SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 506, 13 May 1909, Page 3

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Danes cn H.M.S. Challenger. '.-Tho officers of the 'Challenger liavo been shown a good deal of kindness by Wellington people during their short stay-here, and it was by way of showing their appreciation of it, that tho captain and officers gave a very pleasant little dance on board tho ship last night. :As always on a man-of-war the conditions.'were picturesque, and an . added picturesqueness .was given by tho fact that the 'Challenger is lying at a wharf, the New King's Wharf. The weird approach by way of long dark; wharves, with here lights gleaming sparsely - from a. ship, and there a steamer, with:its are lights lull on, turning :night: into . day, hero untidy: hummocks of merchandise, and odd shapes vaguely disintegrating themselves from the gloom, and indicating indefinitely. the debris of a fire, and the., silhouettes .'of cranes and wharf machinery stoutly upheld against the bluegrey sky, was'very curious. One felt like a- traveller off : on . a journey, and was' con-vinced-thiit ,ths ! 'ond'' of it would' bei'the 'deck of'ithe Maori, and a venture into tlie darkness of the tossing Strait:; This "travelled", feeling made: very effective by contrast,- the actual end—the gaily decorated deck of the Challenger where tho band was playing, and the bright 'colours of pretty frocks were merged'- in the'more brilliant colour's of the flags hung all around the deck. '. -The wliole of th? deck had been. enclosed .with awnings, and''across the top, as well as' rdund : thesides,, .were .these brilliantlycoloured flags. .. There was thei glitter of brass in all directions, , and two .long guns, beautiful in-white and gold, '-pointed their slender hoses ' at tho; stars - abovo Victoria College,, and kept, them, there delicately out of tUo way, -.while-pretty girls danced under their shadow* - Abovo the deck the ship's band was stationed-to play at long intervals, and down below, there . were . irtany. cunningly-contrived corners, shut off: with awnings and still more flags.,'' , Refreshments were, served in the ward-room, where the table was most'beautifully decorated 'with white lilies; white and pink chrysanthemums, .and; Virginia .creeper, with little billows of pale pink: silk running across.' . Several large menu-cards painted by one.of:tho officers were adorned with very appropriate designs.: Miss Coates wore'a frock of black net with sequined. trimming; Mrs. Walter Nathan,; heliotropeflowered chine silk;,Mrs.'Kendall,' black sequined net over silk j ' Mrs..W'ilford, cinnamon brown tulle' over gold tissue,; ; and ;: opalescentsequined trimming with narrow bands of turquoise velvet; Mrs. Lan Duncan, white satin with deep flounce : of lace, embroidered, in black ; Mrs. Harold 'Johnston, nasturtian-colour'ed .satin frock with bands of gold-trimming ; Mrs. K. Duncan, white-chiffon scattered with silver sequins, the skirt- finished with a deep border heavily sequined; Miss Duncan, pale pink charmeuse; :Miss Webster,,.scarlet silk;. Miss H. -Miles, , palp -pink silk;.with bands of. embroidered : lace; Miss Gladys Nathan, - ivory satin-with touches of pale blue ; Miss Z. Nathan, -white satin trimmed with lace, edged with-th'o narrowest'black velvet'-ribbon; Miss Sommerville;: cream .satin; Miss Dean, pale pink chiffon.taffetas; Miss Hislop, whito filet net edged with white'satin ribbon, oVer white' satin; Alissi Beaiichamp; white satin; Miss C. Beauchamp, emerald green Jchiffori.-taffetas; Miss-Mackenzie) pale blue ninon do soio, over white; Misslteid, red tullo over white silk; Miss Watson, .floral silk; Miss B. Fitzgerald, black charmeuso with touches of turquoise bluo;-Miss Mary Jones, pale bkio silk; Miss AVard, white tulle with silver trimming; the Misses Enid and -Violet Bell tin pale blue satin; Miss - Simpson,' .. white satin with pink roses; Miss R-. Simpson, jialo"bluo messalino; Miss Hun^erford.'(Chevi6t)7'heliotrope ninon soie; Mi^s: I. . Nelson,-i white ( ej;.opo''. chino; V; Kennedy, viiiio net over white silk, with large palei.pinkroso;' Miss Bristow, white not,over pink silk; Miss Harcourt, pale .pink satin charmeiSe ;,and Miss Russell, palo 'pink silk' with fiream.lace.; Tea at Kolburno, It was a -very pretty tea that was given yesterday afternoon by Mrs. Birkett at Kelbume. Violets, yellow . irises,' and autumn leaves formed a very original schemo of colour for the decoration of the .tea-table, and tho sugar icing of the little cakes and sweets was coloured to correspond.' Mrs." Birkett received, in a graceful frock of black -and white ninon, with -touches -of yellow. Among, the guests were'. Mrs'.' Find Jay, Mrs. Salmon, Mrs. and/Miss Miles, Mrs. Kennedy, Mrs. Fulton, Mrs. J. Blundell, Mrs. Boyd,v Mrs. Young/ Mrs. Knight," Mrs.' and ■Miss Jones, Mrs. Ross, Miss Fulton,: and Miss. Ewen. '.Mrs., Birkett', Miss Miles, and; Miss Mary Jones sang several songs, and recitations were given ; by Mrs.. Malcolm' lloss and Miss Fulton.

Tea at Upper "Willis street. :/'. Several of the friends who helped Mr. F. Cohen in his, campaign prior to the municipal .elections were . entertained yesterday afternoon by ■ Mrs. Cohen at "a very pleasant little toa . at her .home in Willis Street.. Quantities of yellow chrysanthemums had been used in the decoration of ,tho dining- : room,' where tea was served, while small yellow chrysanthemums were - used for the tea table itself. . During . the afternoon Miss Gladys Cohen, played and sang to the guests, and she, arid Mrs.' Kinheberg also gave iecitations. '. " . 'y ■/ Sydney Stylos. ,: A New Zealand girl, writing from- Sydney, says-"We. have seen the" most magnificent frocks and 'jewellery worn: here lately, and, .from tho gorgeous frocking of the country '"dies who,.come to town, there has'evidently' ibeen rain. Charmeuso is quite the popular .material here, both for day and evening wear, and mole .and brown still continue to be the colours. •;" The fashions are practically the same as in New 'Zealand,: except that there .are more.extremists, 1 who persist 1 in .making themselves ridiculous .in unlined Directoiro frocks and extinguisher ;hals."

: Mrs. E. M. B. Fisher has gone with her twolittlo daughters to spend a fortnight at Rongomai. . ' . - Mrs. J. B. M'Ewan has been' spending a delightful time on the: Continent. After visiting Berlin", Dresden, Cologne, Hamburg, Brussels, and Antwerp, she reached Paris on' March 20, and-was then going to spend some time in the south of France. The rdance to be given by the: Bidwill Street Tennis Club'in tho : Concert Hall on Friday,night promises to bo a very successful: one. Among'the guests,will be the members of the ladies' tennis team who-returned yesterday from Australia.' . Mr. and Mrs. . James, of Masterton, who wero in Sydney during- tho tennis tournament, were at all the matches, and/proved to be the staunchest "barrackers" foi the New Zealand, players. Mr. and; Mrs. James aro. now in Stelbpurne/ and are shortly going on to Hobart.,. ■,' ■ Amongst the engagements notified in Australian papers just to hand is that of Mr. J. M. A. Ilott, only son'of Mr. J. Ilott, of Wellington, New Zealand, and Miss Gertrude Kidman, eldest daughter of' Mr. Sidney Kidman, "Eringa," Kapunda, South Australia. ■ Sister Callaghan, who fills, tho vacancy: caused by the retirement of Sister Reeves, has commenced her duties at the ■ Otaki Sanatorium. The new: . Sister / is highlycertificated, and was trainod at Salford, Manchester. She, also holds several high-class London certificates. . Miss J. Yates, from Parenga, who has been .staying with Mrs.. Scott, Overton Terrace, is returning to Auckland within a few days. A . very enjoyable musical ovening was given in her honour the other night by Mrs. Scott, when between twenty and thirty guests were present. ; ' . ..A ;large and. enthusiastic'meeting of bazaar, workers was .held at tho Missions to Seamen on Tuesday night, when it was decided to hold a ""Dreadnought" bazaar, on the last four days of July. The stalls are to tako the forrii ot men-of-war, and tho decorations: to ' be in keeping with the'sea-. /