SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 77, 24 December 1907, Page 3

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

A very enjoyable tennis party was given on Saturday afternoon by tbo Misses Barrandi at their father's pretty residerico in Middlo Waiwetu. Tlio weather \va,s perfect, and tho garden a blazo of colour; Tho Jawns weroin vory fair order, dospitq "tho'. dry weather. . Croquet, as well as tennis, was indulged in. Amongst tho guests were: Misses Foster, TreadweJ], Mason, ,(01103, V. Johnston, J. Bodmin, Matthews, StunrtForbos, and Hayward, Messrs. Russell, Hayward, limgdon, Stuart-Forbes, .Strauchon, Fulton, and Trcadw.e!l. Afternoon tea was ■served in tho, dining-room, and was much appreciated by tho continual stream of players. Thoro were several exciting games of tennis played, and watched with interest by thoso sitting .in tho Eummcr-hoiise. V , Mr. and Mrs. Treadwell, with their daiightcf. and sons, left for Nelson last ovoning. TJiey intend spending a short holiday in Motucka Oollingwood, returning' after tho Now Year. '. ■>/.■'. . Miss Nita Johnston left by tho Moeraki on Friday for Sydney, whero she.-will remain for about six weeks'. . , :■ :. Mrs. M. Lindsay, .with her small son, is oxpectod to arrive from England'oh Christmas Evo. She will stay with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Riddiford, at Fcra Grove during her stay in New Zealand.' '•■• .-''. ■ Miss Bodmin has returned from her stay in tho North. Sho lias been visiting at Marton,. Palmcrstqn North, and'. Napier..

' Mr. Hugh Stuart-Forbes is spending. a month with his sisters at tho Hutt. Hβ returned from Fiji about a week"..ago, and . intends returning there to settle permanently early-in. tho year. -. ■ . ■ . ..;•.' : There is a want of imagination about the- proposal for Lieutenant Shaoklcton to:. place postage stamps at. the South l J olc. When the second explorer.-Mo'es reach that boisterous spot, it is to he' : Supposed that he will want-to see something-good-: for all his trouble; and one might'-as ; well offer him a post-card album to look "at. as -a ; set of postage stanips: Dominica would'suggest ;that a representation of. the present".'feminine fashion's would be worth looking at, and the .interest would increase will!'tho'years in an amazing way. It would'.obviously be impossible :to convey to tho Pole'.'a hat. of thomost fashionable dimensions, but'a series of pictures showing the hats and'-thc wearing of them would bo of the greatest interest to the discoverer In future years,-were slip Mongol or American. '.I say sho, because this is the'woman's era, and if a woman is not the first to reach the Pole she.is certain to be tho second. Lieutenant Shackleton must hasten. ' • • :: -' : '' ;, ';' i ■ A bazaar at Alicetown in aid of the Congregational Manse fund wa3 • opened--last Wednesday by Mrs.-Williams; and remained open during tho following day. Altogether about £30 was taken. A very handsomodoll, presented by Mrs. Gibson,, was' offored as a prize-in a guessing competition, but as none of tho competitors was successful in guessing tho. right word, it .'was-decided to present tho doll to the Wellington Hospital Christmas.* treo, which is also the-destination of the unsold dolls and other toys;-' Those who have sympathised with the Eov. Mary Joseph , St. Anbert-i'n'her'trials in connection with the building and alteration of the Homo of Compassion at Island bay, will bo pleased to hear that.Mrs. Walter Johnston has made !a donation of £100 towards tho funds of thd f yHome. -.-..■; FORTUNE-TELLING AS A' PASTIME. It incurious''what i'i' charm therq Seems '.to bo"'about amateur jfortun'e-telling. 'One' can understand.: that■ a' professional fortune-* toller, with her assumption.of occult , powers, or special revelations, can create-fcr;.herself an atmosphere of mystery that adds greatly to tho• impressiveness of-iyhat she. foretells: But tho amateur fortune-teller ! whom ■ one meets as a follow guest at an afternoon tea is without these aids to effectiveness, and yet . she wields . thp same, spoil, and one watches tho'other guests crowding to have hor read, the story of their destiny, and eagerly 'telling each other afterwards what .has been foretold. 'This-one "is-going on a : journey, • which is a.prediction '•'■likely/-to"be ..fulfilled in the case of most Nr.w Zealanders, but.tho wonder comes when the ten-cup or tho cards specify that sho is to go first for a short, journey, and then for a very long ouo. Tho inquiror. has a short, journey a! T ready in her . mind, but it is .a marvel to her when she finds, : two or threo days later, as, she' .tells her. frionds: "Sure.enough my husband lias just made up his mind to take mo to England noxt .month. He only made up his mind this week,' and' told mo nothing about it boforo. It , seoms like witchery.": The queerest case: Lever know of. one'of these fortunes coming .true was when a very old and ve'ry sentimental lady in the ' North was assured by a friend who read her fortuno by the cards'that, beforq the'encf of the year she would j-ecoivo a -present',', sho, would bo asked-to marry again, and she would come into a large fortune. This.was within' a .short time of t!\e ■ New Year, arid the socohd and third predictions appeared impossible of • fulfilment, but before year camo to an end the old dame,had .married a man considerably older than: herself, who was claimant' .to a! Hugo .fortune. .At-..latest nows-the fortune has not .come; tb.lier,'-but the, possibility of it .satisfied her. that the fortune-teller had been accurately informed. Another curious tiling' ,is ;that. the same pooplo will go to the same lady, time and again to have their fortunes tola.. "/There" is a Wellington lady who has .several' times, lately read the fortunes of tho other guests at houses where she has boon visiting, and the girls who meet her at ouo '• house on Tuesday, where she reads thoir ' fortunes, ask her again to road them on :Friday. Whether they want a difforent oxposition of fate, or whether their fortunes aro sp .pleasant that they crave for a .repetition of the flattering tale does not appear. : Perhaps it is that the idea' of lifting the curtain of the future; has an irresistible charm, and that they would gladly look every,day had they a chance.' For my part, I prof or a surprise. The lucky bag always had moro charm for mo than an open box of toys.