LADIES’ GOSSIP

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4313, 23 March 1901, Page 4 (Supplement)

LADIES’ GOSSIP

■ 3t distinguished visitor, Major-General i Sir Stanley Clarke, is on a visit to Afus- : tralia. His most recent service was in ■ the Nile campaign of 1884-85, where ho Commanded the Light- Camel Corps. He is Equerry in. Waiting to His Majesty the King and private secretary to Her • Majesty Queen Alexandra. Lady Clarke, who is touring tho world with Sir Stanley, was a daughter of the late Sir John Rose, Bart. ; A cable message has announced that ; ..the Hon. Marjorie Cecilia Carrington, eldest daughter of Earl Carrington, formerly Governor of Now South Wales, has .married the eldest son of Mr Char- | • les Henry Wilson, member of the House of Commons for West Hull. The bride has received 400 presents, one of them : being a magnificent diamond and tur-j quoiso brooch, presented by their Ma- j jesties King , Edward and Queen Alex- | andria. _ - lb ex-Empreea Eugenio is godmother to more than any other woman in the world. Her godchildren number some 3600. There is great satisfaction throughout Italy at the prospect of an heir to the/ King," and the happy event is expected early in June. If tho infant should prove to be a son, the children of the Duchess of Aosta will no longer be in the ' direct line of succession. The Duchess, 7 who-is very haughty, considers it a hardship that she, as a daughter of 'France, should be obliged to yield .-pro-, cedence to the daughter of the Prince of ■ Montenegro. 1 The Emperor of Austria recently gave j

great satisfaction at Buda Pesth by con- I ferring upon the popular Hungarian ac-1 tress and singer Louise Blaha, the cross for merit, with the crown attached. With his usual kindness, the King of Hungary received the artist in audience, as she wished personally to express her thanks for the distinction. Her real name was entered in the audience list as the wife of Baron Splenyi. The actress displayed upon the occasion the new order sparkling upon her breast. Tho King remarked, “You are now celebrating your 25 years’ jubilee as an actress, I believe?” “Thirty years, your Majesty, I have acted at Buda Pesth.” The King observed, with his accustomed gallantry, “No one'would believe that yon had been an actress for 30 years.” After his Majesty’s kind dismissal of the much-feted artist, she remarked, “I am the happiest woman in the world now that my King has been so gracious to me.” .

juaciy aenwsßj are ayi uy mushrooms in 'America. Timid people will more readily, consent to be operated on by a pretty, tasteful'and expert woman than an awe-inspiring individual such as are many male specialists. “Her touch was exquisitely soft,” relates a poor victim who passed under the hands of one of Uncle Sam’s daughters set up in the dentistry line, and I was more than sorry when the operation was completed.'’’ The lovely Countess of Warwick, the most enterprising of peeresses, has just celebrated her 39th birthday. Lady Wap wick, in spite of. her great position, is not too proud to run a shop in Bondstreet, seeing that its object is to help the girls of Little Easton to earn an independence. Her interests are varied, but are chiefly associated with women’s work. In addition to encouraging the art of the needle, she is very enthusiastic upon the topic of agriculture, dairy farming, etc., for women, and her successful hostelry at Reading is already proving of great benefit to our sex. On her estate is Essex the' Countess has founded a scientific technical school for boys and girls, as well as a needlework | school. She is identified with innumer(able public movements of a beneficent 1 order, and is altogether one of the husi- ! est and most charming of society women, i just as she is also one of the loveliest. Queen Victoria’s “Minor Bounty,” better known as the “Royal Alms,” was distributed the week before Christmas at the Royal Almonry, 6 Craig Court, Charing Cross, to more than 1000 disabled persons, of good character,, recommended by the rectors and vicars of pari ishes in England and Wales. The distribution .is an interesting ceremony, but one that is by no means easy of arrangement.. The payments were made by the secretary of the Royal Almonry, Mr John Bidwell. . : ; ]virs Hick-Curiningham is .installed as liady-in-Waiting to Princess Christian, and is almost at home in her new duties. : ' Princess Henry of BattenWg is very ’ fond of giving her, children music lesisons, especially of teaching them to sing glees and carols. A'- new carol, composed by the Princess, was to be sung by the Royal children to the Queen at Christmas. i ! The Duchess of York always sees that fresh and prettily-arranged flowers are kept iii her children’s nurseries, and littie Prince Edward has already begun to . take a great interest in hyacinth-grow- ! ifig in glasses. _ , j I That the average bride of 40 years ago ! was as diffident about; declaring her real 1 age as she,is to-day has. been, discovered by the commissioner for hearing old age j pension applicants, observes a Ballarat i contemporary. In several • cases where the applicants confidently, announced their ages as 66,-reference to’ their marriage certificates disclosed the fact that the ages given to the officiating minia--1 ter at the time of the wedding wouli bring their present ages to under 65 years, and thus render them ineligible for a pension. Thus the desire.to figure as a youthful bride in the olden days has brought its punishment in the fulness of vears. ’•