BREEZY BITS FROM SYDNEY CITY.

NZ Truth, Issue 84, 26 January 1907, Page 6

BREEZY BITS FROM SYDNEY CITY.

Feminine Fads, Frills, Follies, Feathers, Flowers and Furbelows.

(By "Merrie May.")

Socially, Sydney is dull. Holidays aird holiday makers are obscuring the horizon at present. The male portion of the community has formed itself into many camps on divers pretexts, and is returning to the habits of primitive man. The "sleeping out" mania has taken such a hold that keepers of hash-turrets are providing stretchets and hammocks, so that air faddists may sleep out m the garden and scrub, adjacent to the Potts Point mansion. ' Only the very toney go .m for this sort of thing. There is too closp a resemblance to the habits of Domainiacs for ordinary folk to indulge m 'such capers. Can't say if it will become fashionable for Edwin and Angelina to doss out Babes-in-the-Wood fashion, but a newly-wedded couple are spending their honeymoon m a tent down Narr'abeen way.' „' , There are drawbacks to the simple life. Earwigs and forty-legged caterpillars, and all sorts of insects with strings, crawl under the blankets and roost on your hair, and the musical mosquito makes a banquet off your features. Besides, I fancy the practice will lead to all sorts .of cpmplications. You can't . put a look on the atmosphere, and if a gentleman comes home 'from his club m the early mcm with' "vine leaves m his hair," and tumbles into a strange damsel's hammock by mistake, the fall of Babylon will not be a circumstance compared to the fall of the twain, arid the row. and chatter that Mrs Grundy would make' over the accident. An action for damages for fracture of the damsel's dignity and reputation would ensure, as. sure as the giddy old- moon shines upon us. : ■ « : • : -..•'■ * ■ • While tho Northootes are tpoting round Tassey's apple garden, the' Vice-Regal residences m Sydney and, Melbourne arc being fitted up to house Royalty. Princess Aribert of Anhault, the .daughter of Prince Ohristian and Princess Helena (Princess Christian) is the lady. She' is divorced from her German husband. The bond- was' severed by mutual consent, and no questions asked, nor back talk given. • • ■ -a The' "mutual consent divorce may be considered a very up-to-date method of setfclino 1 domestic disputes, and the forerunner of marriage on .the- -.hire system. The "Royal divorcee", is expected m April. Perhaps, if the gods a^e good, and we are humble; other mighty personages may come to smile on us, and be criticised and gaped at like animals at the Zoq. It is rumored' that the Duke and Duchess of Connaught ;aiid Princess Patricia, who left London last tf'eek for Singapore, may include a tour of Australia m their travels. The Duke is to meet the Admirals of the China and Australian stations at Singapore and discuss naval matters, so snobocracy is curving its spinal column, and practising its courtesy m anticipation. ■ • . ' * • * "Hi'irglish" persons who revel m the mistakes of Mrs Malaprop and laugh at Australian linguists who, they sneer, learnt their French at Woolloomooloo. and Greek-, at the Fish-oh! Markets, have had a bad set-back. '.Nornian G-ough, 8.A.. of the Sydney Uni, has been engaged "by Admiral G-uy Fawkes to teach French and German to the oiHcers and midshipmen of v the hired flee;t -while on the journey to Singapore. Somefaultrfinding people say" .'they should have finished ' their education before ..joining the King's "><aveß." but I think ' such study is stacks better . than playing Nap and Poker for filthy lucre, or exdhatiging "confiden;ces anent the girls they left behind them and the terrible temptations they *i-esisted. , a la ' Parsifal, Xa.e> simple and pure • • • Sir Samuel Griffith has spent bis holidays at Oardineton. Station, Mp-< long, the residence of 'Mr George Douplo^, Sir Edmund Barton and family are summeraig at Hobart. By the way, I balieve that Mrs Nehemiah Bartley, a half-&ister of Sir Tob^ has -rotuarned' to Brisbane and the hash-thouse business. The lady, wuio was a Darling Downs beatitv m the long ago, is also related: to.. tJie-HoWbs family. Her late hubby spilt ink occasionally. His book, "Opals and Agates," told of the departed glories of Brisbane's first families. ' * # » .. It's surprising ' how back-^num'ber politicians will iuot be relegated to the shelf, and .threaten to throw themselves into the hurly-burly and save the country from all sorts of imaginary ills. ,Sir Vnlliani linendraper McMillan has announced Ms intention of re-entering public life. Whether Federal or State he does not , know, which, being interpreted,, means "Whatever bally place will have me." William seldom "can get any sort- of 7 a hearing m Sydney. Impertinent male and female electors interject, and a^k what prices he pays for shirts c/nd trousers to f tbe unfortunate women who sing "The Song of the Shirt" m this fair city. This sort of catechism from common, rude pconle always makes the dapner little linen-draper as wild as a wet hen. • • - * Of course, Knight William is uitrarespectable and a. rabid'Anti-Social-ist. Society scribes' notify that he is giving up his home at Wavcrley, his family having left for pastures new, A son and daughter have gone ttt South Africa, and another son is dairying m the country. The .family are the children ot the first wife, who was divorced some years ago.' The rrescnt spouse is contemplating a trip to Europe. • * » En passant, we are becoming nuite I Americanised. It is quite fashionable for hubby to stay m plebian Australia and grait, while wife and grown-up daughter frivol m Fosrl&nd ; and gay Paris. Mesdames Hordern [ and WaUord and Suttor, and oWiees

too numerous to mention, must surely have taken root m the Cok* Country. They have stayed awaj from their spouses such a long time. To be sure, the said spouses do not waste away to shadows by their sighs and' regrets; but one never knows. Man is made of stem beef and gristle, and the cankerworru may, feed m his heart without paline his damask cheek, or interfering with his appetite. Exhibitions threaten to become an epidemic. The Women's Exhibition to be opened m Melbourne m October next promises to be an era m the life or industrial women. We've had nothing of the kind before, and our city Agricultural Shows made a very small item of woman's crafts and industries. There are amateur and professional competitions, and 0n1y,., women and &irls resident m Australia may compete. ; ? Prices for every thing, from painting. 'and \ sculpture to patching and darning and cooking , pumpkin may be, competed for, and there will be musical, literary and elocutionan r com»e / |/n;i'~n:s. The Vice-Regal lady m each/ o f the States is the President tkerer.f, and Dame Norlhcot'3 is tjrtf /• v " iding genius whose lily-wh^fe . iv -rl e«ln bano; the piano creditably, and caa also work wonders 4hau Arachne and; Penelope sense. /'- --■ *."•■ / ft';> : ; •' Portugal— where , the Portuguese come from— is asking for exhibits for its Peace Exhibition . at Lisbon. Certificates a nd gold medals will he given to successful competitors, and Australia ia- asked -to send along a ship's hold full of art and ' 'litter achewer." • * ' * The new Homes for Consumptives at Waterfall will not be ready for patients till the end of- the year. Some time atro" there was a gireat outcry about overcrowding-, at .the Liverpool Asylum, and the Government hastened very ■ slowly' to iind more suitablo quarters for tb.3 patients. All cases of 'tuberculosis m the city have been reported to the health authorities for the past three years. The health author itie-s are asking now, that the reporting of consumption be imperative all over this State, so that precautionary measures, and segregation of the worst, cases may lead to the extinction of the disease. The bulk of the present day cases are not imported strangcirs, but natives, according; to the health officials. • » - * . • ■■■ .- A very serious Science Congress is corroboreeing at Adelaide* Thov are a fearsome collection of savants and spectacled philosophers, and they diseitrs such light and airy subjects as "Earthquake, Australian Geodesy," "Political Ideals," and "Aborigines .m. Recent • Anthropological' Research; ' ' , It requires a nutcracker to ckeumna- | visrate th 3 -strange beasts, but the, remarks of Professor Klaatch, a.i'-ser-> man scientist,. Y/ho lived amonn: the,. Northern Territory blacks for three"years, are more than intei?estin". r fho ! lecture was for men only, and the close similarity between 'aboriginal skulls ■■and primitive man' was pointed out. In fact, he considers oiir Northern King Billy is the missing link ■that Darwin-- was I . looking; for. Dr. Ramsay Smith;/ pi Adelaide, went • Nan on the question. The teeth of our aborigines connect man's affinity f with man's nearest relations— monkeys and anes, the gorilla, orang oulang, and chimpanzee, Also. Australian, aborigines have the l.avgGsfc number of apelike characters among them." Australia bas produced prima donnas, cricketers, scullers, swimmers. Dowie and Judkins. If it produces the missin? link- it will burst with pride, sure. ■ * . • * • ." ■.. * - - The * frothy dialogues of censorious mistresses and rebellious Myrtle, and Lilian— Mairy Ann "and such plaia names' are tabooed religiously, m domestic circles— is waning, and a cat-and-dog skirmif-.li between, alleged bachelors and spinsters spreads it* impertinent fungus o'er . columns ox our dailies. The bachelor says he, is good and sober and pious, and has 300 cuidlets a year, and cannot £nd a woman whom ho would care to marry. The women that lie knows' are -not socially good enough. Ho only knows waitresses, Barmaids Fiii cirls whom he has 'met at boardinghouses. He indulges m the liixurv of a "club" on Jess than six pounds _ a week. Some men are aniaxinfJv economical. The girls retort that they don't believe m his club, that he is lookin" for an heiress, and is a ted, bold, bald-headed, fauit-niiilin?', old rake. And if the twiddle wasn't palpably the 1 production- -of the officetool, I would agree with 1h" virtuous wd an.«rry iipinsters:, who ha"* 1 bad their honest work thrown m their faces by an insulting. nincompoop. .-'.'" '• ' • ' . . '■« Occasionally Jupiter sprinkles his Vv-ater ing-pot over this city, and spoils Mrs Suhurbia's- "At Koine."' Just before tlie first guect was expected.. Mrs Suburbia yelled (forte), "Fere. I Ethel imla, quick— quick" ! Ta'-e all { those umbrellas o ut of tho hall, and put them safely out ol sig^t • vn.til everybody is gone." "(*h. ma," replied Ethel inda. m shocked tones, "amely you're hot afraid' pur • guesto would steal them ?" "No," answered Mrs Suburbia, with a self-satis-fied grunt, "but I'm afraid they might recognise some of them ! " • •» • Bart; Kennedy, an Amp.vicr.n- writer, has found out one of the festering sores of Merrie England. In "Wander Pictures" he writes of the women "who forse chains ;in c country of smo^e find fire and darkness m a v^t sinitliv tdierein women hammer nn;l " beat awl weld iron, aiul knge (hams for 'themselves, "their " fhiliSrpn ;md their children's' «.-»-.Jkiren; Cradle? i Heart:-.- whore women male pricks, is ' also -anathema to F.ftrt. though- ha/ oops hail from Uie larnl us Vur-ri] -• ii . i ! ■•.■• •-. ' ! So:i':R v.:orkmon p^t'o n .^rut'some^ discover v m an old hblise- ab Darling- v. lon. Jr. the coil i-.ig was found ilic sko \ ! Is-ton of ?• baby. From a. pa-^rr gVcy. 1 i ! 188r>. it- is riupiio>o(l to havn Vqtji *-w« ! iut .40 \v&rs.