LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2105, 28 June 1894, Page 46

LADIES' GOSSIP.

After this experience, which resulted in the loss of my attendant, I began to pay special attention to the matter, and actually noticed that several girls who, by accident, perhaps, had indulged in whistling,, while making their toilet, were sooner or later dismissed. There is also a superstition against filling one's dressing room with kick-knacks, bric-a-brac, curtains or rugs. Tbe artistic life of girls who indulge in luxuries besides a mirror and a washing basin is usually short. Many girls will not take a pin from another unless it is stuck into their clothes and pricks their flesh. To take a pin in the usual way would bring no end of dire misfortune. Peacocks' feathers in a fan, or their semblance in a costume, are abhorred as a f-ure sign of ill-luck.

— A verger of a fashionable London church says that an extraordinary number of persons make it a rule to attend every wedding in certain churches. He says it can only be a "fad," as they do not go for pocket picking or with any felonious intention.

— Musk, so long despised, is likely to return to the toilet cases of fashion. The Queen used it last spring at Osborne; it scented the garden parties at Marlborough House, and the royal wedding in London. The Prince of Wale? uses it, and so do the princesses.

— Not only the German Emperor and their Majesties of Austria and Russia, but even the petty sovereigns of Central Europe, do not offer tbeir hand to any of their countrymen, except in the expectation of having it kissed. The only sovereign who discourages this token of subserviency is King Humbert of Italy, who, while he is most reserved in offering bis band to tbe great nobles, statesmen, and dignitaries of his kingdom, may often be seen giving a hearty handshake to some labouring mat), farmer, or, indeed, anyone of the humbler classes of bis subjects, among whom he is specially popular.

— Tbe engagement of Lord Edward Cecil to Mi.=«»VioletMax6e attracted some a r . Mention Miss Violet Maxse is a pretty girl who has Eeen cne or two seasons in town. She has also the distinction of having been the first lady who went up the Eiffel Tower, having made the ascent before the lifts were in working order, and climbing up in quite alpine fashion. Lord Edward Cecil is Lord Salisbury's soldier sod, and the one who least of all resembles his father in aims and temperament:. He is a lieutenant in tbe Qrenadier Gaards, and has served not only in London, where he was well known at the club 3, but also in Dublin, where he was A.D.O. to Lord Wolseley. He is under 30, and is a decidedly popular young man.

— The women of Brittany are remarkable for their individuality, industry, and strength of character. In " Artistic Travel " the author says that whilst the men plumber and smoke, the women are eithsr building little fortunes or propping up old ones. Let us (>=ays he) picture a prominent personage in our hotel. She has a beautiful name — Augustine — pronounced with enviable accuracy by all the household. She hovered about us like a fairy, attending to all our wants in tbe moat delicate way — to oatward s-eming a ministering angel with pure white wings, but io truth only a household drudge. She did tbe work of three Parisian gargons, and walked upstairs, unaided, with portmanteaux which would require two men to lift anywhere out of Brittany. She slept in a box in the kitchen, and dressed " somehow " in five minutes. 1 She contentedly ate what was left at the end of the day, and rose at sunrise to do the laborious work of the bouse ;

helping also at harvest time in the fields. She had the sweetest of smiles when she liked, an unconquerable habit of taking snuff, and a murderous way of killing fowls in the early morning which we shall not easily forget. How it comes to pass that this girl of 19 occupies such an important position in the household is one of those things which are peculiar to Brittany. All through the land, in the houses, in the factories, and in the fields, the strong firm hand of a woman does the work.

— The magnificent pearl necklace so often worn by the present Duchess of Devonshire will not be seen for many years, as by the will of the Dake of Manchester (her first husband) these precious pearls are to be preserved for special need, and to insure against any possible loss they will remain at the bank. The pearls will suffer by being Bhut up in the dark, as is well known, but in these days the responsibility of having such treasures in use is terrible when they are pat in trust as these are. •

— Lsdy Colin Campbell lives permanently in London, where, at Carlisle Mansions, she livea in an atmosphere of art and luxury. She is a highly-cultivated woman, with a passion for pictures, and is herself a competent critic of a canvas. Possessed of a fine presence and a sweet voice, she makes an attractive lecturer, and creates an impression at all her public appearances. Her house at Carlisle Mansions ia what a society paragraphist would term a "dream,'' with its artistic internal arrangements and bric-a-brac.

— Everybody who receives a missive from Adelina Patti -Nicolini remembers it as he would a flower or a fine bit of painting. Her writing has a mystic charm about it. The notepaper she uses ?s selected with the most fastidious taste. She writes to her royal friends on white linen paper, engraved at the top with " Oraig-y-Nos Castle, Swansea Valley," the month, day, and date. These sheets are from 4in to Gin in width, and 3in longer than they are wide. For her own thousands of friends Patti ha 3 tinted paper. Some of the colours used are violet, cinnamon, lemon, cream, coffee, and camellia. She doeß not believe in violet or obtrusive scents, but all her writing paper is impregnated with fragrance from being packed away in chamois bags redolent with Oriental sachet powders. In the corner of this notepaper shines forth the diva's piquant face. Another stjle of letter-head used by Patti upon festal occasions or for correspondence with children is like a half-sheet of ordinary paper folded in the centre. It is perfectly square, with a tiny gilt rim. In one corner is the name of the castle, and sometimes a sketch of a particularly fine bit of scenery in the grounds. In writing the queen of song very often uses a very beantiful carved ivory pen, a gift of one of our pincesses. — The Empress of Austria, when taking a tour in Spain, extracts a good deal of amusement by following the practice of the "good Haroun al Raechid, and hobnobbing with very humble folk. Some time ago her Majesty went into a confectioner's shop in Seville, followed by a poor .woman begging. Tbe Empress made the woman sit down at the table and eat cakes with her chatting - freely all the while. — The Crown Princess Stephanie travels under the incognito of Oountes3 d'Eppau, and ha* recently arrived in Algiers, whither she made the voyage In the yacht Trieste. Soon after landing she paid a visit to the Convent of Our Lady of Africa, founded there by the Princees Bibesco, who is herself Lady Prioress of the establishment. — A lady in South Kensington recently advertised for a parlourmaid, and added the words "No fringe " to the advertisement. A very nice-looking girl came in answer to the advertisement. Her characters were all good, and the lady sajd, " I am Very pleased with you, but there is one thing I object to." " Tbat is my fringe 7 Well, nudam, that ia a matter of no importance. I only wear it when lam oat." So saying, she raised her hand and removed it without the least trouble. She got the place. — The wreath which graces the head of a bride on her wedding day has been sung of by more poets than any other chaplet of fame or honour. In the early days the Jews saw in the wreath the sign of what, for them, was most beau tif til and precious — the promised land, and of tbe myrtle the bridal crown was woven. Later this myrtle wreath became tbe symbol of womanly purity, and as such is worn by every girl bride in Germany. In many parts of Germany the sprigs from which the wreaths shall be twined must be taken at a certain hour of the night between certain holy days. And in both Denmark and Germany families possess myrtle trees which have, for quite a generation or more, furnished the bridal wreaths at family weddings. In Greece themyrtle and the rose were considered thefavourite flowers of Venus, the twining of the two together sfgaifying the union of love and virtue. In England, in Franca, and in Poland, as io America, the orangeblossom reigns supreme in wedding chaplets. In Italy tbe white rose has taken the placeof the evergreen and fragrant myrtle wreath. In Spain it is the red rose that adorns a bride, and Portugal's wedding flower is the carnation

It is not generally known that the vast wholesale and retail drapery houses in London are little worlds in themselves, the occupants of which intermarry and have their own recreations apart, as "it were, from the outer world. The head of a certain famous firm whose vast premises lie beneath the shadow of St. Paul's Cathedral, recently volunteered some interesting information respecting the recreations of bis staff. Over 800 persons dine on the premises every day, necessitating annual contracts for hundreds of tons of fcod. Prize caps and shields which are insured for £1100 decorate the wa'ls of the dining room. There are cycling, FkatiDg, rowing, swimming, football, tennis, athletic, and dramatic clubs. Mr George Alexander, by the way, was formerly in the employ of a firm in Old Change, and was a member of V\e dramaHc club at that establishment. Similarly, Mr Herbert Standing acquired the . rudiments of dramatic art whilst in the employ oE Messrs Cook, Sons, and Co. In, this connection it may be mentioned that the enthusiastic amateur actors at theestablishment visited by the writer frequently hire a theatre and give per-, mances in aid of trade institutions. On one?

occasion a West End theatre was chosen, and the profits, after the rental of £30 had been paid, amounted to the sum of £126. The services of an experienced stage manager were secured ; and suoh actresseß aB Miss Mary Rorke and Miss Marion Terry have played in amateur companies of drapery assistants. The profit of the firm's last annual ball, by the way, was £135. A fee of lOgs a year is paid to the teacher of swimming, who coaches assistants on two nights in the week, and a professional cricketer is retained at £100 a year. — Long before ladies' newspapers were started and fashion plates in their modern form were thought of, ladies derived thair knowledge of the fashions from dolls drosßed in model costumes, which were Bent from one country to another, more especially from Paris, which then, as now, was the leading centre of the mode. This custom of exchanging fashion dolls commenced early in the fifteenth century, and prevailed for more than 100 years, when woodcuts and engravings were substituted, until towards the end of the eighteenth century coloured fashion plates and illustrated almanac; made their appearance. Great ladies used to send dolls to their friends at a distance, and, as the costumes were made by professional " cutters," exactly to the right shape and in the latest style, with due-regard to details of materials and trimmings, the dressmakers had only to enlarge the measurements of them.

— Superstition is the quintessence of gambling When the. Empress of Austria visited Monte Carlo, noticing that her Majesty was dressed in a dark red- coloured dress, the players at once hastened to stake their money on the louge, and it is asserted that a certain German, named Stockmay, really won 200,000fr. One thing is certain, that the Empress was not prepared for this new role accorded her of porte-oonlieur !

— It isn'c the great, big, overwhelming disaster that crushes the life and spirit out of women. When a crisis arrives a woman, as a rule, meets it nobly. She is the one to comfort and sustain the husband, to breathe of hope for the future, and to smilingly look the difficulty in the face undaunted by its magnitude. But when, day in and day out, she meets with petty disappointments, with worrying economies and irritating events, then the brave spirit succumbs, and the gnats of trouble can do what the powerful giant failed to accomplish — they can bite and sting, can touch the sore points and wound the heart until tears dim the brave eyes and feminine nature cries out in rebellion. Ah, these little things, these worrying trifles ! How lovely life would be if it were only rid oF them 1 Greater than the bravery that marches into battle to the sound of inspiriting music is the courage that fights alone amid the shadows, with no sympathy from a nation, no shoulder-to-shoulder encouragement. That Is the kind of fighting women have to do.

— Twenty years ago Queen Victoria was taught how to spin by an old- woman from the Scottish Highlands. Her Majesty is very fond of the occupation, and is proud of her skill.

— A very striking wedding dress was worn by the young bride at Oobnrg at a recent wedding. It is (says a Home writer), I am pleased to say, of English make, the material being of the finest cream corded silk, and the embroidery forms a series of medallions made to represent true lover's knots mixed with orange blossoms. But it is the single and clustered pearls, nearly 2000 in number, scattered over the silk, and carrying out an exquisitely- designed pattern, which makes this dress differ from* any bridal garb of modern times. Bodice, collar, ruff, and transparent net are all thickly covered with sets and rings of pearls following out the same design, and the estimate is that nearly 1000 pearls will be worn by the Princess Victoria Melita when she stands before the altar.

— Miss Clara Montalba, and her no less distinguished sister, Hilda, who have so delightfully pictured for us the beauties of Venice, bad their early struggles, like many other famous artists before them. For their first studio in Venice, the two young girls were obliged to hire a kitchen. — A fashion paper informs us that " dusky gold is to be the fashionable tint for hair in Paris. The mode has been set by two beautiful sisters who have lately arrived from Chicago." Are these (asks a writer in a Home paper) the good Americans v»ho go to Paris when they dye 1

— The Queen has 60 pianos at Osborne, Windsor, and Buckingham Palace.

— In the recent fire at Dansombe Park^ Lady Feversham lost her diamonds, which' were valued at about £10,000. Under the direction of. the insurance company, the rains have been most carefully examined all round the portion where Lady Feversham's boudoir was, with the result that halE of the diamonds have been recovered.

— The wife of the Chinese Minister a*; Washington paints her cheeks with a bright magenta* — For a lame monarch, the activity of Leopold 11, King of the Belgians, is unparalleled. He has been known to bathe in the morning at Ostend, sign despatches in Brussels at noon, and be shooting in the Ardennes before nightfall. His arrangements are frequently made without premeditation.. He is an enthusiast in railway matters, hates horse-riding, is never eeen in his own capital, except in a closed English brougham, and would. appear to have now added a tricycle to his means of locomotion.

— The Prince of Wales is (says a writer In a Home paper) gazed at ioviDgly by our Transatlantic cousins, and reminded by them of what a jolly time he had in 1860, and what a nice, well-behaved boy he was at that time, and what a rollicking river of jollity a second visit to the land of the Sters and Stripes would afford him. Just think 1 that visit was 3i years ago. The Prince was 19, "and did not seem very near the throne. Yet, as a Prince travelling under the name of Baron Renfrew, he had honours paid him which would have gratified a king. Ths first welcome on behalf of the American nation was made by tbe mayor of Detroit and 50,000 people, while the bands played • The star-epangled banner.' After extensive entertainment in Chicago, his Royal Highneßs was given a hunting excursion in Central Illinois, spent a day in St. Louis, and arrived in Cincinnati ?n the Saturday. There he received a remarkable ovation, finishing up with a great tall at night—

in fac*, Oincmatti had never before witnessed such a scene of magnificence.

" The Prince was young and susceptible, and appeared to be greatly flattered by all attentions and preferences shown him by beautiful women. All of them knew that the Prince would have to marry a bride of noble blood, and some one picked out for him by bis royal mamma, so all flirtations were harmless and hopeless. Thus it happened that in every city his Royal Highness wns particularly pleased with some particular person noted for beauty and accomplishments. In Cincinnati Miss Groesbeck was by common consent admitted to be the belle of the ball given in honour of the Prince.

" Miss Groesback wore a dress of white tulle puffed to the waist and cut low in the neck. She wore no jewellery, which made her personal charms more strikingly effective. When notified that the Prince de3ired to dance with her, Miss Groesbeck was not at all nervous, aod enjoyed the honour with unusual serenity. Her good mother thought her daughter should wear jewels to dance with a future king, but Miss Groesbeck disdained the diamond ornaments which her mother proffered. Some one told the Prince of the incident, and he gallantly commended the belle for her wisdom, adding also some flattering comments about beauty unadorned, &c.

" The heir-apparent was described in Cincinnati as a lad sft 4in in height, with beautiful blue eyes which were mild, but not dreamy, and even funny. In short, he was described as a good-natured, fun-loving, jolly good fellow, with no priggish display of dignity; and indeed, if the entire history of his time were written it would disclose that dignity was not considered in some of his rollicking pleasures with men about town. Some of the newspapers even went so far as to criticise the size of his bands and feet.

" Everywhere, but especially in Philadelphia, the Prince was practically persecuted by the attentions of women. They crowded about, raved over bis youthful beauty, and felt him to see bow it was to pinch a real live prince, who would some day be a king, and whose body was regarded as almost sacred. The Philadelphia women seemed frantic in their desire to toach the person of the royal hsir, and even lay in wait for him on the stairs and at the doors of his apartments. He stood it all good - naturedly, and rather seemed to enjoy it as a novel experience. The pew which he occupied in old Trinity Church, New York, if still pointed out to visitors. Great as was the triumphal tour of the Prince 84 years ago, what would it be to-day 1 One can only imagine the ovation which the progress and growth of the nation would enable it to give the coming ruler of England." Fashion Scraps. The hair, both for day and evening wear, Is dressed much higher, and in the smallest outstanding loop, twisted tightly round with a single small coil. The surrounding hair requires to be elaborately waved. A new shade of grey-green, dubbed " rosean," has made its appearance. It is said to become blonde and brunette alike, and our leading modistes have already marked it for their own.

The latest decree of Dame Fashion is that our evening shoes shall ba furnished with red heels. One can picture black shoes looking very fascinating so adorned. In Paris thick white kid gloves are worn for smart day wear. Deep collars of lace will be added to many of our summer gowns, after the fashion of the Louis Treize period. The effect is at once dressy and picturesque. Short capes are decidedly piquant for spring wear. They do not, however, match the costume. Petticoats are much bef rilled, and trimmed with lace and bebe ribbon. In silks the quaint old world chine will be undoubtedly first favourite. The Puritan bonnet is still all the rage. Smart picturesque bats are made of a glorified garden " bass." Heliotrope and petunia tints are now very fashionable.