LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 17 July 1890, Page 37

LADIES' GOSSIP.

— In England the new battle-of-the-flowers is getting serious, Already politicians have besmirched the primrose. French royalists have seized upon the lily, Bonapartists on the violet, Boulangists on the carnation. Before long the " plain man " will not have aXa X flower left that he can wear without running the risk of getting his head broken by some enthusiastic opponent in the streets. High-churchmen will wear passion flowers, non-smokers will mount a dandelion, and the people who drink tea without sugar will proclaim their abstinence with some other horticultural emblem.

— There is a cry of fear in Paris lest dancing may be forced out of fashion. One reason assigned is that women with salons no longer encourage it. Another is that the waltz, whiqh hfts fop som,e yeare almost monppoiisecl dancing, is top boisterous and, exhausting. It has disappeared from many Paris salons. A reviyal of the art is called for. —The Pope is coming out in' quite a gallaqt ligb, t on the ocoasion of the approaching marriage p.f the Archduchess yal6rie. He is having a superb diamond necklace manufactured by one of the first jewellers in the Eternal City for the daughter of the Emperor Francis Joseph, to wear on her wedding day. This splendid present will be conveyed to Vienna by a special legate, and will be accompanied by an autograph letter of congratu.latiop from the Holy Father. — The story of the Emperor William's children being sent under the dinner table for misbehaviour, and of their undressing there, which has gone the rounds of the press, is a reoliaujfe of an old yarn .which was told about Prince Eddie and Pxinoe George about a dozen years ago. They had been noisy when lunching with the Queen, 3nd were told to go under the table until they could behave themselveß. Their silence under punishment attracted notice, and after a few minute" they were told they might come out if they were good. They did so, but, to the horror of everybody, in a state of oomplete nudity. — To Paris belongs the bonnet palm. Following in the wake of the butterfly bonnet comes the snake, a serpentine wonder of jet, made without a foundation of any sort. The long black snake of burnished jet is coiled into a becoming headgear, the only adornment being a bunch of pink and mauve orchids clustered in the back. —A little child actress of New Yprk, aged seven years, confided to an interviewer the other day (says the Daily News) % the fact that she is engaged to be married to a boyactor, aged eight. She had the marriage contract in her trunk, she said, but was sufficiently familiar with the contents of the document to repeat them verbatim. A gentle flavour of the catechism is apparent in the wording : " We, the undersigned, do promise and vow three things in our names. First, that at the ages of 20 and 21 we willget married ; second, that we will star together for 10 years, and not get divorced ; and third, that at the ages of 30 and ! ,31 we will retire from the stage and live on Fifth avenue." Pleasant as this programme of life appears to be, the little girl had evidently suggested Some small doubt as to her own adherence to

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its provisions, for Bhe informed the interviewer that •• Wallie " had promised not to sue her for breach of promise if she should change her mind. He said, " Gertie, if you ever do marry another man J will feel very much distressed, but I won't sac yon." This moderate language and oalm frame of mind might possibly be less attainable at the ge of 21 than at eight. —A new fad in New York is the giving of memorial luncheons, at which relics of some great personage are shown, and at which the tables are draped with the favourite colour and adorned with the flower of the g. p. Mrs George B. M'Olellan inaugurated this fashion by giving a Napoleonic luncheon, at whioh the favours were steel engravings of Bonaparte, and the tables were covered with the Little Corporal's flower, the violet, arranged in appropriate designs. Many relics were shown of the great soldier, among whioh was a lock of hie hair. The candles were shaded by white satin covers on whioh violets were embroidered. A well-known society woman Is going to give a Marie Stuart luncheon, at which everything shall be white, in honour of the white rose of Scotland. A week or two ago a certain bank cashier married a lady who is a physician. The couple had scarcely returned to the bride's home when there was a vigorous pull at the door bell, followed by a summons for the doctress to visit a patient. "Business before pleasure," thought the brand-new wife, and, hastily excusing herself, went to alleviate pain. It took her six hours, distance and all. In the meantime the groom had to entertain the guests ! The Chicago Tribune affirms that thia sign is displayed on State street in that city i " Columbus Laundry. Come in and get your shirt washed and ironed while you wait."

— It is fashionable to have ornaments of silver on the dinner table, and old family treasures are being turned out of plate chests to decorate the festive board. A strip of bright-coloured velvet, or silk edged with ruchings of silk or fringe of the same colour, extends down the centre of the table to within lft or co at either end. On this are arranged silver bowls and vases holding flowers of the same colour as the cloth, fern or other foliage (out or growing) being mingled with thp blossoms. Dotted over the silk or velvet strip may be seen the most varied assortment of silver curios, such as quaint old-fashioned spoons, snuffboxes, and other odds and ends of plate. Silver candlesticks and candelabra, or silverplated lamps, are used for lighting purposes, and if shades be present they matoh the flowers and cloth. -The same uniformity of oolour is observed as regards the fairy lights. A specimen glass with a tiny buttonhole bouquet is often placed before eaoh guest at the dinner table. Yellow is a much favoured oolour for the dinner table. The lamps and ornaments in this case should be of guilt or "brass. The flowers, strip of plush, or silk, .&0.» should correspond in colour. — Lady Bosebery is a great admirer of .English silks. In order to show off the capabilities of this heme-made fabric, she has had a little bijou house entirely furbished and fitted up with this British manufacture, the hangings, &0., having come straight from the looms of our own country. JFour small rooms are all that this maitonette .contains, but their ceilings and walls are ihung with flowered Bilks in the most beautiful designs, while the floors are carpeted with -dark blue English plush. In the deep bay -Windows are seats of silk and curtains of superb brocade; divans and lounges are scattered about, covered with the same jnaterials ; little tables are draped with plush tablecloths, and silken screens patterned frith floral arabesques are set out here and there. This little dwelling (which ought purely to be called " Silkworm Cottage " or « Mulberry Lodge," or something eqnally puggestive) will be exhibited at the forthcoming Silk Exhibition. — The rage for decoration grows in New York, Wealthy families leasing expensive apartments often put many thousands of dollars upon the walls. A tenant with a five years' lease in the Dakota flats has spent COOOdol in decorating the walls of his apartment. One of the tenants of the Navarro flats spent 60,000d0l in interior decorations. The University Club has spent many thousands of dollars upon a leased house. — Sun.

—Under the heading "Deah Boys" an American paper says :— " A strange fad of the young men of the present day is darkening the eyebrows and 'eyelashes. They imagine this process gives an expression of strength to the face which is otherwise lacking. The stuff used for the purpose comes in a tiny box and is a black powder. In fche box is a little kid pencil, similar in form to the stump of a blender used by a crayon or pastelle artist. This tiny kid implement is dipped in the black powder and applied in a dexterous manner, first to trace the eyebrows darker and into the desired shape. After this the eyelashes are touched, and then a slight line is drawn under the eyes on the lower lid. At each corner is put the final touoh, a little dash of the dark powder, which gives a look presumed to be captivating." — Of the tyranny of the Czar, in little things as in great ones, there seems to be no end. A short time ago the betrothal was announced of the Grand Duke Michaelovitch and the young Countess Ignatieff, the daughter of the well-known Russian Ambassador at Constantinople. The marriage would be in many respects be a most suitable one, and the young people are passionately attached to each other ; but, in spite of that, the Czar has coolly announced that the engagement must be broken off. He assigns no reason beyond an intimation that the young laiy's father is not to him personally a^/mojia grata. It is possible, however, that for the nonce the Czar may find himself circumvented ; for the young Countess, who has inherited her mother's beauty and her father's cleverness, is by no means inclined to relinquish hexfinace without a struggle. —Shoes and stockings (says a Home correspondent; are chosen to match tbe toillet with which they are worn. Kid shoes are dyed in various colours. Silk and thread open-worked hose are manufactured in all shapes. Pearl grey covering for feet and hands is the latest fashion. Evening shoes are sometimes made of satin covered with gold or silver thread network ,* the toes are

pointed, and very high heels are nearly abolished. Ladies who have been accustcmed to high heels when dancing do not approve of the change. I can remember the time when dancing slippers were absolutely without heels.

— The Empress of is building a magnificent 'Pompeiian' palace at Corfu, to cost rearly £600,000. It is being constructed of Carrara marble. The gardens will be elaborately ornamented with terraces, fountaina, and eleotriclty. Three hundred man are at work.

—People like individuality in a room, and an unending vista of blue and white rooms shrouding lily-white girls grows monotonous. An original New York girl says she has grown so tired of tame people and tame amusements that she was bound to have something startling about her : " She got her father's consent to have the garret of his big mansion, and Bhe fitted it up in a way that would make a tiger shiver. It is an uneven room, dark even at noonday, for the window panes are hardly bigger than the palm of the hand. The floor is covered with leopard skins, from which the round beady eyes stare in an uncomfortably fierce way. A big, grey owl perches in a dark corner, and below it is a dusky blaok'ooncb with drapery above it that looks for all the world like a glowering big bat. The doors into the alcoves are hung with the skins of the Rocky Mountain lion, and from the sides of the room above the couches are meshes of coiled snakes, from the mouths of which dart lights in a fashion entirely too realistic for comfort. Instead of a stately samovar there is a regular witch's cauldron in one corner in which the mistress of the room contacts harmless tea for those of her friends who are bold enough to visit her there. The girl has at once courted and defied superstition, for while her toilet appointments, paper knives, &c, are all in horseshoe shape, or have for handles the left hind foot of rabbits, she has a weird, moonshaped clock from which the iil-omened cuckoo announces the hours. The most horrible corner of the room she rarely shows, for it has no tenant save a skeleton on a black-draped daXS. The girl who designed this horror-breeding room has been a belle for two seasons, and people seeing her childlike face would take her for an artless debutant*?

—It is said that the Queen intends standing personally as godmother to the Duohess of Portland's baby daughter. This is a rare honour, as her Majesty generally stands by proxy. The robe In which the little Lady .Winifred Dorothy Victoria Oavendish-BeD-tinck will wear on the occasion of her first appearance in publio is of cream-oolonred satin, over whioh is a magnificent Honiton lace dress. A wide satin sash is tied at the side. The lace insertion forming the bodice is threaded with baby ribbon. The baptismal ceremony will take place upon the Queen's return from the Continent.

— As a rule Scotswomen only speak when they have something to say, and then their utterance is brief and pregnant, and is pronounced with a certain stridency. Their dress sits awkward on them always, and as they age they take naturally to pessimism : both face and mind grow hard, they are scornful and suspicious, they will augur the worst of their neighbours' prospects alike in this world and in the other.— -Scots Observer.

— Sister Rose Gertrude has written as follows to a 'lady friend of hers at Kalihi, Hawaiian Islands :— " This is not the hospital I was originally intended for, but is newly built, and we have the German specialist here. There are already 40 patients, and they needed an English sister very much, as the natives will not pursue their treatment if left to themselves. This is a very pretty spot, built on the coral. The patients are in little detached wooden cottages, all around a green lawn with shady trees. In time we are to have many pretty flowers and creepers. I have some little children here, so that my work is teaching as well as nursing, and amusing them all as well. There is one drawback — we are a long way from tbe church, and I hope in time to get a little chapel where I may assemble them for prayers, reading, and singing. I have a German patient who feels his misfortune very much. . . ."

— No State ceremonial seems complete now without the Beefeaters or Yeomen of the Guard, who wear still the quaint Tudor garb which was in vogue when Henry VII first raised the corps at his coronation. The scarlet skirted coat, trimmed with black and gold, has the Crown of England and the Tudor emblem embroidered on the breast/; red, blue, and white rosettes appear on the shoes and at the knee, the same ribbons are twisted round the low-crowned black velvet hat, and a ruff is worn about the neck. They line the rooms and staircase of the palace at drawing rooms, &c, aided by the Gentlemen-at-Arms, a corps instituted by Henry VIII, disbanded during the civil wars, but subsequently reconstituted. Their uniform is crimson and gold, with gold helmets and white waving plumes, and they carry small battle-axes covered with crimson velvet.— Cassell's Magazine.

— In tbe Ukraine Russia, the maiden is the one who does all tbe courting. When she falls in love with a man she goes to his house and tells him the state of her feelings. If he reciprocates, all is well, and a formal marriage is duly arranged. If, however, he is unwilling, she remains there, hoping to coax him into a better mind. The poor fellow cannot treat her with the least discourtesy or turn her out, for her friends would be sure to avenge tbe insult. His best chance, therefore, if he is really determined that he won't, is to leave his home and stay away as long as she is in it. This is certainly a peculiar way of turning a man out of his house and home.

— The Kaiser and Kaiserin devised a little Easter amusement for their children, and invited Count Yon Moltke, of all people in the world, to come with them and patrake of the ancient German pastime of hunting for Easter eggs on Sunday afternoon. Nor did the good-natured veteran disdain to be the playmate of the little princes, but drove out to join the Imperial Family party at the Castle Bellevue, in the Thiergarten, carrying with him a large basket of Easter eggs. His ariival was greeted with shouts of delight by his little friends, and an equally hearty greeting by their august papa and mamma ; and then the Emperor and Empress arranged for the hiding party to secrete the boys' presents. The Kaiserin and the old Field. Marshall

went a hiding, while the princes remained with their father, until, all being ready, the little people were allowed to go and search. For the best part of a happy hour, screams of rapture testified to the joy of the little princes, asl they were permitted to ransack the shrubberies and parterres, and found out one after another the hidden gifts in store for them. And then it was to be Count Yon Moltke's turn, and the Kaiserin hid some very beautiful and costly Easter eggs intended for the old soldier, and sent him a hunting, which he did with the goodwill and ardour of a boy, going down on his veteran knees and peering into every bush and flower bed until the treasures were all discovered. Then the whole party drove home to Berlin, and the populace, of whom hundreds were abroad on that fine Easter afternoon, were amazed and delighted at the sight , of their aged hero driving into the city holding on tight to a basket of Easter offerings with the pleased face of a ohild 1 Close behind his came the equipage containing their Majesties and their sons— Wilhelm II looking uncommonly gay and merry, and the young princes beaming with delight.

— "My heart," sings Wordsworth, "with rapture fills, and dances with the daffodils I " And verily he might have said so once again last week when the "Great Daffodil Conference " was (says a Home paper) held at Ohiswick, and opened by Princess Mary, Duchess of Teck, and attended by suoh a galaxy of fine folk and charming women, exquisitely dressed, as to make the assembled company a veritable show of human loveliness as well as floral 1 Queen Eose of this garden of beauty was, of course, Princess Victoria May, who accompanied her mother, and really looks prettier than ever this season, as if hopes likely to be crowned with fulfil, ment agreed with her, and shed a more brilliant lustre to her bright eyes, and a sweeter joyousness to her captivating smiles I She was dressed in a costume of heliotrope, with a dainty little bonnet en suite ; and certainly these tiny clnpeaux suit Princess May, and sit most becomingly on her neat, wellpoised head I Her mother was, as usual, at once jolly and splendid in appearance. Although there is so much of her, tbe Duohess of Teck is always pleasant to look at, and generally hits on a style of dress that makes her huge personality a comely sight after all. On this occasion she was in black velvet, with here and there a jewel sparkling to take off the sombreness ; and when a handsome bouquet had been presented to her Royal Highness, its vivid colour stood out in rich relief against the sable sheen of tbe dress. Lady Henry Grosvenor was elegantly olad in the palest pink, the silk drapery being veiled in a film of black lace, and the liliputian bonnet a " thing of beauty and a joy for ever." But there were so many pretty toilettes present that the difficulty was to give due attention to the flowers; and the latter were really exceptionally worth looking at. Not only what every child knows as the " daffy-down-dilly," dear to Maroh rambles, was there} but every variety of golden, cream, and orange blossom that persevering cultivators have succeeded in ooaxing into improvements on the original bloom, besides a goodly display of polyanthus, jonquils, anemones, and even a few magnificent Mar6chel Niel roses and camellias.

Snow. Beautiful snow, bo pure and bright, Tinting the landscape with heavenly light, BefieotiDg from crystals the sun's warm glow ; Is there aught more pure than the beautiful snow? Oft when a child 'twas my heart's delight To watch the snowflakes so pure and bright Falling in clouds on earth and on grove, Missives, I thought, from the angels above. But now while It pleaseß, it saddens my heart, Its clearness and beauty ao soon do depart, lkafc is the thought to my mind will oft come and

go, What earthly thing is to like the pure snow? Is there aught on earth to soon crushed down By careless orowds in field and town. Aught that's «o blackened and trampled on, Till all its brightness and beauty is gone? And the answer doth come in a soft refrain, Innocenoe bright which we cannot regain,— The Innocence bright of a heart unsullied By the contaot cruel of a ruthless world. — M. A. J. Will. Ashbank, Hlllend.