LADIES’ CHIT CHAT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1424, 15 June 1899, Page 20

LADIES’ CHIT CHAT.

■ - • (By Clinton Scollard.)

SYLVIA AT THE TEA URN.

There’s a trim *little house at the bend of the street. Where the lace at the-windows is snowy , and .sweet;, And it's thither I wend, to that magnetlike door, When the silvery chimes in St. Alary’s ring four; For four is the hour that sounds gay as a song, When Sylvia pours the Formosa Oolong ! ’Tis a picture to see her bend over the urn— Her slender white wrist with its delicate turn, The violet depth of her eyes, and the glint Of the gold in her hair that is matched by no mint;

And then her rare smile! Olx, what rapture dreams throng W’hen Sylvia pours the Formosa Oolong! The light in. the room is so soft and subdued, Just suited, I ween, to a bachelor’s mood; And the voice, ah, the voice of the teamaking maid Has the low laughing lilt of a brook in the glade! Sooth, life is all joy, and the world holds no wrong AVhen Sylvia pours the Formosa Oolong! DINNER-TABLE DECORATIONS. Ask a woman who is'accustomed to give dinners, dances or supper parties for some idea concerning the decoration of the table for these occasions, and she will overwhelm you with elaborate descriptions of central ornaments for the table. Flowers and plants, ribbons, silks, and chiffons (says a contemporary) are all utilised widely and lavishly at present as adjuncts to the decorative scheme; and, whilst dining or supping, it is impossible to obtain a glimpse of anything i.. the room for huge baskets piled with flowers, or erections of silk and chiffon suporting fairy lamps and tall glasses. If these artistic women would only confine their ornamental ideas to the centre of the table there would he less cause for complaint, but to have trails of ribbons and plants penetrating* to the extremities of the table, to the very edge of one’s soup plate, is more usual at Glasgow entertainments at any raie. The dinner, indeed, seems but accessory to the decorations, although, in elaboration and variety of courses, it also can hold its own . We all know that a prettily decorated dinner table is more than desirable, and it is only for a little more simplicity the majority crave. The baskets not quite so massive, and the ribbons hardly so gorgeous and so lavish, such details make a wonderful and pleasing difference to the general effect. One of the loveliest of table effects is obtaind by a pale heliotrope table centre with silver fringes, thi’ee silver bowls, filled with purple flowers toned by delicate- green maidenhair. A silver candlestick at each corner., with heliotrope shade completes a scheme the charm of which is its simplicity. ENGLAND'S REIGNING BEAUTY. MISS ENID WILSON. The reigning beauty of England is Miss Enid Wilson. When she appe. t a recent great ball in London every t„. e was attracted irresistibly to iier, and every beholder was struck with wonder and delight. This ball was given at the Hotel Cecil, and in aid of the Gordon Memorial College at Khartoum. Many royalties, five duchesses, three dukes, dozens of earis, and all the wealth and fashion of London attended. They were people accustomed to brilliant gatherings and to the sight of women famed for beauty in society. But when they beheld the surpassing- loveliness of Miss Wilson they forgot all the beau lies they had ever seen, they forgot the conventional resti’aints of the ballroom, and they gazed upon the fair girl with uncontrolled and infinite admiration. The bali was almost brought to a standstill by her appearance. A waltz that was in progress at the moment was forgotten. The gorgeously-dx’essed mob of princes and princesses, dukes and duchesses, lords and ladies, American women xvith English titles, crowded around Miss Wilson, at the back stood on tiptoe. Aliss Wilson's beauty is- of the kind that makes women forget to envy. Aloi’e than that cannot be said. Enid Wilson is pronounced by artists an ideal English beauty. She is tall, with a figue full of health and grace. Her hair is light broxvn, and so abundant it would surely rival Lady Godiva. She has a pure dazzling red and white complexion. Long lashes shade her soft, hazel brown eyes, which shine xvith good nature and fun. She dresses xvith simplicity and perfect taste. At the great ball, where her beauty first created a sensation, she lvore a simple goxvn of xvhite, xvhich displayed her splendid figure and her beautiful neck and arms to the best advantage. Then she appeared indeed A lovely lady, garmented in light From her oxvn beauty. Since then Miss Wilson’s beauty has been the rage of England. The Prim A Wales delights to honour her. Duchesses sti’ive to secure her for their entertainments. Lords and millionaires are scattered at her feet. Her fame is even spreading to the lower ■classes, although her photographs are not for sale like those of so many British society beauties. Wherever she goes people gather and gaze at her. She is stared at on the street, in the Roxv,. at church, wherever there is a living creature xvith a sense of beauty, it is said that Aliss Wilson will rank as the great English beauty of the end of the nineteenth century. Two only are held fit to compare with her. One xvas the Duchess of Leinster, xvlio died a fexv years ago. The other is the immortal Duchess or Devonshire, xvho lived in the last century. Aliss Wilson is not only a beauty, hut the heiress of a great millionaire. She is the daughter of Charles Henry Wilson, ALP., brother of Henry Wilson, of Tranby Croft, xvho entertained the Prince of Wales a fexv years ago at a baccarat party, xvhich later drterted nations. She is the younger sister of Joan Wilson, who last year xvas engaged to the young Duke of Afanebesfer. This, engagement xvas broken on account of lx is erratic conduct. Miss Enid Wilson has a cousin. Aliss Afuriel Wilson, daughter of the Tranby Croft family, xvho just before her oxvn appearance, had made a great impression in society by her beauty. The lovely Aluriel xvas eclipsed by the lovelier Enid. As a public idol Aliss Enid Wilson may in time rank xvith the famous Duchess of Devonshire, whose beauty has been enshrined bv the painter Bainsborough. His picture, it may he recalled, xvas stolen 20 years ago and never recovered, but the many copies and engravings of it will alxvnys pi-eserve it and keep it familiar.— “Nexv York Journal.'

AS OTHERS SEE US. WOMAN'S FRANCHISE IN NEW ZEALAND. The special reporter of the Melbourne "Argus'' who accompanied Messrs Best and Trenwith on' their mission to New Zealand makes the following observations on the question of woman suffrage as he found it in that colony" Claiming the privilege of discursiveness which the inquiry shows, and politely yielding first place to the ladies, a few words may be said as to the result of inquiries in Wellington on the question of the women's vote. Outward and visible signs of the effect of enfranchising women there arp none. It was thought that an cvidetfge of emancipation had been found in . the fact that nearly every third woman or. girl of the many thousands who throng the streets on a Saturday night carries a, walk-ing-stick. Not a dainty little supple wand, but a sturdy, crook-handled prop, such as men use. But inquiry, showed that the walking-stick preceded the franchise. It was a recognised institution before the polls were open to women. The walking-stick may have won the franchise; the franchise certainly did not evolve the walking-stick. The surprising tiling is that in the experience of every member of the party no one in Wellington who has been questioned has a good word to say for women's franchise., Herbert Spencer is justified in this matter when he says that the results expected from any legislative enactment are seldom achieved, whilst its most important effects are usually quite unexpected. The women's vote was expected to have a purifying and elevating influence in politics. The fact is that it has not had a purifying effect in the realm of morals, and it has had a distinctly lowering effect in the domain of politics. Men whose lives were condemned —rightly or wrongly—by the purists have been elected by the aid of the women’s votes, and the liquor law reformers sustained a. crushing defeat wlv-:' be women went to the poll. On the over hand, all the petty personal elements m polities have been intensified by their influence. A woman thinks more of getting her sen a situation under Government or of obtaining for him half-a-crown a week increase in wages, if he be already employed, than of all the knotty problems that perplex the State. Politicians complain that their lives are not worth living since the women can make their personal pleas Hacked by a vote. Their votes are the property of their husbands, their fathers, or their sweethearts. Their small aims, their persistency, their entire innocence of all nigh motive in politics, are all their own. This is the testimony of Wellington, but we are told that Christchurch is the centre of the women's franchise support, as well as of ihe socialistic propaganda of the colony. Seeing, however, that Wellington is tlie seat of government and Parliament, its testimony must have the stronger base in experience.” •• GEM WEARERS AT THE OPERA. It is not, says a- London paper, the very great ladies who are most wonderful to see at the opera. True, the Duchess of Buccleuch possesses a priceless store of jewels, which are principally diamonds; and .it is always worth while seeing the of Portland in gala array, with ;v: very tall crown of diamonds, and a chain of diamonds thrown loosely round her nhek with pear-shaped points; but, as a rule, it is the Americans who make the most display. The young Duchess of Marlborough looks like a fairy tale queen, her small head crowned by her state tiara, which has seven points with enormous single stones, like a filbert in shape, and all on .fire with brilliant colour, while the pearls round her throat —the Vanderbilt pearls once worn by a French queen—are in themselves enough to cause a sensation. Lady Wimborne, when she wears the Hope ruby, and Lady Wharneiift'e, when she wears her engraved turquoise, spread like a bird with outstretched wings across her breast, naturally both attract attention. THE LATEST FASHIONABLE COLOUR —CHEZ WORTH. This is the opinion of the Masson Worth assent the coming fashions : “ Blue will be the definite colonr, not a definite shade but a'vague finish grey, with a suggestion of brown in it.” "A half-grey mouse,” our correspondent suggested, ' laughing. “ Absolutely,” was the grave rejoinder, for M. Worth was too busy to joke. " Paris will wear dresses most simply made, of the princess pattern, with no perceptible opening anywhere.” " The beautifullymade women who will wear these lovely gowns will have to be melted first, and then poured into them apparently,” remarked the correspondent. " And beautiful woman is hard to melt,” answers M. . .Worth, promptly. All the dresses for {■ street, wear.fit, Doucet’s, and Pa- ‘ quin's arifvv'ery'sliffple’. the only trimming ! being tiny bands of black or blood-red velS vet- at.-ibb throat 'and wrists, which are GalKiisted. ddmirdldv, to heighten the ssnie ..'dust tints’and indefinite .binc-greys of the > gowns. / ‘ • -■