LONDON GOSSIP

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4298, 6 March 1901, Page 2

LONDON GOSSIP

(FROM “M.A.P.”) THE: COLONEL AND “CHARLEY'S AUNT.” '* Tlio other incident occurred in the theatre during the rim of the piece. A military man, a. friend of Mr Penlcy’s, took his daughter to t-ho stalls, and, having had a, busy and tiring day, wont calmly to sleep in his cosy scab during the interval between the curtain-raiser and ‘'Charley’s Aunt.” The daughter sympathetically allowed him to dream in peace until the curtain went nP for the commencement of the play of the. evening. Then sho gently nudged, him in the ribs, and whispered “Charley’s Aunt!” to remind him of his whereabouts. The gentleman still slept- on, and his daughter tried again. She gave her father an extra push, and 'murmured, with emphasis, “Papa, do- wake up! “Charley’s Aunt!’” This time it was effectual, for the Colonel leaped to his’ feet, cried, “Bless me, so it is!” and began to shako hands furiously with a demure old lady who happened to ho passing along the stalls in front of him on the way to her allotted seat. “Bless me, so it is! ■How- do you do, madam ?—and how is Charley?” FOB A GOOD CAUSE. A large ball in aid of the London Hospital Convalescent Homo at Tankerton, Whitstable-on-Sea, is to be hold at the Grafton Gallery on Monday, February 18th, 1901. Tlio list of patronesses includes the Duchess of Somerset, the Duchess of Abercorn, the Duchess of Sutherland, Consuelo,'Duchess of Manchester, Viscountess Ivuutsford, the Countess of Aberdeen, the Countess of I Crewe, Lady Dibblesdale, Lady TwoedI mouth, Lady Burghcloro, Lady Francis : Balfour* Mrs' Choate, Mrs Asquith, Mrs Gully. Mrs Bischoffshcim, Mrs Alfred Harmswqrth, and Mi’s George Alexander. The ball promises to be a, great success, and it is for a deserving charity. Everyone knows the Grafton Gallery to be the best place in London for dancing, and the supper arrangements are in the hands of Messrs Benoist. ' 1 LADY CHARLES BERESFORD. Lady Charles Beresford has been for many years one of the institutions of London. She stands in the shadow of a great name, as her distinguished husband is one of the foremost men of the day; but besides this, she has a. definite personality of her own. She was Miss Mina Gardner, daughter of the late Mr Richard Gardner, once Member for Leicester, and in the far-away seventies she became the wife of Lord Charles Beresford. - For some time Lord and Lady .Charles used to live in Eatoi; Square, hut they now reside in Lower Berkeley street, and have a charming suburban villa, Park Gate House, Ham Common. BRIGHT ENTERTAINMENTS. Lady Charles is extremely musical, and may bo called the god-mptber of Covent Garden Opera, having shared with Mr Harry Higgins the toils and triumphs of a series of successful opera seasons. She has the same box year after year, and is rarely absent from it on important evenings, or on W aguer nights. She gives dinners in London, but neither concerts nor balls, and her favourite form- of entertaining is the arrangement of al fresco parties on Sunday afternoons at Park Gate House. The society is cosmopolitan and very amusing. Opera celebrities, such as Melba and Jean do Reske, are often among the guests, noth a due admixture of statesmen, diplomats, smart women, and Society men. Good music is of course the rule. Bridge is played without ceasing, and there are rumours of jeux innocents, such as blind man’s buff and wheelbarrow races, being added.

INDIVIDUALITY IN DRESS. Lady Charles lias a style of dress all her -own. She docs not follow Paris fashions, hut. garbs herself in floating garments, trimmed with fur, wreathed with roses, and adorned with rows and ropes of “barbaric” jewels. Pink and blue are her favourite shad as of colour, and she appreciates, the effective possibilities of ciie picture hat. She is considered a good conversationalist, and she is certainly a clever woman. Her portrait is , said to have been painted in a recent popular novel. She has two daughters. The eldest. Miss Kathleen Bercsford, spends much of her time abroad with her father and the younger girl is still in the schoolroom. LADY TENNANT’S LITTLE DAUGH- • TER. An interesting arrival is the little daughter born to Sir Charles and Lady Tennant, at The Glen, Peebleshire. Sir Charles, who has been_ twice married, is now in his seventy-eighth year. The

present. Lady Tennant, who is quite young, was Miss Marguerite Milos, awl the wedding took place in WOB. Sir diaries met his future bride on yh° golf links at Biarritz, and his acquaintanceship soon ripened onto matrimony. When Lady Tennant was presented at Court, tho* beauty and magnificence of her jewels, gown, and train, wore much remarked. She is fond ul music ami outdoor amusements, especially golf. Tho Glen is an ideal country house, surrounded by fine scenery, moorland, mountain, and river, and the house itself is splendidly fitted and film Hied. Sir Charles is often laughingly styled by his friends “The Monarch of tho Glen.’’ SIB CHARLES'S CHILDREN. His children by his firs! marriage are well known in Society. His eldest living daughter is Lady, Ribblesdale, married to Lord Ribblesdalo in ,187 V. Sho is very graceful and charming, and always picturesquely dressed. Her pretty daughter, Miss Barbara. Li-dev. is a popular girl in London ballrooms. Sir Charles’s youngest, daughter, once Miss Margot Tennant, now Mis Asquith, is quite a. famous personage. Sho is authoress, musician, skirt-dancer, golf player, and brilliant conversationalist. Both these .sisters wore, once members of tho now nearly forgotten ".Society of Bouls." The eldest son of (he family, Mr Edward Tennant, is married to tho pretty Miss Pamela Wymlham. sister to Lady Klelio and In Air George Wyiutham, the new Chief Secretary for Ireland. A younger brother, Mr Harold Tennant. took as his second wife bliss Margaret Abraham, a very clever woman, and pioneer of the feminine factory inspector system. THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE WEEK. Air Seppings-Wnglit ', the war artist and special correspondent of tin* ‘‘lllustrated London News,” is a bright and breezy man of athletic mould, in the prime of life—with clear, grey eyes, and a. brown beard and moustache beginning to be frosted with grey, just out. of « compliment mayhap, to tho hoar frosfc of Christmastime, when seasonable winter weather ushers in Yaletidc. Ho might be taken for a dapper admiral. Ills appearance certainly smacks of the salt sea, with which he is familiar. Ho has the quite-at-homo air of the experienced globe-trotter. Genial and unaffected, he is popular in every class of society.