. Tho libretto by Farnio is a lamo, hulting affiiir-—tne words of tho Bongs boing mostly impossible to sing—and tho seoro doesn't contain a singlo number worthy of the composer of tho " Mascotte" and " Olivette." Arthur Roborts, in the character of an Indian Fakir, "Juggins Lai," sings a funny song called "The Dotlotof My Eye," but that isn't by Audran at all, The snake-.charming disgustod us sadly. Tho spectacle of protty Miss Florence St. ifohn in a very (hcolletce dross, with two slimy snakes twining round hor arms and neck, and snuggling their heads into her pearl-powdered bosom, was anything but nice. I promised to sond you a description of tho dresses worn by Mrs Bancroft and Miss Calhoun in "Diplomacy." Tho lattor have boen much canvassed. Thoy nro tlio work of the court milliner, Madamo Nicole, who describos them as follows in tho society papors : —" Mrs Bancroft wears two splondid drosses—ono of crimson coral rod velvet, with long train, and panols. at the sidoß of gold-coloured satin, covoretj with a network of iino rod and gold oords, ovory square fas^enod l^y a tiny pea-shaped gland of gold, heading a tassel of ruby-tinted beada. Tho sleeves aro simply buttoned across the top of the arm, but with diamonds. Tho second, quite as handsome, is a sort of surtout of seal-brown plußh over an inner dress of cream, the skirt boing of faille, draped with cream cashmoro. The plush jacket, fitting closo behi/.d, hangs like a Zouave, loose in f ronfc, and is adorned with tho richest pa,s.fio«ontorio ornaments in gold,, ft.s it wove splashed on, as well as dawn tho sides of the open fronts. This surtout is lined with rose dc Chine, giving such pretty riflets on to tho cream. Miss Calhoun's costumes are simply delicious. The robe tie chambre, in which she first appears, is a jaunty urrangemont of white serge and pale blue quilted satin, with a tiny hood at tb,e twefc. Then a beiirrefrais satin tea-gown, shrouded in delicate valonciennos, is a triumph of elegance in its filmy draperies. Tho travelling dress is a kind of redingote of chamois coloured cloth, with rovers of seal-coloured plush, buttonod back with large steel buttons, showing a waistcoat covered with steol passementerie in leafy designs, somo of which oxtond like a gold find steol flower to the upright plush collar, and also head tho plush rovers at tho back. With this is worn a tall felt hat, exactly matching in colour, trimmed with a broad band of plush, into which chamois marabout feathers are fastenod by an aigrotto of sparkling steel drops. Tho ball-drosß is a trained robe of white satin, with pale salmon volvet stripes about throe inches broad. Tho paysanne corsage is mado plain and pointed (the stripes beautifully adjuatod) and white satin puffed loosely across tlio chest to tho shoulders; then, aa if to bvoak tho hard white Uno next tho next, salmon tulle sprinkled with ti,ny tassels c,f pink poarls is carolessly draped ovor it, and caught up jat oaoh shoulder. The front of the skirt is ono mass of this beautiful tullo and pearls in bewildering draperies.