TEA TABLE TOPICS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1201, 8 March 1895, Page 13

TEA TABLE TOPICS.

Wellington, . March 4. Dr and Mrs Collins will be much i»isseifi in Wellington. They leave by the lonic mxfc 'J hursday, and I hear that Miss Bethune is t<j* go with them for the benefit of her health. 1 am sure that her many friends will hope that she will return next summer much better for the trip.

Miss Holmes gave a very pleasant afternoon tea last Wednesday, as a farewell toMrs Collins. Miss Holmes received in a» handsome black velvet gown trimmed with black lace, and Mrs Collins looked very me& in a pretty heliotrope gown and black skirt:., and a black hat trimmed with Parma, violets. Mrs P. Baldwin wore a pretty brown dress, relieved with pink silk, and Miss Williams and Miss Johnston looked well in white. Mrs Tolhurst wore black, and Miss Tolhurst vyhite. Mrs Wardrop wore a very stylish green striped gown, much trimmed on the bodice" with iace. Others present were Mrs and Miss Barron, Miss. Windeyer, who is a ggest of Mtb Richmond’s-, Miss Richmond, Major -Blliot, Mr Parfitt, etc. .V-: 1 '

What shall we all do when the Opera Company is gone ? We have had so many jolly evenings and have seen so many pretty plays and lovely dresses. I must confess that the jewellery worn by Miss Nellie; Stewart, Miss Young and Miss Nash is a perfect joy to me ; the designs are so new and pretty, that I wondered if they often have them - re-set,. _ No doubt “ Mam’zelle Nitouche ” is a very’ frivolous play with not much jn.it, but I laughed over the jokes with much enjoyment.

Miss Stewart looked so charming in.hey school-girl travelling cloak that I must describe it, as the whole costume would be easily adapted for a girl of fifteen or sixteen. The cloak was of pale terra-cotta cashmere, made with a yoke, falling straight from that to the edge of the skirt, lined with pala green silk, and edged; down the front with skunk fur, a deep cape of green velvet edged with skunk being worn over it. The paletots had bishop's sleeves with a green velvet band. With this was worn a dear little' Puritan bonnet of green velvet, with a cashmere crown to match the cloak, and edged with the fur round the face. A very small child of five or six would look well in this costume.

Among the audience I saw Mrs Richmond in black, and Miss Windeyer in a very tasteful cream gown A’ith black lace insertion, Mrs O. Izard wore terra-cotta silk, and Mrs Wardrop looked well in a pretty grey silk, with grey velvet jacket, and sofc waistcoat of pale green chiffon. Mrs G. Hutchison had a black go wn and a par ticular ly prettywhite opera cloak. In the stalls I saw Mrs Elder in a very, _becoming brown dress with a cream waistcoat. Miss*" Godfrey was with her, dressed" in : daYk 'blue. 1 -■ I also noticed the Misses Skerrett in pretty gowns, Miss N. ■’Holmes,-etc.. ... v

At the “ Mountebanks ” I saw Miss Boss looking very well, and Miss Lloyd Williams in a dark di ess, with a very nice dove-coloured opera cloak trimmed with white fur. Mrs Purdy wore a handsome black silk and lace gown ; Miss Warburton looked well in black, with a handsome scarlet opera cloak trimmed with white ; Miss Gibson had a pretty white cloak, and Mrs Hardy wore a handsome black lace dress;, Miss Hirschberg also blue gown, with brown ribbon bands, which looked well in black with a nice cloak, Mrs Quick wore black with a crimson plush cloak, and Miss M. Quick black and amber ; Mrs Harold Glasgow wore an exceedingly pretty pale was very becoming to her ; Mrs Young wore black with terra-cotta silk ; Mrs Kobn, black brocade, and Miss Heywood a very pretty dress trimmed with rose colour.

I read that the electric light has a most peculiar effect upon different people. Thosi who are fortunate enough to be in good health it “tpnes up,’' but alas for those who are sickly or nervous, it is supposed to have a disastrously different effect on them, it causes extra nervousness, loss of sight and hearing, and all sorts of ills. Can these things be ? I hope not, for the sake of the many who are using the electric light now.

I have had the pleasure of looking at some of the new autumn fashions this week. I say the pleasure, advisedly, because it is really very ''pleasant to find that such exceedingly pretty, sensible garment s are to be fashionable this winter, and that we shall not be asked to robe ourselves in monstrosities, or else appear dowdy-—which is a thing no true woman on abide! Velvet hats of the" most charming shapes seem to prevail mostly, with stiff brims, and either rather high crowns of a contrasting shade of colour, or else soft “ beef-eater ” crowns, gathered into a centre and fastened with a rosette, or else with a jet ornament. I took a particular fancy to a pale brown velvet hat of a very picturesque shape, with a floppy crown of the same shade, and a trimming of black velvet bows and jetted coque feathers, and underneath a convenient curl in the brim was a touching little green velvet rosette and ends. I shall be so envious of the fortunate pei'son who buys that hat.

The toques were very pretty, too, with pink, royal blue, eau-de-nil or dahliacoloured velvet crowns and black velvet edges and bows, and either coque feathers or fur-taii trimmings. Another recommendation to these pretty little pieces of millinery is their extreme cheapness. The dress materials are very handsome, and will want very little trimming I should think, though I see quantities of a particularly pretty fur and jet edging in all the shops, which would

T tnake a nice finishing to a thick tweed gown, ;and would look so warm and comfortable. Among other evening garments I noticed some lovely opera or ball wraps, notably an eau-de-nil cloth cloak, with a shoulder 'CApe embroidered in gold. It was lined with pale gold silk, quilted, and edged With white coque feather trimming, and was as pretty as It possibly could be. Dn Saturday I spent a very pleasant afternoon at the Amateur Athletic Club’s Sports, and got as excited as the rest of the world over Mr Muir's winning of the Fivemile Bicycle Race. All our attention had flbeen concentrated on Messrs Shorland and ;Smith, who passed and repassed each other an the most interesting manner, then when Mr Muir made such asplendid spurtat the last Tonnd the enthusiasm was unbounded, and we all felt quite ready for afternoon tea afterwards. I suppose it was an honour for Mr Muir to be carried along on his “byke” in front of the stand, but it looked most uncomfortable, not to say dangerous, and I think three cheers would have answered the purpose better.

Among those present I noticed Mrs Bell and her daughters ; Miss Pearce, in a black gown and becoming black hat with violets ; Miss Barnett with a handsome fawn cloth gown with a white watered silk waistcoat, a large fawn lfet, with naturai-coloured ostrich feathers ; Mrs Pickering in black; Miss Pickering looked well in a dark blue coat and skirt and a white blouse, straw sailor hat with a red band ; Miss Ethel Pickering wore a pretty grey plaid gown, and straw hat with a vband"i ’Miss ; Reid and her sister looked pretty in stylish black coats and skirts', -semi-fitting and showing white blouses'and black and red neckties, they also wore black sailor hats with black and red hands ; Mrs Dodwell wore a cream coat and skirt, and white a blouse and sailor hat; Miss Dora Hey wood looked nice in a black coat and skirt and coloured blouse; Miss IPatterson wore a very nice grey plaid gown and black picture hat ,* Miss Pope wore an elaborate cream muslin embroidered with yellow spots, and a large black picture hat With yellow flowers.

I also saw Dr Gillon, who is looking very well after his trip to England, and his friends appeared to be very giad to see him hack again. Mrs and Miss Seed were there, Miss Rothenberg and her, sister, and Miss Lucy Cobb, and other members of the Opera Company.

I hear that the engagement of Mr H. Butterworth and Miss Lillian Izard is announced. Tone.