HOME JOTTINGS.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume VI, Issue 549, 19 December 1877, Page 3

HOME JOTTINGS.

At the present time an- itnforfcunate schism, distresses the working of the- Episcopal body.There has long been a set who called them- - selves " The Church of England in Scotland," and who would hot acknowledge the supremacy of the Scottish Episcopate; .lately. Dr Beckles, formerly Bishop of Sierra Leone, and till lately holding a cure under the Bishop of London, and Avho was an unsuccessful candidate recently for the vacant Bishopric of Argyll, came to Scotland presumably at the invitation of the schismatic set I have mentioned, and held confirmations, &c, in different parts of the country. The Bishops naturally resented this encroachment of Dr Beckles and remonstrated with him, 'but receiving only as curt replies as courtesy would permit. However, the English Bishops have taken the matter up; the Bishop of London has told him if he continues his present course he must give up the living he holds in his diocese, and both the Upper Houses of Convocation have emphatically protested against the Bishop's action in a Church at full communion with the Church of England. Trade in Scotland is not very brisk at present, but that is no more than can be said for any other country. The Social Science Congress met this year at Aberdeen, under the presidency of the able young Earl of that name, Avbo, by-the-bye, is shortly to be married to the daughter of Sir Dudley Contts Majoribanks, another union of a strong Conservative with a thorough Liberal family. His inaugural address the Times styled as " good though weak," and chiefly dAvelt on the necessity of Avider diffusing the elements of Christian religion. That learned body is placed in a dilemma, as no town has invited them to hold their Congress there next year. Talking of the Aberdeen title, I often wonder if in years to come a second. edition of the Tichborne case Avill crop up Avith regard to it ; history repeats itself. I have just heard, though with no particulars, that Inverary Castle, the seat of the Duke of Argyll, has been burnt to the ground, and that his family, Ayith the Princess Louise, . narrowly escaped with their lives. It will be a fearful thing for His Grace, for I suppose all the family archives are preserved there, and I believe the family is more noble, than wealthy. ; . The vacancy in the English Cabinet caused I by the death of -Mr Ward Hunt, has been Avorthily filled by the appointment of Mr W. H. Smith,* 0I book-stall fame. His Parliamentaiy- career has not been : a 16ng-one, having only been returned- '/for- Westminster - in 1868,- after- ■ the dissolution. Since the accession of the present Ministry he has performed the onerous duties of Financial Secretary to the Treasury with credit to himself, and it is gratifying to those who knew the late Mr Hunt to learn that his successor was a great personal friend of his, and that jn Mr Smith's entry to political life the late First Lord prophesied a seat in the Cabinet for him. There have been no important political vacancies of late, however by the Judicature Act, a second Lord Justice of' Appeal has been meted to Ireland.' The Government are receiving' encomiums on all' side's, as in-. the appointment of -Mr Baron - Deasy they have waived party considerations, and given it to a Roman Catholic and 1 Liberal; solely for his own merits. The trial and sentence to death of the four prisoners in what is known as the Pengemurder case is. causing, an r agitation- 1 haveseldom knoAvn- any case create. As yet-(Sun-day) no reprieve has come, and the execution is fixed, for. Tuesday. Whilst I think, that a cold and cruel murder has been perpetrated, still there is little doubt that had their a .ctim been left alone disease would have put an end to her sufferings. . A gloom. has been, oast-' over the theatrical world by the death of Mdlle. Titiens. Her last appearance ih public was on May 19th as Luerezia, in Lucrezia Borgia. At the time she was very ill, and after the death scene she remarked to a friend she thought she_Avas really dying, and,it took. four men to lift her. . About the latest fashion in -wife- treatment ■ is a wretch, who having stripped'his betterhalf naked, tried to thrust her- into an oven, but she being too big, he turned f 'her round-: and round in front of the nre,-,severelyvburn--ing her. The magistrates,, probably sympathising with him in his new and novel treat-ment-of Avives, merely -boundA biro, over to keep the peace for- six-< months.. The approaching, marriage of the Duke of" Norfolk with Lady Flora Hastings, daughterof the late Lady Loudoun, and niece of' the ill-fated. Marquis ef Hastings, creates much interest. Eady Flora is pervert to the Romish. Church, ha-eing only joined it about a year. . It is not a little singular that the presumptive: heir to another of our most ancient dukedoms, . at present possessing but £100 a year, has just united ' himself to a . wealthy Scottish heiress. _.. •

With regard to tho present fashions. For A tra.vellmg— Ulsters and stal_d_ig..:hats are.-;.: patronized by ladies ; for evenings low bodies. A arc- never seen except, at balls or at Court;.: both morning and evening diesses ; are.wbfia ,-.. with trains and well tied back; the polonaise*' stiilseem3 universally worn. Married ladieaA almost invariably wear pretty little Dolly A Varden caps, with ribbons to match the^ colours of the neckties. Shoes with pointed.toes have again become fashionable. .^ Stand- ;"■ up collars with a double stud and .plain linen cuffs are much worn. A complete resolution has taken place in the style of dressing Hihe • hair. Chignons are never worn ; the more , simple the mode the more fashionable'it-is-considered. It is principally worn in a simple" ceil at the back of the head, low down, False--hair-ia oonsidered bad style, and therefore; very sel<__ra>worn. . For little girls 'the neatest? and most favoured way'Lf one plait hanging: „ doAvn the back, .tied near the fend -with & . coloured ribbon. In bridal .wreaths the latest novelty is to fix small oranges with the customary emblematic flower, bothin the wreath - and the flowers which trim the dress. For five o'clock teas pretty fancy table-cloths are greatly used, of rather a coarse white material, the corners embroidered in coloured > c-r-ewei wools. Dinners are served ala Ritsse, bat in small parties joints may appear at the table.Light claret and. water seems'' quite to have/. , taken the place of beer both at luncheon and*, dinner. . *At large dinnerparties the gentleman and lady of the hoiise often sit at the sides of the table, opposite one another. . Mr Vesey Stewart is hard at work, and already persons of wealth and high social status have resolved to return with, him to Katikati. *[This has been customary for certainly the last thirteen years.— Ed. B.P.T.]

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