A LADY'S LETTER FROM WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9124, 4 August 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

A LADY'S LETTER FROM WELLINGTON.

[from our own correspondent.]

July 30.

MUSICAL TEA PARTIES. Crowded tea parties are quite the order of the day now, and there is generally some music, which is a very good idea, as, besides the pleasure of listening to good music, it gives one time to collect one's ideas before the hubbub of conversation begins again. Old English and Scottish ballads are being very much sung, and are always listened to with delight by elderly people. I recently heard "The Flowers of the Forest" beautifully sung. A good song for a baritone is " Out 011 the Deep," and for a sacred song nothing can surpass " Nazareth," the accompaniment of which ! requires considerable care and practice. A MUSICAL FESTIVAL. Musical people here are busy preparing for a festival. Mr. Parker has just returned from Christchurch, where he has arranged for the professional services of Miss 8 pens ley, and has asked Mr. W. Izard I and Mrs. Towhend to assist as tenor and | contralto soloists. Before anyone can join the society, their voices have to be tested, and by this means I should think they j would escape having a quarter of the seats filled by dummies, as is so often the case. THE BACHELORS' BALL. On Thursday the bachelors' ball was given, and at eight o'clock the hall was well filled with very daintily-dressed girls, and the air was quite perfumed with the scent of violets, which were carried by so many people, besides appearing in almost every gentleman's coat. A very handsome robe of black watered silk was worn by Mrs. Captain Russell, with a lovely gold and black front. Mrs. Rhodes wore a black velvet toilette. A pretty white net gown was worn by Miss Grace, with a white aigrette in her hair; several bouquets of violets adorned the front of her dress. A similar dress had Miss Perry, of Timaru, as a wearer, with bouquet's of primroses and violets. Miss Whity.ker's robe was of dull blue velvet. An extremely pretty pink net was worn by Mrs. Ri'.wson, with a number of tucks down one side, and bouquets of white heath scattered about the dress, and ornamenting the pink satin bodice. Miss Pearce's dress was a fresh one of the same colour, with wreaths of leaves down one side. Miss H. Williams was dressed in white net, showered with snowdrops, and trimmed with white ! watered ribbon. Miss R. Moorhouse's was a handsome black dress, with watered bodice. Miss Moss, of Hokitika, was in a gold-coloured net, with shaded red ribbons. Miss K. Johnston was dressed in an uncommon gown of grey net., with pink silk and ribbons adorning it. Miss Lascellos, of Napier, was in an amber net, with low satin bodice. A PRIVATE HOSPITAL. A lady who has had considerable experiI ence as a hospital nurse has taken a house here, which she has fitted up as a private hospital. I believe she has several patients > already. I think it is a capital idea, as | there are many people who would go there who would not care to bo taken to the large hospital. Again, there is the advantage of being able to get one of these comparatively small rooms to a high temperature, which is almost an impossibility in the large, tremendously lofty wards in a hospital, even if you have a private room. I know of a bachelor, who was takem very ill, being desirous that he should go to the hospital. However, the doctor vetoed the idea at once, as he said it would be impossible for him to breathe air of the necessary temperature. Captain Wheeler, the well-known commander of the Wakatipu, is, I hear, lying ill at this private hospital. NEW ZEALAND AND THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION. It is very pleasing to see Sir Dillon Bell so ably defend the credit of our little island against the unfair attacks made against us by a portion of the English Press. I should think the statements he published showing the progress made in our exports and manufactures during the last few years ought to be a complete answer to these calumnies. But, oh, dear ! what a come down it is when at the forthcoming exhibition of the world's industries at Melbourne New Zealand is relegated to the cool shades of a fernery. How humiliating it is to read that all our excellent Governor can find to say in favour of our court is that the display of ferns is very good, and the fine arts exhibits are excellent. This is surely a poor record for a colony that has been nearly half a century in existence, and it is especially annoying when we remember that the annual value of our manufactures alone is betwixt seven ani eight millions. I am afraid the New Zealand pilgrims will not be able to point with pride to "our court." A GOOD INVESTMENT. I daresay you all remember Colonel Scratchlej', who several years ago p,A.id ius a visit h£re to examine our defences, and shortly afterwards died in Australia. Well, his widow not long after wards returned to England, leaving behind her a hundred pounds to be invested as her friends might think best. About this time the excitement about the Broken Hill shares began, and her sagacious friend invested in these and forwarded to the lady the hundred pounds multiplied more than fifty-fold. ARCHDEACON STOCK. By the Manapouri to-day the Archdeacon and Mrs. Stoc'f left for the South. It has not yet been decided who is to take the incumbency of Sh. Peter's Church. Dorothy.