THE WEEK IN WELLINGTON.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9504, 29 May 1913, Page 7

THE WEEK IN WELLINGTON.

(By Mrs. Malcolm Ross.) ABOUT PEOPLE.

May 86. Mr and Mrs John Adair, of 3isborne, have been visiting Wellington. Mr and Mrs J. P. Firth spent last week in Christchurch Mrs John Duthie and her granddaughter. Miss Miller, are visiting Napier. Miss Skerrett has returned from Auckland. Colonel and Mrs Heard are back from Christchurch, where they went to be with theii I son, who is on the New Zealand. Mrs Alga) , Williams has been .visiting Mrs Boyle " i Christchurch. Miss Winifred Cooper, oi , Palmerston North, is the guest of Mrs ,1 | Patching, of Wellington. Mr and Mrs J I Fairbairn, of the Occidental Hotel, leav< | next Friday for Sydney, and join the Orvieto for a trip to England and the Continent.' Mr and Mrs. W. O'Brien, of Hastings, are passengers to London by thj& Orvieto. Madame Boeufoe is expected shortly from Sydney on a visit to New Zea-, land. Sir John and Lady Findlay have come into town from Day s Bay. Mrs H. Latimer, of Palmerston North, has been in Wellington. Lady Carroll is also in town. Mrs J. Knox is staying in Auckland. MistBertha Miles has gone to Invercirgill to. visit her sister, Mrs W. F. Handyside. MrsArthur Young and Mrs W. Cruickshank, of Masterton, leave on Friday for a trip to Sydney. Mrs Handyside, of Napier, goe; to London in the Remuera. Miss Logan, who has been staying with her sister, Mre Henry Hall, leaves on Tuesday for Palmers ton North, where she will reside with hei brother;, Mrs Henry Hall goes with hei for a short visit. Miss N. M. McDougall. of Martinborough. who is back from Auck- ; land, stayed a few days with Mrs Butts, Newtown. SOME ENGAGEMENTS.

Recently there has been quite a rush of these exciting events, and, among those which will be of interest to your readers might be the following:—Miss Elsie Watson, the elder* of Mr J. Watson's two daughters, is engaged to Mr Hugh Mackcllar. a run-holder, of Otakaike, Otago. Miss Watson was bridesmaid at Miss Finch's wedding, when Mr Mackellar was best man to his brother. Mr Clyde Jenkins, eldest son of Mr H. S. Jenkins, of Wellington, is engaged to Miss.Olive Gledhill, of Palmers ton North. Miss Doris Little. eldest daughter of Mr W. Little, is engaged to Mr Ncilson, of Dunedin; and Miss Olive Bell, sifter of Mr T. G. Bell, of Wellington, to Mr W. S. Southwick. of the Mutual Life and Citizens' Assurance Company. Miss Con nie Mason, daughter of Mr Maurice Mason, of Hastings, is engaged to Mr Norman White, son of Mr Kinross White, and Mr L. Hamilton, Wellington, to Miss Bastings, daughter of Mr and Mrs H. Bastings, Greymouth. AN ARTISTIC ENTERTAINMENT.

Mrs James Hannah, who was Miss Sybil Johnson, is well known for her artistic

and poetio recitals, and when it was announced that Mr Clark, who is one of our finest elocutionists, and she were giving an entertainment, we were certain it would be something out of tho common. It was an Oscar Wilde recital, and to many, tho very name was daring. But tnough the "Florentine Tragedy"—the play which formed tho last part of the programmewas grimly horrible, and its end frankly impossible to most minds, ■ taken as a whole the evening was intensely enjoyable. All the items were by the brilliant, but unbalanced poet, poems recited by Mr Clark, Mrs Hannah, and Mrs Martin Williams, and the final play—but in between came a fantastic series of moving tableaux, arranged and designed by Mrs Hannah, in which the Wind, a graceful. girlish figure in mist-gray draperies and wealth of loose fair hair, sports with girls and children representing tho Seasons. It was a, delightful imagery, finely conceived and artistically carried out, and when Mrs Hannah, as Winter, in cold blue robes, veiled face, and gleams of frosty crystal, opened her cloak and let a tiny child—the first snowflakc —run out, there was unrepressed applause. Mrs Hannah is really very picturesque—quite in the BurneJones style, with masses of fair hair, a wonderful pale colouring, and long fine lines. As the heroine in the play—in her cherry-coloured silk gown and quaint medieval style of coiffure, she looked lovely. There has been much discussion over tho end of tho play, when the old merchant husband,, after cruelly pjaying with the Prince-lover as a cat does with a mouse, strangles him brutally, and the young wife, faseinated by his strength, falls into his arms. Tho general opinion is thai such a sudden change from hate to love caused by mere brute strength and unbridled cruelty, would be impossible. But women aro kittle cattle, and it is not easy to frame rules for their conjunct. TWO HONOURED GUESTS.

The Pioneer Club, last Thursday, gave a very pleasant reception in honour of Miss Mary Proctor, the astronomer, and Mrs Knight, a journalist from London. This was the second occasion when men were admitted to the sacred precincts, and certainly the innovation made for success. It wae really a very pleasant entertainment, with good music—Mr Allwright, in particular, singing with great feeling and charm —and with a dainty supper' and cheery chat. Mrs Knight read a paper on the London Lyceum Club,.the largest women's club there, and its many advantages to visiting colonials. The club, which I visited several times, is facing the Queen Bin-k, and was built for a men's club, a fact that- accounts for the really splendid rooms. There a visitor, who is introduced by a member, may find any atmospheie she likes, artistic,, philanthropic, social, suffragist, and meet well-known and 'even famous women in arts and literature. THE PREVAILING COLOUR.

The popularity of yellow—in all its lovely gamut of shades—is extraordinary, and bids fair to quite outvie the much worn purple. This season, too, thero are so many curious shades, a yellow that is almost a rose, a tan that thinks of being bronze, an orange that verges oU"~green—their names aro multitude,' and it is distracting to match them. Tan is especially favoured, and looks extremely smart, in plume or aigrette—on the little fur hats so much worn at present. For evening gowns, too, yellow js in vogue, and pure mustard, trying exceedingly save to the clear complexioned brunette, is one of tho tones that will be seen in the new frocks. Thero is a satin of a, tea-rose shado that is exquisitely beautiful, and in its folds showa a rosy glow, and a wonderful satin

brocade I saw recently was of yellow on a gold background, and reminded -me of an early Italian painting. The materials, too, are as varied and wonderful a# their colours, and brocades and broches and-vel-vets can now be got' in feather-weight qualities, though, alas their cost is in universe ratio to their weight. As for the embroideries* they are past marvelling at, and are most costly, some being over £2 a yard, though not of great width. But when one looks into tho patient, exquisite stitches, the fancy frosting of beads, and the dainty appliques, all, done by hand, the cost does not seem extraordinary. * BOOKS WORTH READING. Many people are now enjoying the 'Amateur Gentleman," Jeffrey Fariol's latest book. A charming ronance, somewhat in the style of nis "Broad Highway." Mason's new book "Tho Turnstile" is extremely well written, and has much about English politics. For a hearty laugh I commend to you "Susan Clegg, a Man in the House," told by Mise Annie Warner with a delicious drollery.