CHIT CHAT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1095, 24 February 1893, Page 14

CHIT CHAT.

My Wanganui correspondent Avrites : The Avedding on Thursday of Mr F. C. SkipAvith and Miss M. A. Cremer, at Christ Church Avaa Avitnessed by a very large croAvd of spectators. The ceremony Avas performed by the Rev T. L. Tudor, and after the usual Avedding breakfast the happy pair left for Patea, en route for Auckland, Avhere the honeymoon is to be spent. The presents Avhich numbered over sixty, Avere both useful and elegant.

The Feildiog branch of the W.C.T.U. has now a membership of 28, with 7 honorary members.

A very interesting ceremony, the wedding of Miss Ruck and Mr Lsathatn, was performed at St. Mary’s Cathedral Church, Auckland, ou Tuesday week, by the Rev. George Mac Murray. The bride, Miss Maude De Quincey Ruck, daughter of the late Captain Frederick William Ruck, late 13th Regiment Light Tnfantry, was a young lady well known and exceedingly popular in Pasnell. Mr William Newland Leatham, late of St. Thomas’s Hospital, London, is a son of Mr William Henry Leatham, and brother of Dr Leatham, both of New Plymouth, Now Zealand. The bride’s robe was of very handsome ivory China silk, trimmed with real lace and orange blossoms, with similar natural flowers in her hair. Misses May White, Flora Churton, Elsie Salmon, and Daisy Mowbray, acted as bridesmaids, and were dressed in French muslin with pale pink floral designs, and white hats with pink ribbon and mignonette. After the service the wedding party adjourned to Mrs Ruck’s residence, in Manukau Road, where the usual festivities were indulged in, and the numerous and handsome presents appreciatively reviewed.

Previous to her departure from WaipaAva for Hastings, last week, Mrs Maroney was presented by the ladies of St. Patrick’s congregation with an address and purse of 23aovs. In making the presentation the Rev. Father Keegan referred to the many services rendered by the recipient to St. Patrick’s, and on behalf of a large number of friends wishod her every success.

A pretty story of a Christmas present once given by the Princess of Wales is told by** London paper. Crossing the hall of Marlborough House late one afternoon a few days before Christmas, the Princess noticed a young girl of singularly delicate and refined appearance waiting, and standing, though evidently fatigued and faint. The Princess told her kindly to sit down, asked her errand, and discovered fhe had brought homo some little garments which had been ordered for the children, and which the Princess, who was much interested in sewing machines, had desired to be made for her. Prepossessed by the moda3t intelligent appearance and gontlo manner of the girl, her Royal Highness desired her to follow her to her room, which she did without the faintest idea who the lady was. After an examination of the articles, the Princess asked her who it was that had executed the work. The girl modestly confessed that it was she Avho had done most of it. The Princess said it was done very nicely, and finally drew from her the simple facts of her condition—that she had an invalid mother, whom she was obliged to leave all alone while slio went to a shop to work ; how the then fashionablersge formacliine sewing hadsuggested to her to become a finished operator, with the hope that at some future time she might own a machine of her own, and bo able to work at home and earn something more than bread for her pocr sick mother. The Princess rang the bell, and ordered a bottle of wine, some biscuits, and oranges to be packed and brought to her. Meamvhilo she. had asked the wondering girl whore she lived, and taken down her address. She then gave her the delicacies, neatly packed in a basket, and told her to take them to her mother. On Christmas morning there was carried into the apartment of the invalid mother and her astonished and delighted daughter a handsome sewing machine, with a slip of paper, on which were written the simple words, ‘A Christmas gift from Alexandra.’ A fashionable marriage came off at Dunedin tho other day when Mr Percy R. Sargood, son of Sir Frederick Thomas Sargood, K.C.M.G., Melbourne, was married to Miss Lucy Constance Ormond, youngest daughter of Dr Ormond, of Hawke’s Bay, and neice of the Hon. J. D. Ormond. ‘ Madge’ in Truth discourses as follows on the much talked of Empire gowns At a little dance last week we saw two sisters in Empire gowns. One was short and wide ; the other tall and stooping. Neither had pretty shoulders, and these are an important point in ‘Josephine’ dress. Gu the whole, wo have not been happy in our experiences of this period of costume. I watched those girls with lively disapprobation during the evening, and because they looked so satisfied with themselves I yearned to tell them that they had very little reason for self-con-tent. You know that uncomfortable frame of mind when some one displeases you and you are anxious to express your displeasure ? It is destructive of serenity, and, therefore, to be avoided.

Those girls annoyed me dreadfully, especially when they danced, and the play of their knees threw the foldaof their frocks all out of drawing. Fred said they were ‘high-steppers.’ Maurice, if he had been there, would have called them ‘leppers ’ in his usual Hibernian fashion. A Miss Parker, latterly working for the tailoring firms in Sydney, has received the news that she has been left the sum of £I9OO. As every man thinks he can drive a gig, play the fiddle, and edit a paper, so every woman believes that she knows how to make tea in the beat way so as to yield the most exhilarating results. But it is always well to keep an open mind on such matters and bo willing to learn. With the view of disseminating useful information, a London tradesman has got up a paper under the title of ‘Tea Leaves,’ and and he has the following about making tea :—‘ln making tea, great care should be taken with tho kettle to see that no corrosive matter or incrustation accumulates. The water should boil only at the time of making tho infusion, for if water is allowed to keep boiling it becomes hard, and will not give tho tea the opportunity of showing its quality. Allow six or eight minutes boforo serving, and then for second brewing ten minutes more. Well-constituted teas will always givo two good waters without being impoverished. Use for preference china or earthen teapots, good milk and good sugar—either pure raw (or cane) sugar or lump—and you will obtain what is in every way adapted to the enjoyment of tho social meal of the day—afternoon tea. Whenever it is necessary to wash windows übo plenty of clean cloths, change the water often, and rub tho panes until perfectly clear and dry. Then the glass will bo clean, no matter what particular method is followed. To go more into detail, here is a good rule :—Half fill a pail with tepid water, and add to it four tablespoonfuls of household ammonia. Wash the glass with old linen, or a piece of cheesecloth. Rinse the cloth often, and squeeze so dry that the water will not run from it. Rub the glass quite hard. Now wipe dry with a clean piece of cheesecloth and polish with a chamois skin or a piece of newspaper which has been crushed in the hands until soft. Change the water often, and always have the drying cloth perfectly dry and clean. Some housekeepers use only chamois skins for washing and wiping the windows, but I have found the above method more satisfactory. In 1680 the Duchesse de Fontauges had her hat blown off while hunting, so to keep her hair off her face she tied it back with one of her ribbon garters. Hair dressing * with ribbons straightaway became fashionable. News has been received in Sydney of the death, near Everton (Victoria), of Miss Muriel Dight, a sister of Miss Helen Dight, who was drowned at Bodalla, under very distressing circumstances. Miss Muriel Dight, who was only 17 years old, was staying, in company with another sister, with her aunt at the Grange Station, near Eveiton. On Sunday she proceeded to the bath, which is situated in an annex of the homestead. On leaving the bath she was bitten in the foot by a tiger snake. Not until the poison began to take effect did she realise her danger. Then she became unconscious, in which state she was discovered. She was at once put to bed and a messenger despatched to Bsechworth for a doctor. When the medical aid arrived the usual remedies were applied, with apparently favourable results. A letter received by the family from the station, stated that the patient was well on the road toward recovery. Subsequently, however, a telegram arrived convoying the painful news of the young lady’s death on the previous evening. After the accident search was made in the bathroom for the snake, which was discovered and killed. The Queen has invariably ordered a miniature to be painted of every baby born in her family, whether child, grandchild, or great-grandchild. Mr Salwey, M.J.S., member of the SocidlEi Sinico-Japonaise of Paris, read a paper on Japanese fans before the Japan Society on December 8. There are, said Mr Salwey, screen fans, folding fans, battle fans (made of iron), and military ensign fans, dagger fans, and court fans, and Hi wood fans. There aro house-top fans, bridge fans, sporting fans, and ceremonial fans; dancing fans, album fans, map fans, and waterproof fans; kitchen fans, professional fans, and mere ordinary fans—fanß that roll up and fans that don’t roll up—doll’s fans, children’s fans, winnowing fans, family crest fans, and fans conceivable and inconceivable. Not only is there a fan design for wall paper, but there is a fan symbolism. Thus, fans have been the Japanese emblem of victory. When a young Jap comes of age they give him a fan. The person who is the Japanese equivalent for a British Lord High Admiral grips a fan ; it is the emblem of a prosperous life. The Japanese do not use their fans as a means of conducting a sort of fan language, as do the Spaniards and their South American descendants, bub no Japanese umpire at a Japanese wrestling match is considered complete without one. The Japanese

farmer finds an every-ready source of consolation, along with his fellow-citizens, winter and summer alike, in the übiquitous fau.