CHIT CHAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6948, 23 February 1884, Page 4 (Supplement)

CHIT CHAT.

" Finger cosy" is the latest name invented for ladies' muffs. To be in fashion, miss, you will no loDgsr brush your hair from the nape of the neck upward. Ladies' cards are of generous size, cut almost square, while those for gentleman are narrow and short. About the happiest day in the life of a young lady is the day upon which she receives an engagement rintr. The Balmoral estate of Queen Victoria is only of the anuual value of £2-100, although it covers more than 25.000 acres. In Europe the States which have most women ;ire Portngal and Germany. Greece has a few more men thin women. Kuskin'a latest rage is that lady graduate?, instead of marrying curates, should become barmaids at picturesque country inns. The new and lovely little theatre bonnets of black velvet and white tulle, embroidered with pearls, are worn without strings. The new German Theatre in Berlin has put upon its playbills in larga letters: "Ladies are requested to take off their bonnets." Jldine. Minnie Hauk is said to bs the first artist who lias received the photograph of the Emperor of Germany with his autograph. Observiog that the census embraces seventeen millions of women, a Yaukee editor rapturously inquires : " Who wouldn't be a census ?" Venice is the present home of the indefatigable Mrs. Oliphant, who,' besides her novel of " Hester," in bringing out a work on that city. An Indiana lady—a model wife and mother—broke her "husband off the saloon habit by walking up to the bar beside him and calling for the beer. ■ Emulating the fame of Miss Isabella Bird, who rode across the Kocky Mountains, an American girl of twenty-four has just completed a tour of a thousand miles, from Milwaukee to Portland, on horseback. " Why, child," said ma, " you startle me, To see you sit so near that boy ; In all your actions you're too free— Which don't become a maiden coy." " A boy I always wished to be, Dear ma ; ami 111 pursue this plan : For as that can't be," said she, " I'll get as near one as 1 can." "So you are married?" remarked Mrs. Smith; "when do you receive?" "Ob," replied the newly-wedded one, "that will depend on our friends. We shall be ready to receive as fast as the presents are sent in." A novelty is the literary bracelet! It is made of twelve tiny books (silver or gold), attached to eaeh other by a double chain. Each little book bears the enamelled name of a favourite poet or novelist. There are also mueical bracelets of the same model, only they of course have the names of operas or composere. The most notable change in skirts is their increasing fulness, and that not only at the back but ail round : indeed, they are even beginning to be gathered into the waistband of the body just as they were twenty years ago. This promises an increase of crinoline. Adieu then to classic forms and {esthetic draperies. Considerable sensation has been caused in society by intelligence of a proposed mesalliance in Bangalore. The lady has for some years past devoted herself to mission work, aud has been a fellow-worker with Miss Antlcy at Kolar. While associated with Mies Antley's mission at that town, she fell in love with a native catechist, a man who can scarcely speak English, and who wears the orthodox dholit, dhupta, &c. A marriage having been arranged between the pair, they applied to many ministers of the Protestant faith in Bangalore to tie the knot, but the reverend gentlemen one and all refused to lend themselves to the solemnisation of the marriage. The parties have therefore applied to the Registrar, and ahotice has been posted up in the Magistrate's Court at that station, intimating that after the lapse of two months the marriage will be solemnised. THE MAKHIED MAN. Adown the street the raa;jried man Starts off with hurried tread. But from the r>oor a wifely voice Calls, "Don't forget the bread." He smiles and nods and turns to go, Ihe cureless married man, When loud the servant calls him—"Oh You haven't got the can !" He nods airain, In fretful style, But pullctn down his hat. And. 10, his sister with :i smile, Cries, " Won't you brine my hat?" "Oh, yes," he shouts, and, truth to tell, Hβ need not shouc so ioud \ B:it shrills his sou, with stunning yell, " Tin atre tickets for the crowd.." Ifis rtaii ? htcr, from the window high, Estops him with her call, She Hants ii fan, a pair of glovos, And a new pink parasol. Be hears no more; far down the street His echoing footsteps fly ; And all day lonir. in measure fleet. He hum.", "Sweet buy-and-uuy." But when tho evening respite brings, And his duy'3 toil i< done, Though told to get a huudrod things, ' Ho hasn't brought homo one. " I say !" said a friend the other day, " you are an old hand at it. I only got married the other day, and don't understand much about the business. But has a married man any rights left when he once assumes the hymeneal responsibilities ?" " Rights ? Yes, lot! He's a right to pay all the bills, to—" "Stop! X mean this. Let me give you an instance. Every box and drawer, and portmanteau, and, in fact, every available receptacle of every description, is stuffed full of my wife's property, and when I want to put away a few cufi'a and collars—" "Hold hard! I know what you mean. Listen, young man ! if your bedroom were 200 yards long, and lined from the floor to the ceiling with drawers, and you wanted a placs to stow away a couple of shirtH, you couldn't find a nook that wasn't full of hairpins, tufts of frizzes, pad«, sceut-box, old gloves, powder-putfs, rings and things. So just accept the luevitable. Wrap your personal prororty in an old newspaper or some brown pSper, and hide the parcel under the bed." He smiled loudly and r-i-onically, and passed i 00, a wiser if nut a better man. I