MISS COLONIA IN LONDON.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1266, 4 June 1896, Page 14

MISS COLONIA IN LONDON.

CONFIDENCES TO HER COUSINS ACROSS THE SEAS.

London', April 17. Dear Cousin, —The complaints of overcrowding on the homeward bound mail steamers always rife during the earlier months of the year seem this spring worse than ever. The Orient and Messagertes boats are not so bad apparently as the P. and 0., who pour mob 3 of Indian passengers into the already congested Australian linere at Aden, rendering the rest of the voyage hideously uncomfortable. This ■wouldn't matter much if colonists and Anglo-Indians got on well together. But they don't. Some frienls of ours who came by tho Arcadia afforded interesting information on tho point. AngloIndian officers and their wives they coi'ld, they said, agree with pleasantly enough, but the bumptious assertiveness, bad manners, and undisguised selfishness of tho Civil Service clement were intolerable.

TIIE WIDOWED PRINCESS. The Queen and Court with Princess Boatrico spent Easter very quietly at Cimiez. The Princess is in the semi-morbid condition which seems to affect all tho descendants of George 111. when grief-stricken and Her Majesty is very anxious abouthor. Only tho doings of Princo Henry's children seem to interest her. Tho latter were not deprived of any of their customary Eastor amusements at Cimiez, and the confectioner at Windsor despatched a large ca3e of Eastor eggs to the Riviera. Every Easter tho Queon's grandchildren have a merry hour hunting for highly-coloured eggs, which aro often hidden in cunning nooks and corners by Her Majesty herself. No personal sorrow has over yet been allowod by tho Queen to interfere with tho happiness of the little folks.

EVA BOOTH. If it is true that General Booth means to send his daughter Eva to Australia to assist her brother Herbert in consolidating the family's autocracy at tho Antipodes, you will shortly soo a very remarkable ■woman. Miss Booth is only about .'SO and she has beeu engaged in "Army" work for over 15 yoars. At 14 she was selling the " War Cry " in tho streets of London, and sinco that time she has filled every grade and rank in tho Army from cadet to commissioner. About VI yoars ago the Army had an exciting time with the Loudon East-end roughs. Tho leader of ono of the worst gangs was a ruffian who had a loaning towards broken bottles and loaded sticks as missiles. It was during tho hoafc of tho conflict, and when the women warriors cf tho Salvation Army wore getting decidedly tho worst of it, that Captain Eva Booth turned confidingly to this youth andassurod liim that lie must take caro of her. She explained to him that ho was stronger than she, and she actually succeeded in making him call off his followers, and escort herself and her companions safely homo. Subsequently when she lay at deatt's door this youth pawned his vo3t and bought a bunch of white grapes -which he brought to tho door of her sick room. I havo also heard another story of _ Miss Booth, not quite on similar lines. A Salvation Army oflicer and his wife in charge of one of the poorest stations at tho East-end were much harried by the exactions of headquarters. They only managed through heroic self-denial to meet tho bare oxponses of tho mission, and the demands from Queen Victoria street for " larger contributions" drovo thorn frantic. At length Captain Blank (as I shall call him) wrote and asked if tho General or Sister Eva would come and hold a revival service in their hall and so help them to raise a little money. Miss Booth was sent. She arrived in a four-wheeled cab, and askod for tea and butterod toast and aneggdeforc service, not inviting her host and his wife to share the meal. Afterwards, the congregation having been numerous rather than cleanly, Miss Eva demanded a hot bath. More tea and toast followed and then tho lady evangelist went home_ in anothor cab. The expenses of her visit wore six shillings, and the offertory at the mooting four shillings. Miss Booth preached with fiery eloquonco on "The necessity for self-denial." Captain Blank and his wife soon after seceded from the Army. Can any one wonder!''

TIIE ANTI-DRESS LEAGUE. Tho latest society "fad" is tho AntiDross League formed t<> encourage simpler dressing amongst women of rank and position. At first sight, and assuming tho movement to be conducted on reasonable linos, ono feels inclined to remark " what a good idea." lint these words die on the lips when it transpires members must pledge themselves to buy only two dresses a year. Fancy a Duchess with only two fresh costumes per annum! " Vera," of the Ladies Pictorial, waxes eloquent on the subject. The pledge she considers both foolish and mischievous. In. the first place these ladios know perfectly well that in their position it would be quito impossible to adhere to such a rule without altering their whole mode of life. They havo various social duties to perform of such a character that tho gown that could do for ono or two could not possibly serve for three or four. With tho besi intentions in the world they could not got through the year with two gowns. Nor is it desirablo that they should do so. Trade has to bo encouraged in tho country. Woro it possiblo for tho ladies who movo in the highest circles of society to go about for a twelve-month in a singlo evening gown and ono walking costume, how is it to bo expected that the shopkeepers could live, that the manufacturers could afford to employ labour on a largo scale, that the thousands of work-girls in the land could

be kept from starvation ? One knows fully well that plenty of useless finery is bought in the course of the year, that ridiculously extravagant sums are paid for odds and ends of wearing apparel without which it would be perfectly possible for their purchasers to present an attractive appearance, but there is no sense in going to tho other extreme, and seeking, just for the sake of having a new iron in tho fire, to do positive harm to trade. It is not that these ladies with influential names who unthinkingly give their patronage to these social reform schemes are in the least likely to ruin their own modistes or silkmercers by cutting off further orders when ono tweed and ono satin gown havo been added to their wardrobe, but they lead the silly flock of snobbish females who are prepared to blindly follow wherever a duchess or a countess guides into acts of folly. It is so ridiculous to suppose that j a lady who is paying daily calls, travelling ] from one country house to another, dining j out or entertaining friends at home every evening, attending functions at which members of the Royal family are presiding, to say nothing of receptions, could make two gowns hist a year that the only wonder is that tho suggested Anti-Dress League has ever been taken seriously at all. Its very title is somewhat startling, suggesting a mode of costume obviously I unsuited to the climate. Perhaps it would j bo more correctly named the Anti-Dress-

makers' League,"for that is what it would practically amount to if it is got into working order. And considering that ladies of good position have not disdained to go into trade and add to their banking accounts by dress-making and bonnet-making at high prices for their smart friends, it is, to say tho least, a little unfair for society to turn round and for the sake of having something new to play at, as it were, aim a, direct blow at trade. WHAT IS THE REMEDY? Though the extreme proposals of this Anti-Dress Loague are generally condemned it is admitted that there is much culpable extravagance in certain sections of society. Great ladies are not, as a rule, the chief sinners in this respect. The Princess of Wales is often seen time after time during a season in the same gown—always a bocoming ono. So aro her daughters, so is tho Duchess of York. Among our smart titled ladies I could give many instances of women who wear the same drosses time after time, and who always look neat, ladylike and thoroughly nice. Example, therefore, will not do much, and women who believe in a varied wardrobe, whether they aro justified in having it or not, will continue to go their way and will not become members of tho League, or if they do, will bring discredit upon it by evading tho regulations. It is a difficult matter (another ladies'paper thinks) .to say what would best euro this evil of overdress, this craving on the part of members of our sex to out-dress each other. The worst offenders are the young matrons of the upper middle class, and possibly this is because they aro brought into dress rivalry with, m many of thenowly-rich who have, of course, a right to spend a deal of money on their clothes, and indeed it is a good thing all round that they should do so. Wo should bo very sorry to see Englishwomen enter on another period of dowdyism, and wo aro very sorry too, when wo como across a case of a young woman's peace of mind sacrificed through heavy dress bills, and yet what way is thero to strike a hapy medium so long as the condition of our upper-middle-classes is that people who havo five thousand a year associate intimately with others who havo fifty thousand per annum, and the owners of the units try to ruffle it on an equality with the owners of the tens. AT A WOMAN'S CONFERENCE. "Mere man" will, I fear, chuckle irreverently over tho amusing incident which occurred last week at the opening session of the Women's International Congress at Paris. Mdme. Pontonio Pierre had scarcely risen to propose to elect Mdme. Maria Pognon President of the Congress, when a lady shouted out " there are doctoresses amongst us who should havo precedence over a lodging-house keeper." Mdme. Pognon is tho proprietress of a family boarding-house in a street near the Champs Elysoes, while the author of the interruption was Mdme. Leonie Kuuzado, who is notorious for her combative nature. Groat tumult prevailed amongst tho partisans of Mdme. Pognon and the supporters of Mdme. Rouzade. Amidst the din were heard the shouts of " We are all Socialists here," and of " No, no, wo are not." Mdme. Pontonio Pierre, raising her voice, re-

proached Mdme. lioiiz.ule with nrcatniga tumult, which evideutly raised thai lady .; iro, for she replied in a loud, angry voice " You had better not insult mo, my husband is here and he is a Municipal Councillor." Naturally this caused immense inurnment, and "my husband" was falcon up all over the house and chanted, irreverently for several painful minutes. The husband, moreover, the Times representative tells it.,, did not appear and quiet was gradually restored. Finally Mdme. Viudcnt proposed Mdme. Furcsso Desraismeo for the presidency. She, tho sister of tho regretted Maria Dosraismcs, i;, however, in mourning,

and replied that she could not accept. Shu was chosen honorary president by acclamation and finally Mdme. Pognon was elected. But this long and boisterous incident had had a disastrous effect upon the nerves of the audience, and the impression made by the presidential discourse of Mdme. Pognon was affected somewhat adversely by what had occurred. FASHION NOTES. Soon after Easter our best modistes visit Paris and annex there whatever seems in their sight good for their clients in England, most of them requiring many modifications to be effected in tho models before they aro definitely purchased. We may (the Globe's

fashion editor thinks) look for a further diminution in the size of sleeves, and we may expect skirts considerably shorter at the back. And wo may be sure that tho capo has fallen on its days of decline, and that the smart little coat is in the ascendant. As to hats and bonnets a friend of ours writes to us from Paris that there aro greater possibilities about them for good and evil than ever. She says some are like supper dishes of whipped cream decorated with flowers and this effect, being arrived at by moans of Malines tulle, is fresh and youthful looking. Others, she tolls us, aro mafic of shaded chono ribbons and gauze in yellow and pink and cream colour, which suggest Neapolitan ices undergoing a melting process. One trimming of which she writes sounds pretty, it is silvery skeleton leaves. We have asked her to brillf us some, and Zenobiais going to havo two "spangled with diamond jewellery, to wear in her hair when in evening dress. She says the daimonds will have to stand for dow. Every woman who takes a piopor amount of counsel with herself regarding the sub ject of clot hes is at; presentengaged in con scientiously trying to wear out all she has in her wardrobe of the nature of crepon. Wo havo quite done with that material this year, and although now it is admissible to wear last season's gowns yet, the days aro fast approaching when to do so will be remarkable. The new fabrics are all smooth of stirra.ee and more or less silky. Grass lawn will be more worn than ever, and embroidered linen with applications of lace, and with drawn designs outlined in silver and gold stitching, will also be largely used to trim smart cost tunes. It seems a sad thing to us that so many smart women go to Paris and buy there their outfit for the season and also very frequently their daughters' wedding trousseaux. Their excuse is that the prices of our English modistes who have talent and prestige are so very much higher than those of Parisian dressmakers. We ask English modistes if that is so, and they tell us that to a certain extent it is, because their expenses are so much heavier than those of Parisian tradeswomen. They have. to secure out of their business profits enough to pay for their trips to Paris, for tho largo prices charged by the best Parisian houses for models, and for the carriage to London of their purchases. They also contend that the work sent out by them is of infinitely bettor character than that done by French people, and there wo must, say we agree with them. They claim to fit better, and in every way to turn out more satisfactory garments. If, they say, ladies going over to Paris to buy gowns'would add to the price of thorn the cost of their journey and stay in the French capital, they would find the English dressmakers really cheaper, but smart women do nothing so reasonable as this. They come home with gowns very much like those of their friends and somo twenty francs cheaper, and feel in consequence quite justified in going out of their country to spend what was earned or produced in it.

Miss Freedrichs, of the Westminster, says: —"Tho Fates be praised! That bo'aid-liko, fearfully and wonderfully starched shirt-front has gone over to the majority. There is no need for a shirt to bo hard and unfominino because it is called a shirt. Study it as it is known in the outfitters of Pond street and Sloan street. Every girl cannot afford to buy her shirts in either of these, but let her form her taste thero. It always seems to me that tho shirt has three principal prices—ss (id, 7s (id, 10s Gd. There aro, I know, any number to be had at 2s lid, yea, even Is lid, but these are of coarse texture and inferior cut, and so devoid of that essential which divides the dainty from the merely useful. At the second and third prices ono may usually order a shirt to one's own measurement, and of any design m stock. A feature this season will bo the white muslin shirt, fitted with firm linen collar and cuffs. These, with beautifully-embroidered insertion bands, I have seen for 12s Gd in a shop in Bond street. But tiny might bo very well turned out by the amateur, for, granted the skill to construct tho bodice, the collar and cuffs may be bought as a sot and easily fixed on. I know a girl who makes all her own shirts by this ingenious method, and they fit most beautifully. Crass lawn will be another favourite fabric. It is charming for a change, though f do not think it will bo very long popular for the skirt proper; it lacks the desirablo element of freshness, and r.o is far happier making strong contrasts of texture with silk or moliai'r stuffs for afternoon wear. " in Hie fresh morning shirt or blou: e fine batiste i•• infinitely the lje:-:l material, v.-liilo if: lends itself mo t. prettily to the decoration of narrow Valenciennes or of embroidery on thu laeu and me din jabot. These jabots are charming, and can bo 1,,,,,,■■!,(' either by Iho yard or made up ready to be attached atali the good shops. 'j ho Urn-nest coat may be forgiven when its open fronts reveal this delicate feminine finish of mtt. lin and lace 1 . " We shall this season eschew the long and manly tic, taking plea, aire instead in the shorter varh ly which forms a neat bow under tho chin. Thu male side of creation

aver that a woman can never compass I knotting thereof w.'lli skill. It will incumbent upon us (o cultivate this u< lected art."

The usual weekly meeting' of the Worn* i Social and Political League was held on Me (lav. Airs !'. J., L'lidon, president, in llio c!ia

Mecnbcrs v.e.c elected and nominations received. A platform sent, by the Progressive Liberal Association was received. A paper was read by .Mrs 11. B. Mason on "Education," and a discussion followed, ill which Mesdames Weiss, Dobio and anothor member took part. Next week's meeting will be open to the public, and tho Hon J. RitfK will give a lecture on " Past, Present and Future Legis-

lation. Court Primrose (female) Lodga ot foresters, Petonc, hold their .second monthly " social " on Friday last, the large gathering present enjoying'a very pleasant evening.