STORIES ABOUT MUSICAL PARTIES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 606, 15 September 1883, Page 3

STORIES ABOUT MUSICAL PARTIES.

There was once a hostess who kept in her drawing room two pianos : a good one for herself and the feeble amateuis of her acquaintance who, she said, “did not hurt it ” ; and a bad one for professional pianists, who, when they good-naturedly offered to play to her, were allowed to do their worst on an instrument which they could not, injure; but which at the same time defied their efforts to produce dazzling effects. This lady, however, knew what she was about; and, from views of. economy which many will think, erroneous, declined for the sake of a little temporary show to have her property damaged. Another lady who possessed a piano which had once been good, and who was really unaware of the effect which Time’s effacing fingers had had upon its ancient brilliancy, asked a famous German pianist to perform upon it, and, after he had obligingly done so, was rash enough so ask him what he thought of it. “ Since you press me for an opinion,” replied the eminent artist, “ I will tell you first that your piano wants new wires, and, secondly, that the hammers want new leather. And while you are about it,” he continued, gradually boiling up, “ with your new leather, you had better have new wood, and when your instrument is thus repaired the best thing you can do with it will be to make it into firewood and have it burned.” One of the most successful of our London managers, asked how it was that, unlike other managers, he never quarrelled with any of his company, replied that he never quarrelled with them because he humored them and treated them like children. Perhaps musical artists ought also to be treated like children. But even to a child one ought not to give a worthless toy.—St. James Gazette. COURT COSTUME AT ST, JAMES.’ A London letter says : Tho two , drawingrooms held by the Princess of Wales on behalf of the Queen were the most brilliant and crowded assemblies that have been seen for years. Glad completely in ivory-white satin, embroidered with seed pearls, literally blazing with diamonds, tho Princess even surpassed herself in good looks, and more than held her own against those of the most noted beauties of the day, such as the Countess of Dudley, theViscouuteJS Oastlereagh, and other modern Venuse3 who wore present. There wore se-veral “ sensations ” connected with tho last of tho?o royal receptions. Ons lady fell in a dead.faint just as she was about to enter the throne room, and two olhers were refused admittance because they wore the fashionable tan-colored Swedish gloves instead of the regu'ation white or black kid. The fas frequently expressed tho opinion that she “ cannot understand colored gloves,” and she

is obdurate in her insistance on tho letter of tho oouit regulation, which specifically mentions white or black kid gloves as tho only court wear. Many innovations modern fasl.ion lias succeeded in grafting on court costume The train is now worn indifferently hu-ig from one shoulder, from both or from the waistband ; the bodice of the dress is cut rquaro or ovalshaped, or tri mgulur, but a really high wuist may not bo worn without the backing of a medical certificate. The true court costume, however, has the full train suspended by a straight band from botll shoulders ; tho bodice should be low, both shoulders uncovered, and except for mourning, white kid gloves must bo worn. Ostrich feathers placed so high above tlie head that they will be visible to the royal eye which looks for them, should surmount either a veil or lace lappets—not both, as an overzealous American lady of my acquiantaneo once put on, tho mistake being reclifiod by a lucky chance only just as she was stepping into her carriage to go to court Beyond those restrictions all is latitude in the court costumes ; no jewels whatever or any number of them may be worn ; dre. : s material tho richest or the flimsiest that money can buy and though it is thoroughly well known that the court of St. Jumes is unsurpassed by that of any gathering of women tho world over, never theless at every drawing-room there is to bo seen a contingent of inexpressible guys, young ani old ; so that though tho generality of women, I suppose, would like to bo well dressed on so auspicious an occasion as that of going to court, tnose who by misfortune or accident may happen to bo badly dressed will be sure to find at least a few others of the same sort to keep them in countenance. A POET’S DESCRIPTION OP HIS MARRIAGE. In the following letter, extracted from Mr Godwin's “ Life and Letters of William Cullen Bryant, 5 ' the poet describes his marriage, which occured June 11, 1821, at Great Barrington, Mass., in the house of the bride’s sister, a Mrs. Henderson : Dear Mother : I hasten to send you the melancholy intelligence of what has lately happened to me. Early on the evening of the 11th day of the present month I was at a neighboring house in this village. Several people of both sexes were assembled in one of the apartments, and three or four others, with myself, were in another. At last. came in a little, elderly gentleman—pale, thin, with a solemn countenance, pleuritic voice, hooked nose, and hollow eyes. It was not long before we were summoned to attend in the apartment where he and the rest of the comgany were gathered. We went in and took our seats; the little, elderly gentleman with the hooked nose prayed, and we all stood up. When he had finished, most of us sat down. The gentleman with the haoked nose then muttered certain cabalistical expressions, which I was too much frightened to remember, but I recollect that at the conclusion I wae given to understand that I was married to a young lady by the name of Frances Fairchild, whom I perceived standing by my side, and I hope in the course of a few months to have the pleasure of introducing to you as your daughter-in-law, which is a matter of some interest to the poor girl, who has neither father nor mother in the world. I have not “ played the fool and married an Ethiop for the jewel in her ear.” I looked only for goodness of heart, an ingenuous and affectionate disposition, a good understanding, etc., and the character of my wife is too frank and single-hearted to suffer me to fear that I may be disappointed. I do myself wrong ; I did not look for these nor any other qualities, but they trapped me before I was aware, and now I am married in spite of myself. Thus the current of destiny carries us all along. None but a madman would swim against the stream, and none but a fool would exert himself to swim with it. The best way.is to float quietly with the tide. So much for philosophy—Now to business. Your affectionate son, 1 “ William.” BEAUTY BOUGHT IN SHOPSIt is a question whether beauty;, like goodness, must not necessarily be genuine in order to be admirable.' The climax of this theory is reached when the old lady of 85, the aged patroness of many charlatans, is held up to admiration because—at a little distance —she would pas 3 for 30. Proudly her “makers up’’ point out how this effect is produced ; her hair is false, her skin is enamelled—besides being “ tightened ’’ to prevent wrinkles—her eyelashes are stained, her figure is “ made.” She is false all over.. Now, is this admirable ? Would not a little honest old age and ugliness be more agreeable? Be this as it may, it is not very important. When a lady has reached the mature age of 85 her appearance troubles no one very much, except her grandchildren. But when it comes to the woman whom you love, or might love if you were quite certain that she wa3 genuine, the case is different. It is bad to know that your dear Angela must sleep in corsets, or she never, never could attain to the fashionable waist; it is sad to think of the inevitable results on her poor little feet of those Louis Quinze heels, which makeherpretty boots look so bewitching. Figure tc yourself what it must feel like totakeyourbeauty-sleep withapair of pincers on your nose. That pretty old-fashioned expression has now taken a new and dreadful meaning. Any one who desires to possess the “ Mrs Lantry nose ” has but to sleep in torment for a week or two and the great result is obtained. If the figure of the wouldbe beauty is not as lovely as she wishes, “ tho anatomical corset-maker ” will supply her with a nocturnal squeezing apparatus which will “fine her down ” by degrees. If her stature is too low for beauty, she may remedy- this by wearing what is mildly called an “ appliancein the days of the Inquisition it would probably have been classed as an instrument of torture. This appliaucesqueezes and stretches all the lower part of the body, and its use is said not to interfere with the comfort of one’s beautysleep. Once enamelled, always enamelled. The professed beauty can only afford to be yellow, “gray, and uncurled” in secret. She finds herself precipitated on the downward path. It is just as well, having once begun to attend to the matter, to perfect her beauty. Why not make use of the marvels

of modern inventiveness remodel her ears, her nose and her finger-tips ? It is difficult to say why she should not carry her theory out to the full. —London World.

The American woman is still marching on. She has a 1 ready taken possession of the pulpit, the bar, and the dissecting room ; now she has begun to claim her rightful position in the world of finance. Mrs. Louisa Stephens, widow of Mr R. D. Stephens, has just been elected president of the First National Bank of Marion, lowa. She is the first woman who has ever occupied such a position. Even with twenty-two clubs for the feminine sex, New York ladies are not yet satisfied. They are not yet satisfied, because, says the Globe, somehow or other, they find it advisible to admit men to membership in these associations. So they have struck out in a new direction—that of skittle playing. And when certain obliging representatives of the male sex have done teaching them the game they intend to have the skittle alleys all to themselves ; until they find how irksome it is to have to pick up the balls. “It is a very bright paper,” said Mrs. Jones ; “ but my husband does not like me to read it. It is so full of naughty witticisms, he says.” “ That’s just what my husband says,” said Mrs. Smith; “but he brings heme a copy every week —having merely cut out the improper paragraphs. Of course I buy another copy.” “ Then he might as well spare himself the trouble of supplying a mutilated one ?” “ Indeed, n» ; it is very useful. One cannot read an entire newspaper. I lay his copy over mine and read through the holes.”