CHIT CHAT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1107, 19 May 1893, Page 14

CHIT CHAT.

Mrs Ballance has vacated the Minsterial residence in Tinakori Eoad and is now staying at her house at Wanganui,' The Knolls,'on St John's Hill. The ' Thursday Pops' come on a very awkward night for the Mail, as the paper goes to press on Thursday afternoon, and to give particulars of the concert when it is just a Week old is out of the question. However, I must compliment the promoters upon the success of the concerts, which are now very firmly established in public favour. The concerts will be given at the Opera House whenever the building is -not occupied by a theatrical company. fflßoth the candidates for the Inangahua seat, Sir Eobert Stout and Mr O'Eegan, are supporters of woman's suffrage. I think we all like a circus and certainly Fillis' Circus is the best we have seen in Wellington for years, indeed, I think it is the best we have had since Chiarini's—-a dreadfully long time ago. The children are delighted with the lions and elephants and no wonder for it is so much more convenient to see tbem in the arena than in the stuffy side tent. I would advise my readers to take the children to the matinees as there is less chance of there catching cold by being out at nights. The matinee performances are, I am told, just the same as those given in the evening. I am afraid, however, it will be difficult to persuade the average boy that such is the case.

The Christchurch chrysanthemum show came off last week. Considering the bad weather Christchurch has had of late, the show I am told, was fairly successful.

f No less than three weddings took place at Masterton on Wednesday last week, and the town, I am told, presented a very lively appearance. At 11 o'clock at St Matthew's, Miss Lydia Maud Welch, second daughter of the late Mr Henry Welch, of Opaki, was married to Mr William Bray, of Pahiatua, son of Mr C. Bray, a well-known Feilding resident. The bride, who looked most charming, was dressed in creme crepon trimmed with white silk, with veil and orange blossoms, and she also carried a beautiful bouquet. She was attended by four bridesmaids—the Misses Beatrice Welch, Edith Welch, Euby McLachlin and Jeanette Bray, each dressed in sea-green nuns'veiling, trimmed with white braid. Mr Alfred Welch acted as best man, and the bride was given away by her brother, Mr James Welch. The Eev W. E. Paige officiated and Mr C. Clifford was organist. Both bride and bridegroom being very popular, there was a very large attendance of friends.

* x At noon the second wedding took place, also at St Matthew's, the Eev W. E. Paige again officiating. Miss Elsie Meredith, daughter of Mr E. Meredith, the wellknown runholder, was married to Mr Harold Smith of Pahiatua. Mr Smith is a son of Mr Valentine Smith, one of Masterton's pioneer settlers, and the church Was again crowed with friends and relations of the happy pair. The bride, who was dressed in white corded silk, trimmed with chiffonne and orange blossoms, with veil to match, was attended by her three sisters the Misses Gwendolen, Meleta, and Kathleen Meredith, Wearing dresses of creme serge trimmed with pale green. The bride and bridesmaids each carried a beautiful bouquet. Mr J. Eainey acted as best man, the bride being given away by her father,

. The third marriage took place at St Patrick's Church, the Eev Father O'Meara officiating, and there being a Very large attendance. The contracting parties were Mr Martin Kerins and Miss Kate Gealish, both well-known local residents. The bride, so says the local paper, looked radiant in a handsome costume, and at the conclusion of the ceremony came in for the usual shower of rice and good wishes.

I hear from Dunedin that an epidemic of measles has broken out there. Parents here should be careful that their children do not catch cold, as it is quite possible measles may break out here. Though not very dangerous, measles are a very annoying complaint and every care should be taken to prevent it spreading.

*fr Mr E. S. Hawkins, who is now resident magistrate at Milton Otago, has rapidly become very popular with the people. He has taken up his residence in Milton, where by the way, lives another old Wellingtonian, Mr J. Chantry Harris, for many years proprietor of the New Zealand Times and Mail. Mr Harris now conducts the Milton paper The Bruce Herald, of which he is the proprietor.

The army of commercial travellers in New Zealand numbers a new recruit in the shape of a lady, who is now in Timaru. The local Herald states that she is doing good business as the representative of a Home firm of manufacturing chemists, and she ' very evidently knows how to do it.'

It is stated in a London paper that the Prince of Wales is likely to pay a visit to South Africa before long. He had'better take a trip to Australia and New Zealand. The voyage is only three weeks longer and the Prince would have a great reception here. The sea voyage and our fine climate would do him a world of good.

The truth of the following story is vouched for by a contemporary. It was back in the sixties, and the Queen was staying with her best friend, the first wife of the late Duke of Sutherland, at Dunrobin Castle, when one day she cook a long morning walk, attended only by one of her ladies. The morning was a delightful one, and the ladies found themselves nearly four miles from the Castle. Coming to a little cottage they saw an old woman knitting stockings by the door, and asked her permission to enter and sit down to rest themselves, which was accorded with all the hospitality of the Highlands., The old woman, resuming her knitting, began to chat about her son Donald, who had just joined a Highland regiment. ' I'll be thinkin', noo, that you fine leddies comea'thewayfraeLunnonn, maybe,' she said, looking at the two milkdrinkers. The Sovereign nodded assent. ' Weel, when ye gae back, aiblins, ye'll pr'aps tell Donald ye just had a wee bit sup with his auld mither.' The Queen wrote the name and and the number of his regiment down in her tablets, and I remember that not long afterwards Donald became a sergeant. But when the Queen rose to go, she asked to look at the tartan stocking the old woman was knitting. The stocking was handed over, and Her Majesty tried the three-corner stitch, which she had been steadily watching the old lady perform for ten minutes, and soon got the skein into a hopeless tangle. The Hieland mither, looking at her disdainfully, said,' Leddy, it's to be hoped that your gudeman buys his stockings ready-made.'

In view of the entirely novel and interesting discussion which is being opened Up on the subject of when, where, and how often men and women should marry, the following anecdote, says ' Aulus' in the Australasian, may be of quite as much value as other contributions i—A St Kilda lady who is blest with a family of very charming daughters parted with one the other day. When it Was all over she found the house topsy-turvy, and exclaimed ' Bother these Weddings, they are a nuisance.' He pert youngest, who is not yet advanced to the dignity of long frocks, soothed her mamma, and pleased her several elder sisters with the remark, ' Never mind, dear, you're not likely to be troubled again till my turn comes.

A single firm of photographers have already taken the Countess of Clancarty in no less than 180 different poses,

A series of lectures to women on the important subject of' First Aid to the Injured,' has been commenced at Dunedin, under the auspices of the St John Ambulance Association.

_ The women of Mexico have taken up pistol practice, with a view of settling their feminine differences. It is a notable fact that while men fight over cards, and dogs, and horses, and the more trivial affairs, women resort to the duel only in matters of the heart. And let it be said to the credit of women that while they commit an absurdity in fighting at all they fight purely for the possession of the loved one.

A very powerful argument against crinoline is that it has precipitated a fight in a Tennessee church. Mrs Sanders brushed her expansive skirts against Mr Watson, and that godless man make a few observations entirely foreign to the House of Prayer. Mrs Sanders relatives resented the comments, and there was an immediate representation of the Church Militant. The incident shows the deep-seated prejudice in the masculine breast against the revival of an absurd fashion. Yet it seems that the old revolutionary spirit has descended upon the daughters of the men that threw the tea into Boston harbour, and no Parliament of men will be allowed to interfere with her inalienable right to wear her petticoats as she chooses. Indeed, one woinan says that the one and only condition which would justify women in wearing the hoop would be to have men say she should not wear it. There's for you.

The Queen kept up St Patrick's Day, and wore when out driving a bunch of shamrock, as did also all the ladies and gentlemen of the Household, and at dinner shamrock emerald brooches were worn. The little bunches of light green threeleaved clover were sent over from Ireland by the Lord Lieutenant.

One of the features at a church entertainment in Alabama recently was a hugbee. A man, while blindfolded, hugged his wife for several minutes. When be discovered who she was he got angry and demanded his money back. And now his wife wants a separation on the ground of constructive flirtation..

' The Duchess of Portland, says a society paper, gave birth to a son and heir on Thursday in last week. Our hearty congratulations to her Grace, and best wishes for the little Marquis. The latter comes into a world only too likely to spoil him. The golden spoon is all about him as well as in his mouth. Although only a baby, he is already a personage. He has ' given himself the trouble to be born.' and now he has only to go on taking the trouble to live, to become seventh Duke of Portland, the Master of Welbeck Abbey, Bothal Castle, and three other charming seats ; a .Trustee of the British Museum, and the patron of thirteen Church livings.

By the way, a story is told that it was once predicted to the Duchess of Portland, when she was Miss Dallas Yorke, that she would marry a duke, and have no luck for the first three years of her marriage, but after then fortune would come to her. We have the best authority for saying that the prediction was never made, but (to put it in a truly Hibernian fashion) is has certainly been fulfilled. For during the first three years of her married life the Duchess has suffered much from ill health, and her first-born was a girl. Now, she is better and stronger in health, and has borne a boy, which, in this land of primogeniture, is almost an achievement, and is certainly gratifying to the Duke.

« Miss Mantalini' in the Pall Mall Budget gives the following interesting items in her readable ' Mems about millinery.' How the stout woman must detest the fashions of this season. Bodices are all made with belts or else cut off quite short at the waist, and the shoulder trimmings that are worn on everything add, enor« mously to the width of the back. The only way to look nice is to have a soul above fashion, and wear what suits you. One hearß very contradictory accounts of the way French dressmakers are cutting skirts. Doucet is putting less stiffening into his gowns, but Worth is suspected of sneaking desire to revive the crinoline. By the way, they told me at Peter Eobin« son's that crinolines are actually being sold.

The English National Society for Woman's Suffrage has issued a brief and modest report of its latest proceedings. A fund of .£BOO has been raised in aid of the work; and hope, uneonquered by defeat, still sustains the society in itsj effort,

, -A pleasing wedding took place at Hamilton a few days ago, when Mr R. J. Gwynne, the popular sub-editor of the Waikato Times, was united; in marriage to Miss Jear.ie Biggs, youngest daughter of the Rev R 0. G. Biggs. A.s the newly-married pair entered their buggy at the conclusion of tha service, an Indian Parsee, who had been in the church and a much interested spectator, was observed to throw a handful of small silver coins over the buggy. He afterwards explained that it was a general custom (and a very pretty one, too) in his country to throw coins over the heads of newly-married couples, those being an offering to the poor, by whom they are picked up, and he has seen as much as twenty pounds worth of given by one man in India. The small boy, however, wa3 the gainer by the first introduction of the custom in Hamilton.

The Wellington Art Club held their monthly meeting on Wednesday. There was a capital attendance. Great improvement was shown in the sketches, a large number of which were submitted. It was proposed to hold a public •- exhibition of sketches during July, when it is • expected that the Auckland Maulstick Club, the i hristchurch Palette Club and the Dunedin Art Club, will contribute, as also Nelson and Giaborne artists.

The following h from a recent London paper:-In the case of a crepon with green, pink, purple, and pale-blue lights in it, sleeves and a collar, possibly also a belt' and bands round the skirt of green miroir.velvet are used, thus resolving the varied lightly-treated hues into a harmonious and satisfying dominant chord. Many of the new shot crepons are also dotted over with silken Spots, which are apparently there with a view to settling which is to be the prevailing tone of the costume.