ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9491, 21 April 1894, Page 3 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

[FROM the society papers.] In that great march to Effeminacy, which is one of the most distressing features of the age (says a London paper), we observe that) a new point has beet; attained. Men are now beginning to perfume their clothes. Football players are also ceasing to Cub thei< hair; " a man the other day received a dress-suit smelling like an Eastern dream," and the acme of the insufferably insidious is obviously in the immediate offing. If this sorb of thing continues we shall really feel disposed to pray for war or for any other iron deterrent to the extinction of the manhood of the race. The Prince of Wales has for some years had his coup 6 lit with electrical lamps, and one of his Sandringham equipages is similarly provided. His Royal Highness is much annoyed when a mishap to the accu< mulators occurs and obliges him to return to the ordinary system of lighting. Considerable interest is felt at Home ir, the engagement of handsome Miss Violet Grey Egerton to young Lord Romllly. Miss Egerton is a sister of Sir Philip, who married the beautiful American Miss Ayler last January. The bride-elect recently met with a severe accident, and is still being wheeled about in a bath-chair, where her lovely face and fragile appearance have won her much sympathy. Lord Romilly is a clever young lieutenant in the Ist Battalion of the Coldstream Guards. He was 28 on March Ist. Another engagement of momonb is that of the Hon. Montagu Forbes, youngest son of the late Lord Forbes of Castle Forbes, Aberdeenshire, recently betrothed to Helen, eldest daughter of Mr. William Campbell, of 30, Lancaster Gate. ________________ Mourning seems to be going out of fashion. Crape, except in the extreme of grief (the World says), seems relegated to the middle classes, whose ideas on subject are fixed. Nobody remains in retirement long ; nobody wears black for the stated periods of time that were customary, if not compulsory, once. After all, life is so short, and one's elations are so many. The practice, now almost entirely obsolete, of the men remaining behind after dinner to drink wine, was made unfashionable by a rule made by the Queen, that when she rises from the table the rest of her guests shall follow her into the draw-ing-room. Here are some racy hints on etiquette. One should listen in silence when another ia talking, says an authority on socialetiquette. Only ill-bred people say " Dear me," and "Is that so?" and " Zou don't tell ma?" and make that clicking sound with the tongue which' often follows the recital of something dreadful. The term "dirty," applied to soiled clothing, gloves, and other things of the kind, is inelegant. The slangy or profane man should be banished from ' decent society. The napkin should be touched to the lips, or one end of it, with a, finger behind, be drawn across the mouth. Some people use it as though it were a mop, and their mouths the dock of a fishing sloop after a "catch" had been dressed. The man who tips up his soup plate and thrusts the pointed end of his spoon into his mouth, like Diabolus, the sword swallower, will always be the man who will use a toochpiuk at- the table and clutch his spoon between his fingers whii« raising his coffee cup to his4ips. Occasionally one's vis-a-vis will blow at his soup or coffee. Ho is the man who blows on his fingers to warm them. No self-respecting girl will be seen lunching or dining at any public restaurant unless a chaperon be present. It is bad form for a young woman to thank her escort for having taken her to tha theatre; he is the favoured one, and should thank her for accepting the invitation. Ladies pub on their gloves in their boudoirs, servant girls at the front) door, others on tM street. The Queen observes a quaint custom at her dinner parties. As each course is placed on the table one of the clerks of the kitchen solemnly announces in loud tones the name of the cook who prepared ib. The Queen possesses a service of solid gold sufficient) for dining 250 persona. • ;v> ■ /• ■ '.i