TABLE TALK Monday, May 18.

Otago Witness, Issue 2203, 21 May 1896, Page 43

TABLE TALK Monday, May 18.

On Wednesday last the Musical Club met for the second time this season. The members oa this occasion met at the residence of Mrs B. C. Reynolds, London street, when about 30 fadies were present. A delightful afternoon waa spent, an excellent programme having been provided. Songa were aucg by Mi*s Amy Roberts, Miss K. Sttpbenson, and Mrs Rtchardfon' (a member of last year's ass- eiation who ii at present paying a vi&it to Dunedin),. piano solos were played by Mi.-s Haggitt and Misß Bkck, and a charming gte« was sung by four ladies — Mi a Tbeom«i, Mrg Maclean, Miss Robinson, a»d Miss Outten. _^ Mrs Turton is president of me association this jear, and Mies Baisk and Miss Roberts, ■ecretary and treasurer. On Thursday evenicg a delightful jurenile party wa3 given by t&e Mis&es WiUiante, Anderson's Bay, to a number of their young friendß. : Oa Friday afternoon Miss Lulu Site gave an afternoon tea at her home in Qaeen •Ireefc, as a farewell to Miss Ruby Roberts. On Saturday evening tbe Mis»ea Sband gave a javentle eajebre party, to which they invited a number of tbeir yoong friends, as a. farewell to Miss Ruby Roberts^ Miss Roberts and Miss Ruby Roberts accompany their parents to- London by the Gothic, leaving Dunedin in the end of June. Mrs and Miss Boyd left Danedin by the Mararoa for Sydney, and are at present payiDg vitita in Australia. Mrs R: Rhodes is paying a visit at present to' Mrs Postlethwaite, George street. The Misses Fitcbett and Miss Enxt able are passergers on board the Ruahine. The Misses Fitchett intend residing in Dunedic, and Miss Haxtabla in Auckland with hex inter, Mre ITookes. j Lady Stoat has returned to her home in "Wellington. lira and Miss Gillies have left for Auckland, where they intend residing for tbe pre*ent. Mrs and Miss Turton are at present paying A visit to Invercargill. A- fashionable wedding is to take place in Wellington at the end of this month — that ot Hi«£ Grace (daughter of Dr Grace) and Mr lan Duncan, of Wellington. There was a good muster of ladies on tbe links on Tuesday, sth May, and the weather TTaa all that could be desired for the playing of the O.LG.C.'s monthly medals. Mrs Higgins secured the first medal with a score of 82+6— total, 88; while Miss E. Rattray vr&B a good second with 91-2 — equal to 89. This, medal has now been won twice by ViatWebater.Mrs Melland, and Mrs Higgins.

is well. Bur. aias foe the girls who htm a, friendship with men whom circuißaiaacea forbids them from honourably loving. That way madness lies I " Mrs Lynn Linton's opinion was maiked by her usual extravagance, but was coincident in tone. Now this is cot very encouraging certainly, but then I do not attach any more importance to the opinion of an authsress on such a point than I should to the opinion of any in* telligent woman deeply observant of human nature. I fear we must all confess that experience teaches na that platonic friendship is far too rare, and that against the one or two auccessf ulinstances which our personal memory supplies us with, there are scores of sad and humiliating failures.

I» it not wot tb while trying to find cut the reasons of failure ? If you had some exquisite plant, a plant whose foliage, blossom, and perfume were perfect, would you not go to any trouble in order to find oat the reason why it would not thrive with you 1 To each one of na some time in our lives comes the opportunity for at least one platonio frietid»hip, yet now rarely oan we seise the glowing vision and find it a blest reality 1 Too often it is utterly illusive. Worse still, when we tbink of those who have fallen from the ranks of innocent girlhood or blameless wifehocd, we are in co many cases obliged to admit, 11 it began with a ptetonic friendship." Now Va each have oar share of responsibility in every social and moral right or wrong. We cannot, if we would— and who would 1— b8 " like dumb, driven cattle," for if we aro not doing anything else, we are tacitly confirming or dissenting with the voic3 of our own lives from whatever are the social and moral laws aurroundirg us. Let us sao, then, what you aad I and every sister woman haß to do with the rarity of platonic friendship all the world over. To do febis *re must begin with the earlUsfc influences of childhood.

It 1b a commoa tf'aing, even amoDg really nice people, to find the affection of tiny boys and girls for one another made the subject of silly jokes and meaningless merriment. To my mind this practice, no matter by whom It is indulged, is common and vulgar to the last degree, and at pernicious a* it is vulgar, A. kiss befcweea »acb tiay people a* theae we©

slaug more orlsaa v,igue>, ah '"gone on," " iair gone," * l qaste cracked about," cr whatever the slang. of the moment may dictate. Sbtag pervadea even our tenderest sentiments, and by an effort of memory we may remember when the modest "spoons on" and the namby-pamby " Bweet on"diddaty in this direction. We have seen how in very babyhood the atmosphere was one of suggestion ; how in childhood the icflasnea began to insensibly mould the childish minds until the idea of sex became a nebulous mysterious subject for consideration. Naturally by the time ! the boys and giilo are in their teens they \ realise that: e*x lays upon them certain obligatioDs, and that in order to justify their claim to manliness as boys and attractiveness as girla they must affect to feel— must, in fact, play at — tbe sentiments of men and women. To most of them it would be more welcome far to be friends,, " chums," real honest, frank companions. Their education has been thus far on such equal lines, and is progressing on each parallel lines j that their experiences and sympathies , intellectually fit them for the closest j companionship. If is not now as it was in j former years, when tbe boys and girls were so differently placed that boys were almost justified in their intellectual contempt for girls. The ssmo applies to outdoor pursuits, games, and recreations — tennis, golf, cycling, rowing, are all healthful exercises in which girls share the honours with boys, and later on, as women, compete with, or combine with, men. Mentally and physically the attainments and pleasures of the two saxes fit them in the present period for closest, truest friendship, platonic friendship. Bat it is hard to break the habit of centuries, to create si new mental atmosphere, to set up an entirely fresh standard of | thought. Hard, but not too hard ; late, but ! not too late. With the assistance of equal education, and the stimulus of mutual healthful pleasures, surely much good ground is gained. What else is wanted ? First, a change in the moral atmosphere, a different mental standpoint. Let us aim from tbe earliest childhood of our dear ones at a

wjuUl lucviuiDl/ be auuieased as "Prince ' Henry," and that this would causa dittrestful ' reminisceEC9j?,nofconly to Princess ßeatrice.bat also to the Queen. Tbe name was accordingly cancelled, tbe more readily as for some reason or other "Henry " Is supposed to be of sinister omen in Boyal circles. • . ' Ten pounds does seem s good deal of money for a thimble, even. in these days of luxury, and yet that is the price that has been paid more than once in London for a thimble I Of course there are jewels and precious stones, and the foundation is of gold, ! bo that after all perhaps the sum asked is ! not excessive, but it certainly seems so. Tor* i quoisea are favourite stones for thimbles, but pearls and diamonds are also used. Of course very costly jewels are impossible, for there is very little rqom to put them in, as the sides and top of the thimble are only for use. Enamel work in blue or gold is exceedingly pretty on thimbles, and mottots in most dainty lettering are often to be seen. The fact that the mottoes bear little reference to | the object seems to have little weight. , Toujmirt h vous is the favourite inscription, j and it te certainly ambiguous enough to suit i all occasions. There are one or two thimbles in private houses in London whioh are ' veritable heirlooms. One of carved ivory, ' yellow with age, is said to have belonged to M&ry Queen of Scots, and the proud possessor . of it insists she can prove it really was the property of the Scottish queen. What stories j could it not tell, that small piece of discoloured ivory 1 la these days, when collections are the hobbies of tbe times, it would seem that a collection of thimbles I would be most interesting. Fashions have ! changed very little, bat the shapes are by no meana identical; and what are known as tailors' thimbles, and have no tops, were at one time made of gold or silver, and even studded with jewels. Tiny pearls on gold thimbles is a favourite fashion, albeit a very ! perishable one, for such small stones can < never be set sufficiently deep to make them quite secure; besides, pearls and turquoises become discoloured very quickly when in constant use. | *.' The Queen has a curious needle. It was made at the celebrated needle manu-

Mrs A. Todd won the pecond medtl, for those with a handicap of 12 and orer, her score being 111 - 16— equal to 95.