A LADY'S LETTER FROM LONDON.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 58, 9 March 1889, Page 3 (Supplement)

A LADY'S LETTER FROM LONDON.

o (By Elise.)

PRECIS.

Black Monday—Marriage of Lord Salis" b dry's Third Son—Dresses of the Bride AND BrIDESMAIHS— ARTISTIC GOING-AWAY De4h:ss—The Urosvenor Gallery Private View—Who Www There and What Was Worn—-Ilma Di Msjrska's Death—Her Career and Eccentricities — Puob able Age, Etc., Etc.

London, January 26. Dear Mr Editor, —" Black Monday " was well worthy its name this year. A dense fog wrapt London in its yellow folds, and the cabs, filled with dismal school-bound youngsters, were only able to grope thenway to the various railway termini with the greatest difficulty. Not that going back to school nowadays is the ordeal ie used to be. The good old days of bullying have long passed away, and beyond a regret that the end of the holidays has come, and a, distinct qualm anent the holiday task, which ought to have been learnt and hasn't, our boys can usually face Black Monday philosophically enough. The simplest and yet smartest wedding of the winter'took place at St. George's, Hanover Square, on Tuesday afternoon, when the Premier's third son, Lord Robert Cecil, married Lord Durham's youngest sister, Lady Nellie Lambton. There were two grown-up bridesmaids only, and five children. The bride wore a very simple dress of white satin, the only trimming of which consisted of bands of silver passementerie down the front. A tiny wreath of orange blossoms surmounted her dark hair under a long tulle veil held by superb diamond stars and a cross, and several brooches of diamonds glittered upon her bodice. The children were in white silk dresses with broad scarlet sashes and scarlet stockings and shoes, the latter surmounted with buckles of dead gold. They also wore modified Tarn O'Shanter caps edged with beaver. The lout ensemble was excellent, the party looking warm and bright, instead of nhillv.

Lady"Salisbury wore green velvet, of the grey shade known as mignonette, with a front of cream-coloured crepe. A pink aigrette relieved her green velvet .bonnet. Most of the guests were in fure, some of the sables being exceptionally fine. The bride's travelling dress is described by the " Morning Post" as an exceptionally beautiful and artistic composition in dark sable brown, with interludes of bi'ight, soft poppy red. The material was chiefly cloth, of which the whole of the overdrapery consisted, the folds being draped from the waist in a manner calculated to add to the apparent height of the figure. At one side the cloth opened over a brown velvet underskirt, showing bars of poppyred moire ribbon laid across the dark velvet. The edges of the cloth were lined with similar red, and being edged with bands of the darkest Russian sable, the contrast served to heighten the vivid softness of the moire, as well as to deepen the beautiful brown tones of the fur, the points of which were very nearly black —a proof that the sable is of the most rare and costly description. A rich passementerie, beadless and free from all glitter, as are the trimmings now used by the best modistes, was laid upon a long fold of the cloth, the colour of- which it matched exactly, diversified, however, by touches of the tanbrown which mai-ks the lighter tones of sable. The bodice contained all tho ingredients of the skirt, mingled with the deftest art, and, as in the skirt, showing the poppy colour in the merest glimpses. This, according to Ruskin, is the highest use of colour, which loses its effect when lavishly declared, but rejoices the eye when gently suggested. The small toque matched the dress, with the exception that it included no red, though the muff had its touches of colour among the deep tones of its brown velvet, cloth and fur. The large travelling mantle was in brown velvet, lined throughout with bright poppy-red silk brocaded with a design of conventionalised flowers in dark brown lines. It was edged with sable, and on the shoulders were ornaments in brown passementerie. There was a very smart private view at the Grosvenor Gallery on Saturday, at which quite a number of show celebrities turned-up, notwithstanding there being "no one in town." The Duchess of Manchester, in a wonderful mantle, challenged comparison with Lady Colin Campbell, who was in dark green trimmed with fur, and an extraordinary flat drab hat. Lady Randolph Churchill wore a mouse-coloured cloth gown embroidered with black and the new puffed sleeves. She looked very bright and nice, as she always does, and a great contrast to the aesthetic, saucer-eyed, powdery-faced Miss Dorothy Dene, who was clinging, as usual, x ,to one of her limp sisters. Miss Dene's Liberty silks and gay gauzy garments are, no doubt, all right in the summer, but at this time of the year they positively make one shiver. It was a relief to turn to the rioh furs of Lady Coleridge (leaning on the Lord Chief justice's arm), or even to the rather startling red velvet costume of Lady Gerald Fitzgerald. Miss Forteaoue, arrayed in a velvet Zouave jacket over a crimson skirt, as usual attracted a good deal of attention, and a great many questions were asked about a mignon lady in a dark green gown with many capes, who turned out to be Mrs George Batten, Little Miss Norreys (looking very pale and email) accompanied Mrs Labouohere) who had a great deal to say (apparently) to the Dv Mauriers, and Robert Browning went conscientiously through the pictures, paying no attention to the giddy throng about him. Late in the afternoon Mrs Beringer catne in for a moment with her two little girls, who do not strike one as specially attractive children off the stage. Vera is evidently growing fast, and I should say will grow out of "■ Little Lord Fauntleroy " sooner than that managing lady, her mamma, will care about. For the rest I saw Lord Rawton, Mr and Mrs Edward Ledger (of the " Era "), Lady Duff Gordon, Lady Alexander Gordon-Lennox, Oscar Wilde and Comyns Carr (as usual arm-in-arm), Mr Herbert Schmalz, Kata Terry's daughters (the Misses Lewis),

Forbes-Robertson (pale and pre-occupied), and a host of journalists, from BroadleyPasha, of the " World," to Mr McColl, the editor of the *■' Athenreum."

From what reaches me I fear very painful circumstanced were connected with the death of poor lima Di Murska. She never saved a penny during the short hey-day ot her prosperity 25 years ago, in fact amongst impresarios had the name of being one of the most tiresome and aceentric of prime donne. A perfect menagerie of pets travelled aboub with her wherever she went, and fer these the most extravagant luxuries Were provided. " Mupleson's Memoirs" contains a number of amusing stories about the poor woman. Di Murska "lagged superfluous on the stage " long after she had lost every semblance of her phenomenally high soprano voice, and became at last a perfect terror to managers. When she visited Australia it was almost gone, but she managed its remains well nigh as superbly as Sims Reeves does the remnant) of his grand organ, and, I fancy, made a fairly successful tour. This, at any rate, was the fallen star'a last stroke of luck. Afterwards she proceeded to the United States and soon faded out of public life. Di Murska married three times, if nob oftener. I know that at one time she'was credited with having two .husbands living; and two under the sod. The little woman had a craze for le haut ton, and'married her only daughter to a rascally Pomeranian Count, who deserted her. Not long ago mother and daughter were found starvving in New York, and they were sent home to Croatia. They settled in Munich, and people were kind to them, but to the last Di Murska's pride and eccentricities were egregious. She always seemed to have what vulgar boys call "a tile short," and. latterly must have grown quite insane. Her unfortunate daughter, whose nerves had become totally unstrung by long watching and want of proper food, took poison by her mother's grave. Groves's Dictionary of Dates gives the date of Di Murska's birth as 1843, but Colonel Mapleson thinks 1835 would be nearer the mark. Certain it is that even in 1870 she (though always monstrously made up) was thought an elderly woman. Her get up had the effect of making her seem mignon and pretty at close quarters, but shadowy and artificial in facial outlines in the distance. "An ungrateful world," writes M. En gel, " describes Di Murska as a person remarkable for a compass that extended to F in alt. Reader, believe it or not. Is not that note attainable by Etelka Gerster, Mme. Van Zandt, our sister's schoolfellow, and many others ? Yet they are not Di Murskas. It is true that the F's in the famous fioritures of the " Queen, of Night" used, when sung by Di.Murska to chime with a delicate ring and inimitable precision of touch, which made ' Gle Angui d'lnferno' her especial property ; but she was no less unapproachable as Elvira in ' Don Giovanni,' a part in which even Nillsson failed." People, perhaps, will remember Di Murska best by her Lucia. It was the first Italian opera I ever saw, and I shall never forget the impression Di Murska made in the mad scene. Unfortunately, Fancelli was the Edgardo, and though he sang divinely, he couldn't) act a bit.