TEA TABLE TOPICS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1196, 1 February 1895, Page 14

TEA TABLE TOPICS.

Wellington, January 26. This week has been a very memorable one. It is not often that people have a chance of seeing a procession of eight bishops and sixty clergy, as we saw at St. Paul’s Pro-Cithedral last Friday. I thought the sight of Bishop Wallis kneeling in front of the altar, with the seven bishops round him, was most imposing.

The robes of the new Bishop of Wellington are rather different from those we are accustomed to see, the rochet being of scarlet silk, which gives his white lawn sleeves a pink appearance in the distance. Except for that I admired them immensely, as they are very handsome, and the Bishop’s appearance in thorn is most dignified. He wears a wide black ribbed silk stole, and a silver cross.

The seating arrangements at St. Paul’s were very good. People were only admitted by tickets, and that prevented the usual crowd of children and nursema-ds from usurping the best seats, as I have seen done on some occasions befoie. The churchwardens managed well, and people were quietly shown to their seats without any confusion whatever. 1 came so the con elusion that selfishness show 3 itself in verj' curious ways. After the laying-on of hands on our Bishop, one or two persons stood up to see better, though all the others were kneeling, quite oblivious or careless of the fact that they prevented a good many people behind them from seeing at all. Had they been anywhere but in church they would probably have had imperious voices calling to them to “ Sit down."

The Drillshed was crowded on Saturday night with people eager to welcome Bishop Wallis and his wife, and a very pleasant evening was spent. St. Mark’s. St. Peter’s, and St. Paul’s were all well represented, aqd I saw plenty of people of other denominations beside the Church of England, which was very satisfactory, and I think showed good and friendly feeling.

It was kind of tho Bishop of Salisbury to think of telling us that the Bishopric of Lichfield had been refused by three good men before ic was accepted by Bishop Selwyn. Some of us here had felt mortified because our Bishopric had not been -at once accepted, as if ours wore quite an exceptional case ; but evidently it i 3 not so, and we may congratulate ourselves on having waited to such good purpose, and on having secured such an excellent man as Bishop Wallis.

The singing of the Melanesian boys was a very pleasant feature of Saturday evening’s function. I have been on the Southern Cross to see them, and found them such nice, intelligent, happy lads. They cannot speak any English, but they make themselves very well understood by signs, and they take off their hats and shake hands in the most gentlemanly way. One of them ph»ys the harmonium very nieely, and all of them have learnt to write. I should think that everyone must feel great sympathy and interest in the Melanesian Mission when they see those boys, and reflect on what utter savages they were a little while ago.

On Thursday last a great many people went to St. Paul’s to see the wedding of Mias Bessie Tuckey and Mr H. S. Hadfie'.d. They were married at 11 o’clock in the morning by the Bishop of Nelson, assisted by the Yen. Archdeacon Williams arid the Rev. Mr Sprott. The bride looked very well in ail ivory white corded silk, trimmed with a berthe of old Lime rick lace, and the usual tulle veil and orange blossoms. Slie carried a beautiful bouquet of white roses, stephanotis, clematis and maidenhair fern, and wore a pearl pendant with a gold chain, the gift of Bishop Hadfield.

Her bridesmaids were her sister and Miss Amy Hadfield (sister of the bridegroom) Miss Daphne Worry, *nd Master Erie Williams was page. Miss Tuckey an ! Mias Hadfield wore pale pink crepon gowns, trimmed with deep Vandyke collars of yellow lace, the bodicea edged with pink ribbon, fastened at the back with long bows and ends. The skirts were trimmed with flounces of crepon, edged with yellow insertion. They wore large black lace picture hats, trimmed with yellow lace, pink roses and tulle, aud carried pretty bouquets of sweet peas and pansies and pink ribbon. Little Mias Werry looked very pretty in cream Batin and lace, and carried a basket of sweet peas and pansies, and Mr Earl Williams wore a page’s suit of black velvet, with deep lace collar and cuffs, and pink bows.

The bridegroom’s presents were very handsome gold curb chain bangles with padlocks. The best man was Mr J. O. Anson, and the other groomsmen Messrs L. and F. Hadfield, Warren, and H. P. Tuckey.

Mrs Hadfield wore black satin, with ft black lace and jet mantle, small bonnet with pale pink flowers ; Mrs Tuckey, black silk gown and mm YVSt) to

and jet mantle, cream lace bonnet with jet and pink roses. Miss Hadlield wore a pretty deep cream gown with bands of fawn velvet, black hat with flowers. Among the guests 1 saw Mrs Williams, of Te Aute, in black silk and lace ; Mrs T. 0. Williams and the Misses Williams, in white muslin gowns trimmed with lace insertion and bebe ribbon, hats to match ; Miss Brandon, light grey gown trimmed with pink and silk, pretty light bonnet ; MrsSprotb wore a nut brown costume ; Mrs Wardrop wore a veiy stylish gown < f pale blue and black striped crepon with a full vest of blue silk and white lace, black floral hat to match ; Mrs H. D. Crawford, white duck costume, broad cream straw hat with scarlet flowers and black ribbon velvet ; Mrs Alec Crawford look-d very well in a pale blue crepon gown trimmed with black lace and li’obon, becoming Marie Stuart bonnet of ecru lace trimmed with blue rosettes and ospreys ; Mrs and Mias Swainson ; Mrs Beetlmm : Dr and Mrs Tripe ; Archdeacon and Mis Fancourt ; Miss Fancourt, wearing a pretty black and white tweed gown with black watered silk rovers and trimming, white sailor hat with cream hand ; Mrs Morison, Mrs England, Mrs Barron, Mrs Stowe, and many others.

Mr and Mrs H. Hadfield left by the midday train for Otaihanga, the bride wearing a becoming fawn and brown check jacket and skirt, with waistcoat to match, and a cream straw hat, prettily trimmed with cream silk.

Mrs John Ross, of Inverlocby, has issued invitations for a progressive euchre party next Thursday. 1 am very glad that wo are to have another of those pleasant parties, as Wellington people seem to have quite forgotten euchre lately.

I am sure that a great many people will bo interested in the Bishop of Melanesia’s “ Island Scheme." lie wishes to raise £2OOO a year beyond that which has been subscribed hitherto. The scheme is as folio a/ s : —“The Cambridge University Review, in notifying the appointment of the Rev. Cecil Wilson to the Bishopric of Melanesia, stated that his diocese comprised two hundred islands in the South Pacific. It is proposed to form two hundred homo ‘ islands,’ each named after one of those in Melanesia, and each engaging to talco a special and prayerful interest in the island after which it is named. In the support of missionary work in its own little sphere of interest each ‘ island ’ will raise at least £lO a year.

“ Home ‘ islands ’ may be varied in size, ranging from one to thirty members. An ‘ island ’ may be formed by any person interested in foreign missionary work calling together his friends and neighbours. When an ‘ island ’ has been formed, a ‘ chief ’ should be elected by the ‘ islanders ’ to whom the Bishop may send news and magazines. The * chief 1 shall call and keep together the ‘islanders,’ arrange for the quarterly return of mis sionary boxes, and improvise ‘ island and other meetings with the assistance of the clergy of the parish. No ‘island’ should number more than thirty people. Where thirty is the number, it will be seen that the quota for each 4 islander would only be 6s Bd. It would be best, however, not to tie any one down or up to this Buui ; but to let all give what they could afford. Regular weeldy giving is a feature of tho ‘ island ’ scheme. . A penny in the box every Monday morning brings in 4s 41 a year." I h-pe this schema will prosper. Subscriptions are to be sent to the Yen. Archdeacon Dudley, St. Sepulchre’s, Auckland, or to the Bishop himself. Tone.