Afternoon Tea Goffip

Free Lance, Volume VIII, Issue 397, 8 February 1908, Page 10

Afternoon Tea Goffip

By Little Miss Muffitt.

A WOMAN always loweirs her voice when she asks a favour, in order that she may raise it again if the* favour is not granted. Most women don't mind being tired, if it's due to shopping. • • ■» One way of learning a girl's faults is to praise her to her friends. • • • Self-control is that admirable trait which, prevents you from having lots of fun. A Pairisian actress, Mme. LavaHiere, has hod. an airship built to take her to London minus sea-sickness. « • • Why? Why is it folks sit this way in The car we miss? While in the car we catch at last We 're j ammedlikethis —"Town Topics." • • » The colour line is evidently not drawn up Opunake way. A contractor in the town us building a shop to the oirder of a Maori for occupation by a Chinaman. Prosper New Zealand ! Hooray ) • • • So that's where all' the trouble begins, is it? A Southern paper states that an earthquake, accompanied by a rumbling noise, left Raeti.ni at about 7.45 the other morning. Was there any address on it? A special press message in an exchange intimates that "Ohakune was quite lively again on Saturday evening, a large crowd being about. Three young men had a large congregation in front of them when they sang hymns and said prayers." This as more than "lively," it us "exciting." They will have to put the brake on, at Ohakune. A sohookgrrl in the Waararapa was required to write an essay of 250 words about a motor car. She submitted the following • — "My uncle bought a motor car. He was riding in the country when it busted up a hill. I guess this is about fifty words. The other 200 are what my uncle said when he was walking back to town, but they are not fit for publication." « • • — woman, accused of being a "common scold." has been sentenced to sixty days silence in one of the American States. The chief burden of the penalty seems to fall on the sheriff who has been instructed to enforce the order of the Court. The question is whether the Court's sentence is not equivalent to the death penalty, having regard to the fact that accused is a woman. • • • An increasingly popular profession for a woman is that of dinner-taster. She is a product of Parisian refinement, and spends a portion of each day visiting houses and tasting dishes intended for dinner. She suggests improvements, and shows the cook new ways of preparing foods. All the requirements for the position are castiron digestive organs, and a good flow of language. • • « Man looks for trouble early in New South Wales. A small thin youth of sixteen years was arrested in Sydney last week for eloping with a maid of about the same age, whom he wished to marry, cruel parents withholding their consent. The young couple tripped to Manly, being the first stage to Gfretna Green. Pending the villain's trial, a fatherly judge accepted his own bond for £10. • • • At present, as everybody knows, there is a boom in hatpins which no longer have a little black blob for a head, but glass globes of wonderful design, jewelled insects, and all sorts of strange devices. But the limit was reached in Adelaide last week, when an umpire in the test match was besought by the sister of a cricketer to give her the ball with which one lot of 200 runs had been scored. She intended to gild it, paint a suitable device and inscription upon the gilding, and use the glorified ball as the knob of a hatpin.

So many women seem to fenjoy pitydng someone. ♦ • • This notice appears nn the pavilion of a bowling green at Dunedin "Any gentleman who expectorates oji the green cannot expeot-to-rate as a gentleman." • • • It gives, says the "Spectator," some idea of Clara Butt's value to know that at Palmerston, North Mr. N. Tait was interviewed and asked what amount of inducement would be required to secure a visit to that town. Mr. Tait replied "they would need to be assured of a £500 house before they would entertain the idea." Assuming thait tlhe great contralto sings twice a week, it is costing the public £52,000 a year to hear her ! Amd it is very doubtful if her earnings at Home are a tenth of fhat magnificent sum * • • Is there an expurgated edition of Omar? asks a Melbourne gentleman in the "Australasian." I thought so the other day, when a charming lady began to talk literature "to me. She was one of those literary people who always read what they are told to read, and admire what they are supposed to> admise. Consequently she became enthusiastic concerning Omar Khayyam, and quoted as her favourite verse • — "A book of verses underneath the bough, A loaf of bread, a glass of milk, and Thou Beside me singing in the wilderness." Fancy old Omar expounding his philosophy under the influence of a glass of milk! Evidently there must be a bowdlerised text, revised bv temperance enthusiasts who wish to^ promote literary study without giving any countenance to the liquor habit.