THE VICE-REGAL BALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9065, 28 May 1888, Page 5

THE VICE-REGAL BALL.

[BY TELEGRAM. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, Saturday. There is wailing and gnashing of teeth in volunteer circles over the circumstance that the officers of tho Wellington garrison did not receive invitations as such to the Queen's Birthday ball. Some of them remarked that if they were good enough to hold Her Majesty's commission they were good enough to be present on such an occasion, but judging from the sequel that's where they made the mistake. The invitations received by some officers were as members of the Legislature, as holding official positions, or as leading citizens,' for the leading citizens business is as rampant in Wellington as in Auckland. Possibly the social regulation observed in the invitations was to prevent a medley, although some of the officers hold the regulation was caused by one. As showing that even high life has its lights and shadows, one of tho members of the Legislature desirous of being present on the festive occasion went down town and interviewed " my uncle" regarding an evening dress, the regulation price of which in Wellington to his clients is 10s por night. The representative of the Lost Tribes informed the hon. member that he was sorry that he had left the matter so late, as a number of gentlemen had been to him on a similar errand. Ultimately tho hon. member was got into a suit which nobody thought was too largo for a small man, and in tho evening he might have beon seen in the ballroom, cool and selfpossessed, with his hands gracefully posed underneath his swallow-tails, keeping up an animated conversation on the alternate topics of Maori grievances and Mr. Samuel's Divorce Bill, in which he takes a lively interest.