THE LADIES' COLUMN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6422, 17 June 1882, Page 3

THE LADIES' COLUMN.

FASHION NOTES. Lawn teiinis stripes come in the csthetic colours. Flower bonnets arc revived under new and rarely .attractive forms. Sheila cloth is the latest high novelty for portieres and heavy curtains. Yellow in lawn tennis stripes is effective and will be mnch in demand. From Nice comes the fashion of flower dresses, to he worn after Easter. Chenille-spotted, silver and shaded tulles appear amon* ball dress fashions. Maroon and Egyptian red in combination with porcelain blue is mnch admired in lawn tennis goods. A silver fly, with wings of Rhine crystals and ruby eyes, on a golden leaf, is a late design in hairpins. One of the prettiest mock jewel brooches is a harp of silver set with crystals and mock rubies, with twisted golden strings. The kitten and the serpent in silver, with diamond or rococo jewel enameling, are favourite designs for all kiwis of ornaments. Old style cheeked ginghams, in dainty Bhadesof pink and blue, but vastly improved in the weaving, havcretnnwl to popularity. Long silver pins, with round or pear-shaped silver heads, or heads of Rhine crystal, are used to fasten down the pleats and cascades of lace jabots. dots, or circles, of circumference greater than a silver trade dollar, appear in dark or light colours on contrasting grounds, in some of the finest light cheviots. A French caprice make costumes do visite, or for watering-place wear, of white or creamcoloured square-meshed grenadine, with trimmings of applique of thebrightest, largest and most artistie flowers found o« the satins of this season. The edges of the designs are chain-stitched down with white silk. Irish point or Florentine cut work and long-looped rows of bright coloured satin ribbons complete the decorative effect. If a lady lacks tottmure, the French dressmakers supply the deficiency with a small and well formed bustlo pad of hair attached permanent!}' to the waist line of the dress. It gives the required swell below the waist, while the draperies further down are so arranged as to be somewhat, bnt not very, bouttant. Occasionally a picce of crinoline hoop is run into a casing just at the bend of the knees and tied in a loop to give the set out to the fulness at that point.

PRINCESS HELEN'S WEDDING DKESS. The wedding dress of Princess Helen was given by her sister, the Queen of Holland. It was made in Paris. The petticoat is of the richest white satin, with several small openings near the bottom showing a thick wreath of oranso blossoms and myrtle underneath it. It is trimmed with two robings of the costliest point d'Alencon lace coming down either side, turned with square corners toward a white satin train, in the draperies of which it disappears. The train is of immense length, and is literally sewn with flakes of silver, while large bouquets of fleur de lis in relief are embroidered in silver nil down the centre of it. It is edged with shell-like tlutings of satitf intermingled with point d'Alencon. The dress has short sleeves trimmed to match with point d'Alencon and wreaths of myrtle and orange blossoms. The royal I.ride-cake was built in three tiers. It rose from a gold stand to the height of six feet, and weighed 2001bs. At the base were swans and dolphins swimming in imitation water. Tho first tier was ornamented with four medallion groups, representing Europe, Asia, Africa and ■ America, separated by pillars, 011 which was painted a lily upon satin. On the pillars were vases filled with flowers, emblematic of tho United Kingdom. Cupids reading supported the figure of literature. The second tier was octagonal in form and the medallions bore the arms of England and Waldeck, with the royal monograms. On the pillars were orange blossoms and trophies of love. Cupids sl owcrcd imitation water on the flowers. The third tier bore a fountain encircled by doves by ornamental pillars, festooned with wedding favours. Ihe whole was surmounted by a vase containing a bouquet of llowers.

DRESSES AT THE ROYAL WEDDING. Her Majesty wore a magnificent dress ()f black satin and lace and the imperial crown of diamonds and pearls, from which drooped a veil of rich lace. Across her breast was the blue rihljon of (he Order of Prince Leopold, fastened with a splendid brooch of diamonds, among which was the Koh-i-noor diamond. Her Slnjesty was conducted to the hnnt pets by the Lord Chamberlain. The bridegroom was received by the Lord Steward and was attended by his best man the Prince of Wales, in the costume of a Held marshal. Prince Leopold wore a coloncl's costume and walked with the aid of .1 stick. The Queen stepped forward and saluted the bride, when she was joined by the bridegroom at the altar. The bridesmaids' dresses, which were made in London, were of two materials. The petticoat was of rich white satin, with duchesse trains; the bodies were of whito moire francais, 170 yards whereof were made ex-

1 pmsl? for the occasion at Lyons. At the bottom of the jupe was a row of small seollops, over which fell a flouncing exqusitely worked with triplets of pearls, the edge of which gave the effect of scroll work. This was headed by six rowa of bouquets, consisting of white heather, primroses and violets, united by festoons of leaves of the same flowers. The corsages were trimmed with stomachers beaded with pearls to match a flouncing which had ends extending over the top of short sleeves. These were composed of a single small puff, gauged so that the edge formed a frill. LOVE LETTER FROM MR>. CARLYLE TO HER HUSBAND. Tumi-land, December 30, IS2S. Goody, Goody, dear Goody,—You said you would weary, and I do hope iu my heart you are wearying. It would be so sweet to make it all up to you iu kisses whsn I return. You ill take me and hear all my bits of experiences, and your heart will beat when yoa find how I have longed to return to you. Darling, dearest, loveliest, "the Lord bless you." I think of you every hour, every moment. I love you and admire you like—like anything. My own Good-Good. But to get away on Sunday was not in lny power : my mother argued, entreated, and finally <jral (wept). I held out on the ground of having appointed Alick to meet me at church; but that was untenable. John Kerr eould be sent off at break of day to tell that I could not come. I argued that the household would find themselves destitute of every Christian comfort unless I wore home before Wednesday. That could be taken care of by sending anything that was wanted from here. Tea, sugar, butcher's meat, everything was at my servicc. Well, but I wanted, I said, to he your first-foot on New Year's day. I might be gratified in this also. She would hire a post übaise and take me over for that day on condition that I returned at night! In short she had a remedy ready for everything hut death, and I could not, without seeming very unkind and ungracious, refuse to stay longer than 1 promised. So I write this letter "with my own hand" [Ed. Irving] that you may not be disappointed from day to day ; but prepare to welcome me in your choicest mood on Sunday. If the day is at all tolerable, perhaps Alick or you will meet me at church. Mrs. Crichton of Dabton was very pressing that you and I should spend some days with them just now " when their house was full of company." But I assured her that it would be useless labour to ask you. However, by way of consolation, I liavo agreed to " refresh" a party for her with my presence on Friday, and held out some hope that you would visit them at your leisure. "I am sure the kindness of those people"—"The Lord lilessthem !" Dearest, I wonder if you are getting any victual. There must be coeks at least, and the chickens will surely have laid their eggs. I have many an anxious thought about you ; and I wonder if you sleep at nights, or if you are wauderine ahout—on, on—smoking and killing mice. Oh, if I was there I could put my arms so close about your neck and hush you into the softest sleep you have had since I went away. Good night. Dream of me.—l am, ever your own Goody.

CHIT-CHAT. The low dress will soon be as extinct as the dodo, says the Paris writer for London Truth. Paris Indies are tiring of dresses in two fabrics. The trimmings on a single fabric are the richest bead embroidery. We have heard a great many reasons given for second marriages, but none so irrefutable as this :— i% lt is a counter irritation." Why is a young lady who does not mean what she says likely to fall into the hands of the police? Because she is likely to be Missapprehended. An Italian glass manufacturer is making a great success with ladies 1 glass bonnets ,and hats. Thank heaven ! Wo will now have something transparent. . _ . The one great and important question which has never yet been satisfactorily settled is this :— ** When oue marries does he e&d his troubles or only begin them ?" Every one should be charitalle in judgment. "She is insupportable," said Talleyrand. Then, fearing he had gone too far,:he added, " But it is lier only defect." - - X Most of us. would be willing to wear black nuns' cloth for our best if we could powder it with diamond stars, as its patron, Lady Bective, did at the last Drawing-room of the Qaeen. ~ ~ A great number of bridesmaids is now considered vulgar, and the aristocratic bride has not above four if she be aii English girl, though twelve maidens were'rtot unusual at a fashionable wedding a few years ago. The Princess Jeanne .Bina parte, who was married the other day tO_\the 'Marquis de Villanenve, looljs strikingly like her great-' unclc, MapolcanvlV. She has thecuuoiLs combination of chestnut' hair eyes, aud if it'ivere not foi* Tt denish expression' she s ~ What to him was love orh'ojie? .to* him was joy or care ? fie qri of Irish soap the girl had left on iho t6pmost' stair; and his feet flew out like-Mild fierce things, and lie struck each staiir with a sound like a drum, aud the girl below with the scrubbing tilings laughcJ like a fiend to see him come. A Paris milliner has just concluded a contract by which a dealer in game in Berlin undertakes to deliver the skins of 30,000 pigeons during the season for the adornment of hats and bonnets. The birds are to be caught in all parts of German/ aud taken to the railway yard, and there killed and immediately skinned, the skins being forwarded to Paris and the carcasses retailed for a small sum upon the spot. An Austrian lady who cannot swim, or does not know how to ride a horse wdl, is an exception. Xeedlework of every kind, even to the making of lacfi, is a part of every girl's education. There is no amatteriug of anything; whether she learns the piano, or to draw, she learns it thoroughly. If she has no talent at all for an art—which is seldom —she lets that art entirely alone. The bridegroom of an Indiana wedding lost his marriage license, without which the minister could not legally make him a husband, aud the ceremony was postponed four hours to enable him to procure a duplicate. In his agitation he left this one 011 the county clerk's desk, and hurried hack without it. The wedding quests could wait no longer, as it was then midnight, and they were about to depart, leaving the bride in tears, when a mud-spattered messenger arrived on horseback with the important document. A very pretty costume, which can be made out of old rags, is a Z:uig;;ra. Cover any old woollen skirt with gold or coloured braid, tabs, or bauds of velvet, old coins, buttous, <fcc., drape an old, but bright, or partly coloured shawl over that, tie another scarf over thehips ; a white musliu bodice, whether high or low it matters not, over this a black velvet bodice, without sleeves, and a coloured handkerchief tied over the head. Flowing hair. Head, arms, and neck covered with tinsel jewellrey. Black or coloured boots and stockings. The Queen of Roumania has just published a work, **Les Pensdes d'une Heine," as bitter and as full of scorn and distrust of life as the maxims of Rochefoucauld. "Happiness," she says, " answers vou, but never comes like echo!" Queens had better not meddle with authorship. Queen Christina of Sweden might to this hour have been thought innocent of the murder of Monal* desehi had she not made a clumsy apology iu her memoirs. Queen Victoria would have passed as a pure and sensible sovereign had she not published her "Highland Journey,'' full of childish prattle and ridiculous praise of her husband and children ; and now, undeterred by these examples, the Empress Eugenie is sending forth a volume to justify the crimes and errors of her husband. THE OLD, OLD STORY. Leaning over the gardeu gate, "Where the old-fashioned cinnamon roses grew, Where rorgeous tulips nodded late. And lilies bent to the cooling dew. Glimpses of bronze in the golden hair, Glimpses of blue in the violet ejes, Shadows lurking here jmd there. Under the lids where the amethyst lies. Sweet nnd trnder, nnd fair, and young, With a life as pure as a shy wiM-flower ; As free from ciro a* an unt ; ui?ht bird. That joyous sings through eaoli golden hour. Hronzed and beardci with lines of circ, In the dark face bonding down so low ; Threads of grey in the i loss) curls That droop where the cinnamon roses grow. Cut the old. old story is told in the eyes, And the dark face beams with a wondercU3 light: 0 vonth and beauty, your matchles* power Can make a day of the darkest night. A woman'* face. still sweet and fair. Strong with tho knowledge that years will bring ; llrown eyes soft with a passion rare, That comes but in love's perfect blossoming. Swe<*t eyes clouded with unshed t°ars. White lips fiuivorin/ in hopeless woe ; Quirk, dry sobs that come like a storm, Swavinj the slight frame to and fro. 1 He was mine by the fo-ce of love ! Mine, by a power that's mighty yet; Oh, Ion? years in your passing, bring Only tho power to forget." A laugh without, a aob within, While the roses bloom by the garden gato ; -And the tireless year 9 roll on—ah me! God pity those who tboir coming wait.