ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9118, 28 July 1888, Page 3 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

[FROM the society tapers.]

There is excellent) authority for saying (writes the London correspondent of the Birmingham Post) that the Queen contemplates a change in the sumptuary regulations for the winter Drawing-rooms of next year,'and that, in the future, the plea of cold weather will be quite sufficient to justify any lady in wearing a high dress if she wishes, without the hitherto existing necessity for obtaining a medical certificate) of delicacy or ill-health.

Mr. Rider Haggard is off in a few. days for a holiday in Iceland.? Happy is the author who can move the world at his own : sweet will and seek for inspiration when ho listeth. Mr. Haggard, by the way, is nob only a penman, but a gunman, a rodman, and a horseman—as a "rider" should be.

The Queen states that among other duties which Queen Margaret of Italy recently set herself to perform was that of visiting the female elementary schools of Rome. Queen Margaret's sympathy witt children is very marked, in proof of which it may be noted that a very small scholat had been told off to recite a little poem ot welcome to tho Queen. At first she went) on bravely, but after the opening lines tho child hesitated, stopped, and then exclaiming, " I can't remember it," began to cry. In a moment the Queen had the littlo creature in her arms, and was kissing and consoling her, until soon the mortified little scholar was smiling upon the fair face so near her own. Mrs. Hamersley, now the Duchess of Marlborough, is the widow of Louis Hamersley, who died about five years ago, leaving a fortune of a couple of » millions sterling. In reckoning up the value of the alliance, an American organ " guesses that there would only be ten women between Mrs. Hamersley and the Queen. She would, of course, be a great deal further up the line than any American woman now in London, and, considering the matter simply in a general way, it is not probable that any woman could resist the temptations which this condition of things would hold out. " Mrs. Hamersley is a superb-looking woman, tall and of a commanding figure, and a pronounced blonde."

A spray of grape leaves sown with seed pearls is a dainty pattern in lace pins. A pin much fancied by horse lovers among the fair sex consists of a bar formed of a whip stock of gold, having a silver horseshoe at each end. The whole is topped by a jockey cap, with moonstone top, daimond peak, and gold rim. A South American mummy's eye, set in an eagle's claw of gold, is a scarf pin much admired by lovers of the bizarre. A miniature Indian arrow head of flint, bound to a gold shank by a silver cord, is an oddity in scarf pins. A perfect globe of highly-polished moonstone, set within a cage of gold wire, is a peculiar pattern in scarf pins recently seen. A half-opened fan of gold, showing four folds set alternately with turquoises and diamonds, is a costly brooch.

Ladies who wish to be considered really fashionable, now carry a cane. The proper cane is ornamented with large knots of red or green ribbon, and may be silverheaded. , Her Majesty habitually uses a cane, the Princess of Wales walks with one. In "Pompadour," the chic actress (Mrs. Beerbohm Tree) carries a cane; and amongst the Parisian antes the fascinating Marquise de Gallifet is a prominent) leader of the prevailing fashion, and steadies her steps with a jewelled cane.

A correspondent at Rome informs ino that the Pope has just finished a book on the social condition of the working classes, on which he has been engaged for a year. His Holiness enforces the Socialistic doctrine that the State should be the intermediary and arbiter between employer and employed, and calls upon Catholics in all countries to assist their respective Governments in their efforts to improve tho social conditions of the working classes.

The public is about to be troubled with another Fortescue-Garmoyle suit. For some six months the engagement between Viscount Dangan, a young officer of the Guards and heir to the Earldom of Cowley, and Miss Phyllis Broughton, the popular Gaiety Theatre soubrette, has hung fire, and, growing anxious, it is stated that the young lady has served papers which will bring the young Guardsman into court charged with breach of promise.

There arc at present on exhibition at Elkington's, of 22, Regent-street, London, a number of the gifts given to the Prince and Princess of Wales on their silver wedding. Tho most beautiful is what is called the " Dreamer's Table." It was presented to the Princess by the city of Birmingham, and is, all of the silver, the work of MorelLadeuil, the French artist, . lately dead, whose work in silver is held to bo a rival of Benvenuto Cellini's best handiwork. Like Cellini, he executed his own designs, and this masterpiece had no other hand in its production. It can never be duplicated, for Birmingham bought the designs with the table and then destroyed them. The " Dreamer's Table" has three figures seated at the base of its pedestal, wrapped in slumber —a poet, a husbandman, a warrior. On the silver surface of the table their dreams sweep past, the figured fantasies wrought with marvellous delicacy. Upright in the centre of the table stands the figure of Somnia, strewing poppies, and this goddess of dreams is said to be a shape of poetic loveliness.

Tho Princess of Wale 3 looked _ quite charming in pale blue satin, embroidered in the inevitable silver and draped with silver lace, blue ostrich plumes looping the draperies at tasteful intervals. Her ornaments were pearls and diamonds with, or course, the diamond butterfly brooch and the diamond bee ; and she wore the Orders of Victoria and Albert, the Crow of India, St. Catherine of Russia, the Jubilee .commemoration medal, and , th ° ' „ , ma bio Order. Her Royal Highness was amiaoio and ? raci ° m ever, n b d U tho° PriMO looked positively ill-humoured, except when chafe-, to Kin" Oscar, whose intelligent cong Ind fresh interest m all ho sees, isfcertainiy a pleasing variety to the average of Court small-talk.