TEA TABLE TOPICS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1263, 14 May 1896, Page 15

TEA TABLE TOPICS.

Wellington, May 11. Mrs Grace gave a very pleasant afternoon tea last Thursday in honour of His Eminence Cardinal Moran, Archbishop Redwood, and tho Rev Fathers Lynch and McKay, when a number of guests were present. Mrs Grace received in a stylish black crepon gown, ornamented with shaded sequins and black satin ribbon; Miss Grace looked well in a nice cream corded silk blouse trimmed with green velvet, and a black cloth skirt; Miss A. Grace, neat black silk blouse and violet skirt; Miss C. Johnston, handsome grey and black brocaded gown, black velvet short capo, much trimmed with jet, and a black bonnet with pale pink osprey; Mrs Seddon, black crepon gown, handsome black velvet cape, and pretty bonnet with biscuit velvet bows; Lady Douglas, black gown, black and white bonnet; Mrs Williams (Dunedin); Mrs W. Reid, petunia brocaded cloth gown and black bonnet; Mrs Rhodes, very handsome black brocade gown, black silk cape with lace, nnd jetted bonnet with purplo flowers; Mrs Fisher, brown costumo and black and cream bonnet; Mrs Rhind, navy blue coat and skirt and cream silk vest; Mrs Baldwin, brown tailor-made costume and black hat with full crown trimmed with quills; Mrs Pynsent, black gown and pretty bonnet with magenta flowers; Mrs B. Goring, grey costume trimmed with the same shade of velvet, stylish black hat with quills; Mrs Maxwell, black costume and felt hat; Miss Seddon, black merveilleux blouse and cloth skirt, black hat with satin ribbon and cornflowers ; Miss L. Seddon, black serge costumo trimmed with fur, and black hat; Mis 3 Johnston, stylish biscuit-coloured tweed gown and pretty brown hat with white feathers and quills; Miss Holmes, black cloth gown and bonnet with scarlet bows; Miss Duthie, navy blue jacket and skirt and black felt hat; Miss G. Rose, green and yellow blouso trimmed with cream lace, black skirt and boatshaped hat with white quills.

Among the gentlemen present were Count Jouffray d'Abbans, Sir Arthur Douglas, Dr Pollen, Messrs W.S.Reid, Fisher, Maxwell, Duthio, &e.

Tho table was beautifully decorated with -vhite and gold coloured chrysanthemums, in high clear glasses, and in the drawingroom wero also handsome masses of the same flowors.

Many of tho ladies arrived armed with birthday and autograph bo)ks, in which tho distinguished visitors bad to inscribe their names; and those who had not thought of doing so looked on enviously!

It was with great regret that we heard of tho death of Mrs Menteath. Her kindness of heart and many good qualities mado her a great favourite, acd she will bo very much missed by her many friends in Wellington.

Mrs Samuels has postponed her afternoon tea till Friday, loth, on account of Mrs Menteath's death.

Mr and Mrs J. C. Warren have returned to Wellington.

I have also soen Miss Edith Johnson in town.

I believe Mrs R. Johnson and her daughters are oxprjetod back from their English trip about tho end of this mouth.

There was an afternoon tea at the Women's Club last Thursday, at which a largo number of guests wero present.

Mrs R. Loughnan gave a small afternoon tea last week, and Mrs Higginson also gave one.

Mrs Hales, of Oriental Bay, is giving a musical evening next Thursday.

There were a number of new faces at tho Fortnightly Assembly last Wednesday. So many new people are to be met in Wellington now that it is very difficult to keep paco with their names. Among those that 1 know wero tho Misses Griffiths, Miss fJ. Gibson; Miss Hickson, in a becoming pink dress; Miss Bishop, in black ; Miss Valentine, in yellow silk veiled with black spotted net; Miss Seed, in white silk; Miss M. freed, Miss J. Reid ; Miss Guisow, in white silk; Miss Tuckey, in black, trimmed with mauve ribbons ; Miss Higgie (Wanganui), dark green, with yellow silksleeves and trimming; Miss Strachan (Dunedin), black and white ; Miss L. Seddon, pink silk bodice and crepon skirt ; Mrs J. Gray, stylish blue silk blouse and black skirt; Miss I. Stuart; Miss Ilamorton, black and yellow ; Miss B. Hamerton,

soft white gown; Miss I. Lee, protly white dress with coloured ribbons; Miss Johnston (Huttb white silk and mauve ribbons; Miss Holt, white and scarlet ; Misses Whitteni, McMaster, Brandon and others. Among the gentlemen present were Messrs Reid, Mcßie, Kilgour, Barnaul, Saywell, Reeves, Allen, Dovenish, Branfill, Young, Taylor, Smythe, Cachemaille, E. h'eid, Sec.

There is to be a kinderspiel, or children's play, at the Tinakori road schoolroom or. Tuesday, LOth. In tho play many old friends, such as Jack Horner, Hmnpty Dumpty, and others are introduced to us, with new drosses and new faces, and tin; whole play is very pretty 1 believe and should draw a good audience.

I am glad (hat Miss Nunneley has been so successful at the Tennis Tournament in Sydney; but t wish the gentlemen members of the team had been as fortunate—

we should have felt extremely proud of them all. Still, they have not done badly, and "if a man does his best, suiely no man can do more."

I do hope the "ghost" at Newtown will bo caught soon and severely punished. I never can see the fun of practical "jokes" (so-called), and that way of startling and frightening people is most dangerous, and, in the case of a person with heart disease, might easily lie attended with fatal consequences. Tho funny part of the affair is the story of the eight young men who ran away from the ghost and the one young woman who ran at it. What are we all coming to : J

The Hon W. Hall-Jones and Mrs BallJones ate staying at the Empire Hotel.

Archdeacon Fancourt and his family have moved into town, and have takon up their residence near tho Manawatu Kailway grounds.

I. see in an English paper that when Mr Anthocy Hope's clever novel, " The God in the Car," was published, everyone who read it, and knew anything at all about Mr Cecil Rhodes, at onco recognised him as the original of 'he hero (Willie Ruston), or thought they did. It seems, howover, that overyone was mistaken, for, according to the Weekly Sun, Mr Hope says that not only had he never seen Mr Rhodes, but that at the time of writing he knew nothing whatever of his inner and private life. The whole story was the result of his attempt to realise what such a man as Mr Rhodes would bo like. IONE.