LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 1921, 14 September 1888, Page 33

LADIES' GOSSIP.

— A train of State carriages has just been built for the use of the. Emperor and Empress of China. The panels are.decorated with dragons in guilt bronze, and the ornamentation of the interior is extremely magnificent. The Imperial saloon, &c, are furnished in cerise and yellow, while the furniture of the private carriage of of the Empress is covered with sky-bine plush. —The King of Holland dealt generously with the recently deceased sister of the Duchess of Connaught. Her first husband dying without a will, his wealth passed to

the King, his brother, leaving the widow, who had no children, penniless. The King allowed her the revenue from the fortune, even after she remarried, and now that she has died, he will allow the two children of the second marriage to enjoy the property.

— Mrs Langtry has made a beautiful home of her Califomian farm. Every room is furnished in a different style. The breakfast room is in yellow, the dining room is in red, one reception room is in pink, another is in blue, and there is a pretty little Japanese room. She intends to spend nine months of the year in this charming retreat ; but it remains to be seen whether her many admirers will allow her to take so long a holiday. She has called it Sandringham, in honour of the Prince of Wales.

— A pretty fashion was lately inaugurated by a French woman of title, who invited 50 guests of distinction to a dinner party. These she seated in fives tat 10 different tables. The maitre d' hotel gave every guest on arrival a flower, saying, " Monsieur or madame, you are seated at the table of tea roses," or " You will find your place at the liable of moss roses." The hostess presided at the moss rose table. Each memo was hand-painted with flowers to correspond to the especial table decoration at which the guest was seated.

— The new violet hat is intended to be worn at garden parties, and is very pretty and becoming. It is a wide Leghorn hat, most artfully and cunningly turned up on the left side, and has the brim lined entirely with Parma violets of different shades picked short from the stalk. The left side is caught right up to the crown, and thus, when the hat is on, the face and hair are entirely framed in violets. The straw is bent in such a way as to lend itself to the outline of the head and complete it.

— The Queen has presented Miss Victoria Campbell, infant daughter of the Rev. A. Campbell, of Crathie Manse, with a magnificent coral necklace, with medallions of massive gold between the links of coral, to which is attached a locket, inlaid with pearls. H.R.H. Princess Henry of Battenberg at the same time made the little girl a present of some beautifully embroidered frocks.

— French women are notorious for their folly in respect of canine pets. Manj a dog is as carefully washed, combed, and even scented as a child might be belonging to the upper ranks of life. And their clothing and ornaments are matters of great importance to some foolish people. Dogs' fashions are duly brought out, and the latest absurdity is a travelling suite for " Fido," in which "are neat receptacles for biscuits, sugar, and other light refreshments. The dog when calling with his mistress leaves his^card, or rather it is left for him. The folly, not to say the wickedness, of thus destroying the nature of the animal is one that does not seem to occur to the frivolous French woman of fashion.

— The Prince of Naples is paying his first visit to England since he was quite a little fellcw, when he used sometimes to be taken to Eastbourne for the sea-bathing. A lady who knew his English governess well asserts that on one occasion, when his Royal Highness was about five years old, he was taken across to Dover by night, and was carried ashore sleeping soundly. On being asked next morning if he knew where he was, the little Prince coolly replied : " Oh, yes ; I know I'm in England, because I saw a hansom cab pass just now."

— During the recent "court mourning" one well-known firm in Regent street sold 1300 black gowns in two days.

— The women arc coming to the front more than ever in France. They are not only jolics mojidaines, who set the fashions and miracles of " make-up," but they are pushing their way everywhere among the males. We have lady doctors, lady stock brokers, lady reporters, and recently a lady defended her father-in-law court with acumen worthy of an ancient forensic hand. Now the Sorbonne has awarded, for the first time to a woman, a diploma of " doctor of science." The recipient of the honour is a modest young lady named Mdlle Leblois, daughter of a Strasbourg pastor, and she is described as a veritable prodigy of learning. — Dispatch to the London Telegraph.

— The Empress Victoria received on June 30 a deputation of the Berlin municipal authorities, consisting of the heads of the magistracy and the city deputies, who delivered to her an address of sympathy. Herr yon Forckenbcck gave expression to the deep sorrow and sympathy of the City of Berlin. Her Majesty replied that if there could bo any alleviation to her sorrow, it would be in tl'ie universal regret manifested for her departed husband. The Empress added- that, if the necessary strength should be granted her, she hoped lo be able to fulfil Herr Forckcnbeck's request not to discontinue her works of love. Her Majesty then referred to the keen interest which her late consort and herself had always felt iv Berlin. Her Majesty lives in complete retirement, and with her youngest daughter visits the Friedenskirche twice every day, and is again beginning to devote some of her time to necessary outdoor exercise.

— Tragedy queens aud queens of song, like those bona fide royalities whose names are down in the Alraanach de Gotha, must not expect to keep tho public iv ignorance with respect to their ages. Some busybodies have ber>n hunting up the register of Sarah Bernliardt's birth. According- to the journals of Havre, the tragedienne was born in that town in 1813, but a correspondent 'declares this assertion to be erroneous. Julie Bernhardt, Sarah's mother, gave birth to twin girls, christened Rosalie and Lucie, in 1843, both of whom died within a few weeks at the Havre Hospital ; whereas Sarah was born a year later, in Paris, on April 2], 1844. bhe w\s baptised Rosalie Sarah, and at the convent where she was educated was known by the first of those names only.

— Late accounts give details of luxury at American entertainments which are somewhat startling. Mr Vanderbilt has his peaches grown wkli his monogram-; : At Delmonico's,. at a recent dinner party, as the Indies rose from the table, the floral decoration suddenly separated and supplied each lady with a choice bouquet, tied with ribbons, &c., and each further received a bonbonniere filled with choicest sweets. At

anotrer banquet forced strawberries were provided at 30s for a bunch of five. Orange trees, laden with fruit, were in the room ; the fruit had been replaced by Eoman punch, the orange rin 1 frozen to hold it safe. Id rs Vanderbilt has 27 carriages for her personal use. '

— Kate Fox, one of the great Fox sisters, noted in 'spiritualistic circles, recently turned up in a Harlem Police Court as a poor drunkard, unlit to take care of her children (two boys), who have been brought up in gross ignorance, she seldom having sent them to school. What a fate 1 Here is a woman that started the ball of spiritualism rolling till it circled the great globe. Millions of people have sat entranced in her presence, and notwithstanding the closest investigation, she has never been detected in her tricks. She has made and spent a dozen fortunes. She married a German baron, and lived in a castle, with retinues of servants, horses, carriages, and gold and jewels galore; but they are all gone now, and the wretched old woman, a slave to drink, finds no spirits to come to her aid now that she needs them as women seldom needed them before.

— " Two or three ladies of distinction," says the Queen, "are forming the project of opening a large poultry farm in the neighbourhood of London. They protest against the annual ex« penditure out of. England of thousands of pounds in payment for eggs, spring chickens, and young ducks. Bee culture is to be part of this farm of the future."

— It is a remarkable fact that many blossoms are odourless, or nearly so, during the day, whilst they give out a sweet perfume in the evening. A bouquet of hyacinth, for instance, is scarcely noticeable in a room during the day, but at 11 o'clock at night its perfume is such as to fill the room with fragrance.

— Some beautiful we 3ding gifts are being prepared for presentation to the Princess Letitia Bonaparte, the King of Italy's niece, who is to be married in September. The ladies of Turin have patriotically decided that their offering shall be a home product, and have fixed upon a piece of furniture with a space in it for holding flowers. When presented it will be filled with the fairest blossoms which that season will afford. The stand itself is in the style of Louis XV, and when completed will be a mostly and artistic object. The City of Turin intends to present the Princess with a splendid carved and gilded coffer, such as mediaeval brides were wont to be furnished with, The casket, or rather chest, will in itself be of considerable value from the precious materials employed and the artistic workmanship ; and it is filled with silks, velvets, and brocades of the richest and finest quality that modern Italian looms can produce. Sixty of the young unmarried ladies of Turin waited upon the Princess two da} 7 s ago to present their offering — a splendid antique Japanese vase, containing a bouquet, of fresh flowers. They say that the royal fiancee is immensely gratified at the numerous marks of affection and respect bestowed on her by the City of Turin, where her future husband, the Duke d'Aosta, resides, and where her own home will be. When receiving the young ladies of Turin, the Princess wore a pale blue dress, trimmed with white lace, and diamond ornaments. The bridegroom's gifts will be numerous and costly, and the King also intends to present his niece with some fine jewels, but the selection is not yet fully made.

— Apropos of wedding gifts, there were some of great elegance and originality displayed at a wedding in high life in Venice a couple of months ago. The bride was the SignoriDa Ida de Huchado, and the bridegroom the Marchese Carlo Bentivoglio d'Aragona. There was a necklace of the Italian tricolour, composed of alternate large diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, all of equal size ; a comb for the hair, ornamented with large pearls and sapphires, which formed groups of orange flowers and iris, and a bracelet of brilliants, which was composed of five stars, encircling the whole arm. Of the treasures of lace shown on the occasion, one enthusiastic witness tells me that some of the ancient pieces were positively " sculptural," and others as fine as spiders' webs.

— Miss Yon If inkelstein, who always lectures in Oriental costume, which varies with her subject, is assisted by ladies and gentlemen similarly atti r ed. Some of these assistants travel about with her, and others are selected from friends she makes in the planes she visits, and who are generally glad to take part in the Bible scenes presented. The platform or stage is fitted up to represent a landscape, or a domestic interior, according to the subject she has to speak about.

— "Sister Hedwige," one.of the Sisters of Charity who assisted in attending on the Emperor Frederick in his last moments, was the Princess Paolina Louisa Eadisvill, daughter of Prince G. E. Carlo and the Princess Theresa Lubomirsky.- She is 47 years of age.

— Mr Edward Scott, in his "Dancing. and Dancers," made the following estimate of the distance actually waltzed over in the evening by a ballroom belle: "Do you, my fair and fragile reader, think you would go six times round a moderate-sized ballroom, making, say, a circuit of 80yds during a waltz ? Yes ; at least, even allowing for rest. That, then, is 4Soyds if you went in a line. But you are turning all the timo, say, on an average, once in each yard of onward progress, and the circumference of a circle is rather more than three times its diameter, which will bring each waltz to over three-quarters of a mile, or at least li miles for the 18 waltzes." This seems an appalling calculation for one evening's dancing. By-the-bye, I wonder how many miles are travelled in a week by those who frequent the rinks ?

— How many empresses does the world contain at present ? The Gaulois gives a list of living Imperial ladies as follows :— There are in Germany, 3 ; Russia, 1 ; England, 2 (Victoria and Eugenic) ; Austria, 1 ; Brazil, 1 ; Belgium, 1 (Charlotte of Mexico); China, 1 ; Japan, 1 (Arou-Ko) ; — total, 11. — The 20th birthday of the Czarewitch was celebrated by a ball at St. Petersburg, at which all the ladies appeared in white and all the men in red.

— The New York Herald, after describing the efforts made to obtain a to perform the religious ceremony after the completion of the civil ceremony of marriage between the Puke of Marlborough and Mrs

Hamersley, says : — " Finally, when Messrs Leary and Webb were about to give up the clerical hunt in despair, and while the Duke and Duchess were anxiously awaiting a summons to the church, at the bride's palatial residence in Fifth avenue, a policeman suggested to them the name of the Rev. Daniel C. Potter, who is in charge of a little Baptist Church in Sixth street, in the 'German district,' off the Bowery street, at the east end of the city. This clergyman, who is an honest and zealous missionary in what would be called ' the slums,' said to the inquirers, ' Inasmuch as a civil ceremony has already been performed by the mayor it is but right that the Church should give a formal sanction to the union.' At half -past 5 o'clock, after three hours of anxious search, and of still more anxious waiting, the Dnke and Duchess were re- wedded in the modest parsonage, 120 Second avenue, the residence of the Baptist clergyman. The ceremony was brief and a trifle cheerless ; the clergyman was made happy by receivirg perhaps the largest fee he had ever pocketed ; and then, surrounded by a curious crowd of men, women, and children, who were attracted by the unwonted sight of splendid equipage and horses, the widow of Louis Hamersley emerged as Duchess of Marlborough in the eye of * Church, as well as State.' It is said that the disinclination of the clergymen to take part in the affair was due not so much to over-scrupulous considerations as to the influence of the bride's family, who bitterly opposed the match, and who had sent emissaries some days ago to request the clergy to refuse to perform the ceremony. Neither the bride's father, Commodore Oictcere Price, U.S.N., nor any of her family would come from their home at Troy, in the interior of this State, to witness the marriage. This is said in well informed circles to have resulted in complete estrangement between the Duchess and her parents. They only learned her intentions a few days ago, when she petitioned the Surrogate's Probate Court for a further allowance of £40,000 from her late husband's estate. As to personalty, of which species of property there is more than £600,000, she stated in her petition to the court that she needed money to meet the expenses of her approaching marriage. Surrogate Kansom has not granted her petition, and some lawyers think he will refuse it." [The parties have since been re-married in London.]

The Coming Fashions.

The following items are by the Home correspondent of the South Australian Chronicle : —

An immense number of corsages distinct from the skirt are worn. Garibaldis, simple blouses, Norfolk bodies, and the like. In stockinette they are made with silk vests, variously treated, but white and coloured cambrics, tucked, smocked, and trimmed with embrodiery or lace, are preferred when the weather is at all propitious. Soft silk in every colour, and also in black, forms a staple material for these convenient corsages. Many la^io- <=mock them, but I consider thib st^lo has an undress look, which is not suitable for smart wear. For children I consider it one of the most tasteful means of trimming ever devised.

In Paris a large majority of gowns are made with very short waists, and a broad sash of soft silk that reaches to just below the bust. There is no question fashion is making giant strides in the direction of styles prevailing 80 years ago. Skimpy satin skirts with a full ruche at the bottom are among the features of dress I allude to. Green in various tints is far and above all other colours in popular estimation. The pale moss tints are prettiest, but vivid grass greens are worn ; and of these we may well beware when we remember the connection of this shade with arsenic, that mineral being an indispensable agent in the production of this particular shade.

Silver-grey and white, and black and green appear to be the favored combinations of colour in articles of dre?s and millinery. Some very pretty poplin foulards are being shown in the shop windows. The ground is generally cream in its various shades, on which are printed small detached bouquets. Flowers of different colours are sometimes clustered together. One very pretty costume made for a titled lady commanded great admiration. It was a biscuit-coloured poplin foulard ornamented with natural moss rose buds; the skirt was elegantly draped and trimmed with a peaked ruche ; the bodice was made in the empress style, and the sleeves were puffed.

Silk has remained in the background of Fashion's domains during late years. The fickle dame is not wholly blamed for the once popular fabric's banishment from our wardrobes—the non durability of silk prevented ladies purchasing it — but I hear that it is again coming into favour. Silk manufacturers are receiving increasing orders for brocades, which are being employed for court costumes and dinner dresses. Even young girls are wearing them. Satin, also, is being again worn. Poplins and. sicilienes retain their popularity, as they drape well. The former material wears well. Black sashes are worn over coloured silKs. They look remarkably effective over delicate tints.

Vests of white material find thoirway into all dresses ; the crossed vest of white muslin or white surah silk is very deservedly popular. The sleeves of summer gowns are shorter than those worn in winter dresses. Bonnets are really go small that they may be characterised as the crowning point of the toilet rather than as serving the useful purposes of a head covering The flowers used for both hats and bonnets are those peculiar to the season. Drawn black lace hats are very popular, and not a few are decorated with hazel nuts and hops, though these are in advance of their season. Small white sailor hats with plain bands of broad white, green, or navy ribbon are universally worn and approved. When strings are attached to bonnets they frequently start from the centre of the crown and are unattached to any other part of the structure. Transparent bonnets are much worn, and alas, insects of all sorts, even those repulsive to sight, are seen apparently creeping and .crawling over the tulle, or if the bonnet be composed of flowers on their petals may be seen these thrill producing entomological effigies. Vei> narrow ribbons made up in rosettes are used to trim some bonnets, and natural flowers are requisitioned for the same purpose; but the beauty of flowers lies in their freshness, and as few flowers retain this characteristic long when out of water I

consider artificial blooms a wiser choice. By paying a good price one can get artificial flowers which can hardly he detected, so like real blooms do they look.

I ought before dismissing the subject of bonnet trimmings to have said that thistles, " what-o'-clocks," and very realistic-looking clover are favoured by milliners, and care is taken in the case of perfumed flowers to imitate the natural odour as well as tlie form of the bloom copied. A boa of Eussian violets is so scented and is so perfect an imitation of nature in regard to the flowers that the most experienced might be deceived into thinking the flowers real.

Bad Home Training.

I am told by one who is interested in the welfare of girls who earn their living at " the mercy of the world," that out of every 100 girls there are not 10 who can sew on a button straight or help themselves in any way. I was talking with a woman who knows young girls well, and much of whose life has been passed in teaching in the public schools, yesterday, and she assured me that she did not doubt the truth of that statement. " You would be surprised," she said, "if you saw girls as I have seen them, to find how little they are taught at home. Mothers who have worked hard seem determined that their girls shall not. Mothers who are the wives of labouring men spare their daughters the learning of the simplest sort of sewing. They send them to schcol. They give them useless courses of geometry and trigonometry, and the only course of sewing they get is the youthful training in the lower classes at the grammar school, where one hour each week is devoted to such work." I quite agree with my friend. Girls of whatever station should be taught to help themselves. Why should they not be as able to make clothes as to entertain 1 Surely the one may be of infinite service when the other is past use. More than that, any girl who can help herself, and is proud enough to do it in an emergency, is safe in the world. — Boston Home Journal.