TEA TABLE TOPICS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1249, 6 February 1896, Page 15

TEA TABLE TOPICS.

Wellington, February 3. I think the Bland Holt Company must havo left Wellington with a very pleasant impression, in spite of the horrible weather while they were here, as they had a tremendous house as a "send off," crowded stalls, people standing all round the dress circle, and a person who was adventurous enough to go up to the family circle told me that her feet never touched the stairs, uhnb she was pushed up bodily by the crowd. and back corridor were all packed, and" the ihvat was awful. All that and the play for a sriiilling ! I would rather pay many shillings and Svtjyr away.

Miss Frances Ross looked extremely well in a crimson velvet dress and shoulder-cape to match trimmed with fur, and a very becoming hat to match also.

Miss Watson wore a handsome cream satin dinner gown, with shaded green trimming, and a girdle and long ends made of flowers.

I see that the squadron is likely to be here from the 10th to the 18th of March, and on looking the dates up carefully on an almanac I find that it will be in the middle of Lent! What bad luck we do havo here; so many times the same thing has happened, and then the gay officers go away and say that Wellington is a very dull place and the people not good at entertaining. W hat a pity that " the powers that be" could not arrange something different. Surely the ships could trot around Milford Sound or some of those out-of-the-way places, and then come here afterwards, so that we couid have a chance of having a gay time after the very slow summer that is just passing by. I am very glad to see that a public meeting has been called to discuss the public baths question, and I hope that plenty of people will attend it, and something decisive will be done. As the City Fathers have left the matter to be decided by the public, I hope they will do so, and not shilly-shally as other people havo done. I hear that the Dunedin people are going to have no end of a carnival, fifty entertainments in ten days! I should think that some of them must be breakfasts, or else the number of parties could not be got into the time. 1 think the deliberations of the doctors on learned subjects will have to be cut very short, of they will not be able to do their duty to society at all. Miss Coleridge left for Dunedin last week to be the guest of Mrs Williams for some time.

Miss Seddon and Miss M. Seddon have returned to Wellington after a very pleasant visit down South.

Mrs and the Misses MacGregor have returned to town, also Mr and Mrs Riley and family.

I hear that Mr Duthie is giving a large luncheon party at his residence at the Hutt next week.

I am glad to see Miss Ethel Smith and Miss F. Mason back from their long English trip, both looking exceedingly well.

Dr Ewart's withdrawal of his resignation of his office of Medical Superintendent of the Hospital, has given a great deal of satisfaction, as he is so popular, and much liked by all classes of patients as well as being a thoroughly skilful doctor. I hear he has gone for a well-earned holiday on the ever-useful " bike/' and I wish him a very pleasant trip.

I am told that a lady been a short time resident here has decided to brave the mocking man and hooting street arab, and has appeared riding a bicycle in " rationals." Very brave of her; 'and I wonder how long it will be before many of our girls will follow her example ? A fhorfc time ago I read in an English paper an interview with a well-known teacher of ladies' bicycling, and he expressed his opinion that a moderately long plain skirt was the best and most useful bicycling dress, and surely he ought to know, as he seems to have taught all the best-known lady riders in England. lam sorry if the so-called "'rational" dress should be started here, as it has been kept out of Wellington so far. It made a feeble beginning in Christchurch, but E believe has been entirely dropped again. A lady writer in the Princess says, " I s.m not an advocate of cycling as an exercise v for women as a i ule, but I must confess that graceful ' wheel-women' may be counted by the score at Eastbourne, where everyone rides on cycles. The most fastidious person could find nothing to object to in the' appearance of the lair damsels as they skip airily along on their machines, while the costumes should delight the heart of Mrs Grundy. They invariably consist of wellmade skirts, almost like a riding-habit, and just long enough to conceal the ankles, and either a neat blouse or a trim coat, the former being most usual on account of the hot weather. I have not seen one single knickerbocker costume even by way of exception." If I could be sure that this could be said here perhaps I should not be so keenly against the giddy wheel, but I am so very sorry when women make laugh-ing-stocks of themselves, and it is only about one woman in, say, two hundred, who would look even passably decent in knickerbockers, and they, probably, would not be the ones who would undertake to wear them. Awful visions of fat, skinny, and awkward scarecrows flit before my mental sight, and I close my eyes and shudder.

I hear that there are so many "lady cyclists " in England that a magazine of that name has been started, and it is described as a smart and up-to-date venture, which has met with complete success —so much so, that a companion paper, the Cycle Magazine, has also been begun, which is to appeal to all votaries of the »»-uVei"or"both sexes and all rankfc: Tud-.t-

say there will be some New Zealand contributors to the paper in time.

I have received an exceedingly pretty sacred song entitled " Star of the East/' the words by W. R. Russell Rogers, and the music by Aug. W. Juncker, composer of the well-known song "I w r as Dreaming," which was sung here with so much success by Miss Nellie Stewart. The words are simple and poetical, with a pretty refrain, and Mr Juncker's music suits them admhv ably. The compass is easy, and there is a nice change of key arranged through accidentals. I notice some of the chax-ac-teristics of " I was Dreaming," but not to a marked extent, and I should think the " Star of the East" would be a very popular and much appreciated song. lonb.