LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 1985, 10 March 1892, Page 42

LADIES' GOSSIP.

— Here is a pretty story of Jenny Lind. One day she was riding in the country with some friends. A bird of brilliant plumage perched on a tree near by as they drove slowly along, and trilled out such a complication of sweet notes as astonished her. The coach stopped, and reaching out she gave one of her finest roulades. The beautiful creature arched his head on one side and listened deferentially ; then, as if to excel his famous rival, raised his graceful throat and sang a song of rippling melody tha£ made Jenny rapturously clap her bands in ecstasy. Then quickly, as though Bhe were before a severely critical audience, she gave some Tyrolean mountain strains that set the echoes flying, whereupon little birdie took it up and sang and trilled till Jenny, in happy delight, acknowledged that the pretty woodland warbler decidedly outcarolled the Swedish nightingale.

— Princess Victoria Kaiulaui, heir-pre-sumptive to the throne of Hawaii, will, it is understood, soon leave the school she is attending at Harrowden Hall, Northampton, and go to the United States, where she is to finish her education at Wellesley College. Tbe princess is now 16 years of age. Her father was a Scottish gentleman, the Hon. A. S. Cleghorn.

— The great event of the season at Rome, up to the present time, has been the marriage of Donna Marie Barberini, the heiress of the late Prince Barberini, to the Marchese Sacchetti, a member of the Pope's noble guard, who has been authorised by his Holiness to assume tbe name and title

of Bafberini. The bridegroom's present to the bride was a magnificent Barberini bee, composed of large diamonds and rubies, the family arms being three golden bees on a field azure. The brother and sister of the bridegroom gave a necklace of 10 rows of pearls, forming such " ropes " as would have satisfied even the Theodora of "Lothair." — London World. , ' — Amongst the charitable testatrices last year were Miss Emma Abbott, of New York, who gave her fortune, estimated at between L 200.000 and L 400,000, to charities. Miss Mary Bradford distributed annually over LIO.OOO during her lifetime. The Duchess Eugenia Litta Bolognini marked her grief at the loss of -the young duke by selling her jewels, valued at L 20.000, and endowing a children's ward at a Milan hospital with that sum. — A correspondent of a New York piper has been describing the mannerisms of some persons. According to this authority the Prince of Wales has a tic which to strangers is somewhat disconcerting. "About once in every minute and, a-balf the lid of the right eye drops completely over the ball. The eye remains . closed for the space of about a second, and then 1 suddenly opens again to its fullest extent, no other feature of the face having moved meanwhile. People who see th<| Prince for the first time are tempted to believe that he is deliberately winking at them. Of course there is no such intention on the part of the Prince, and the wink is altogether involuntary, the result of a tic nerveux. It, however, sometimes has the effect of causing the persons who are either talking to him or .listening to his conversation to start off blinking in response, especially when "they happen to be people; of nervous temperament ; and the spectacle of the two gravely winking atone another every minute or two is not without its humorous features.'.' ,\" ■ — Fru Wilhelmina Hierta's scholarship for women dentists in Stockholm is instituted for the purpose of rendering assistance to women without means who intend to study dentistry. A scholarship has been given to one young lady who has qualified at the Gothenburg College for dentistry. — -Miss Constance Eaglestone, in writing on the women of Naples in Murray's Magazine; describes the woman of the upper class in southern Italy as a brilliant humming bird, whose irresponsible existence is passed in flashing her own bright hues in the sue The write*- shows feelingly the hard work and lires of toil endured, and endured cheerfully, by women of the lower class. ' ' — "It was a touching fact," writes Mrs Fenwick" Miller in' the Illustrated London News, " that the late Duke of Devonshire remained a widower foi 50 year* — from the early age of 32 — in consequence of his fond affection for the beautiful wife he so early lost; and that he always carried about with him in.a despatch' box under his own eye, as people carry their most valued treasures, 'all > the letters that be bad received from her in his youth. Those, letters wore at length" stolen ,at a railway station, the thieves doubtless believing that they were securing valuable ibooty;-; but the treasure was like the good name of Shakespeare's lines — it did not enrich the robber, though it left the lo§er poor indeed. A like revelation of a hasband'stender and abiding love was given by a similar incident' in the life of the late Lord Houghtoh. ' His pocket-book was stolen at a railway station, and the loss which he most.deplored was that of the only portrait that he possessed of his wife as she was in her youth. So we see that the sorrows of the heart) fall equally, or perphaps the most heavily, on those who are freed by rank and wealth from occupation with more material hopes;and cares,'' . — The Princess of Wales added a photograph .of herself, . in a gold frame, to the cheque of LI3OO which she forwarded to Mrs Grimwood. The heroine of Manipur has lately declined an offer to lecture on her experiences. — About 250, years ago Jonathan Meigs, an' American, fell in love with a beautiful young Quakeress. He was repeatedly refused.but he persevered in his suit, riding 70 'miles, e'very'-fiaturday across a country infested with liostile Indians in order to pass the Sundayhear the lady at " meeting." On the last visit, as be slowly mounted his horse to ride away, the sight of his de-jected-face touched the young lady, and, lifting her hand, she beckoned to him, crying, •• Return, Jonathan." The phrase was adopted as 1 a Christian name in the family that sprang from the subsequent union, and a man named "Return Jonathan Meigs " has just died in Washington. — One of the most curious thiegs imaginable is to see the Emperor William dancing. He dances much in the same manner as he marches', stiffly and in au unbending style, while the vigorous exactitude and discipline which he displays during a square danes can only be compared to the movements of troops .on parade. Like his uncle, tbe' Prince of Wales, and, in fact, all other members of his family, he .dances very fast, carrying everything before him, and, without making any attempt to pilot his partner, expects everybody .to clear out of bis way. His brother has none of the terpsichorean skill so often found among naval officers.

— Mr W..Howarth, chairman of the Robin Society, writes : — " The first robin breakfa>t was given at Deptford on Chrintmas Day 1883, to 700 1 children. Year by year the number of invitations has been increased. On 25th- December 1890, 7600 poor little ones sat down to a good breakfast." Last Christmas Day • 10,000 " robins " were expeetedi - " .-,

— The Empress of China ha 3 recently been endeavouring to give an impetus to the manufacture of silk in that country by starting a silk-weaving department of her own. One of her great motives for this step, according to a Shanghai correspondent, is to create an employment for the many millions of girls and women who are at present excluded from all labour except that of making embroideries and doing the lighter kinds of house work. '1 he Empress has had the necessary looms, skilled artisans, and women trained in the management of silkworms sent to the palace at Pekinfrom the Imperial silk manufactory at Hang Chow. The industry will •be started in the palace grounds, which her Majesty, by Chinese custom, is forbidden to leave, so that the apprentices wi'l be under her supervision.

— Don't mend your gloves with silk. It i 6 a very great mistake to mend gloves with

silk, as the silk will cut the kid much sooner than cotton of equal fineness. All kid gloves are sewed at the manufactory with cotton thread. —Queen Wilhelmina, of the Netherlandp, is now about 11 years old; ' and like other little girls .is very fond of dolls. Not long ago at a grand banquet in Amsterdam she startled She people around her by saying to the principal gentleman there, "Mi Burgomaster, are you afraid of the measles 7 " He professed to be courageous in such matters, but .wanted .to know, why she asked the question. "Beoause," was her Majesty's reply, "all my dollies have the measles just now." Afterwards, when the loyal crowds in She street clamoured for a sight of their Queen, she appeared on trie balcony hugging a favourite doll - most .affectionately, but carefully covering up the little facer lest the sight of such a multitude should be too great for her dainty wazen~ nerves. Her mother, Queen Emma, sends ' her (the little Queen s) discarded "dolls to children's orphanages, and when her Majesty visits these institutions it is amusing to see the delight with' which she recognises and embraces these old friend?, exclaiming rapturously, "Here you are again, you old darlings." 1 x

— A Christmas tree, with its branches loaded with toys and other knioknacks, makes, when its tiny candles of various colours have all been lit, a pretty object at a children's party. ■> We have grown so accustomed to see it now that it is hard to think that there ever was a time when Christmas jollifications were not adorned with a nicelydeoked tree. As a matter of fact, the use of the tree is of very recent origin in England. It is said that we owe it to the late Princa Consort. \ The winter of 1810 was the first that he Bpent in England, and at the' grand festivities in Windsor Castle he provided a handsome-tree, covered with beautiful presents, that were afterwards distributed among the Queen's guests, -old and young alike. Prince Albert' borrowed the idea from his native country of Germany, where the tree has been a feature of Christmas gatherings for a long period. — From Little Folks' Magazine. — Miss Amy Baker is making a good deal of money by her classes of young New York .women, who spend an hour a day in listening to her selection of editorials and articles on current events, clipped from American and forejgu journals." - ' - - — News was received in Paris on the last days of the yearof the death of Madame de Laprade, the daughter of Nanendorff — the Dutch watchmaker who called himself Louis XVII. Madame de Laprade's extraordinary likeness to Marie Antoinette was considered by a few as very' important evidence of the truth of her father's assertions. Her husband, M. de Laprade, was a strenuous supporter 'of -Nau'endorff's pretensions, and believed implicitly- -that his wife was of *6yal parentage.. *She was born in 1819, and was . the. eldest' child jof •-.'the* mysterious personage who styled himself the 'son Louis XVI (fche littTe*JDa«phin who is supposed to have died a prisoner in the Temple), and whose tombstone in the cemetery at Dolt records the same fiction. - The family instituted a suit for /the .recognition of its rights soon -.after' the close of the FrancoGerman war* and Jules Favre, who was retained as counsel, made a 1 most brilliant appeal on the occasion. Madame de Lap* rade proved a great help to the eminent barrister, and was in court at the time ; bub the case fell through' for lack of evidence, and is never likely to be resumed. It is reported that Madame de Laprade was afflicted of late years with a trembling of the limbs such as many victims of the Terror are known to have suffered from. She always signed herself " Amelie de BourboD," and was the possessor of the much-talked-of key of a chest made by Louis XVI himself and buried at the ■ Tuileries. When that palace was demolished nothing was 'found, but Madame Amelie persisted in asserting her knowledge of the Becret. The deceased lady was very pious and charitable, and she appeared to be a . disinterested believer in the pretensions of her family*.

— Fundita Ramabai's home for high caste Hindu widows at Poona is now occupied by 26 widows, from nine to 25 years of age, of wticm some lost ftheir husbands before they were seven years old. Besides theße there are 13 others— deserted wives, unmarried girls, and married young girls— who attend as scholars/ The home is working very satisfactorily, and it is hoped that institutions of the same nature may eventually be set on foot in several large towns, such as Calcutta, Madras, and Lahore/ Another young and wealthy widow resides at the latter place, Sreemati Hardevi. She (like the Fundita) never saw her husband from the time when she was quite an infant, ' and will, it is thought, assist' in lightening the burdens which weigh so heavily upon the poorer widows in India,

— Saya an American lady : — " Every • part ' has its own individuality, and directly an actress reads apart over she gets an idea not only of the sort of woman the character is, but what dresses, she will wear, and it is almost'impossible to content herself with gowns made for another character. The stock actress, must of course use over and over, and her dresses are made to remodel without ripping. An economical actress showed me a costume which she maintained embodied five dresses. As it stood it was composed of a petticoat of gold embroidery, with a straight drapery in the back of white satin. Over 'this was worn a magnificent white brocade bodice and train together, the train very long and full at the back, and i's sides,, coming well around in front over the petticoat in the old-fashioned stjle. The waist was cut in very low square neck in fron^, and. a , magnificent pointed piece of gold work -in ttomacher style was set on tne front, the point finishing where the petticoat .began to show between the side panels of the train. Long and fullpuffed sleeves finished the gowD. The train was lined throughout with old gold satin, and its edge set with gold applique. It wns a magnificent Marie Stuarc gown or fete dress for Valentine in 'The Celebrated Case,' or dinner dress for' Ada Ingot in •David Garrick.'

"'Bub,' said she, 'those plays and Rich like seldom come up, so I usually wear it; modern.' To wear it modern meant cither of two ways. In each case the side panels of the trains were 'remove'!, leaving: a fn'l modern princess train. For one fyl- v o two lower puffa of the sleeves were tt»kea

off, leaviDg a sleeve coming half to the elbow. To be still more modern, the sleeves were made regulation short, and the gold embroidered piece jwas removed from the front of the bodice,' showing the front of the bodice fastened in modern fashion.

" ' If I like,' she further explained, • I can make it regular low neck and be quite up to date.' Sbe showed how a piece could come right out of the waist. The final change was to make it ingenuous. The bodice being made low-necked and short sleeves, the train was removed entirely, leaving a short skirted evening dress and a white mull tucker, and a white mull half sleeve added turned the gorgeous fete gown into a simplicity party dress. "'Besides this',' she, said, 'l caD take the gold lace front off the. skirt — it only hooks, you see — and I can clap on a while lace front, and have the dress still simpler. You see, with all the combinations possible of sleeves and low or square neck,. I can really make about six or eight alterations in the dress ; but I can make four radical changes in it.' This made it a cheap dress at its original OOBt of L 50." I'UC Agrecattlc tiirk ODAtfiINATION THAT MoitE TriAN TEN Men Abe Looking Fob. The agreeable girl I* She is sometimes rich, but seldom handeome, yet we all like to meet her in this work-a-day world of *0ur8.,» She meets one' ccrdial'ly, does not rush up hysterically and,. catching'ae' one's hand or dress, blind one with her effusive inquiries, for she is in the highest and best sense well bred. She is always well dressed, not conspicuously, for that savourd of vulgarity, but her dress is always in harmony with the time and place. Soiled gloves and skirts with a fringe of braid that should have been renewed are never seen. , , . She never speaks.- of v the 'last sensational divorce case to the woman who has been unfortunate in her' domestic relations. If one is ill and my lady calls ho disagreeable subject is introduced that will jar on the sensitive nerves. She is 1 not necessarily brilliant — indeed seldom is — yet she always holds her own in society, not by storming at its doors, but by her keen sense of the fitness of things. She understands the art of listening to others. My lady always lakes pleasure in introducing people with like interests, not in keeping them apart that she may monopolise each in turn, for to see others happy adds to her enjoyment. She meets new-comers in the church or home half-way, and does not forget faces when she meets them two days later. Her appointments are always met promptly. If impossible to meet the engagement she writes a note at once and explains, thereby saving much discomfort and inconvenience. She never addresses her gentlemen acquaintances by their first name; that familiarity is reserved for him who has a deeper claim than mere acquaintance. Sbe is well versed on the current topics of the day, and does not blunder through a conversation with statements of which she knows nothing. She does not inform an artist what the standard works of art are. He is supposed 'to know. She minds her own business, leaving others to look after theirs.