Madame Marie Roze's Wardrobe and Pets.

Otago Witness, Issue 1916, 10 August 1888, Page 34

Madame Marie Roze's Wardrobe and Pets.

A peep into a prima. donna's wardrobe will be an irresistible attraction for our lady readers Madame Roze has all her hats from Virot in Paris. Her latest arrival is a high hat of cream tinted plush, garnished with a bunch of ostrich plumes to match the shade. The plumes are coloured at the tips to imitate scorched feathers. The prima donna also displayed to our representative a lovely carriage bonnet, which was worn by her on the occasion when the Earl of

Lattiom presented her with the magnificent diamond tiara. This "dock of a bonnet" is composed of steel grey velvet, trimmed with cut Steel beads to match, and is garnished with a South American bird of white and grey plumage. To match this she has a Worth costume of grey silk and steel beading passementerie. A ! travelling hat of black velvet has a very high crown and broad brim, and is trimmed with% huge bunch of blackcock's feathers. Conspicuous among her wardrobe is an elegant ball costume, made expressly for the ball given to the Earl and Countess of Lathom. It is composed of white moire antique, and is ornamented with an embroidery of diamond cut jewelled beads, with the front covered with cascades of Brussels and Duchesse lace. The corsage is decollette and trimmed with the same lace. The coiffure is' adorned with white ostrich plumes and diamond spray. Another handsome costume is one of salmon-coloured brocaded satin, with a front of gold brocade, and trimmed with old English point lace. A robe de reception by Worth is of a cardinal Batiu skirt and overskirt, and jacket of satin de Lyon, the bottom of the dress and the collar and cuffs of the body being trimmed with gold Turkish embroidery. For travelling Madame Roze wears a long sealskin dolman, almost touching the ground, made of finest Alaska skins. A dinner dress, or robe de visite, is one of Flontenaar's most effective works of art. It is composed of black corded silk de Lyon, the whole front draped with shield-shaped floral ornaments, made by hand, of solid bead work in blue, amber, and bronze cut crystals on a fine silkjnetwork. Around the bottom of the skirt is a wreath of jewel-beaded passementerie. One side of the train is cut round and the other side square. The back is cut a la princesse, with a cut away vest front and elbow sleeves of the same beaded embroidery as the skiit, while the pompadour corsage is filled in w,ith fine Duchesse lace. Most of the prinia donna's laces and hand embroideries are in flounces, fichus, and pocket handkerchiefs. Among these is a particularly haudsome handkerchief, the gift of the Empress Eugenic. A description of the jewels and rare gems owned by the French prima donna would require more space than we can spare, but a few of the principal treasures may be mentioned. A pair of solitaire diamond eardrops, which weigh 18 carats, are of remarkable brilliancy and purity. They were formerly the property of the mother of the present Marchioness of Mandeville, and were purchased of Kirkpatrick, the well-known New York jeweller, by Madame Roze for £2200. A magnificent diamond brooch, the gift of Queen Victoria, is also very beautiful, together with a diamond, ruby, and sapphire bracelet, also the gift of her Majesty. A fine pearl and diamond bracelet in the form of a forget-me-not, a souvenir from the Grand Master Lodge of Freemason 3, and a diamond bracelet of 14 fine solitaire diamonds, the gift of Mrs Mackay, are two of Madame Roze's favourite bracelets, The magnificent tiara presented at Liverpool is asight in itself. A pair of large turquoise earrings surrounded with diamonds, also attract attention. They have a peculiar history. They were presented to Madame Roze by her admirers on the occasion of her last appearance in Paris. One of these valuable jewels was dropped by Madame in the fireplace during a recent visit to Dublin, and was swept up by the chambermaid with the cinders, and found its way into the dusthole. The^ city garbage gatherer picked it out, and not knowing its value sold it for a few shillings, and it was afterwards recovered by means of a mutual friend, who saw it offered for sale in a second-hand jeweller's window. Now for the more personal details to which we have referred :— Madame's favourite companions are her dogs and birds. Wherever she goes her King Charles, a Japanese pug, and a Yorkshire terrier, and two wonderful talking parrots accompany her. All the famous cantatrices appear to be passionately fond of animals. lima De Murska travelled with four or five dogs, several birds, and two monkeys. On one occasion she was staying at a Liverpool hotel, and the proprietor would not allow her to remain on account of the damage her pets were doing to the furniture. The sensitive singer was terribly indignant, and threatened to leave England altogether, for never before had such an affront been offered her. The manager was in a state of alarm lest the engagement should have to be cancelled. The lady declared most emphatically that if her small zoological collection could not stop at the hotel she would leave the country, and the only way a compromise could be arranged was by clearing out the furniture from her rooms and hiring some more for her special use. Nilsson is exceedingly fond of her dogs, and Patti is always accompanied by a parrot and a couple of toy terriers. Madame Roze's favourite parrot, a South American bird of beautiful plumage, occupies a post of honour near his mistress' arm-chair. He is a vocalist of no mean merit, and Madame informed an interviewer that if he had called a 'little earlier he should have heard him sing a couple of verses of " Comin' through the rye." " You see," she adds, " my bird is a great imitator. He listens to me while I am practising, and it is most amusing to hear his attempts to follow me. I have taught him two verses of ' Comin' through the rye,' which he sings perfectly. He is not a night bird, but likes to go to bed about half-past 7, when I always put the cloth over his cage. In fact, he only gives matinees." Madame is vastly amused at an offer she has just received from Mr Cross, of Liverpool, a wellknown importer of wild beasts and birds. During her recent stay iv Liverpool Mr Cross invited her to take some souvenir from his miscellaneous collection. Would Madame like a baby lion of singularly amiable manners ? The animal was no bigger than a collie dog, and would grow up into a perfectly safe companion and protector. It was a tempting offer, but the prima donna was compelled to decline it with iLtauy fhaiks for the ndmir;>ble"int: ntims which prompted sucli un outburst of spontaneous generosity.