LADIES’ GOSSIP

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4307, 16 March 1901, Page 5 (Supplement)

LADIES’ GOSSIP

The first lady lawyer of Italy is Sxgnoriua Teresa Labriola. She has just passed her examination with honours in Rome, but has not inscribed her name among the advocates, as she prefers* to devote herself to the philosophy of law. After taking her degree she addressed a commission of the University of Romo for three hours. Signorina Labriola, who has also won distinction a writer on science, has now become a regular lecturer at tho University of Rome, where her father and brother are installed as professors. The “Fronde,” a Paris paper conducted by ladies and always well-informed about feminist movements, announces that an association of female students is about to be formed with ; ts headquarters at the hotel of the learned societies in the Rue Danton. Various meanings have attached from time to time to tho word “etudiantc.” The dictionary which bears the imprimatur of the French Academy describes the “etudianto” as a “demoiselle de condition mediocre,” and at a time not far distant tho gay companions l of the students of tho Latin Quarter were called by that name. Tho etudiante is now perhaps more properly known as the lady, who is preparing for tho Bax, the studio, the school, or the Press, and it is no doubt for this class of student that the Asso- ; ciation is being formed at Paris. - * * » * . « Two famous families of the present day are intimately connected with St. Clement Danes. The register, which is . extremely well kept, records that in

1563 “Master Robert Cecil], ye son of ye Lord highe Threasurer of England,” was baptised there. He lived to be the ancestor of a Prime Minister, with four relatives in the Cabinet. More than two centuries ago was solemnised at this church the marriage of Sir T. Grosvenor with Miss Davies, an heiress. She brought into the family tiie Pimlico and Belgravia property which in a few years will make the young Duke oi Westminster the richest man in England.

* * * * * j Miss Madgo Lessing, the beautiful American, actress, made her debut in London at Drury Lane as Beauty in the old Drury’s latest pantomime, “Sleeping Beauty and tho Beast.” Miss > Lessing was bom in New York, and at a very early age ran away fi-om home and obtained an engagement' in the chorus at Koster and Biel’s Theatre at New York. A fortnight after joining the company the principal lady fell suddenly ill, and the work of playing the leading role devolved on tho youngest actress. The part suited Miss Lessing splendidly, and she met with such success that she continued to play the part throughout the run of the piece. Mr Lederer saw in Miss Madge Lessing a coming “star,” and engaged her to play tne leading roles at'his theatre for several seasons. She afterwards played in the “Monks of Malabar” with theFrancis Wilson Opera Company. It wasl through Mr Ledoror that Mr Arthur Collins obtained Miss Lessing for the “Beauty” at Drury Lane. j Gold! gold! gold! one fools inclined to cry • for that glittering metal is to bo on everything feminine this winter, and, truth be told, is becoming a trifle; wearisome. A friend of mine the other, day devised, as she thought, a per-! fectly ravishing toillette of pale-pink satin and cream laoo for the evening, but' she was quite crushed by her dressmaker, who assured-her im dress was considered smart just now without

[ some gold audl a touch of black. And so it seems, at any rate as far as the gold is concerned.' I think the grottiI est of all things I have seen in this way are the wide belts of gold galleon, pulled in in front,with a miciac in the “art nouveau —that is, flowers and leaves in soft-tinted enamel.” . **««•■ For opera cloaks, the newest form is that of a large loose three-quarter . length coat made in brocade, or satin, , with, lining of the same, and much trim- , Sea with, fur, passementerie, and chif- ! fon. The style is good and useful, and can he of .course copied in simple and • inexpensive materials, with a satisfac- , tory result. With the disappearance of ] large sleeves the chief drawback to the jacket for evening wear has disappeared, as undoubtedly it crushed sleeves teri ribly to be constantly putting on and : taking off a coat over them. Early in January Mile. Jeanne Ghauvin presented herself to take the oath, and was duly sworn in at the Palais do Justice, Paris, as the second woman . barrister. She intends to practise as ! soon as all remaining preliminaries are ' completed, and two briefs have alreadybeing placed in her hands. Milo. Chau- . vin was the first woman to take the ’ degree of Doctor of Law in France—sho did so over three years ago—and so • far she is the only one. Mine. Bal-achowsky-Petit, Licentiate in Law, is, ’ however, engaged on her thesis for this , same degree; as regards taking . the ■ oath, which, of course, is merely a formality, she forestalled Mile Chauvin ! by three weeks. It remains for both “ ladies to complete a period already en—- ’ tered on by Mme. Petit, as “avocatestagaire” before being 'ifctually called [ to the bar. Two Christmas foundlings, both girls, have made -their appearance in the ■ London, division of the Great Western Railway. One was picked up trader the > seat of a second-class carriage on its l arrival at Slough from Reading, and

was ultimately adopted by a family of considerable means; the second was found at Ealing, Broadway. A lady went to the first-class waiting-room there between 8 and 9 o’clock, and saw a dress basket on the table. Hearing a feeble sound coming from it she called the attention of the railway officials. The receptacle was opened, and revealed a baby girl feeding from a bottle with milk. The child was placed in the custody of the police. Both babies were dressed with oar"-. Poor wee bairns!

]l* * * [ J The Italians had but one disappointa I ment in their new Queen —that she 1 could not speak Italian. Her language >, is French : and her ‘'foreignness” is all :s J the more remarked by its contrast with ''j the homeliness of Queen Margherita, ", who belonged to the Royal House of ' Savoy by birth as well as by marriage. " ueen Helen’s memories and personal j traditions are Russian, the friend and protectress of her youth having been ' the Empress-mother of Russia. These antecedents Italy can condone; but she longs to hear her Queen speak her 1 own musical ■■ onguc. Queen Helen is ’ consequently perfecting herself in the ; language as quickly as possible. !**•** The sad circumstances attending the death of Lady Katherine Manners, the I Duke cf Rutland’s oldest daughter, has I plunged the inmates of Belvoir Castle j into intense grief, and the Duke is said to bo inconsolable. Lady Katherine, it j seems, has for many months past been suffering from melancholia, and since her mother’s death, about eighteen months ago, the duties of hostess at Belvoir have bcou undertaken by the Duke’s j second. daughter, Lady Victoria Man- | nor.s. When Lady Katherine was found j Ito be missing, a search was mado for her in the Park near the castle, but the niriit passed without a. clue. It was only in the early morning of the following day that she was traced through | a parasol, which was known to belong to I

her, and which was found on the banks of the Knjpton Pond. Not long afterwards her lifeless body was found among the rushes. On the morning of the day when Lady Katherine was last seen alive, she said to her maid, “Put me on some warm clothes, as 1 am going for a long walk.” Her death, under such peculiarly painful conditions, has naturally been a great shock to her family,