SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1291, 21 November 1911, Page 9

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

A Skctch of "Ouida." A nolewortliv description of Mademoiselle dc Kiimoe ("OnidaT is given in a volume of "-Memories" by a gentleman engaged for many years, in the Amencan Consular service. His Consular rlulics took him for some years to rlMTilCi, where "Ouicla'.Mived, and he and his familv corresponded - t'renly with the bi illiß/U jioveli^t.' .He says: "For a persou extraordinary literary talent her convcr«at»i» *vas disappointing; her prejndiced, and Iter temperament intensely ev'nieal. Her love of jiahirc? and animals was her:best trait; aud balanced by her hatred of human bcin^. bpihed humanity, attributed sordid and tmvorthv iiiotives to innocent and scoffed at virtue, domc.->tii: love, or hdelilv, and her manners, at the period ot her prcsps'rily, were, ati'Ociou's. They subsefiuen'l.v softened, and, like wine, improved with age. but a quick temper, intense pride, and hyper-sensitiveness caused an unfavourable impression, until one was intimate enough ( to make allowances, and pass over her petulances, which covered the strength of her mind aud veiled the force of her extraordinary character and undoubted genius. She considered dogs as much superior to human beings in intelligence, and in all tlio vicissitudes .of her existence' was surrounded by them. They were of any breed or no breed at all, and utterly untrained and unclean, iter visits were dreaded by her friends, as she was accompanied by a few of her canine ..companions, whose undesirable conduct made her coming a curse, and her going.a pleasant incident, bnt painful memory. As 1 have before said, at lier death she was surrounded by several of these- faithful beasts, several of whom were taken by kind strangers, out of regard for what 'Ouda' rraly was." From First Hand, Some 51) or 60 girl students from the Auckland Training College attended the opening of the last civil sessions of the Supreme Court there with the object of finding out for themselves by personal investigation some little .information .is to the ceremonial and the methods and manners that obtain in the administration of our laws in our Courts of justice. They Iroopcd-inlo Court and took their places behind ..tlio ..barrier. noiselessly. There were no seats available, and the "iris stood all the tedious forenoon elosely watching everything and drinking in nil the words, wise ,or otherwise, that were uttered in'"the Court.

'•lliss-XJhrfstinO" Smith, who has been on a Visit to her'parents, leaves Wellington early this week for Itotoruu. • Miss.M'Hardy and her sister, who have recently returned to New Zealand from England, are in torrn, and are staying at the Royal Oak. , They leavo for l'almerston shortly. Ill's. liathbono and Miss Gladys Pathbone (Hutt) are visiting Palmerston. Hiss Dora Wilson leaves town this week on a visit to Mrs. J. Bidwill (Pihautea), and later to Mrs. Roy Barton. . Mrs. " j. B.' Pulton is staying with Mrs. Guy' Pulton (.Northland). \ conversazione is being held in the ■\rts Gr.lterv in Whitmore Street by the Now Zealand Institute of Architects'next .Thursday afternoon. Miss N'ora Natuscli (Wellington) is a visitor to Napier. Mr<. Itamsdeu, Maugamahoe, with her sister, Miss Beard, is staying at Seatoun. The Hon. Mr. JenkinSon, Mrs. Jenkinson, and Miss Jeukinson arrived from the south on Sunday.