LADIES CHIT-CHAT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1425, 22 June 1899, Page 20

LADIES CHIT-CHAT.

An engagement which has caused great interest in social, political and legal circles in Ireland, is that of Air John Stewart Gladstone (a grand-nepheAv of the late Prime Minister) and Aiiss Anne Fitz Gibbon, daughter of the Right Hon Gerald Fitz Gibbon. The marriage Avill take place on the 29th of April. At several smart AA r eddings an effort has been made to break aAvay from the orthodox white satin attire, and one or tAyo brides have been married in crepe de Chine. The curling tongs, it is said, are doomed, and straight-haired AA'omen may take heart of grace once more. The neAv Alarriage Act came into operation in England last month. Its object is to enable persons who desire it to get married in Nonconformist and Roman Catholic places of worship Avithout the presence of a civil registrar. There is a franknes about (he matrimonial market in Japan. Thus a lady, who advertises in the ' Kanagawa Shimbun,” describes herself as “ a beautiful woman, with cloud-like hair, iioAvery face, willow-like Avaist, and crescent eyebroAVS.” She adds: “I haA'e enough property to walk through life hand-in-hand, gazing' at floAvers in the day and the moon at night. If there is a gentleman avlio is clever, learned, handsome, and of good taste, I Avill join Avith him for life and share the pleasure of being buried in tire same grave.” The “ champion servant ” has just died. She was aged 87 years, 71 of Avliicli she had spent in the service of the same family! Her record is refreshing to contemplate in this age of unsettlement, when mistresses and maids are trying to drown each others’ recitals of grievances. The amusing features of the controversy are the utter inability of either side to see a fault in its own order, and the determination to lsy all the blame on the other. While feeling runs so high, an amicable adjustment seems remote. Of course, there are faults on both sides; but looking at the question broadly, is not a fair-minded person compelled to admit that the chief blame for the prevailing state of things lies A\ith the mistresses? If one passes in mental revieiv one’s friends and acquaintances making due alloivanee for the exaggeration in narrative that is a feminine can one point to any instance of a good mistress Avho lias been victimised by a constant succession of bad servants? I verily believe that most of the disputes and bit toi nesses would he prevented if a lady would sometimes, for a day, put herself in her servaults place. To do so mentally woulu suffice, provided ahva.vs that she was capable of doing so actually. Queen Alarglierita, Avhom Italians love to style the “ Queen of Hearts,” is known for her taste, and here is one of her little personal preferences in the matter ot dress. It relates to headwear. The Queen noiy and then displays a hat, but a bonnet never. (f I cannot endure the same headcovering every day,” she says; so her milliner in attendance selects materials matching or contrasting with the gown, forms them into a pretty arrangement with

pins, and fastens them to the royal hair. When taken off they go to pieces. Her Majesty, by the way, lies under suspicion of being engaged in a little plot with the French Government. She retainß at the Italian Court a French woman named Alme. Laneelot-Croce, who is a most talented carver, and lias just executed for the Government of the Republic a superb collar, containing twelve medallions representing the twelve women most famous in French history. Everybody in Paris just now is wondering Avho is to be the recipient of this splendid present. Queen Margherita herself Avould be the natural surmise; but as she is believed to be the moving spirit in the affair, such a method of cementing the Franco-Italian reconciliation seems ousted. Under the circumstances probability perhaps points to the Czarina. Fashion columns have long since made us familiar with what Lady Peggy wore at the wedding, and now the " Tailor and Cutter” acquaints us with the Earl -of CreAve’s outfit, Frock coat, of course; made from fine vicuna, A’ery deep lapels faced Avith bright silk; Avhite vest, trousers of dark grey striped cashmere, plain standup collar, and large fancy tie fastened Avith a horseshoe pin. Add a neat posey in the lapel, and there you are. Oar contemporary considerately supplies details, like the cheap furniture dealer. " for the benefit of those about to marry.” One of the most popular novels of recent appearance has been " Concerning Isabel Carnaby,” by Ellen Thornycroft Fowler. It Avas much discussed, especially as it displayed the possession of a sense of humour unusual in a woman—which fact, perhaps, accounts for the general assumption that its Avriter is an American. She is, however, an English lady well known in society, and a daughter of Sir H. H. FoAvler, late Secretary cf State for India. Her nov book, " A Double Thread,” was published last month. Yet another much-taiked-of personality in the world of rising a.uthors is Aiiss Nellie K. Blissett, whose works, “ The Concert Director ” and " The Wisdom of ihe Simple,” have been in considerable demand. Her nsAv book, " Brass,” is said to deal in bold style with the marriage problem, for Avhich reason, probably, the reviewers have taken to calling her " Airs Blissett.” But the promising debutante is a girl of 18. She is an officer’s daughter; arm. besides) personal attractions, possesses many accomplishments. She is a brilliant violinist, and a striking reciter. There was a large gathering of women and girls in Vienna the other day to discuss the question of Women’s Suffrage. As the result a resolution was adopted protesting against the unworthy social position of' women, and demanding, on economical and political grounds, the introduction of women’s suffrage. In Air Frederick Whyte’s " Theatrical Annals,” recently published, he writes a description of the famous Airs Jordan, AA'licse picture as a country girl is so free of charm and natural grace:—"A face of irresistible charm; an c-ntrancingly beautiful figure; a voice,” quotes "The Old Flaygoer,” “ that ‘ came o’er the ear like the SAveet south wind that breathed upon a bank of violets,’ ” and a laugh whose " contagious poAvc-rs/' says Macready, " Avould have broken down the conventional sobriety of the Lord Chesterfield himself.” These Avould seem to have been the secrets cf Mrs Jordan’s popularity. " She av as an actress,” says Mr Archer, summing up the evidence of all her contemporary admirers, " supremely endowed Avith the Eavig-V/eib 1 ieh, and irresistible in all parts in which a lavish, genial, A'jvid femininity Avas essential, or, at least, admirable.”’ When the woman required either exaltation into the heroine, or repression into the fine lady, she was ill at ease. Her critics, it is clear, were all more or less in love with her, and in that fact we read in epitome the Avealth of her endowment and the limitation of her art. . . . Her relations with the Duke of Clarence lasted for twenty years, and resulted in a family of ten children. Some of her descendants noAv sit in the House of Lords. One of them, by the irony of late, stands in no very distant succession to the throne, whose shadow severed her from her Royal lover. Into the sad particulars of this severance I need not enter. It is enough to say that her last years were full of trouble, and that she died at St. Cloud (where she was living in penury) of a broken heart. The saving point in the character of Airs Siddons seems to have been that in spite of her coldness and lack of charity she was certainly gifted Avith a keen sense of humour. Air Frederick Whyte says:—"A good example of this is offered by a story she once told Campbell. She Avas vexed (she told him) on her first visit to Scotland by the coldness of her audience. Their grave attention, but canny reservation of praise’till they AA-ere sure she deserved it/ wore out her patience. Qn one occasion accordingly she coiled up her powers to the utterance of one passage, having previously vowed in her heart that if she could not touch them she Avould neA-er again cross the Tweed. When it Avas finished she paused and looked at her listeners. At last the dead silence was broken only by a single voice exclaiming, ‘That’s no’ so bad.’ This ludicrous parsimony of praise coimilsed the house with laughter, and this was followed by peal after peal of applause.”