Afternoon Tea Gossip

Free Lance, Volume X, Issue 476, 14 August 1909, Page 20

Afternoon Tea Gossip

By Little Miss Muffitt.

I HAVE found this in the London letter of a Ceylon paper: — "The Enghs.li tprass is getting tired of the Press Conference delegates, and is broadly hinting it is tiime they left. Theie is a limit to everything, and meeting the &arne men at bieakfast and luncheon and dinmei amd 'review, at every festive gathering and every serious conference, has god" on their zuerves." It doesn't do to out-stay your welcome. Is it not so, mes cherts ? It happened on one of our (roughest nights last week, when the rain-Jiaden wind was shaking the houses up at Kelburne with a great shake. Little Katile was being put to bed m the midst of nt, and she began to shiver at the thought of being left alone. "Oh, there's nothing to be afraid of, dearie " 9aid her mother. "I must go down to stay wtfth papa, but G-od is right hero with you, and He won't let anyth'ng barm you!" For the moment the child was pacified, but, presently, there came a squall which rattled every window in the house. "Mamma!" piped a tremulous voice from upstairs. "Yes, dearie?" "Won't you pfease come np fo'Pire and! stay with God, and let me go down and stay with papa?" » • • We were talking over tihis .season's debutantes at afternoon tea one day last week, and one of the ladies present told the story of am incident said' to have transpired at one of our military balllls a season or two ago. It appears that the fair young debutante was suriounded, by an admiring crowd of officers at a recent baliT. Manama was standing near by, smiling complacently at her daughter's social success. The discussion was over a quarrel betweian two brother ■officers. "What was the casus belli P" asked the fair debutante. "Maud 1 1" exclaimed mamma, in a shocked voice, "ihow often have I told you to say stomach P ' « • • She was a Victoria College student, Just coining down to keep terms. There wasn't much time foir a set meal at Palmerston North, so she hurried into the refreshment room and' called to the attendant "Give im© a ham sandwich, please!" "Yes," said tihp attendant, worth a beaming smile at the "sweet gifl under-giradu-ate." Reaching for the sandwich, he added- "Will you eat it, or take it with you?" And that Victoria College girl, with a wicked smile, said : "Both, please!" * • • Some of the charitable Indies in Wellington are collecting stories of thrir visits to the homes of want in the city. One of these ladies last week

yisited! a household where the mother was ill in bed, and, after hearting alffl about it, and giving condolence, she went into the kitchen, wihere a smallll girl of eight presided over two smaller ones, who looked lather lugubrious. "I hope, my dear," said she to the eldest, you remember that you must be a nothor to your bisters l " "I am," said the fh&t born, proudly. "I've spanked 'em both three times, attud this morning I let that there Jimmy have it with the rolling pin!" • * A neat little piece of repartee was passed by a Wellington lady last week at a dance It piroved how good a church woman she is, as well as how able in verbal defence Whilst going in io suppei she had the misfortune to Step slightly onjthe dress of a lady in front of her. The man on whose arm the formei was leaning said aloud rudely, so that the couple in front might hear: "ADways getting m tlhe way, like BaJiaam's as-s'" Upon which the lady whose gown had been troddien cm, turning round, repled, with a sweet smile: "Pardon me, it wa.s the angel who stood in the way, and the ass which spoke'"

'Once bitten, twice shy!" says a Bei hampore lady on the subject of helping tbe uneanthboyed. One of the cmt-of-Tvoi kers oaJUled at her house one afternoon last week, and begged for BMine food. The housekeeper gaye him i good meal ,aind. while he was eatin" w, packed t>oaiue sandwiches in a small pa,irel Then, she went to the man and said ".Now, I've cut some nice sandwiches You sOnaJl take them with you. But, first cut me some firewood, wi!"i you? ' The well-fed man's jaw fen "You're strong and hearty 1" said the lady. "Do you mean to say you are not equal to cutting me a little wood?" "Equal isn't the word," amid the mean man. "I'm superior to it Good-day!" And with that he went. * Little Percy is a Kilburnie boy, and had bepn persistently mischievous throughout the day, and late in the afternoon his mother decided to stop his antics. "Bobby, if you do not cease annoying me I shall send you to bed without your supper!" she warned. "Ma," replied Bobby (who shows much piomise oF becoming a dipliomat) "Would you mind telling me what you aj e going to have for supper?"