SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 559, 14 July 1909, Page 3

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Vlco-Regal Bail. ■;.■ :A small, ; informal,' '.but,. very / enjoyable I ,danoo • was givea by their /Excellencies the Governor and:. Lady Plunket,; at.-.Gpvernment House, Auckland,/on Saturday .evening, in honour of the captains and officers of B.M:S. Challenger and H.M.S. Encounter, which are at;' present, in■ ■Auckland.;;. The/, reception rooms were brilliantly lit and effectually decorated, the white ballroom, hung ■ with trailing lycopodium and fern, and'the stage at one end of the ballroom screened off by Jicayy curtains of deep claret velvet affording aoommodatiori for their Excellencies and their party, while ; seating •-accommoda-, tion for the guests was provided at theyother end and at each side of the room. - Warm royal red is the;keynote "of;colour in< Gov-: ernment House, and the handsome; drawing-room-in this tone was-.beautifully:;decorated with huge growing palms and masses of pure \vhito. •'■ flowers; the; diningroom, in which supp'erl.was; set, repeating the samb' scheme of colouring. The ' supper table was delicately .- decorated with ■ lycopodium,' paperwhite- narcissi, and growing plants, -placed ,in splendid jardinieres of gold and of silver plate.. The "doa" of the : scheme, was the magnificent ; branching candelabras ,bf gold, disposed in the centre-'of the supper table, -which were former possessions ;pf Napoleon, and were presented to'Lady.Pluri-' kpt by her father, the late : Lord Dufferin. ' . (In the official set Lady Plunket danced with Captain da Costa, his Excellency with Mrs. Colomb, Miss Hill with ;.Captain "Cblo"mb, Mrs. Archibald Clark with. Colonel Tuson",'Mrs. E. D. o!Rorke with Commander Luxmobr, Mrs. J. F. Studholme 'with, Com-' mander. Grant, L Mrs. -W.-'-H.'- Parkes .with' Mr; A.;Clark, and Mrs. G.; Bloomfield with Captain Gathorne-Hardy. ' ;■'/.' . . V' .Lady Plunket wore a handsome gown of bamboo-brown; supple satin, the skirt cut in a harrow :tunic style,---'the corsage draped with valuable lace, and further trimmed with, folds : of : velvet several tones darker .than, the tint of the satin. In her hair was worn ; 'a? fine tiara'of-diamonds; ;•.; ,-'■ ' .":;.;. \ .Satin, in: its several:• varieties,-.:was. with 1 few; exceptions, the favoured fabric, and white was selected;by a number of the ladies pre-'. ;sent;y. : ;':.'. :v .; : : : ;: A ; .-V'■'>;'■;. ;•>;■ •'-; The Garrison Bali; arid Its Clbries. ;> ': The' Garrison Ball last year was a very brilliant and extremely, successful;function/ but ■ the officers, are not. going to .content themselves with'repeating their past success; they mean the ball this year to be much more brilliant'and wonderful,; and the: arrangements that are 'being made sound, .verypromising. The nominations for. Monday's ball .exceed 250, which is 110 more than last year,;but the hall is so enormous that there will be\ not''the.least fear; of overcrowding. The floor of the Garrison Hall is the largest: in the city,' measuring 80ft. by 100 ft., and;it is, delightful,for dancing. All the year round it. is cared for like infant, and covered with'sawdust-—this is not a method /recommended- by ;the Plunket niirses-r-to; prevent any damage being done to it.' ■ Then, •"' just 'before the.ball, it is ~ polished up ''to :an amazing deeree, a huge motor-car being employed at 'the last to drag heavy polisningbags about, and put the final' touon- of fection to.it The: decorations are to be on a';.very'lavish.scale, with plenty of military, character in the '• way -of flags and wicked weapons. M The •;. various rooms around 'the hall are; to be utilised, some as sitting:but rooms,, others as card-rooms,. and the big Artillery Hall, which last year made a father;chilly supper-room, is this year to bo : carpeted; and hung : with draperies to make it snug Sand warm. .Several. little- guns live there,;all the. year ■'[ round," with.'.' »-; huge mamma/' which gave |' a martial, appearance to the hall, but took up a great deal of room; ;so;this year the monster gun has been moved away,' and, only.the gunhngs'will ,'jb'e left to snow thow.Wellington will face the' foe; ; /; The. 'fnusie.wilUbeof super-excellent, VA string band of seven'performers has been engaged,' and this will be supplemented by "the Garrison' Band, while, when the, Scottish dances comb, the Wellington Highland'Bipe Band, will play, for tbem. Mr. J. Godb'er is catering for the supper. It may not be out of place to'remind those ladies who are going that Vpink.silk-frock, however charming .it 'may look anywhere else, is not'to be desired at a" Garrison Ball, as it' ( either, kills or is killed:.by the;'; scarlet;: uniforms.' Perhaps after, all, though, there is -something not altogether -inappropriate in such slaughter in suchja [place. ■■•;.. : "v;;; ;'.' ■•'■ ";' -v.' '■.''.'"' "' : .'

St. Mary's Guild. , The monthly , meeting of St. Mary's Guild was held at Bishopscourt yesterday morning, Mrs. WaJlis presiding. The principal matter discussed was the water supply for the laundry at the Home at Karori. A more adequate supply is an absolute and urgent necessity, and it is feared that it cannot be obtained without a very considerable outlay. It was decided to write , to the Rev. H.. Mason, of Auckland, whose success* as a' water-finder is so well known, and ask for his advice and assistance. It was resolved on the motion of Mrs. Wallis to tender the warmest thanks of the guild to the Penguin Stewardesses' Memorial Committee for their very generous gift of £20 to establish a HopeJacobs bed at St. Mary.'s Home. A neat brass plate- commemorating the gift is to bo placed over the bed, and preference is to bo given to children of seafaring men. A Farowoll Tea. Mrs. T. M. "Wilford loaves Wellington on Thursday, July 29, for Auckland, whero she and her son by the Kaikoura for England. Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Wilford entertained a number of her friends at a very enjoyable tea at her homo in Tinakori Koad. The, rooms wero decorated with spring flowers, and the tea-table very artistically decorated with white narcissi and freesias, and pale bluo sweet peas. Among others present were Mrs.' Wilford's sister, Miss M'Lean, who is at present staying with her, Mrs. and Miss Brandon, Mrs. Crawford, Mrs. Pearce, Mrs. Head,*' Mrs. Field, Mrs. Munro, the Misses Nathan. (2), Airs. Webster, Mrs. Denniston, and Mrs. Maurice Denniston, Mrs. and Miss Williams, Mrs. and Miss Chapman, Mrs. ' Watson, Mrs. Butt, Mrs, and Miss Scobie M'Kenzie, Mrs. Gore, and Mrs. Marchbanks. Masterton Notes. / Mrs. Dodshun, of Wellington, is visiting friends in the Wairarapa district. ' Miss .Simpson and Miss Girlie Heywood, Wellington, are coining up for the Bachelors' Ball. Mr. and Mrs. Barnicoat, of Wanganui, are visiting Wellington, and are staying at the Occidental Hotel. Mrs, Miles has issued invitations for a dance, to be hold in the Sydney Street Schoolroom on Friday, August 3. Mrs. W. Chaplin and her two sons, who arrived from England by the' Athenic yesterday, are going south to-night to visit Mr. Barber, at Peel Forest. Mr. and Mrs. Eastlake, who arrived by the Athenic yesterday for a prolonged visit to Now. Zealand, went. out to Silverstream in tho afternoon to stay with Mrs. Eastlake's brother, Dr. 8011. Tho funeral of tho late Miss Violet. Campbell, formerly of the nursing staff of Wellington Hospital, took place at Karori yesterday, and was attended by a number of her relatives and friends. Miss Campbell was a granddaughter of Mr. J. G. Cox, of Fcatbcrston; - The Wellington Savage Club is giving its "Ladies' Evening" next Saturday week in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall. His Excellency tho Governor will be present. The first part of the programme will consist of a concert, with many amusing and, of courso, entirely original items, and this will be followed by a supper and dance in tho Town Hall.