Afternoon Tea Gossip

Free Lance, Volume VIII, Issue 402, 14 March 1908, Page 10

Afternoon Tea Gossip

By Little Miss Muffitt.

HOW few people now-a-days can grow old gracefully ! Just fancy a niiillio.nairess, Baroness Yon Schwitzer, once a famous Roumanian beauty, ooinmilttaing suicide last month at Crafora, "because she realised she was begimnmng to look old!" * *• * Re.rli.Tii medicoes bave mastered I'ove at last. They have found a way to sew tip a broken heart. • * * The architect that be had just been to see the nave of the church. "You needn't memtioin names," said the aid lady to wihoini he was speaking^ "I know the man to whom you. refer." According to the "Bulletin" lady writer, Professor Dettrnaii, who has the classic stool at the Auckland University, is to marry Miss Loder, a girl of Sydney. Bridegroom-elect gradtiated ait that institution. ♦ * • A man's wig blew off im the street the other day, and a boy who was following close behind him picked it up and handed it to him. "Thank yon, my boy," said the owner of the wig; "you are the first gemmine hair restorer I've ever seem." Pact! * * * Some of tihe loveliest of Sydney girls aire oreduted with poseessajng but poor intelligence. Two weß-known bel.es happem, .however, to be gifted with wilt, and. the love stories of both have been sad. One became engaged to a gk>be-trotting foreigner. She went Home to marry him, but he went mad and died. His family settled a quarter of a millaon upon her. • • * The other girl gave her heart to a foreign naval officer, whom a simi'latr fate befell. The second! girl, now that the first chapter of her life is definitely closed, is said to be falling happily in love a second time. The first heroine is about to marry a nieaa: relative of her former fiancee. As she is marrying into the same family, she keeps the money. • * • On the Limerick craze, how's this ? : A ladiy who warbled in mezzo, Repined, "I am always in dezzo ; My runs and my trills Should pay for my bifltfe ; And they would, if I didn't forgezzo." « • » And this — Theire was a young girl bought a trousseau, 'Twas hasty and foolish to dousseau ; For the man she would wed, Married Mary instead, And that's why you hear her boo-hous-seau. # * • Ladies deairaiig to make holiday up the Main Trunk way wiflll) be glad, I know, to hear of good accommodaition. I have been told by a traveler who was uip that way recently of a place by the wayside, between the railheads. A great notice boaird' was posted up nn front of alO 0 10 tent, inscribed: "Boarders Taken In," and in the door-way, completely blocking all entrance, stood the poTrJljy, wouldbe landlady, wreathed in smiiles. • • • He was a senior wrangler. That is, he was senior, and was wrangling wath something in one of our restanurants the other evening. After a Tittle he paused, mopped up the beaded perspiration, and summoned the waiter. "What is this leathery stuff?" he demanded. "That, sir, is fillet of sole," replied the waiter. "Take it away," said the wrangler, "and see if you can't get me a nice tender piece of the upper, with the buttons removed!." » * * _ The weU-known Italiam operatic singer, Florence Constantino, jealous of the fame of his distinguished countryman, Signor Caruso, has challenged the great tenor to a singing contest. Constantino proposes that each shall stake £2000, and the judges shall be selected by mutual consent. Caruso (according to the Central News Agency) has not yet Teplied to the challenge. See how these singers love one another. It's the same from ifche church choir to the No. 1 oamoenfc platform, or o*her way round if you like.

The air is full of reports and statements re tio'ubles and actions in the wo ild theatrical, says the Melbourne "Punch." If half the rumours be true, legal papers are flying around as thick as a finowstrom. It is a fact that some of these businesses a<re true, but how many? * * ■*■ Tii up lets have been annuouaiced from a country town,, all girls, who are to be chrastemed Faith, Hope, and Oba.Tirt>y. Application is to be made for the King's bounty. In view of the application, the names are veiry appropriate. — the parents have evidenttfliy got faith to hope for Hl9 Majesty's charity." Week end excursions to country or seaside have been much in vogue the "East two or three years. but they have now even reached as far as "Mary Ann." A lady recently remarked to her domestic, "Well, Mary, I think you bad better take your fortnight's holiday next week." Mary's reply was certadinilv un x ~ date. "Well, mum, if you dom't mind, I'd rather have an occasional week end in the autumn and the spring instead of my usual fortnight."