LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2257, 3 June 1897, Page 43

LADIES' GOSSIP.

• . • The Queen needed the help of twoattendants besides her trusty stick when she favoured her devoted metropolis with a visit a few weeks ago. Even the short transit to her carriage seemed distinctly trying. Her face, though somewhat thinner and paler, looked cheerful, and she was evidently pleased with the enthusiasm shown by the crowds who thronged the streets to see her arrive and dep&rfc, and especially those who waited till late on Wedne»day afternoon to catch a glimpse of her after the Drawing Room. From great ladiee, still in their i Court dressep, to the humblost Glass of her I anbjects, they waited patiently until she ' came out, and seemed quite repaid by a brief { glimpse of her Majesty. The. venerable j Monarch wore a white flower in her bonnet i to lighten the aombrenecs of her costume, and had a fair little blossom of her own j royal line seated opposite to her in the shape jof Princess Ena of Batten berg, prettily j dressed in grey and black. The addition of ! a member of the third generation — so small a granddaughter — gave the finishing touch to the popular welcome. Her Majesty and her •' grandchild received qnite an ovation, which aeemed to gratify the tiny Princess as much as the aged Queen. ! * . ' in Paris what is described as the most \ cruel winter within the memory of the present generation was signalised by a fancy dress bsll at the mansion of the Princess de Sagan, at which all the guests present appeared diaguised aa bird, bea3t, or insect, the hostess herself beiDg attired as a wasp. This ball caused tho expenditure of an immense amount of motiey among the working classes which would otherwise have remained locked up in the safes. One of the strangeit features of these balls is the fondness of sovereigns for this particular form of entertainment. Queen Victoria herself admits, in her published memoirs, that ahe never enjoyed anything so much as the fancy dress ball at Buckingham Palace at which ahe apI peared in the guise of Qaeen Pfallippa, while j her husband, the late Prince Consort, figured by her side as King Edward 111. One of th? first things that Emparor William did after • his accession, as soon as the Court went out of mourning, was to give a fancy dresß ball of great magnificence, at which he appeared in his favourite rola of Frederick the Great ; and the Empress Eugenic, during the reign of Napoleon 111, was never tired of either giving similar balls herself or getting her friends and favourites to give them in her honour. • . • Lady "Violet Greville writes that the latest method of instruction applied to the young girls of the aristocracy has a charming flavour of freshness and culture about it. They meet together in bands of 10 or 20 at the respective houses of their mothers to assist at lectures and classes given by competent professors. These classes comprise all kinds of inßtruotion. from ths lightM

exercise of dancing, the accomplishment of [ t foreign languages, or the study of literature, i to the most serious lectures and debates on j history, political economy, and the socialist 1 doctrineß of the day. A girl thug equipped i 'with knowledge, and having imbibed the love of solid reading, is not likely to incur the ■ reproach of vapid frivolity generally levelled ; | at the heads of society woman, and is certain j : to prove an admirable wife for a budding j statesman, a young landed proprietor, or j even an ambitious soldier. Their studies do j cot prevent these young ladies from heartily ' - enjoying balls, parties, skating, and bicycling ' in their leisure hoars. ] ' .• The Marquis and Marchioness of Bute I celebrated their silver wedding on March 16, at their Scottish mansion at Kothcsay, and the rejoicings were on an elaborate scale. Notwithstanding his Scotch title the Marquis's principal possessions are in Wales, in and round Cardiff, of which prosperous port he has in reality been the making. A great portion of Cardiff docks, which are entitled to rank with those of London and Liverpool, have bsen constructed by the Bate family ; and they also possess a splendid seat there, known as Cardiff Castle, which ie partly ancient and partly modern, large sums having been expended on the old building. • . • The marriage of Prince Alfred of SaxeCoburg and Princess Feodora of Saxe-Mei-nirjgen will be the third among Queen Victoria's descendants, the two couples already wed being Prince Henry of Prussia and Princess Irene of Hesse, and the Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg. Princess Feodora belongs to & younger generation than her fiance, for •while he iB the Queen's grandson, she in her Majesty's great - granddaughter. English j people have always taken a mild interest in Feodora, because she was the first of the fourth generation descended from their Victoria, and helped to make various pretty photographs with her mamma, Princess Charlotte, her grandma, the Empress Frederic, and her very august great-grand-mamma. Not on£ of the Qaeen's sons or daughters married a consin, though there were nine of them, all counted, and their choice could only be limited. Her Majesty's later descendants have begun to intermarry, as otherwise they might be obliged to remain single. The royal and serene casle throughout Europe nnmbers some SOO personages, and of these many would' be ineligible for British royalties on account of differences in religion and political complications. It is accepted as a matter of course that our Highnesses must be mainly tied up with Protestant Germans, with never a look at a gallant archduke or charming archduche3B from Vienna or a blue-blooded Bourbon prince or princess. ■ S • • . • The taste for costly table linen is a great fad of the moment in New York, but one which can only be indulged in by the wealthy, for, in many cases, the value of the j damask exceeds by far that of the plate ■ which decks it. One lady collector in New : York sets her dinner table with tablecloths and napkins in which are woven superb j portraits of all the members of her family, the workmanship having been done entirely by the loom, even the finishing touches being independent of needle, pen, or brush, and the execution quite equal to a line engraving ; while another collector owns a set of portraits of all the crowned heads of Europe woven into her table damask — but these precious works of art are carefully preserved in a cabinet, and have never yet been subjected to the possible ordeal of an overturned glass of claret or the accidental stains of O7er-ripe fruit. • . • The battle of flowers from bicycles took place a few weeks ago at Nice in the midst of j an enormous crowd, and was a very success- j fnl affair. Nothing could be prettier than the tasteful and artistic way in which the machines were trimmed. Several members of the lawn tennis club took part in the fray, the ladies having their bicycles decked out in red and blue, the colours of the club, the j handles being hidden by a tennis racket, on j which the arms of Nice were cleverly picked j out. Banners were distributed to the owners of machine! decorated in the following manner : — As a boat beautifully got up with all sorts of flowers, a red and yellow tandem, a yellow butterfly, a silver butterfly, a Chinese umbrella, poppies and roses, anelaoneß and ribbons, a Neapolitan fisherman, J a picador, &c. - i -.• The Princess Henrietta of SchleswigHolstein, the youngest Bister of Prince Christian, and therefore, of course, the aunt of the Garman Empress, celebrated her silver wedding on February 28. The Princess, •when in her fortieth year, married Professor Esmarcb, who was then a widower with three children. The marriage has proved very happy, and the Princess baß made a pattern mother to the professor's children. It is said to be touching in the extreme to see the de■votion of her royal highness to her stepchildren, who simply adore her. Professor yon Egmarch was raised to the nobility alter the betrothal of his wife's nieca to Prince Wilhelm of Prußeie. — now Kaiser Wilhelm 11. Before then he had always resolutely declined the honour. The professor is a famous man in his profession, and a great favourite with the German Emperor, who never fails to visit him when at Kiel. ■ . • A very pretty novelty in Paris is the coloured notepaper, embracing as i 6 does a different colour for every day of the week. On Monday fair correspondents pen their letters on paper of a lovely shade of pale green. On Tuesday on a delicate shade of pink. On Wednesday a dainty shade of moire Is used. Blue is the colour for Thursday. Friday, an unlucky day, is distinguished by sombre grey, and Saturday rejoices in a delicate mauve. To the initiated it is, therefore, no lorjger necessary to date the letter, since the colour of the notepaper suffices to tell the day on which it was written. • . • A trustworthy American correspondent informs the Chronicle that there is absolutely no foundation for the reports that have been • published of disagreement between ex-Presi-dent Cleveland and hie wife. The correspondent has had a letter from a sister of Mr Cleveland, in which a positive denial is gvyen to what are characterised as mere "lale rumours." without a shadow of foundation. Ihe life of the ex-President and his wife is described as a beautiful and harmonious one, as indeed, was always understood to be tne case until these rumours were set afloat. Why such unscrupulous and baseless statements should, have been mad* passes com-

prehension, unless it be indeed mere maliciou3 resentment on the part of some of Mr Cleveland's tormentors, the prying interviewers, whom ha has always wisely held at a sate distance. • . • The woman-hater and the non-marry-ing man are converted at times, despite of their declamations of the faithlessness of the fair. When the woman-hater is truly renovated, it has been observed that the honour 1b usually dne to the plain girl. The brilliant girl rarely transforms thewomannater. He finds his heart yearning for a quiet loTe and sympathy ; and she who can talk with him in a quiet, homely way, or set before him a tasty meal,' is far dearer to his j heart than the most accomplished and | talented of young ladies. Nothing disgusts a so-called woman-hater so much as the empty shallowness of frivolity and worldliuese. A one-time non-marrying man has said that he believes any sensibla girl can convert a woman-hater if she will trouble to take a right course. • . • Regarding ths subject of employments especially suited to the feminine worker, it is pointed out as a curious fact that some of the most delicate and fine processes are entirely in the hands of men, the rougher and less skilled labour falling to the share of girls and women. This is most noticeable, perhaps, in the watchmaking industry, wberß the delicate manipulation, such as adjusting the parts and jewelling the holes, is done by men. The work of checking and counting the pieces and polishing the parts is given to the women workers, while such dainty prooesaes as painting and enamelling the caaes are entrusted to the sterner sex. We somehow always think the smaller hands of a woman ought to be more dexterous at work of a delicate nature, but this is by no means the case, as is shown in many walks in life — notably in that of the medical profession, where the most, skilful operators and bandaeers are found to be men. Few women seem capable of grasping mechanical ideas in the way men do, and this may partly account for the latter monopolising the industries into which that element is largely introduced. The Influence of Colour. I do not think that colour is sufficiently studied by women. And yet if they did but know the magic of colour ! — its influence on beauty, its harmony with beauty, its power over beauty. Colour of itself is of no real value. It owes its value to its surroundings. Thus, a yellow skin may be made to look almost white it placed near a still more yellow colour. Way do the teeth of negroes and chimney sweeps look so white ? Bscause they are set in a Iratne of black. Contrast and opposition are frequently the best adaptation of colouring which we can choose to obtain the harmony we seek. Colours, moreover, have expression, and thus exercise an influence over our senses, ideas, disposition, &c , jusfc as sunrise and sunset produce gladness or melancholy in the heart. Pale yellow, the sun's chief colour, is the expression of richness ; add black to it, and it becomes dark-browed and threatening. Pale yellow is generally considered to suit dark people with black hair and eyes. It also suits fair girls if trimmed with white lace and gold. P*le blue is the fard dcs blondes, say the French. I will not contradict this. There is, however, a certain shade of blue which looks as if veiled with white gauze which is equally the fard dcs hrunes. Blue, at its brightest, is a cold colour. Pale blue may be made to look warmer by bsing trimmed with pink or ruoy. Such & union wa3 not considered possible once upon a. time. We owe the innovation to that artist of artiste, Worth, who also found out the secret of combining blue and green with wonderfully art'stic effect. There is also a greenish blue now and a peacock blue which are both elegant and becoming. Purple is the acknowledged colour of kings and emperors. It is the emblem, of splendour and magnificence. It paints Nature's most brilliant flowers and the plumage of many an exotic bird. It is thß imposing colour of the cardinal's robe and the magisterial toga. It tells of pride and ambition. It hypnotises beholders. A woman who does not wish to attract attention should never wear red. Passion is also depicted red. Pink is the colour of youth. But as it has many shades, some shades suit ladies no longer in their teens. Every lady should study the one particular shade that may suit her. Orange, a mixture of red and yellow, is not becoming. Very few ladies can wear it. It requires a pal 3 white skin and dark hair and eyes. One of the most becoming of colours, though too long set aside by fashion, is green. Nothing is softer to the eye. It is the background of all Nature's pictures. No colour, also, has so many shades as green. It can be united to any colour, and enhances its beauty instead of spoiling it. Joined to white it makes the prettiest toilets'imaginable. Joined to black it becomes sad, but is still very elegant and distinguished. It was Mahomet's favourite colour. Everyone knows the old saying, " Pink and green fit for queen ! " and nothing prettier can be imagined than the union of pink and green. We now see green and blue joined together — fused together, I should say — and the effect is refreshing and pleasing to the eye. Violet is sad-looking if blue predominates. It is thus worn for half-mourning. If red be predominant violet becomes the pompous colour of the bishop. Mauve and heliotrope belong to the family of violet shades. If trimmed with pearls and white lace mauve is soft and pretty. Heliotrope looks best trimmed with gold and greyish lace. A Frenchwoman of taste once said, " Blue invites me to dream, but I can never feel sad when dressed in pink." The firat rule, however, is to choose the colour that auits us best. Women, who are all more or less artists in taste, should really make a study of colour, not only as to its suitability to the complexion, but as to its suitability to its fellow colours. Tact and art are necessary in choosing a colour and blending it harmoniously with another in order to retain elegance and distinction. Everything hard and loud that shocks the eye and feeling is bad taste and contrary to harmony. The first question to be asked when choosing a colour is, " Does it suit me 1 " And only the woman who knows herself can anivrer this. Nor is it enough to choose the

oorrect colour which may suit — we must also choose the precise shade. Thup, there are some brunettes who require the same shade as fair women, as pale blue, green, mauve, pink, etc., which will even add youth and strength to a pale weary face ; then, again, there are some pale fair woman who require a ruby shade to give a little life to an expressionless face. Certain brnnettes also look very distinguished in gfßbn with black fur trimmings. Chestnut hair looks best accompanied by ancient colours — old gold, old blue, old red, old pink, &3. Blue eyes, grey eyes, and violet eyes require colours as near their own as possible, such as pinkish ,grey, greyish mauve, &c , with the addition of another colour to set them off. Black is always supposed to suit fair women, and white dark women. I have known, however, black to suit some dark women better than fair women. White suits both fair and dark alike, as a rule, with all due respaotto Ovid, who cloches the fair in black and the dark in white. A very excellent rule to choose a colour on ordinary occasions is to match the colour of the eyes as nearly as possible. The hair will take care of itself.- "Then, to know what colour best suits another, take a round piece of the colour you wish to trim, hold it in the sun, and look at it till you see a rim of another colour or shade settle round the piece you have in "liand. This will be the colour you require. This experiment rarely, if ever, fails.