Social Gossip

Free Lance, Volume XIX, Issue 1013, 26 November 1919, Page 8

Social Gossip

DeAB ChbISXABEL,— AVERY novel and most exciting party, which was given last week as a farewell to our young Parliamentary session visitor to Wellington, took the form of an "auction tea." The guests all arrived with mysterious packages under their arms, and one of their number, who has a ready wit arid a flow of language, was elected to the onerous, and honorary, post of auctioneer. Much mirth and merriment ensued, and business was very brisk as the young people bid for each others' odds and ends. * * » ■ *• ,«■ * One hat,, which the auctioneer averred had'been specially designed 'for Theda Bara, was greeted with cries of "We don't think," and: " Five shillings for the vamp lid," but the hat fetched quite a good little sum all the same. One eager buyer removed a sports' coat from the auctioneer's fair hands, and dashed upstairs "to a mirror, and indulged in a surreptitious try-on, before sb.© ventured on a bid, the canny chiel ? ' On the whole, most of the buyers were satisfied with the results of their afternoon's work, and so was the chatelaine §f the home, who had wisely placed _a maid on guard at the door of her private apartments, and so- had a peaceful feeling that her wardrobe remained intact, and secure. * * ■* * Mr and Mrs Dan Riddiford are returning to New Zealand at the end of January. ;/■■* * » « Dr. and Mrs EL Gilmer (Wellington) have been spending a fortnight in Christchurch.

Mrs Baker, the daughter of the Hon. W. G. Russell, who has< been home on a health trip,' has returned to New Zealand in the Arawa, feeling much better since her holiday. -* * # » Mrs Phil Brown, who has her two children with her, is the guest \ of her sister, Mrs Maurice Burnett, in Kelburn. * - * 5* » Mr and Mrs Tom "Williamson are staying in Auckland at the < Grand -HoteJ. ■ - . .# 9 e n Mr and Mrs Troutbeck, who went home for a trip last March, are hoping to be back in New Zealand by Christmas, if they can secure passages. * • * «• Lady Atkinson, a well-known and highly respected Wellington resident, passed away last week. As Miss Anne Smith the deceased lady came to New Zealand in 1838, with her mother, to visit her sister, Mrs J. C. Richmond, and two years later she married her cousin, Major Atkinson, afterwards Sir Harry Atkinson and Premier of New Zealand. Lady Atkinson was an exceedingly intellectual and clever . woman,' who was always abreast of the times in all matters political, social, and intellectual. To the very end of her life, though of recent years she has been confined to her bed, the deceased lady retained her hold upon the questions of th© day. Her only daughter, Mrs F. Waldegrave. is. still in London; her gallant elder son, Major Arnold Atkinson, made the supreme sacrifice at" the Battle of-Messines: but 'her younger son, Mr Harry Atkinson, was with ner to the end.

On. Friday afternoon, Miss Louise Halse entertained her many friends at afternoon tea, prior to her marriage, which took place on Tuesday last. Miss Halse was one of the most popular women in Wellington,- as the number of farewell teas given for her lately, and beautiful wedding gifts she has received, can testify. Her new homg is in Nelson, and she will be very much missed by all her friends here. a © « A very pretty wedding was celebrated at St. Andrew'si on Thursday last —that of Miss Mildred (Mimie) Smith to Dr. Douglas Muir, of Gisborne. The church had been beautifully decorated with lilies and other white flowers for the occasion, and the Rev. Gibson Smith officiated. The bride, who was given. away by her brother, wore a charming gown of ivory satin and georgette, the bodice was finished with elbow sleeves, which terminated in a deep tulle frill. Her© and ther§ on the corsage were tiny posies of pink and white rose-buds, and her long tulle veil was tied r with a flower wreatli, and her bouquet was of pink and white flowers and maiden-hair fern.

The bridesmaids were her sister, Miss Jean Smith, who wore a dainty confection of mauve georgette and a lemonyellow hat with bunches of mauve, and Miss Lorna- Muir, who was in pink georgette with clusters of mauve roses and a picturesque leghorn hat trimmed with pink and_ mauve. Mr Alan Muir (cousin of the bridegroom) was best man. t After the ceremony a reception for relatives and a few* friends was held at the residence of the bride's mother.

An engagement of : great interest to many Napier and Wellington people is that of Miss Ngaire Riddiford, daughter of Mrs E. J. Riddiford, to Lieu-tenant-Colonel Dudley Kettle, M.C., of Napier."

The Women's National Reserve of Wellington are holding a street sale this week, in aid of funds for the memorial cemetery for soldiers and sailors at Karori. A special committee selected by the Reserve have arranged to make the cemetery "a- thing of beauty " and a fitting memorial for our gallant dead. There will be a lych gate, which is always such a picturesque feature of all English churchyards, and seats and, stone steps artistically wrought. All kinds of dainty needlework will be on sale, and it is confidently expected _that buyers will be generous and plentiful.

Miss Lydia Field, the daughter of CMr W. H. Field, M.P., and Mrs Field, •was married at St. Paul's early this -afternoon, to Captain Pharazyn, 8.F.A., M.C., the son of the late Mr 'Charles Pharazyn, and of Mrs Gerald : Fitzgerald. The wedding was a very ■tjTiiet. one. Archdeacon Johnstone offi:eiated, and only a few relatives and >' intimate friends were present. The pretty bride, who was given away by lier ..father, wore a charming frock of white georgette, mounted over a silk '*' doublure" of the palest pink; her veil was of beautiful old Brussels lace, :and terminated in a long train at the Taack. The corsage was also trimmed . with Brussels lace, and was finished with a deep swathed belt of pearl embroidery, and pearl motifs finished the top of the sleeves;, and she carried a shower bouquet. a 4» « ■ -' « Mrs Field's gown was of heliotrope ■crepe de chine, trimmed with powder blue ninon, and her hat was of blue tagel, and the crown was encircled with :a _ swathing of black velvet. The bride's travelling dress was a smartly-cut fawn gabardine, and she ■wore a plumed hat, in shades of fawn. , Amongst those present at the reception jn the home of the bride's parents, were Sir Robert and Lady Stout, Sir John Findlay. Mrs Chapman, Mrs H. Crawford, Mrs Alec Crawford, Mrs FJgar, Mrs Wilford, Miss K. Holmes, Mr and Mrs Russell Dymock, Mrs Stafford and Miss .Stafford, Miss "Eleanor Pharazyn, Miss Nancv Pharazyn, and Miss Ellice Fitzgerajd. #.• # # _A successful tea, which was a. clever Tningling of business and pleasure,-was given by Mrs Findlay at her residence m Hobson Street, last week in aid of the creche in Owen Street. Numbers -of guests arrived with gifts for the -creche kitchen, and there were also

some guessing competitions which caused a good deal of fun. Mrs Findlay is an excellent organiser, asi well as a popular hostess, and sum of over £30 was realised, as well as the kitchen utensils, for the creche. « * . © •& A very pleasant "parcel tea" was given at No. .5, Roxburgh Street, on Friday last, by Mesdames Scott, M. Girr, and , Smith, to Miss Edie Milligan in honour of her approaching marriage to Mr Len Cooper. There were three competitions, won by Mrs Moran, Mrs Cemack, and Mrs Lamburgh. There were a number of very pretty and useful presents, in the parcels. * *■ ■ » ". » Sir Robert Stout acted paterfamilias and gave the bride away art the wedding of Miss Louie Halse to Mr E. B. Burdekin, which took place at St. Paul's on Tuesday morning. The ceremony was carried out minus, any of the usual trimmings: No bridesmaid, no best man, no music. The Ven. Archdeacon Johnson officiated. The bride is a daughter of the late Mr Halse, at one time Under-Secretary for Native Affairs, and a sister of Miss Halse (of Tinakori Road), Mrs W. S. Reid (of Wellington Terrace), and the late_ Mrs .McTavish. . « ■ s a — c # •St •©• After the ceremonjf a few old friends and relatives were entertained bv Miss Halse, and then Mr and Mrs Burdekin left to catch the mid-day express for the North. The bride was married in a frock of white voile, bordered with rose colour and a straw hat, lined and trimmed with the same pink. She left on her honeymoon trip wearing a navy coat and skirt, and dark blue hat, with lighter blue ribbon. Miss Halse wore dark amethyst silk and hat trimmed with mauve, and Miss E. Halse saxe blue charmeuse. The guests included Lady Stout, Mr and Mrs F. Halse and their daughters, Mrs John Halse, Mr and Mrs. Lionel Rhodes, and Miss S. Brock. * «■ * 4S An illustration of the dog-in-the-manger policy adopted by some of our so-called down-trodden democrats will be of interest to my readers. A cer-

tain householder who employed a domestic worker was leaving a rented house to return toi her country home. She suggested that a number of empty bottles should be neatly packed and stoi-ed in the washhouse. But the domestic helper was furious; the bottles werp her "perks." As the bottlehad not come round in time for her to sell, she said she intended to " smash every one of them." She really wanted to do this rather than let her successor, whose name she didn't even know, make a few pence profit. Daphhb.