PERSONAL AND GENERAL NOTES FROM LONDON

Dunstan Times, Issue 2093, 3 September 1901, Page 6

PERSONAL AND GENERAL NOTES FROM LONDON

[From the Dunedin Evening Star.]

July 20.

Colonel Charles Fergusson, D.5.0., Grenadier Guards, eldest son of the Right Hon. Sir James Fergusson, Bart., was married to Lady Alice Mary Boyle, second daughter of the Earl and Countess of Glasgow, in the Guards' Chapel, Wellington Barracks, on Thursday afternoon. A detachment of the Grenadier Guards lined the porch during the arrival of the guests, and many others occupied seats near the chancel, while the band of the regiment was stationed under the north gallery. The floral decorations were carried out very effeetively in white flowers and palms. The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a gown of satin-faced white, crepe de chine, the trained skirt draped gracefully with Brussels lace, and trimmed near the hem with accordion-pleated chiffon. The bodice was arranged with a transparent chemisette and bell sleeves of chiffon, and a deep swathed belt of crepe de chine, fastened at the back with little silver buckles. To finish the bodice there was a graceful fichu of lace, caught with a cluster of orange blossoms. The bride wore a tulle veil over a wreath of orange blossom. Her jewels were a diamond necklace and pearl and diamond brooch, the gifts of the bridegroom, as was also her bouquet of orchids and delicate foliage. Her bridesmaids were Miss Dalrymple, Miss Alice Dalrymple, and Miss Eva Bowlby, her cousins; Miss Edith and Miss Molly Baird. nieces of the bridegroom ; and Miss Githa Williams. They were dressed in charming gowns of white glace silk, "with lace insertions, the skirts trimmed with shaped flounces with graduated half-inch tucks, and the Russian pouched bodices finished with deep belts of pale pink chiffon and collars of lace and embroidery. In place of the usual picture hats the 'bridesmaids wore tulle veils and wreaths of pink roses. Their bouquets were also of pink roses' and they wore long gold and enamel chains, the gifts of the bridegroom. The Bishop of Bath and Wells officiated, assisted by the Rev. C. Murphy, chaplain to the forces. Colonel Fergusson's brother, Commander Fergusson, R.N., was best man. The large and aristocratic gathering included the Countess of Glasgow, the Right Hon. Sir James Fergusson, the Ladies Boyle, Colonel the Hon. Robert Boyle, the Marchioness of Ailsa, Lady Hope, Lady Maxwell, Sir Charles Dalrymple, M.P., the Hon. A. and Mrs Ga-thorne-Hardy, and Lord and Lady Kelvin. The Countess of Glasgow held a reception at the residence of Mr C. Orr-Ewing, M.P., and Lady Augusta Orr-Ewing at 38 Bryanston square, and later Colonel and Lady Alice Fergusson left for Kilkerran, Sir James Fergusson's place in Ayrshire. The bride went away in a very pretty gown of pervenche blue voile over white silk, the skirt flounced and ornamented witli blue silk hairpin stitching and tucks. The full bodice had a transparent yoke of ecru guipure and a collar of tucked white silk muslin, with a pleated frill. At the waist there were four or five narrow bands of black velvet ribbon. The numerous and costly wedding presents included the following:—From the bridegroom to the bride, a diamond necklace; from the Countess of Glasgow, a. diamond and pearl pendant; from the Earl of Glasgow, a diamond and turquoise brooch ; Sir James Fergusson, diamond spray and diamond ring: Mr and Lady Augusta Orr-Ewing, diamond and turquoise necklace: Lady Dorothy GathorneHardy, enamel bracelet; Colonel Boyle, a string of pearls ; the Duchess of Buckingham, a, Dresden china tea service; Lady Fairfax, emerald ring; Captain Fergusson, antique clock: Lord and Lady Knutsford, silver bowl; Colonel J. A. Fergusson, carriage clock and pearl pin; Commander and Mrs Hunter Blair, books; Lord Cromer, a tortoiseshell box: Lady Glasgow, a writing case; and Lady Cranbrook, a paste buckle. Three British officers present at the battle of Rosaires, Egypt (the only three white men in the field with Colonel Charles Fergusson), gave the bridegroom a gold-mounted claret jug and a silver bowl; past officers of the Grenadier Guards, four silver bowls and a sword; the tenantry of Kilkerran, a silver salver; and the employes on the Earl o f Glasgow's Kelburne Estate, a silver inkst: 1. The Earl and Countess of tieafield are in London again. The Earl last Monday took the oath and subscribed the roll on his succession to the title, and took his seat in the House of Lords. The process is a simple one. The succeeding peer, in ordinary morning dress, not in coronet and robes, shakes hands with the Lord Chancellor, takes the oath, signs his name, . and is thereafter entitled to play his part in Parliament. Lord Seafield will have the opportunity of being present at two rare functions, the trial of Earl Russell (which may be the last of its kind) and the coronation.'

Peers are already procuring or having refurbished their "props" for the coronation. It is only on rare occasions, such as coronations, that "their lordships" have the opportunity of "having 'em all on." The coronets are not massy circlets of beaten gold studded with precious stones, and handed down as heirlooms. So far as I can gather from those who frequent ducal halls, the coronets are composed of tin or brass very slightly gilt, and the jewels are generally colored glass. I heard the other day of a well-known .Scottish Earl who went round to his goldsmith to procure his coronet betimes. The sample one shown him recalled to his mind the fact that something similar in a battered state had been knocking about in the dark dungeon of his castle that served as a lumber room, and had been much in request when his children enacted charades at birthday parties. Hitherto he had been quite unaware of what this part of the juvenile theatrical wardrobe really was, or where it came from. For the first time he realised that this was the coronet his father ,had worn at Queen Victoria's coronation. He fished it out, handed it over to the goldsmith for a "wash and brush up," and the coronet with which the aristocratic youngsters have so often played vt being kings and queens will surmount their sire's head at a real coronation once more.

Mr Frank Ross has as large a heart as his voice. After completing his vocal training with Bouhy in Paris, he determined to make a dashing debut in London, and took the St. James's Hall for his vocal recital. The day before the recital he received the news from New Zealand that his father had been smitten down with paralysis, and for a, while contemplated postponing his appearance. But his pluck overmastered his sorrow, and he sang so well that had he been a popular favorite in the zenith of his fame he could hardly have received more complimentary criticism. ' The Times,' which is not given to " gush," says that his " voice is a ' basse emmtante' of remarkably beautiful quality, large range, and considerable power. He sings with admirable taste and intelligence, and in such a variety of styles as is indicated in the choice of Mozart's 'Qui sdegno,' Beethoven's ' Ehre Gottes in der Natur,' Wotan's ' Abschied,' Faure's ' Rameaux,' Purcell's ' Intrepid lover,' and four songs by Brahms, one of which, ' Mein Herz ist schwer,' is very seldom sung, though it is extremely beautiful and expressive. Mr Ross has the power of varying the 'color' of his tone with the various emotions he wishes to represent; but it is done without any departure from the pure method on which the organ has been trained. Perhaps the best performance was that of Brahms' '0 'vvusst' ich doch den Weg zuruck,

'Steig' auf, geliebte Schatten,' and two little songs by M. V. White at the end of the programme; but he made a distinct success throughout, and when experience in singing in large halls has enkirged the volume of his tone he should be suit of great success, , whether in concert or operatic work." As A matter of fact, Mr Ross was only giving his hearers one volume out of the tlfree that he has available for publication when necessary. As a rule artists making their first appearance rely very largely on " deadheads" to fill the auditorium, but in addition to Mr Ross's friends (wbo' rallied round him in force) outsiders expressed their interest in him and his fellow artists (Miss Fanny Davies and MissMarian Jay) to the extent of £3O planked down at the door. Since he has been in London Mr Ross has done a good deal of singing in drawing room concerts, where his°virile personality has made him not a little popular. But he has a soul above ballads, and grand opera is his ultimate objective.' With this aim he is going back to Bouhy for a course of operatic training.

MissTherese Sievwright's tremolo has before now been attributed by her hearers to extreme nervousness. "Lancelot," in the 'Referee,' who fancies the New Zealander is a debutante, declares that she "wasmanifestly a prev to this affection to an extent that prevents a fair estimation of her abilities as a vocalist; but her phrasing ai-d clear articulation indicated musical intelligence, and from the very fact of being so nervous she is probably the possessor of an artistic temperament." He proceeds to give young artists a prescription for the cure of nerve disturbance at critical moments. His tip is the acquirement of greater control. Mr W. A. Walton (of Dunedin), superintendent for Australasia for the Royal Exchange Assurance Corporation, after a couple of months' holiday with his wife and sons in London, Brighton, and up the river, left for Paris a couple of days ago. After a week there he and his family will catch the Oroya outward bound for Sydney, where the Corporation have decided to open a branch. Mr Walton will reside in Sydney as manager and also conduct the New Zealand business. The directors of the Corporation have allowed him to carry on his present business in Dunedin, so that he will pay occasional visits to the Britain of the South. His eldest son (Percy) will enter the service of the Royal Exchange at fydnev.

Messrs Cadman und Smith are making slow progress towards the forging of "the key of New Zealand." The iron and steel trade, viewing New Zealand as a likely competitor in the Australasian market, is fighting rather shy of the project and its supporters, and there are many difficulties to be overcome before capitalists here will plank down half a million to convert New Zealand into the foundry of the Antipodes. But Mr Smith has abated not a jot of his optimistic and eloquent enthusiam, and Mr Cadman is quietly confident of ultimate success. They are just now getting estimates of all the plant and machinery required, and are in touch with a - eil-kno.vn .nvl cautious financier, whose connection with New Zealand mining concerns has been eminently successful, and who is making himself fully acquainted with all the details of the enterprise with a view to persuading the British publ'ie that if they put their money into Now Zealand ironsands they will be building thsir house on a rock. Mr Smith hits added t-.. his museum some specimens from the Imperial Institute of steel from the Parapara ore. A Sheffield firm is taking some of the crude metal, and will puddle it into wrought-iron, convert it- into st-el of various grades, and make some MelviUe iron castings, fencing wire and files, edgea tools, and cutlery, and report at an early date en the result of its operations. "E.W.," who must be our old friend Mr Edward Wakefield, contributes to the ' Pall Mall Gazette' a delightful column on Stewart Island entitled ' The Tail of the Fish.' It makes one's mouth water in these dog days to read his picturesque description of the cool jungle of the bush, the land-locked fiords, the fishing, the oysters, the duck, and the people, " strikingly good-looking, of the nautical Peggoty type." At the inter-hospital sports, decided last Wednesday at the L.A.C. grounds, Stamford Bridge, Mr R. W. Allen (of Auckland) turned out for Guy's in the Halfmile and the Quarter. " Though by no means fit as a fiddle, the Aucklander performed very well indeed, running second to the Cambridge and Bartholomew's Hospital crack, H. E. Graham, in the Halfmile, and second to S. P. Wadson, of Guy's, in the Quarter. In the former race he was beaten by ten yards, Graham's time being 2min 2|sec, and Wadson, after a punishing finish, beat Allen by the thickness of a hand in 54fsec. Mr C. Wentworth Cookson (of Christchurch), who has been away in Australia for fifteen years constructing railways in Western Australia and Northern Queensland, and who came Home a year ago with a view Of getting a railway appointment in West Africa, has now changed his plans, having work for an indefinite time on the north coast of Spain, where he is carrying out a scheme of railway construction and harbor works connected with the transport of iron ores from the mines to the coast. As soon as the war in South Africa is over he may be tempted out to the new colonies Avhen once the work of extensive railway construction begins.

The Earl of Onslow drove a fine brown four-in-hand at the meet of the Pour-in-hand Club at Hyde Park on Monday. With him were Lady Gwendoline Onslow, the Duchess of Beaufort, Lord Graham, Mrs Arthur James, and Mr Stirling Stuart. The meet, in which twenty coaches took part, was a brilliant one. Last year, in consequence of the war, the meet was abandoned.

Mr Walter Ambury (Taranaki) is returning to the colony with his wife and family by the Afric on 17th August. Into the two months he has been here he has packed much business and pleasure. The Midlands and the Northern cities have been the scene of his business activities, while in the West (Devonshire, Bristol, Weston-super-Mare, and the surrounding country) his family wanderings have been taken." At the Bath and West of England show at Croydon, the Wiltshire show at Chippenham, and the Royal show at Cardiff, Mr Ambury was an interested observer. He is off this week to Bradford, Nottingham, and Belfast, and proceeds to Paris if time permits. The. Hon. Richard Oliver took part in the discussion on Miss Martindale's paper on 'The Methods of Dealing with State Children in Australasia,' and strongly advocated the boarding-out system.

At. tko monthly meeting of tlie l*«yal Humane Society on Monday, the silver medal was awarded to Sergeant C. K. Chelinondelcy, Third New Zealand Contingent, and son of the Archdeacon of Christclmrch, for his gallantry in saving two men from the sea at Fast London, South Africa, last April. Mr and Mrs J. Bryant Hill (Christchurch) and their two daughters, who arrived just in time to see England in her green spring gown, have returned from a tour in the North to their native towns, Birmingham, Nottingham, and round Warwick. In a week or ten days they are off to Scotland and Ireland, and before returning by the Ortona in October propose tu pay Paris » visit.