LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 1952, 23 July 1891, Page 38

LADIES' GOSSIP.

- —The Grand Duchess Sergius— nee PrinElizabeth of Hesse— is bitterly repenting her ' " conversion " to the Russian Orthodox faith. Instead of this being a voluntary act on her part, as officially stated, it was the result of harassing and '• bullying" enough^o have frightened a far more strongminded' woman. Even her husband, the Grand Puke Sergius, was not ashamed to act as the tool of KM. Ignatieff, Pobedonostzeff, and other members of the intolerant school.

In spite of his solemn promises before marriage that the Princess should be per.fectlyfree mall matters of conscience and religion, no sooner had he got his wife safe on Russian soil than he commenced to hold forth against "infernal heretics," "disobedient wives," " headstrong women," fee, giving the unfortunate Duchess no peace, day or night, and even threatening a separation. No wonder the " conversion " became a fait accompli. Far different are the reasons which have induced %he Duchess of Sparta formally to join her husband's church. In all human probably the DucheßS will become the Queen of Greece, and it is only wise and natural that she should desire to profess the same religion as that in which her son will be educated, it being her avowed iptention to personally superintend the little education. This determination has metwith the hearty approval of her mother, tfie Empress Frederick; and that the Kaiser has expressed his displeasure at his sister's desertion from the Lutheran fold is a matter that causes very little trouble, either to the Duchess or any of her relatives. — Of the Bachelors of Arts upon whom the Vice-chancellor of London (Sir James Paget) conferred the degree on the 13bh May more than 50' were ladies. Five ladies also took the M.A. degree, and three ladies headed the list. Eight ladies attained the degree of B.Sc. A lady obtained the exhibition and medal in mafceria medica and pharmaceutical chemistry. In the M.B. and B.Sc pass and honours list one lady's name only appears. Eight women, however, appear .among the M.B. pass and honours names, though none attained the "-higher degree in medicine. Two ladies, besides, out of a total list of eight, passed the examination in the art, theory, and history of teaching. Among the undergraduates two ladies obtained distinctions in English and French Sir James Paget referred with satisfaction to the admission of women to the degrees and honours of the university on the same terms

las men. No year, he said, had passed in - which they had' not cause to recognise the wisdom of Lord Granville and the Senate of that day ; and pever was it more manifestly apparent than in the present year. —No girl in Hardanger, Norway, can marry until she is proficient in spinning, knitiing, and baking, which is quite medieval. But the law is not niediteval— it is just made. —A daughter of 'the famous contralto, Madame Pa,tey^ha.s for. some, time pastf been

studying painting in Paris, and she has just had a pastel portrait of Miss Edith Ousins accepted at the Salon in the Champ de Mars. It is remarked as a singular fact that many of the children of musicians have become painters, a3, for instance, in the case of the sons of Sir Charles Halle, Mr Ganz, Mr Diehl, the late M. Sainton, and the late Mr Cowen, sen. —The Crown Princess Sophie of Greece (grand-daughter of Queen Victoria) was addressed, in^ the recent ceremony of her baptism into the Greek Church, not as a Protestant, but as a Catholic. For instance, she was asked, " Dost thon. renounce the papal dogmas 1 Dost thou depart with full conviction out of the Koman Church?" The reason of this is that the Greek Catholic Church has no formulae for those who leave Protestantism to enter the Greek Church. The words of the service have been the same for centuries, and were formulated before the Reformation, before Protestantism wae known. The service dates from 1470 and was compiled by Symeon, the Patriarch of Constantinople. —The Egyptians often gave any relative whom they disliked the title of "mother-in-law," and the Chinese have the following proverb :—" The spring sky often looks like the face of a mother-in-law." For the consolation of mothers-in-law, it may be added that there are also tribes among whose members love and respect for parents-in-law are J strictly enjoined. And among civilisednations we may cite the well-known German proverb, "An aged mother in the house is a sheltering wall around it." — The Jmedical career is now thrown open to women in all parts of the Russian kingdom; moreover, special privileges are granted to women doctors in "all institutes, schools, hospitals, and charitable foundations for women. They are exempted from giving

their services in criminal cases as their brother physicians are compelled to do, but must, however, always wear a badge as a sign of their profession,

— The grotesque reigns in jewellery now. A gigantic spider is the approved ornancent for the hair, and has a yellow sapphire body, with diamond legs. Lizards and serpents, blazing with diamonds and emeralds, nestle in the folds of my lady's dress or sparkle against her fair flesh in hideous gorgeousness.

— The insinuating qualities of the " thin end of the wedge " have become proverbial. Although Elizabeth Barrett Browning was once " talked of " for the English Laureateship, and Jean Ingelow has been suggested as the successor to Tennyson, the nomination of a woman would probably be thought too great a departure. The thing might, however, be done by degrees. In America it appears they have "city poets," for "Miss Louise Imogene Guiney has been appointed city poet for the memorial exercises to be held in Boston this month in honour of General Sterman," and " will be remembered as the poet of the Grant memorial given in Boston in 1885." Could not we begin a woman laureate movement by instituting "city poets " and making women eligible 1 — Among the many noble ladies of England who have " gone into trade " may be numbered Mrs Arthur Wellesley, a grandniece of the Iron Duke. Mrs Wellealey and Mrs Hesketh Smith have opened a fashionable flower shop in Grosvenor street, London. TheTbouquets that come from this establishment are said to be especially artistic.

— Princess Christian gave tangible proof of her interest in the Royal School of Art Needlework at the recent sale, for her energy as a saleswoman was untiring. Her Royal Highness sold articles to the amount of 50gs in five minutes, before the proceedings had almost begun, and her enthusiasm proved so infectious that the sale continued as briskly as it had begun.

— The Princesses Marie and Victoria, daughters of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, were confirmed according to the Lutheran rite, ia May last, in the, village,

vChurch of Oslau, which is close to the ducal \hateau of Rosenau, in Coburg. The ceremony was wilnessed by the Duke and liichess of Ediuburgh and their other cftldren. i^-There is (says a Home paper) a novelty designed for the U3e of the summer girl, or for afcyone who may choose to use it. It is called!" mouchoir gras." It consists of a squared the very finest chamois leather, beau tif idly embroidered. It is made slightly unctuousUjy means of glycerine or vaseline, and is then, thoroughly rolled in face powder, which adhetes so closely to it that the mouchoir gras may be carried in your pocket without losing any of its load of rice-powder ; but applied Rigorously to the face when overheated aftsjf, say, an enjoyable dance, it at once removes the polish, and imparts a delicate, velvety, dull finish, as pleasant to feel as it;is to look at or lay your cheek against. — Countess Putjatin, one of the members of the highest Russian aristocracy, has devoted herself to a life of mission work. Soon after the Countess left school she departed for Japan, accompanied only by her maid, and travelling via Jerusalem, where she received the Patriarch Kowalnizki's blessing. —"An Old Maids' Tea" given by a young bud :— " When the old maids arrived, not one of whom could claim a score of birthdays of her own, they found a sunny table, set all in purest white service, with a great porcelain bowl in the centre heaped with white daisies set in a fringe of lavender and thyme and rue. But such metamorphosed odd daisies, each one shorn of her white petab in such a way that the round yellow centre seemed a lonely face set in a cap ruffled with white, and tied with two white strings beneath the chin 1 Every little child knows how to make a daisy into an old lady

in a cap frill, but the effect of so many crowded together like a host of old maids was amusing indeed. The luncheon consisted of the usual dainty menu dear to the schoolgirl's heart, but the final course was tea made by the youngest spinster of all in a silver samovar and poured out in exquisite little cups. And, as they all sat sipping it and chatting together as only girls can chatter, eating the peppermints and caraways which were served in lieu of bon-bons, a servant brought the favours, which apparently were too elaborate to be placed on the table. To each girl an exquisite little work-basket was given, silk-lined and covered, with a great fluttering bow of yellow on the handle. There were ohs 1 and ahs I of delight, and then simultaneously the covers were lifted and shrill shrieks filled the room, for in each basket rested a little live kitten, which added its piercing ' meauw ' to the general uproar. And let it be told for the encouragement of the young men of that set, not one of the girls carried the kitten home with her, for fear it should prove an ill omen of matrimonial success."

—Alfonso XIII, the infant King of Spain, on Sunday, 17th May, attained the fifth anniversary of his birthday. He is the posthumous son of Alfonso XII, and the only instance in history of one being born a king. A young coloured woman, Verina Norton, a graduate of the Women's Medical College of Philadelphia, has just entered upon the practice of her profession in Brooklyn. She is the first woman of her race to become a regularly educated physician. . —Soft lights, pretty effects in colour, merry laughter, and general goodwill area few of the characteristics of a New York flower dinner:— "At a certain dinner, arbutus, meaning « welcome,' was used at the floral decoration for the first table, which was designed entirely in pink and' white. The dinner cloth was of the finest of damask. A wreath of arbutus was embroidered in delicate shades of silk around the centre circle, in which stood a low silver jardiniere filled 1 with mose, and creeping oYer. its sides, ana.

all over its mossy bed was trailing arbutus, looking fresher than ever in contrast with its dark background. The napkins were of the same material as the dinner cloth. The hostess' last initial was embroidered in white silk in one corner, and encircled by a wreath of arbutus. The doilies were of bolting cloth, and painted exquisitely around the edge of each one was a tiny vine of trailing arbutus. Little sprayg of the fragrant blossom floated on the top of the finger bowls, which were all of pink.

"The tiny after-dinner cup and saucer were of some rare china, tinted a delicate shade of pink ; the handle was formed of a twisted spray of arbutus, and a vine of the sweet blossom twined' itself around the rims of the cup and saucer. The dinner cards were made of a rather long piece of mother-of-pearl mounted in silver. In tiny silver letters at the top was the word • Welcome,' and each course was separated from the other by a painted spray of arbutus. " The pretty souvenirs, which were one of the features of the dinner, were for each lady a small pink velvet box, containing an afterdinner coffee spoon, a little gem to add to their collection. It was of gold, the handle being decorated by sprays of arbutus enamelled upon it. Each gentleman had a tiny pin, with just one or two blossoms of arbutus for its top. Single silver candlesticks were used, with the daintiest of pink shades, and the effect was remarkably soft and pretty. "On the next table the tulip reigned supreme, the flower meaning '.declaration of love.' Iti meaning was not discussed so freely as the other guests talked of the meaning of the arbutus ; but eyes speak more eloquently than lips oftentimes. At this table everything was in yellow and white; the yellow tulip was used as a decoration, excepting upon the linen, where the tiny tulips were

embroidered in white. The jardiniere was of cut glass, most exquisitely cut and filled with ferns and yellow tulips, which stood up with a queenly grace. Cut glass was used profusely throughout the different courses. A very unique dish, used for salted almonds, was of cut glass in the exact form of a tulip widely opened. The stem of the tulip formed the handle, and the spoon which belonged to it was in the form of a partially closed tulip leaf. The doilies were of the finest white Irish linen, and were cut out in the exact form of a large tnlip. They were embroidered exquisitely in yellow. The fiDger bowls represented a tulip and were of ayellowjtinge. " Each dainty after-dinner cup was in the form of a yellow tulip, and was made of the rarest of china. No saucers were used, the cups being set in individual gold holders. The cup was not removed from the holder, and a tiny gold spoon was used with itGolden candlesticks," having shades of yellow silk with gold fringe, added greatly to the decoration of the table. The dinner cards were in the form of a white kid book mounted in gold, with a gold clasp. In tiny gold letters on the outside was the name of the guest, with the date of the dinner. The book opened, and on each page was written one course of the dinner, while up in every corner was painted a tiny bunch of yellow tulips " The little souvenirs of the dinner given to the gentlemen were stick pins with a diminutive yellow tulip for a top; while the ladies carried home with them beautiful fans of yellow marabout feathers with gold sticks. In the corner of one stick was a tiny tulip done in black enamel. '