TEA TABLE TOPICS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1265, 28 May 1896, Page 15

TEA TABLE TOPICS.

Wellington, May 20. Tho Dramatic Students’ entertainment in aid of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals came off last night, and was a great success. The Opera House was quite full, and the audience seemed very pleased with both “Tho Chimney Corner” and “Chiselling,” the latter farce being most laughable. In tho first piece, 1 thought Mr Nicliolls and Mr Bast-in acted extremely well, tho former especially so, as it is difficult for an amateur to “rise to tho occasion” in a pathetic part, and he certainly did so. Miss Mabel Hill looked nice in her rather commonplace part, and wore a very pretty black crepon gown with bows of satin ribbon, and a smart black velvet shoulder cape, with .stripes of beaded passementerie, and a becoming widebrimmed hat with velvet strings. Miss Watson also acted , well, and was most suitably attired in a gay plum-coloured print gown. The dress of tho evening was certainly the one in which Miss J. Newton appeared as Mrs Piper. A black silk embroidered with bluish roses and plaid tulips formed a gown which might have been worn by “Mrs Noah,” and a cap with purple silk strings, which also might havo bceu part of the Ark wardrobe, made her look exceedingly quaint, and she and her brother (who took tho part of Trotter) wore, as usual, most successful in their impersonations. Miss Letham wore a very pretty white muslin gown with a blue silk folded waist-bind and a lace-trimmed fichu, also a pretty cream lace-straw hat with white satin ribbon bows and llowers.

Among the largo audionco I noticed Lady Stout, in a handsome pale-bluo silk dress trimmed with soft cream lace ; Dr and Mrs Findlay, the latter wearing a pretty terracotta silk with jewelled trimming and lace; Miss liaise, in a black square-cut grenadine gown trimmed with black laco ; Mrs and Miss Turnbull, tho latter in a maroon silk gown with square front and bands of beautiful iridescent passementerie and pale blue silk collar; Miss Menzios, in black velvet and cream lace; Mrs Lingard, dark dress and pretty cream and pink opera cloak; Miss Lingard, pale-pink silk evening gown and white cloak; Miss M. Lingard, pretty whito silk evening dress with yellow silk sleeves and bands; Mrs Firth, handsome white silk gown with pearl trimming; Mrs Coulter, dark dross and opera cloak; Mrs Mcßae, black silk gown trimmed with laco: Mrs Hales, black silk with bead trimming; Miss Higgio, bright green silk

blouse and black skirt; Mr and Mrs W. Ferguson; Mr and Mrs A. Pearce; Mrs Bristow, in black, with a cream cloak trimmed with fur; Miss Hales, black evening dross; Mrs and Miss Pauling, tho latter in a pretty cream evening dress; Mr A. Young and Miss Young, who wore a dark gown and pretty cream opera cloaklined and trimmed with blue satin ; Miss J. Richardson, cream velvet and laco.

I also noticed Mr and Miss Luckie, Miss Pickering and Miss Burnes, Missus Scully and Hey wood, Mr aud Mrs W. Morrah, Miss Newton, Miss Pownall, Miss Cook, Ac., and Messrs Richmond, Pownall, Bligh, Wood aud many others.

There wore a largo number present at tho Assembly last Wednesday, and among those present i noticed Mrs and .Miss Slaf-l'ui-l, tho latter wearing a pretty yellow silk gown; Mrs Fitchell, in black and cream; Miss Chantrey-Harris, in cream veiling and laco; Miss Fancourt, a becoming black velvet gown with pearl passementerie ; Mrs J. Dray, a pretty pale blue j gown trimmed with embroidered chiffon; ‘ Miss Von Slurmer (Auckland), cream silk with laco and red flowers; Miss Cameron (Auckland), cream silk and lace; Miss liiley (Now Plymouth), pale blue veiling trimmed with satin; Miss Valentine, yellow silk veiled with black net; Miss Bishop black silk and net; Misses Koch, Holt, Davy, and others. Also Messrs Mcßae, Reeves, Br,'infill, Young, Taylor, Jiulme, Reid, Crawford, Halcombe, E. Reid, Ac. Mr and Mrs E. B. Brown have returned to Wellington after a year’s trip to England. I hear they have returned ardent bicyclists, and have brought their favourite machines with them. Mr and Mrs W. R. E. Brown will be leaving shortly for a long trip to Sydney, and Mr and Mrs E. Brown will occupy their house in Tinakori road while they are away. Mrs Firth has returned to Wellington. Mr, Mrs and the Misses Ross aro leaving Wellington for a trip to the Islands, and thence to Sydney, and will not be back here for some time. Mrs Newman, Mrs Maxwell, and Mrs Friend all gave very. pleasant afternoon

teas last week, neither of them being large Mrs Gibson is giving a euchre party next Friday evening. Tho Rev Mrand MrsSprott aroleavingfor Sydney this week, and Mrs Sprott will bo away some time for the benefit of her health. All her many friends hope that she will be much better when sho returns in the springtime. I hear that somo members of tho congregation havo taken this opportunity of expressing their sympathy and esteem for Mr and Mrs Sprott in the substantial form of a cheque. 1 saw in a paper tho other day a discussion on nursing—whether it is desirable to havo hospital nurses, as a rule, or to trust to home nursing. Speaking from my own experience, I should say decidedly that, if it is possible by any means for people to afford a professional nurse, they should do so. They have so many ways of alleviating pain and soothing restlessness that tho host- intontioned amateur knows nothing of, and they are so capable and responsible as a rule that their presence is a great comfort to tho family of the sick person. Ono of tho writers in the discussion complained that they are so arbitrary, and that the family of the patient is hardly over allowed to see, and certainly not to help, him or her. And a very good thing, too, I should say, as tho nurso knows how to wait on tho patient far hotter, and generally visitors, and conversation even of a quiet description, mean a heightened temperature to the patient and general vexation of spirit to both nurso and doctor. I hoard a doctor prophesy some time ago that in the next century there will he no such thing as home-nursing heard of, but the hospitals will ho huge institutions, with staffs of specialists for every description of ailment, and every person, directly they aro at all i'll—not necessarily severely so—will at once retreat to a hospital. 1 should say “there is a good time coining, by-and-byo!” but 1 supposo a groat many people will not agreo with me, or the Inigo hospitals would ho an accomplished fact before many years are over.

Tho Wellington Rowing Club’s ball was very well attended, Thomas’ Hall being crowded with dancers. Tho arrangements were most complete and reflect great credit on the committee and specially upon tho popular Mr “ A lick ” Burns. Below 1 give the names of somo of those present, but I must apologise for the list not being longer. The fact is that a friend who kindly offered to assist me was at the last moment unable to do so. However, 1 give a few names which 1 jotted down myself in the intervals of tho dances:—Mrs Mack, black silk trimmed with red poppies; Mrs Bonthorne, pale blue pink satin; Miss Johnson, cream; Miss Raymond, cream; Miss E. Graves, black trimmed with pink; Miss Yeoman, cream trimmed with old gold ; Miss Becker, cream silk and violets; Miss M. Becker, black skirt and pink satin blouse; Miss Ross, pink; Miss Marks, p ilu cream and yellow trimming; Miss Cook (Nelson), black skirt, pale blue blouse : Mrs Gower, black; Miss Buck, cream trimmed with canary; Miss Fraser, pink ; Miss Martin, palo green and pink sleeves; Miss Tingey, black velvet; Miss M.Tingcy, palo green; Miss Sinclair, white trimmed with cream satin; Lady Stout, blick silk. lonk.