LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2206, 11 June 1896, Page 43

LADIES' GOSSIP.

••• The Dachasß Adelaide of .SobleawJg. Holstein, mother of the German Empress, seems to have made a happy reoovery from the mental trouble which once assailed her, and to be enjoying life ngaio. Report once j t had it that she felt bitterly jealous tor years I of the Empress Eugenia, and angry that Queen Victoria had hindered the matolj | wbich might onoe have been arranged be» ' tween herself, the Queen's niece, and NapoV leon 111. The-Duchess can well forgive and foigat now, if she contrasts her own present; position with that of the Empress Eugenic! who has bean left childless and quite alone in the world. * . ■ Manifold and ourious indeed are the wayaby whioh some ingenious souls secure: ' a good income. The latest novelty in the farming profession is a cat farm, whioh (i controlled by a maiden lady residing in tm far north of Scotland. The lady baa pursued this business for some time past-, and hafr" proved it to be peculiarly profitable. Her' feline friends now number more than a hundred. They receive the best accommodation, attention, and' diet ; their ohiof food being oatmeal made with milk. They occupy a big barn-, fitted up and divided off into a hundred clean and cosy compartments. The lady has an interesting variety of species, including Manx, Persian, Maltese, and Japanese cats: The kittens fetch hlghprloes, ranging from 10a to &5 each. The ugly* deformed, and ill-bred are weeded out, and' _. only the finest specimens kept in stock. This enterprising lady believes in advertising her wards, and has an extensive circle of customer*. She has recently confessed to making £400 a year clear profit. ■ . * Sarah Bernhardt claims that the wearing of diamonds destroys tbe beat expressions of the face,- dims the fire of the eyes, and makes the teeth look like chalk. Her fad, however; 1b for costly gowns, the last magnificent acquisition being trimmed with turquoises, and the train lined with the skins of 200 ermines. It is valued at £1300. Tear ' in and year out Madame Bomhardt receives more money than anybody on the stage. ' Duse> takes 70 per cent, of 1 the receipts, buys her own scenery and costumes, and pays her own company. When business Is good she makes plenty of money; when business is bad she loses. Bat, however things go, Sarah receives' 7500fr a weak all the year round, and ar the end of December she knows that her income for the 12 months has been about £14,400. During the time she has been on the stage Madame Bernhardt has earned nearly £300,000. Yet she is not wealthy. Where does her money go 7 What has become of the vast fortune- she' has earned 1 ? Nobody oan tell, and Sarah least of anybody. Her tastes are simple, ihff never touches wine, her diamonds will 1 not compare with those of Malba, aud her gowns are ' uuiquo creations designed by herself, though necessarily expensive. Without violating any comfileicev says » New York paper, we may state that tbe greater part of Madame BernhardVs income is devoted to charities: ' . ' Ladies who will persist in hugging and kissing lapdogs, here iff a story for yon to ' ponder and , mend your ways. A Berlin seamstress had a- little dog", whom she ; allowed to lick her face- habitually. One fine' day- she wa« attacked with violent Inflammation of the right eye; the doctors could neither discover the 1 cause nor cure it ; and they at length decided that, to save the other eye, the diseased one must be taken oat. This operation performed, the medicos discovered the' provocant of the inflamma-tion-—viz., a canine parasite- (Tanta echinococcus), whose tenacious enssedness had de« 'stroyed the sight of that lady's right eye, and which had undoubtedly been imparted thereto) by hei bow-wow's wet kisses. ! •.• Empress Frederick of Germany pos« sesses a unique tea service. The t«a tray has been beaten out of an old Prussian halfpenny, the teapot is formed of a German • farthing, and the tiny cups are made from coins of different German principalities; • . • The custom of having v " Atr home * days it by no means new. It w^as prevalent in Qaoen Anne's day, when ladies were "'atr home " once a week to their friends of both • sexes. • . - The G^and* Duchess? of MecSlenburgw Schwerin is, as usual, at Cannes. .Her High- ' ness ha? juirt made a present of a bicycle tor each member of her suite, 39 in all. Horses^ ' may well ask one another if their days' are* 1 numbered. • . • In Europe the- ordinary colour for mourning is black, which 1 , being the deprivation of, light, Is supposed' to denote tha termination- oE life; in China it is white, the embfenv of purity, which colour was the i mourning- of the ancient Spartan and! Roman -ladies ; in Egypt it Is yellow, which, repre-* senting the colour of leaves when they fall and flowers when they fade, signifies that ! death is the end of all human hopes? ; in Ethiopia brown, whioh denote* the> earth. .< • , ■ It appears that it has been decided that the young Queen of Holland is not to marry before she has completed her ICHWBH.

teenth birthday— that is to say, toward the end of 1897. There has-been a great deal of talkjabout her marrying the Crown Prince of Germany, but there is no truth in it, muoh as the Germans might wish it. It is none the less true that for some time German diplomacy has been intriguing at the Court of ths Netherlands to arrange Wilhelmina's marriage ■ with a German Prince, who is generally thought to be Prince Henry, el'lf st son of Pricce Albert, Regent of 'Brcn^ kk This Prince is first cousin to Qaeen W»!;!:l. xnins, and is 20 years of »g«. * .* The .beauty,, of the Japanese Cbmt is the Princess Ktta-Sbir akawa, the stately wife o! the Emperor's cousin, a major-general in the imperial army. *.* Some time ago a gentleman was invited to dine- at the house of a clever but eccentric lady. He could not help noticing that the large chandelier over the diningroom table was of extraordinary construction, and so arranged that there was alight over the head of each, guest. The globes were of varjous colours— some being amber, some red, and' some blue. At last the guest's cariosity qaite mastered him, and he asked the reason for these different colours. " Well, you see," said the hostess, "when one entertains, one must invite some people whom one perfectly bates. < How, only last Monday I gave a supper, and I had to kvite two-women whom. I. dislike. Bub I had to invite them, or some of the young men I wanted wouldn't come. I had my revenge j on my fair friends, however. I placed eaoh of these two women under one of those pale ' blue' lights at the table. They are usually considered beautiful women, but under that light they had the moßt ghastly look you ever saw. They were perfeot scarecrows. They seemed to have aged 20 years the minute they sat down. The men noticed it, of course, but they did not divine what caused it. They were quite taken aback When they found out, and were awfully glum at first. But finally one of them turned with a sigh and began talking to a very plain little thing that was fitting under a rubycoloured light. Why, she was perfectly charming under it. So you see that when I want people to look perfectly hideous, I put them under the blue lights. It kills every* thing." The gentleman looked up with a feeling of doubt. He was under a blue light I * . ■ Many Paris hotels and restaurants are Introducing, as a novelty, into their menus what might be described as " one man one fowl." Everyone who understands anything of the appetite of man 'understands that he likes best to t&ckle a bird single-handed. With the ordinary fowl this was of course impossible, so the ingenious chef proceeded to develop, or rather oar tail, the spring chicken, and now, a three-monthn'-old bird is served to each guest, just as though it were a quail or a 'plover. That there is any stability in the body of so, young and tender a chicken can hardly be admitted ; bat the novelty has been greatly appreciated, especially by Americans in Paris, and there is already a demand, and a great one, for fledgeling barnfloors. • .'• According to Woman's Life, the Princess of Wales, to the great discomfort of whoever may be aoting as the maid-in-waiting, never puts herself at ease in travelling. Hoar after hour she retains a bolt, upright position, and never thinks of removing her bonnet or lying down. She attributes the habit to h6r rigid bringing up, and in speaking of it recsntly said to a friend, "We were never allowed to lie down during the daytime when we were children for fear of making ourselves untidy, and I am so accustomed to the habit now that I should never dream of removing my bonnet while on, a journey." When the Princess of Wales travels, two indispensable adjuncts in her luggage are a white cat and a table full of ordinary and assorted little china animals, such as can be bought in any toy ■hop or bazaar. The packing of these fragile pets has been the oauae of the losing of more than one train, and a good deal of irritability on the part of the Princess's immediate circle. • . • All through her life, although it has "been a busy one, the Queen has been a grout reader. There is hardly any book of note that has not passed through her hands. Daring her Majesty's reign she has made a collection of about 80,000 volume.*, kept under charge of a librarian and two assistants at Windsor. Lord BeacoDsfleld's novels and Lord \ Tennyson's poemF, with Charles Diokens's works, have for years constituted her Majesty's favourite reading.' Strange to say, Thackeray's works baye never been favourites with members of the Royal Family, although, of course, they have their places in the library. " Alice in Wonderland " is another favourite book with the Qaeen, who is also fond of a number of the best novels written by Mrs Gaskell, Miss Braddon, and Mrs Heniy Wood. Black's, Hardy's, Stevenson's, and Marie Oorelli's works are also to be seen at Windsor. Charles Dickens is, perhaps, the Queen's favourite author, and of his works- she possesses handsomely bound sets of almost every edition that has been issued. Sunday, according to Success, which is responsible for these interesting particulars, is the Queen's principal day for reading, when one of Mrs Oliphant's novels is frequently chosen. t • . • Miss Ellen Terry possesses and values highly a toilet cover on whioh is inscribed in green paint a pretty message of affectionate thanks from Sarah Bernhardt. Miss Terry found it in her dressing room when she returned there after having lent it for the afternoon to Madame Bernhardt, who was playing in some performance for charity at the Lyceum. • . • The venerable Dowager Duchess of Abercorn has had an unusual experience, even for on« who can count, as her Grace can, 120 descendants. Within 24 hours she has beejT presented with fonr great-grandsons, • Lady Edith K ! ng-Noel and Lady Frances Gresley having both given birth to sons, and on the same day the Hon. Mrs Frederick Anson gave birth to twin bojs. All these ladies are granddaughters of the Duchess. • . • M. Faure, President of the French Republic, has made the hearts of many of the fittle girls of bis,country beat with joy. It Js one of his practices to devote at least two mornings a week to visiting hospitals. His Visit* are not of the hasty order, but muob ■ the other way, as he spends time passing through the different wardfl,«Bpeci»lly among

the slok children. One of his favourite questions is to ask the little ones what be can do for them, and in the case of the little girls the answer ia invariably " une ponpe'a " (a doll). Then with a kind-hearted smile President Faure takes out his pad and pencil and* writes down the ohild's desire. The next morning usually finds several boxes of dolls at the hospital, all of them very handsome. ■ . • One hears almoßt daily of fresh accessions to the ranks of royal wheelwomen. The Grown Princess Stephanie of Austria has fallen a victim to the fashionable craze, and is to be seen frequently at Abbazia, where she jb staying, en jo; ing her new pastime. The little Qaeen of Holland and her mother, also the Grand Duchess Xenia, who learned the art from her English and Danish cousins in Denmark, and Princess Marie of Greece, another of the same large colony of royal cousin?, have all taken to wheeling. Princess Maud of Wales's exploits on the wheel are, writes a correspondent of the Birmingham Gazette, surprising to those who witness them at Sandricgbam. Many fashionable wheel women are following the example of Lady Warwick, who has her cycle painted to match her dress. The beautiful Countess's summer wheel and summer attire were pure white, her autumn colours were moss green, and she has just ordered a new wheel, whioh has been painted a pretty shade of chocolate brown, a cj cling dress to correspond being, of course, an accessory. *.• Apropos of the Wagoer craze,' which has set in with quite as much violence in Paris as in London, it i« interestir g to remark I in the letters of Wagner jaet published that Qaeen Victoria and the late Prince Ooasort were among the first to recognise his merit as a composer in England. " Tannbauser," when it was first produced in Dresden, was, it appear*, a failure — the public were disappointed, and- left the house dissatitfied. But a little later on, when the now famous overture to this great work was played, under the composer's direction; during the Philharmonic Concert season, W»gner writes: — "The Qaeen sent for me in the saloon, and, received me in the presence of her suite, with these words : ' lam most happy to make your acquaintance. Your composition has charmed me.' She thereupon made further inquiries, in a long conversation in whioh Prince -Albert took part, as to my other compositions, and asked me if it were Dot possible to translate my operas into Italian 1 The desire on this point was a difficult one to gratify, considering that the Italian is so greatly at variance in poetic thought with the German, and has little sympathy with the legends out of olden times." * . * It Is the custom in the Italian theatres to have the house brilliantly lighted during the performance. When, a few weeks ago, the " Walkiire " was given, for the first time, in Turin, the director ventured to darken tho theatre, according to the German custom. One 'of the Italian newspapers, the " Opinione," wrote a strong article against darkening the theatre, because then those of the audience who do hot care for music cannot amuse themselves by looking at the beauty and elegance in the boxes. • . • It would be impossible to imagine anyone more deservedly popular thsn the charming Princess Louise, Crown Princess of Saxony — pretty, yonng, good, gay, and, choicest gift of all, ideally happy. She is the idol not only of the whole Court, but of the people. Wherever her name is mentioned, in KafEeeKlatsch, tea party, or State dinner, it is the signal for a host of delightful stories about her, whioh show her personality and explain her charm. Going one day into a Dresden shop, and leaving the two little princes in the carriage, she found on coming out B gain that they were surrounded by a orowd oi loyal subject*. Smiling graciously as they made way for her, she reached into the carriage, £pok a boy in each arm, saying, " I suppose you want to ace my boys I " Whereupon she let the orowd admire and make' much of them to its heart's oontent. The Princess has bad heaps of little escapades, shocking thereby at times the dignity of the Court ; but has never, by word or deed, hurt its pride. The greatest of her misdeeds, perhaps, was the too perfect rendering, during private threatricals at Court, of tho character of a maidservant. Her clever and spirited aoting. elicited great applause up to the point when the duty of the servant made it incumbent upon her to black the master's shoes. The extremely realistic way in which she portrayed a vulgar young woman mois. toning and polishing a leather shoe brought hex a reproof from the King himself, who said : "We are among ourselves, it it true, but even then a royal princess ought not to know bo exaotly the manners of a maid." • . • On Fxiday, February 7, the drawing rooms of the Gomte and Oomtesse de Flanders were opened to the Belgian aristocracy, who entered to admire the marvellous trousseau of the Princess Henriette. Silks, satins, and velvets of every colour, all most beautifully arranged, were viewed and admired by the few priveliged guests who belong to the "Salon bleu." Toe white satin wedding dress, the front of which was embroidered with very pretty and very fine wreaths of silver and pearl sheafs of wheat, was the centre of attraction. The out of the skirt and of the bodice was well suited to set off the marvellous Brussels lace offered to the Princess by the Belgian ladies. This lace is placed on the skirt in quilles and separated by the embroidery. On the bodice it falls over the sleeves and is caught by epaulettes of orange blossoms and myrtle. The train is veiled with most beautiful point de Brussels. The other dresses are: A ball dress of brocade and satin of pale rose colour. The bodice is veiled brocade, and on the low-bodloed edge are rows of brilliants and pearls, puffed sleeves of rose-coloured satin, bows of green ribbon made up with diamonds and pearls. The skirt is opened in front, and shows an apron corded all round with preoious stones. An evening drees fit blue silk, stamped with white flowers, square low-bodioed corsage, revers of blue velvet and white satin trimmed with a wreath of primroses of different colour*, and sash of blue velvet ; an evening toilet of satin broche, Btyle Louis XV, silver and rose, pointed bodice, veiled with embroidered lace and sky blue satin, and large sleeves of blue satin and lace, the skirt being also veiled with Brussels luce; a black satin dress with two bodices, one in white satin trimmed with golden guipure, toilette Direotoire of mauve-coloured

bepgaline embroidered with pearls of different colours, the front of the dress veiled with creamy lace; a long evening cloak of " Ophelia " velvet trimmed with fur and lined with white silk, and a Frincesso shape dress in velvet oaohimire embroidered with jet. The furs given to the Princess are most beautiful — blue fox, Siberian sable, chinchilla, astrakan, and sealskin. Hats: A toque covered with black tulle and tiimmed with feathers and roses ; a capote, bronze colour, with bows of lace and flowers of different colours; a rubycoloured capote, velvet aigrette, surrounded with black Ohantilly lace, red and pink roßes; a cream-ooloured felt, trimmed with black velvet, and a cream-ooloured wing. Boots by the doz9n— for towD,-for travelling, for the seaside, for the evening— in gold and silver and satin, tiimmed with pearl*, and of every colour. The Oomte^se do Flanders will wear at the marriage a blue satin gown embroidered with silver pearls and diamonds. The bodice will be trimmed with delicate lace and silk gauzas, with bows on the sleeves. Some Home Fashions. Gf • n is so far THE NOTE OP THE MOMENT, and «j>psiirs on everything, millinery especially. I cannot say I like it in the shape of a swathing maaj of green tulle rolled round a satin-faced, tan-coloured straw hat, with whole market-bunches of violets dumped carele sly down in and on to the folds ; bat cone the less it is very pretty worn, as I saw it the other day, in the shape of a pearl-grey felt, trimmed with upstanding bows of green terry ribbon, striped with full, soft green satin, trailing groups of psrply blue 'and white violets, with long trailing greenery, lightly laid on the side of the brim, and twined in on the hair underneath at the back. The rest of the costume was of grey smooth-faced cloth, with grey terry revers, a green tie over the white shirt, and a boa made of cocks' feathers of mixed pearl-grey and green. The tffect was wonderfully young and spring-like. ANOTHER MOST FASCINATING TOQUE was a combination of white primulas with their curiously-tinted foliage and loops and bows of pale green velvet and scfo black tulle; whilst another was made entirely of pale green velvet and scented white violets with their foliage, the velvet being drawn through paßte buckles at both sides of the crown, an aigrette of white and green cocks' feathers being mounted at one side. As a rule, however, toques and bonnets are made up almost entirely of flowers of one kind, with the addition of rather widespreading bowe of either tulle, net, or chine ribbons, roses of one colour or another being freely used, both as a crche-poigne at the back, or as an aigrette at the side of the orown. Whatever we wear this year, it does not seem likely we Bhall wear any very cliKgiug draperies. The days for those are over for the present, and we novr appear to like nothing but stiff, glistening, rather assertive materials, such as mohair?, alpacas, &c, and for these tucks and appliques of l'ght cloth appear to be the favourite decoration. COLOUR CONTRASTS also are in vogue, but I am tbaukfnl to say there is a tendency to curb the garishness of these. Still, considering that emerald green, the red we used to call maganta, and most vivid aniline blue, and a wonderful metallic tint that is neither red, purple, nor blue (though it looks all three) are the favourite colonrs on a tan or fawn groundwork, it must be admitted there is little chance of our appearing' unduly modest in our tints. WHITE IS THE WEAR. Almo3t every girl wears it, and it can be made as smart or as quiet as you wish, while of its chicness there can be no doubt. And with these white dresses certainly three girls in five wear white tulle sleeves. There is a rage for these transparent sleeves, whether in white or colour, short at the elbow, or down to the wrist. Moreover, scuslin, especially "spotted muslin," is coming in hard and fast. Ia abort, it looks as if we were going to wear every single material that, had ever been popular during the reiga </f Queen Victoria in the course of this season, which some people tell us is to be both smart and gay. The new material which formed the toilet of the Duchess of Ooburg and Edinburgh, called MOttlE-VELOUES, should be a great success this season, for, though heavy-looking in black, in spite, or perhaps because, of its richness, it is exquisite in colours '(not too dark) and perfectly ideal in white. ' With this new moire has also appeared a new tulle, the Malines, a particularly soft gossamer kind of stuff, which forms a silky mist over whatever it is draped with that is peculiarly becoming to old and young alike. It will be much used for millinery this summer.—" Blspbth," in the Glasgow Weekly Citizen.