Girls' Gossip.

Evening Post, Volume LXI, Issue 140, 15 June 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

Girls ' Gossip.

Deak Kezia,— I have had a very full week since lost I wrote you. To begin with, the Brooklyn, UuS. * cruiser, arrived in Wellington, and; its officers have aince been, occupying important places in the feminine world. Brass buttons are undeniably attractive, and. there is a magnetism in the very draw] of mv American, so it was only natural that the gold-embroi-dered naval, officers should be the subjects or much interest at the. ex-Girls' Convent dance on Thursday .evening. Directly I&ey elrtered, all ,eye.s were turned to them*, and gicls listened with one ear to their civilian partners and tried to catch American phrases with the other. On the whole, dancing am not seem the strong point of the Americans, but they braved the whirl boldly, and the girls bore up cheerfully under the trial for the sake of the uniform. .The hall and the ante-room were charmingly decorato.4, and the girl-comnutteo hjed gone to apy amount of trouble. Flowers, foliage, easy chains, and delightful sequestered nooks where one might talk to some one elaes partner with little fear of befog- found out by o^e's own, made the affair decidedly charming. The supper was good, as -home-maae; suppers usually are, and the girls showed they could cook $3 well as dance. Another thing that added to the enjoymest was. - the attention of the 'hostesses, who objected I 'to girls sitting out. Indeed, no wallflowers were among the decorations, and delighted whispers .ran through the company that some men, despairing of getting partners, were going Uonve! ivlany charming frocks wero worn, Mrs. M'Cai'thy*» ivoey brocade was draped with the loveliest *Jace, and she wore a most becoming aigrette tvnd diamond crescent in her dwk hair. Miss O'Connor had on a- pretty white saiin frock with violets — ever so many girls wore yioletSr— and her sister locked very well in black with crimson roses. Miss Skerrett hod, on a handsome black dress with a bertUe of real lace.' I hear that not only was the dance a success socially, but that it will result in a very handsome return financially. t hod, alas, to leave before the Brooklyn At Home, much to my sorrow, but Hebe will tell me how it got qn. The girls were wildly excited about the novel entertainment. I got a glimpse of the reverend Admiral when <he paid his official visit- to the Government Buildings. By the way, a. file of Permanent Artillery men adorned the front of the buildings for the occasion, and before the carnage full of gold-em-broidered officers drove tip. the officer in charge of the squad sorted out his men, sendmg* some in the front rank to the back and bringing others from the back to fill up the gaps. One wondered^vvbether he was guided by the same principle that impels the Chinaman to' put his rosiest apples next to the gloss, and a stage-manager to station nis prettiest dancers nearest the footlights. My heart bled for the men sent behind. Toe Admiral is grey-bearded, but the captain lias whiskers— real old-fashioned Dundrearies — just like the gallant officer who stole a sly glance at the lady in the song. They are hirsute decorations we j gee but seldom now. I don't suppose you felt the earthquake in Poke moke. You are quite out of, everything there. Hebe screamed. She always screams at everything from a spider to a shipwreck — and clutched a gentteman visitor right I'ound the neck. When she recovered and released' him, she said abet thought it was me, which was quite absurd, as there Was really not the slightest resemblance. It is to be hoped our Royal visitors will h».ve just a teeny, weeny shock while they are here. We really should treat them to all our local excite' ments, and to the Duchess, at least, on earthquake might be a novel experience. I am writing from Auckland, where we arrived with great difficulty at mid- day to-day. The train journeyittc from iNew Plymouth was diversified by father's con-

tinualiy expecting all the staff of officials to stand at attention and listen to him, which lied to .scones, interesting' probably to outsiders, but not to me. . The Maoris on the various platforms were picturesque. Many of them joined the train, en route to Rotorua. There wus oue erformous female in a tailor-mado gown of an aggressive- green and red check, of squares half a foot across suoh as only the native taste could appreciate. We admired her gown openly, and she told us it was made in Napier, but she would not divulge the name of the dressmaker. She was evidently afraid of our copying it. Another Maori, a bent " little cjrone, had bare feet, . and a thin print skirt. Bub she carried a bran-new pair of boots in a Ikfaori kit, and was apparently saving them for the reception. If it was fair to judge from appearances, a grey-haired Maori was doing the same with lfis trousers. He had draped himself in a, fringed, many* coloured kilt, and drawn his knitted drawers down over the tops of his boots, with the oddest result as regards looks. Quite a number of hat-boxes were among the piles of luggage, and the train possessed .one cocked hat on its way, with its owner, a cheery little D.5.0.,. to grace the Ducal festivities. Great anxiety was expended over the safety of that cocked bat, and we all breathed freely when we saw it off safely at Onehunga in its tin box. New Plymouth breakwater • on a wet night with about one hundred and fifty people wanting to get on board a boat only allowed to carry ninety is a ghastly nightmare. It is dark, wet, miserable, and what with elbows jamming you, portmanteaus hitting you, and a swearing, ejaculating, irritable crowd: around you, •you feel a taste of pondemonium. Tickets were required before you were aJowed to get on to the comparative haven of the gangway, and father had my ticket, I could hear him about six yards away having a free fight with some poor creatures who 'could not get out of his way because they had no room to go anywkere else. I stated mv case to a bis policeman. We had brought up over twenty, and they all seemed big and Jrish. He said doubtfully, "She says her father's got her ticket," and made me feel as if I were telling lies. However, at last I was allowed to leave the seething mob, and gain the deck. It was comparative calm to -the night before when the gangway was rushed, and the 'boat moved away leaving about seventy poor creatures behind. Among them were no less personages than the Chief Inspector of Police, the Under-Secretary for Defence, and Colonel Hume. It was the day *of the Grand National 'in Auckland, and trains, crammed ' with people, passed our train from Onehunga. Auckland is in the throes of iftecoratiag. Nikau palms and all sorts of ferns, and arum lilies, are being largely used* in the streets. Indeed, one beautiful arch is entirely covered with green. Another is constructed in the style of the Marble Arch, and baa Maori words inscribed on it-rmeaning "Our love to you both for ever and ever." Tall poles with emblazoned shields are placed along the streets, flags and drapery are being arranged, ana one shop-keeper has erected a large model of a Maori food-house above his verandah. The effect as yet is detached and spotty, but we must wait till it is completed. The children, all in red, white and blue, were gathering together for a rehearsal of the living Union Jack as we u^ove up Symondsstreet, and very quaint they looked in their cloaks and* sailor-caps. The streets are too dreadful to describe, and it is ' raining in a half-hearted way as I write. • The horses for the Royal suite, are being exercised every day, and rumour hath it that some of them are fairly lively. The Governor himself drove those intended for the Royal carriage yesterday. To-day he has gone to the football match with Colonel Gudgeon and ' King John of Mahgaia. I would give a great deal to gather that monarch's j opinions as ' to his new experiences. I must stop, now, and leave any news for my next letter.— l am, etc., PRISOILLA.