Gossip from Sydney.

Free Lance, Volume XV, Issue 815, 11 February 1916, Page 5

Gossip from Sydney.

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Dear Christabel, — THE surfing' village, Manly, has come through its annual Carnival, under the usual crossfire of criticism. For the sake of the local hospital which needs help badly, the critics, no doubt, wish there had been no need to castigate the arrangements. * "ft" * i -j* Last year, when Manly could have made a magnificent donation to the patriotic funds, its organisation resulted in a very ordinary cheque. Considering the number of visitors to its 1910 event—4o,ooo on one Saturday aloneits offering was a dismal disappointment. The money was there. But the Carnival Committee failed to collect it. * ft * -ft This year the crowds were infinitely less. This was partly due to the experience of women who took young children to Manly last year, and brought them away at th e peril ot their live& 'Disorganised crowas, how ever well behaved the individuals may "bo, become dangerous battering machines under imperfect transport arrangements. * ■» ■» & The Rev. Dr. -Hayden, president of St. Patrick's (R.C.) College- at Manly, has been one of the severest critics of the recent so-called carnival. He in stances the vulgar horseplay that came under his. notice, as a vastly different thing to the true carnival spirit of Nice ■and other Continental cities. * * ■» » Year after year, the Manly alderman and local shopkeeper fail absolutely in their efforts to even approach a successful gala week. The shopkeeper does very well —for himself—out of it. The ferry company must coin money from the rush of visitors. But the public, not only gets very little' for its. outing, ■but it carries .home in its breeches' pockets, the spare silver the charity or patriotic funds ghould haye collected. Last week's effort, with the exception of the illuminated Venetian night on the bay (private enterprise) was the feeblest attempt to carnival the village has yet put up. Sir ' Gerald Strickland's new A.D.C., Captain Firth, is" likely to spend about three months in this State. He is convalescing from a bullet wound that took a zig-zag track through his lungs. A tall, well-set up young soldier, he returns to his regiment as soon as the doctors say "Yes." . ■» *• * ■» There were two weddings of special interest at the end of January. The first (both were on the same evening and in the same church) was the big show gathering that assembled for the marriage of Miss Gladys Fuller. As I told you, she is the eldest daughter of George Fuller, M.L.C." Over 200 guests, responsible for a truly gorgeous array of costly presents, sat down to dinner at - the Australia. After the ceremony, an American, staying at the hotel, who was allowed a glimpse of the presents, remarked: "Well, I guess those folks have earned some dinner!"

By way of _ "going one "better," the "bride, who wishes to be ahead of competition, now wears a pint wedding

dress. For months we have seen the faint suggestion of this colour under the once snowy bridal drapery.- Miss Gladys Fuller, however, wore a pale pink satin gown. .. A voluminous white tulle veil softened the too elaboi-ate trimming of the courfc train, which was embroidered with coral, beads and silver sequins. A Dutch cap—a very modish .finish—was held in its place with .a wreath of orange blossoms. Over ail, fell the great cloud, of white tulle. Most men, unless of ' commanding stature, would look insignificant beside a very tall girl clothed like Solomon in all his glory. The bridegroom, Mr. Stanley Coward, a rich young pastoralist. was no exception. 35- # # On the same evening, a. wealthy mid-dle-aged bachelor, long regarded as deaf to the voices of youthful charms, was also a bridegroom. He is Mr. Arthur Bowman, well known as a member of a big N.S.W. squatting family. # * # • * Having preferred city life to the crack of the station stockwhip, Mr. Bowman is a lawyer. As partner in a leading Sydney firm of solicitors, he is also a prominent society man. « * « « The pretty bride, Miss . Lilian Rhodes, is only 18. Her wedding dress was one of those models of elegant simplicity which the average man admires so much. The average woman knows what this sort of frock runs into (in £.s.d.) but admires it,- perhaps, all the more. Made very short—a style that was suitable for such a girlish bride —the beautiful tulle veil fell like a snowdrift over the dainty figure. An overdress of white crepe de chine, showed the glimmer of a very pale pink satin slip. •s ■» ■» The bridesmaids' charming gowns were of delicate shell pink satin. Over this billows of blue tulle gave the opalescent effect which is "the" thing just now. Like the bride, they wore little lace Dutch caps. Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Bowman received the congratulations of their friends at a lavish supper before leaving for the honeymoon. « * ■» One of the minor events of the last week in January was the add-ess ar ven by Dr. Julia Seton. The lady has only recently arrived from America, where she is one of the pillars of the X->w Thought Cult's * ■* «• U.S.A. is, of course, the of many new cults, and original brands of theology spring up like mushrooms. At the same time there appears to be a sane commercial basis to the tenets of any American apostles « !w come i J>33 way. They certainly give the impression of having made an unqualified financial success of their own trail to a Better World. "Do thou, likewise, and give freely to the collection plate— as a sound investment"—is the crux of their texts. «■ " ■& © ' a So far as impressions go, Dr. Julia Seton, who was a doctor of medicine before she became a Faith Healer, etc., is a clever woman of exee;>Uona] will * power. Force of character and a commanding personality — beautifully gowned in the latest New York modes —- help her to grip the attention of her

audiences. The American lady's first Sunday evening lecture here. "The Psychology of . Success," was interwoven with a few hymns, and starred with two' or three Silences. It may be Philistinism, "but New . Thought as a cult appears to have a slight-flavour of Thepsophy.' It adds a, dash of the atmosphere that contributes to a Quakers' meeting, and a strong leaven of the fiex-ce determination to succeed tliat makes an emigrant boy occasionally end up as an American Railroad King.

, A. big tattoo in the Town Hall proved an interesting form of farewell to the Miners' Corps. Professor, now Major David.; has done a good deal, towards stimulating public in. this fine .body,of men.. He has been in camp with them some time, and. of course, goes with them ,to the front. For a man who is by occupation a peaceful professor of geology and kindred subjects. with a snug University billet, he is about as sporting as they make them on the verge of the sixties. His only son is a young doctor now in France with the R.A.M.C. When this gallant gjrey-liaired man stood up in khaki to address the audience he had an-ovation worthy of so genuine a patriot. * * * # Consul-General Goes, the large and hospitable representative of Sweden, gave an "At Home" to welcome Mademoiselle Lore, a Belgian singer. The young and attractive vocalist was in New Zealand for a brief tour last year. She had the bad luck to get to the South Island too late in the season, and developed relaxed,, throat and other climatic ills. So lifer concert work was seriously interfered with. Mile. Lore has a fine voice, and gave the Swedish Consul's guests an interesting vocal display, though a drawing-room is not very helpful in its acoustics. Mrs. Von Goes, who is an Australian, helped he* genial husband to entertain the visitors. Devices for bringing expensive tailormade costumes up to date are many and ingenious. The early 1915 models are far too narrow to pass muster this year. There is, in consequence, a fierce struggle between war-time economy and fashion. A black and white- check suit, for instance, recently brought up to date by the introduction of black glace, was a triumph of renovation." A yoke of the silk was substituted over the hips for the check. This was utilised to flare the skirt lower down. A clever manipulation of the little coat, introduced an up-to-date relief of glace. The result was excellent. The leading tailor who built the suit, would regard the dressmaker's touch as desecration. But this is not the time to study the ethics of the strictly man-milliner. * ■» # -aGreat sympathy is felt for Mrs. Phillips Fox. widow of that fine artist and most lovable man. His death a few months ago in Melbourne was a great shock. His condition was not regarded as serious—just the usual appendicitis operation from which he was apparently recovering. Then heart trouble brought the end. * « * «■ Mrs. Fox, an English artist, Ethel Carrick, when she met the gentle Phillips Fox, was entirely wrapped up in her husband's career. The devoted wife was the business head of the matrimonial partnership. She is completely broken up by her loss, and recently, spent a few weeks here amongst her' Sydney friends. The flat- in Paris, which* they had retained —expecting to return after the war —will now be given up. Mrs. Fox expects to leave for France in order to wind up her affairs there very shortly. ■ ' * # *• "*■ Miss Frances Hodgkins, the New Zealand artist, who has been so long resident in Europe, is now m England Her big art class in Paris was, ot course, scattered when the Hun. invaders tried to crush our gallant Ally. Yours discursively, Bona.