LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2097, 3 May 1894, Page 46

LADIES' GOSSIP.

— " Una," in The Gentlewoman, gives a comical account of the sufferings endnred by a lady friend who once had the misfortune to be seated at a dinner party beside an old gentleman with a craze for china. His soup was placed before him in a plate of rare value, rimmed in a fashion that appealed so strongly to him that his enthusiasm got the better of his manners, and forgetting everything but his infatuation, he poised his plate upon his hand while peering beneath for the mystic symbol. The breach of etiquette brought its own punishment, though it fell (as punishments often do) upon the wrong person. An accidental touch from the arm of a passing footman, and both soap and plate tipped into the lap of bis unfortunate lady neighbour, who was attired in cream brocade. History says that she kept her temper nobly. Another anecdote on the same subject is given by a man, who says :—: — " I once sat next a lady, who was clothed in a gown created by Worth. The footman, handing the cream jug, had the misfortune to spill it all over her dress. She behaved beautifully, but I distinctly heard her give a 50gs sigh."

— Italian girls and men make the best servants, writes a lady who should know. They are said to be obliging, friendly, and obedient, and to lack that peculiar habit of some servants— a habit of changing from place to place for little or no cause. — Mrs Plumpton Clayton is a wealthy American lady who once had a very unpleasant experience. She narrowly escaped being buried alive, and the incident so impressed her that, she has made a grant of lOO.OOOdoI to the French "League against Precipitate Burial and Cremation." This body was founded by M. de Lignieres, a well-known Parisian medical man and scientist, and carries on its work with the approval of M. Jules Simon, expressed in the following terms:— "l congratulate you on having founded euoh a useful and interesting work. It has already rendered signal services, but it is evidently called upon to render still greater in the coming time." — Princess Beatrice closely follows all the topical songp, and after dinner at Balmoral the Queen frequently listens to a medley of popular airs played by the Princes?, who in all theatrical matters is thoroughly up-to-date.

— Mrs Murray Gookesley, who designed the " Harem " at Olympia, is one of the few Englishwomen who have ever enjoyed the privilege of a special audience with the Sultan and a personal introduction to the Imperial harem. On that occasion the Sultan commissioned her to paint a portrait of his youngest son. But as the Princ9 would never sit to anyone, she followed the little Prince's carriage, and obtained a sufficient impression of his features to enable her to reproduce them. But as it was contrary to etiquette to remind his Majesty of anything, she could only obtain, by an extraordinary favour, permission to place the picture in a corridor where his Majesty was in the habit of walking, in the hope that hia eyes might light upon ifc, as they did, to her profit.

— The mother of Miss Marie Lloyd, the well-known actress, both designs and herself makes all the stage dresses of that popular lady, as well as the dresses of three other slaters who are also on the stage. — Another oraze among the fair portion of Parisian society is a literary bracelet. It consists of little gold books, chained together ; each one has a favourite author'd name engraved upon it.

— A saaart little boy in Norwich is— or was— rather ambitious to be a letter-carrier. A short tim& ago he secretly secured a bundle of old love-letters that his mother had treasured since her courtship daya, and distributed them from house to house throughout the neighbourhood.

— The Empress of Austria, who has a castle at Corfu, is said to have added a codicil to her will to the effect that she is to ba buried on the island, quite near the shore, so that the waves may continually beat over her tomb.

— The insignia of the Order of the Lion of the, Netherlands are manufactured, not at the jeweller's, but at the stationer's 1

Tnis Spartan simplicity is stated to le based on the consideration that the value of the Order should depend solely on the honour and the valour of him who wears it. The majority of those on whom it has been conferred are content to wear the rosette, and no one looking at it would think of the modest piece of cardboard composing the real decoration so much prized in Holland, which is, however, carefully stowed away in its little case.

Some years ago the Dutch Minister at Constantinople, who had been commissioned to present the insignia of the Ordar to the Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs, wrote 'to Amsterdam, saying that he could not think of presenting that eminent functionary with an Order made of pasteboard. In Constantinople, where the people are so fond of decking themselves out in gold and jewellery, the Lion of the Netherlands would run a fair chance of being held up to ridicule amid its gay surroundings. The Dutch Government, therefore, out of regard for these considerations, determined to make an exception in the case of the Turkish Minister in question, and ordered a special badge for him in gold and precious stones.

So far, it is the only one of its kind made, and all other recipients, it is feared, will have to content themselves with a papier mache Lion of the Netherlands.

— The visiting card used by the German Emperor is four times the size of an ordinary one, and on it is inscribed " Wilhelm Deutscher Kaiaer und KSnig yon Preussen."

— The following are, it is said, some of the characteristic gestures of European royalties when engaged in conversation :—: — The Prince of Wales, if annoyed or nervoup, winks bis left eye rapidly ; the Emperor of Germany palls furiously at his moustache ; King Humbert of Italy, whose moustache is longer and more Eilky, caresses it affectionately; the Emperor of Austria puffs out his cheeks; the Czar runs his fingers through his hair or lays his hand flat on the top of his head ; the Khedive taps impatiently with his left foot ; the Archduchess Marie Therese of Austria never becomes interested in what she is saying without pulling at a lock of hair over bet right temple.

— A co-respondent writes in a Home paper : — " I cannot agree with your correspondent, writing upon lingerie in your last issue, about flannel being ugly. Grey sanitary stuff is, I grant you, very ugly; but cream-white eofc flannel — what is prettier for winter wear ? It is much warmer and far mere beneficial to health than cambric or batiste. I cannot imagine anyone sleeping in the latter in winter time and being alive to face the next winter. One of the prettiest models for a flannel nightgown is In cream colour, made with a round yoke edged with a frill of fine torchon lace, the turndown collar and turned-back cuffs being feather-stitched and trimmed with lace to correspond. Nothing could be cosier or Isok prettier for winter than this model, -which would wash beautifully on account of its simplicity, and look none the worse. Then, again, as regards the chemise and calecons, I think by far the majority of bestdressed women prefer the combination and not the dual garments — at least, English women do. I think no one, once having tried the former, would care to go back to the latter, no matter whether the material be Bilk, wooJ, or cambric. I remember a year or so ago being shown the trousseau of one of our English princesses, and there, was but one set of | dual garments, and that was only for übo in case of sickness ; all the reßt were combinations, and vety beautiful garments too, a miracle of fine tucking and lace. Fulness, however slight, under the corset tends to make one feel uncomfortable, and I cannot imagine the sensation of a ribbon • drawstring' underneath. A beautiful pair of bridal corsets I must describe, as they were really elegant. The material chosen was ■white satin, beautifully embroidered with tiny flowetlets in silk. A wide frill of lace fell round the hips, and the top of the corsets had a soft little tucker of the same lace in a narrower width. There were no less than six corsets for this bride, for day and evening wear, riding, &c. A pair for evening wear v/ere fashioned of pale forget-me-not blue brocaded with pink, a ruche of lace trimmed the top, threaded with pink baby ribbon tied in bows in front. A tiny pink sachet in each breast scented this charming corset. The petticoat corresponding waß of the same brocade and trimmed with frills, of lace, each heading with a tiny lace ruching threaded with pink and tied in bows at intervals."