LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2318, 4 August 1898, Page 43

LADIES' GOSSIP.

— An interesting development of the mo. dern girl is the early age at which young ladies act as hostesses and manage the establishments of their unmarried brothers or ■n idowed fathers. For some years Lady Ann Lamb ton has helped to do the honours at Lambton for her brother, Lord , Durham, whose wife suffers from ill-health ; and Lady Mary Lygon has similarly assisted Jier brother, Lord Beauchamp. Lady Sibyl Primrose has lately acted as hostess* for her father, Lord Rosebcry, while Lady Ellen Stewart has for several years token her mother's place at Wynyard during Lady Londonderry's illnesses. • — The wedding of Mr Clarence Mackay and Miss {Catherine Duer gives the greatest possible satisfaction to Mr and Mrs John W. Mackay. Miss Duer, as Mrs Mackay, thanks to the fortune she will possess, will be able to wield one of the sceptres of New York's social leadership. It is rather a curious reflection that, despite her social prominence in England, Mrs John Mackay has never had the social position in New York which she will now secure vicariously, through her son's marriage with Miss Duer. It is a love match pure and simple. The bridegroom's father will give the happy pair the magnificent mansion built by Collis P. Huntington, for which he will pay £400,000. He will also furnish the stable, and bestow upon his daughter-in-law no 3nd of smart traps and any number of blooded horses. Mrs Mackay, who is delighted with her son's choice, has determined that her daughter shall possess the most superb collection of jewels in the United States. To this end she will bestow upon the bride many of her own famous gems, and is now collecting the rarest jewels to be found in Europe for the wedding parure. Miss Duer is the most intimate friend of Consuelo, Duchess of Maryborough, and stood first bridesmaid at her wedding. Last year she visited her Grace at Blenheim. On the way over she met young Mr Mackay. It was a case of love at first sight. Mr Mackay's devotion was soon apparent to everyone. Kitty Duer, as she is called by her intimates, is wondefully pretty — tall, sight, dazzlingly fair, with Titian hair. She possesses charming manners, and is brilliantly gracious. Her boa mots are .famous, and her repartee as keen as a two-edged sword. While a guest of the Duchess of Marlborough she made the greatest possible sensation wit'i her wit, beauty, and cleverness. Her faculty for telling droll stories is irresistible, cuid doubly inherited from her grandfather, Travers, the famous wit, and from her father, who is a brilliant raconteur.

— Japanese " blossom fans " have foirid (heir way to London. They are made to fold np in the usual way, but instead of sticks small tubes veiled in tulle take the stalks of the real flowers. When used they diffuse delightful perfume. — Mdlle Rosa Bonheur, the animal painter,- leads a life of extreme simplicity. Shs says of herself that her existence resembles that of a peasant. — A famous lady journalist who knows Trance well has declared that in order to gefc the Legion of Honour " your grandmother must begin her machinations while you ;>ie still in "the cradle. Two generations of clever women aie necessary, but four a-'e better."'

— The clever little lace-makers, who are legion in Paris, and still, like the Lisettes and the Rose Pompons of 1830, woik in. their attics behind their gillyflower pots, are the first victims of the present war. As a matter of fact the American ladies are mc^t extravagant with their house linen, jnd especially their table linen, and it is almost exclusively for them that the exquisite chemins de table and other similar articles in needle-point are made. Last year, one &hop alone in the Rue de la Paix sent to America about four million little squares, of different patterns, for standing glasses on. They are as fine and as artistically worked as ft, bride's veil, and many of them cost two or three guineas apiece. In a dinner of 70 guests, each of them having before him four or five glasses, the expense is a rather impotant matter. Beside, it is no uncommon thing to find one or two of these little squares missing after dinner. But now, during ue last two months, not a single order ior needle-point has gone to the Rue de la Paix for these luxuries.

— The spring fur sales this year reveal that prices have gone up considerably. May* ten skins are in demand and are 10 per cent, dearer. White fox and minx are also in active request, both being more expensive.

than last year. The reason for this is that •American supplies have not been large. The Duchess of Marlborough, it is declared, has the longest neck of any woman ia England. Another American duchess is said to boast the finest head of hair in the kingdom. . 1 — A christening in Germany is made much of. All relatives and friends arc incited to the house of the parents, where feasting and rejoicing prevail the whole day. The parents present the nurse with a goody sum of money, but it is the chosen godparents who have to bear the brunt of the battle at this time. The godmother is expected to buy the christening robe, besides civinc a substantial present of silver tr 'money to her godchild. She nfeo gives something to the nurse, and provides boxes of bonbons for everyone. Her duties do not end there, but go on year after year, and s»io is expected to recognise each birthday, not by any ordinary gift, but by gold watch-:*, river plate, and the like, until her protege Fedora, of . Saxe-Meiningen, Queen Victoria's great-granddaughter, has finally fixed the happy day -for beptembrr 24 The wedding will be celebrated m stylo becoming the only child of Kaiser Wilhclm s eldest sister. His Majesty intends to be present, and of course the Empress Frederic will witness the marriage of her first giai - child It -is said the Prince of Wales and Duke Alfred of Saxe-Coburg Gotha wall lo be present, though probably the.accident to the former will prevent his pulling "rSSei of Marlborough is a most accomplished elocutionist, and in this vay often entertains her guests at Blenheim — The late Emperor Frederic* of beimanv father of the present kaiser, greatly S&d to hear anyone speak sbghtangly of women. An officer remarking that a San had been "weeping like a woman the Emperor frowned, and, turning to him, said sternly, "Make no such comparison. SSd Se a'child, you mi-lit say ;, but women have more fortitude than men. —-Mrs Vanderbilt is an enthusiastic collector of thimbles that have belonged lo famous personages. Amongst others she £? <a thUle tnat once belonged to Queen Elizabeth, who, as history records, v.as veiy the wearing of mourning in Paris care extremely ngiJ. 'Ihere S toe distinct periods : the penod ofcrape, the period of black : «Jk, and the period of half mourning. Each ot lhe&Sods has its allotted materials. DurEig the period of crape one may wear serge, ScSme't of tninming-chiffon, laces fe^oSSttof^Sef Bdal^i^^fl £ haii-, both wrapped in silk cases lie hoiumics are of the rarest shade of slate bh T he counterpane, of brocade of the same Colour embossed in gold, is surmoun led wth a golden fringe which is said to weigh c-b anib Then comes an eiderdown co> with a rare piece of Cluny lace held in pi Ztth " choux" of white chiffon The car «ci is o£ the softest white wool with paie blue patterns ; the chairs and couches are en suite, but, though these are exquisite, it is the , extraordinary electric arrangement which is "the triunrnh of the manufacturer. Without leaving her pillow the Princess will be able to reach one of the numerous and invisible knobs which the Cupids at the head of the bed hold in their hands, and the light will spread about and come just at the point wanted through little globes of glass wrapped in transparent silk, so as not to try the sight. Then in one corner on the left side, and hidden by a piece of carving, is another set of knobs "which will put the Princess in communication with her ladies-in-waiting, her maids, and her doctor, and open the telephonic communications. One of them will (oh. wiru-le of civilisation!) establish a statical cn'-rent. and bring through the spring m-'ittre's delicious waves of soft heat, a delightful system which is going to throw into dire oblivion the sweetness of the ancient wf.iming-pan, and even the comforts of the modern indiarubber hot-water bottle. The bcdionm, complete with furniture and fittings, is to be sent direct to the castle near Copenhagen, which h being got ready to receive the vonng couple after their round of honymoon visits. The trousseau of Princess ' Alcv-nndrine. who is, by the way. a charming | blond of 1 8, has been made in Schwerin and Pari«. One of her many beautiful dresses ' is quite remarkable from the fact that, com- J pcscJ of the richest iridescent mauvy satin, whichever way it turns, moves, or swings, it becomes a mas 5 ! of silver.

• — In the House of Commons one of the most faultlessly-attired men is Mr George Ctirzon. From his patent boots to Ibe crown of his rcspendent Lincoln and Bemietfc silk hat Mr Curzon simply glisicns, mid, indeed, looks as if he had just jumped nut of a bandbox, as the phrase goes. Mr Balfour always looks fairly tidy in a black frock-coat, worn rather short and invariably unbuttoned ; but his secretary, Mr Wyndhnm, seems to pay more attention than his chief does to little matters of dress. 'A still better-dressed man is Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, who also has the advantage of being a good-looking man. Sir Charles Dilke looks smart, but is exceedingly quiet and sovere in his dress ; and for my part, I have hnvdly ever seen him otherwise attired than in a close-fitting frock-coat of a sober black, invariably buttoned. Sir Edward Clarke has a weakness for the frock-coat of a silver-grey colour, which is nearly always buttoned tightly across his slight figure. For the best dressed man in (he House of Commons, I should certainly give my vole to Sir Michael Hicks-Bcacli. and in the House of Lords to Lord Eosebery. i

Tho last time I heard him make a speech in the Lords he wore a tweed jacket suit, but it was excellently cut, and the worthy peer looked exceedingly well in it. 1 must iot however forget all mention of the popular favourite, Lord "Charlie " Beresford. Both he and his brother, Lord William Boresford, V.C., dress in that quiet but careiul manner which has made tho English aristocracy known all over the world for good dress and which Americans and others vainly endeavour to emulate. Lori Charles looks exceedingly dapper and neat in all that he wears ; but I was particularly taken with his appearance when, in cold wfi-ther, he donned an overcoat trimmed with astrachan. But then, as everyone knows, " Charlie " Beresford is one of our handsomest men.

With the new open coats a pretty vest is a useful accessory- The one here sketched

is of delicate pink zephyr with l^i'i frills of kilt-pleated embroidered muslin.

— The pin-cushion is still an adjunct of the toilet table, though, to be sure, it is no longer the prim, stiff bag of sawdust it used to be in our grandmother's day, when periodically the poor thing had to be slit and " bled "' to recover all the treasure in the way of needles and pins it had amassed to itself. Now the pincushion is a dainty perfumed piece of goods whose stuffing consists of nice clean wadding or assorted hair, while its outward appearance is adorn eel with ribbons and laces, puffings and frillings of every description. One of the latest ideas for this toilet accessoiy is that of fashioning the cushion into a tiny scitiucovered mattress, buttoned down Avith bebe ribbon, and finished off cunningly with the same. It combines daintiness Avith a certain amount of oddity, Avhich, in itself, is a recommendation to many. • — Someone Avith plenty of time on his hands has conceived the idea of hunting through the works of all the well-knoAvn English novelists for the purpose of gathering all the adjectives with which they qualify the word kiss. The result of his labour is that kisses can be as folloAvs : Cold, warm, icy, burning, chilly, cool, loving, indifferent, balsamic, fragrant, blissful, passionate, aromatic, with tears bedeAved, long, soft, hasty, intoxicating, dissembling, delicious, pious, tender, beguiling, hearty, distracted, frantic, fresh as the morning, breathing fire, divine, satanic, glad, sad, superficial, quiet, loud, fond, heavenly, execrable, devouring, ominous, fervent, parching, nervous, soulless, stupefying, slight, careless, anxious, painful,. SAveet, refreshing, embarrassed, shy, mute, ravishing, holy, sacred, firm, hurried, faithless, narcotic, feverish, immoderate, sisterly, brotherly, and paradisaical. The task seemed interminable, and he gave up at this stage. — Evangeline Cisneros, "the Cuban heroine " whose persecution, imprisonment, and rescue did so.much to inflame American opinion against Spain, has iioav been practically adopted by Mrs John A. Logan, with ff''om she is living peacefully at Washington.

— Princess Victoria of Wales is said to be an indefatigable worker, and has a multiplicity of home occupations. Unlike her sisters, this Princess is not fond of the pen, and only writes to favourite relatives and two or three friends.

— There is no more unobtrusive colour, taken by itself, than black, unless white, when also alone. But black and white make a staring combination. — Mrs Crawford, in Truth.

— A fanciful mind has found the proper symbolism of jewellery. It is asserted that in making a present of jewellery the first mater to be considered is the coiour of the hair of the recipient. It is thought that brunettes mainly possess positive qualities, as intelligence an.i discretion, while the blondes are believed to be more ideally inclined. Since silver symbolises fancy and enthusiasm, it should prevail in the jewellery of dark-haired persons, for thus they receive what they lack — poetry and ideali&m. In the jewellery of blondes, however, gold should predominate, for this metal will moderate their vivacity. Of the gems, rubies and garnets are considered the symbol of wisdom and common sense, and are, therefore, fit gifts for blondes. Other gems best suited for light-haired beauties are the topaz, the turquoise, and the sapphire. Brunettes should be presented Avith the amethyst, the stone of hope, or the emerald. The king of gems, the diamond, is the symbol of elegance. It suits both blondes and brunettes. Pearls sjinbolise tears, and brides particularly should not wear these gems, for the wearing of them indicates the coming of troublous days.

■ — Has the hatpin, woman's treasured hatpin, received its death-blow, and is the hair coining down to the nape of the neck once more? These are the questions asked by the observant to-day for the reign of the elastic hatband has again been inaugurated, and seems steadily to be growing in popularity. To wear .one's hat tied on, as it were, to the hair at the back, one must of necessity possess a visible " bob " of some description, so that the present early Victorian style of brushing all the hair on to the top of the head and then twisting it to a kind of knot must be done away with if the elastic now Lcing put on the hat is to be of any u&e at all. Coils of hair coming from underneath the

chapeau are certainly very much more becoming, while the hat gets a chance of sitting on the head, instead of resting on nine hairs. But I don't think the elastic fastening is an improvement on the perilous pins, from an artistic point of view at least. It is somewhat curious to notice how the evolution of the hat clastic began this time, with what a thin end of the wedge it was pushed into public opinion. The first of it all was those dainty, very narrow black velvet ribbons with which an ingenious girl fastened on her hat during the winter, before the hair went up so high at fashion's order. The ribbons gradually widened as this mode became popular, and the originators, tired of being no longer by any means unique, returned to the mode of some years ago — namely, the use of elastic after a brief period of rather unsecurely fastened headgear, when their high hairdressing was a hindrance rather than an aid to keeping on a hat of any description. — Professor Max Muller tells a humourous little anecdote about the Queen's visit to Paris in 1865. There was a grand performance in her honour at the opcra^ and everyone, of course, rose when the Empress and the Queen entered the Imperial box. "J)id you notice," said a Frenchman to an Englishman who was present, "the difference be- ' tween the Empress and your Queen? ' The 1 Englishman said he had not. Then tl.e Frenchman went on to say, "When the ; Empress sat down, she looked behind her to be quite sure that someone had put her chair there. But the Queen, being a Sovereign by birth, sat down without looking to see if there was a chair, for she knew that the proper person would see that there was a chair in its place." —At a London club there is the most unique pair of curtains in existence. This portiere is formed of hundreds of champagne corks, taken from every known brand of champagne, each of which bears the tin top which adorned it when tho cork was in its parent bottle. The corks are made into strings, there being 60 of them to each string. Between every cork there are three big Chinese beads of turquoise blue. Altogether there are 24 strings, and at from 12s to 16s a cork, the portiere represents a total expenditure of about £1000. The corks are tied to a while enamelled pole, with fancy ends, and big sashes of blue ribbon adorn the brass knobs. The total effect is distinctly pretty. What makes this unique portiere doubiy valuable is the fact that each cork bears the autograph of a famous actor or actress of the present day. — The difficulty most women find in locating their pocket to get at the necessary penny in car or 'bus seems to have inspired some ingenious brain, says a writer in a Home paper, and the result is we are now to have umbrellas and .sticks — for the latter arc again to be affected by the feminine portion of the community this summer — furnished with dainty little purges suitable for holding a few small coins, which can thus be always ready to hand when required. Some of these purses are of prettily-netted silk fastened through the handle of the umbrella, thus being quite secure, though, I am afraid, many will think this new fad on our part is putting temptation in the way of the thieving fraternity ; but, after all, few women are I foolish enough to Carry much money in such a receptacle as> the umbrella purse. Another form of this fashion is that of having the nob on the top of the stick converted into a means for carrying cash, the pressing of a small spring opening it at the will of the holder. This latter idea seems, to my mind, the better of the two. but, of course, the netted purse could be added to any stick rr umbrella with very little trouble, while the " nob portmonnaie " could not be purchased unless attached to one of the newly-designed ai tides. During the past winter we have been surfeite.i with loops and bows of high-standing hair, and a return to graceful coils is quite refreshing. The simple st} r le here sketched is iD&teful vnd becoming to most heads.

It is composed of two coils, the one forming ii modified jug handle, part of the other making a soft coil resting on the waved head underneath. — Spinslerhood has been robbed of its horrors for one Minnesota woman. She was a nice girl, clever, jolly, and exceedingly popular ■uih other girls and with manied people ; but, some way or other, she did not marry. Her married friends, after a fashion affected by married people, said (o her: '"You really ought to get manied. Why haven't you done it befoie this? " And the girl, too good-natured to suggest that the example of her friends had been a warning to her, retorted, "Nobody asked me, sit 1 , &he said." But there were men in Minnesota who knew that was not true. "I'll tell you something," she often added. " The one thing about being an old ma id that grieves my soul is that I shan't have the fun of selecting a trousseau and getting wedding ■presents. I think that when a woman gets to the definite end of matrimonial probabilities — say at 35 — her family and friends ought to come to the front with all the things they shower on a bride. The old maid needs material consolation ; but the bride thinks f>he is getting the eailh in her husband, and giving her lovely things is just gilding refined gold and painting the lily." " I believe you're right," laughed her jovial father. "If you aicn'L married when you are 35 you shall have all the furbelows you want. ' The friends, too, were amused by tl.e idea, and promised to carry it out. The years slipped along without

bringing any need of a sure-enough trousseau, and recently the 35-year limit Avas reached. As it happened, almost at the same time the girl accepted an excellent offer of literary employment in Chicago. Then the father proved himself a man of his word, and announced that he intended buying that trousseau. He took his daughter up to St. Paul, and for two weeks life was ono riotous llutter of silks and cloths and baby ribbon and lace. When they went home invitations were issued to the intimate friends of the family for an elaborate dinner dance. True to contract the friends all sent presents. Paterfamilias came to the front with a cheque to be used for furnishing the girl's bachelor apartments in Chicago. The girl did not seem at all depressed by the fact that she was attending a wake over the corpse of her matrimonial possibilities, and everything went off with great gusto. The following year she got married.

SEousch»^ii saints.

" Every Avoman should spend two hours a clay in the open air," says a famous specialist.

Thick carpets should always be brushed the Avay of the pile. If this is done, they Avill last much longer than if swept haphazard.

White and all light colours apjiear to reduce slimness of figures that are thin and tall.

Toilet vinegar, three parts to one of glycerine, makes an_ ..excellent wash for any face iritation.

Once a day at least warm water, should be used for washing the face. With a skin that is at all inclined to greasiness it Avill be found impossible othenvise to completely cleanse it.

To Polish tarnished Silver. — In polis'iing silver that has been put away for a long while and is badly tarnished, it is a ;cod plan to Avet a soft cloth in sweet oil, »u«.i then Avith a cleaning poAvdor rub the silvov until the dark places have disappeared. Then rub the powder Avith a dry chamois leather before finishing Avith a polishing brush. Do It This Way. — NeA-er use soap to wash hair brushes. Take a piece of soda, dissoh-o it in warm water and put the brush in the water, taking care that it only covers the bristles. The brush Avill almost instantly become Avhite and clean. Place it in the air to dry, with the bristles downward, and it will be as firm afteiAvartls as a neAv brush.

The h'tbit of some misguided people of rubbing the eyes AA - irh the fingers is the worst possible thing they can do. It not onh' is apt to cause inflammation, but as eyelashes have no very great length of root, they are easily rubbed out, and the lashes become very thin-looking in consequence. To Clean a White Straw Hat. — Remove the ribbon band and lay the hat on a flat surface to keep the brim in shape. Cut a lemon in lavo crossAV3ys and rub the h;>t with it. Wj,pe the hat Avith a soft clean cloth, and if the dirt and staius have not disappeared repeat the operation Avith a fresh piece of lemon. Alloav the hat to dry thoroughly before it is worn in the sun.

A \ r ery good and clear curling water can be made as folloAvs : — A pint of distilled Avater, into which place about 30 ciushed quince seeds to simmer for a couple of hours, carefully strain, and set by. To this add a gill of alcohol, refined spirts of Avine, or brandy, a lea&poonful of alumwater and an equal quantity of vose-waler or eau-de-Cologne to perfume it," Among other things A'igorous breathing is most essential to good health, for the oxygen of the air is the best of all " medicines " for the lungs. Therefore the more of the oxygen Aye breathe into our lungs the purer Avill be our blood, and the belter in consequence Avill be the condition of cA r ery organ of the body. Endeavour to breathe vigorously with the waist muscles for the complete filling of the lungs requires the constant use of these muscles.

To RemoA-e Grease Spots. — To iemo-e candle grease from clothing, lay a piece of blotting or other soft paper under the spot, ancl another r>iece on top, ancl iron with a warm iron till the grease is all draAvn out into the paper. Change the papers a.s often as they become marked by the grease. Be careful not to let the iron touch the goods ; confine it entirely to the paper for fear of injuring the colour. When You Choose a Veil. — A face veil c-n make oi mar a woman's beauty. A dark complexion, rosy cheeks, and bright broAni eyes look far prettier than they really aye under a veil Avith coarse mesh ; but Avoe to the pale blonde, no matter hoAv perfect her feaiiues or pure her complexion avlio attempts to wear a A'eil of this me-.h. It will only accdulu.ite her paleness ten tioies and make her lock old and drawn, Aihile a net of soft, fine, clo.-e mesh Avill have just the opposite efi>cL upon her face. As Regards PoAvder-pufi's. — Good poAA'derpuffs are invariably made of real SAyan's doAvn. For this purpo>e alone thousands of SAvans are killed annually. ApoAvder-puff intended to be taken travelling should never haA'e a heavy handle. In expensive toilet sets such handles are sometimes made of gold oi- silver. The result is that when the poAvder pot. in dressing-bag or cas.e, is taken by train or carriage. i\ >■> vibration causes the handle to turn oA*er till it is embedded in the poAvder, and the puff is itself is on top.

To ei)«mo nulilicitUn in the luitliooming is<ui<\ letters should ifw'n the Niini'Pxonioe if jiosmMp >n Saturflny incht, hut on no nreomit l.ltci than Uoiitl 3 i i-lil. Oj J Uescupiious 01 balls, >to , must be cuCtor'eri by cither the Willies coiiv.iioiiilcnt I'm the rtistnol nr lij the secietar\ to th« liMI coiuniutcn. Tlio MS. ot any coircs\ion<lents nhu do l.ot comiih null llns Mile will ho -oai to the secretary lor emlor-e n-entpiioi tor-ii>e.uing.- KMMI.MM:.

SOCIAL AT MAHENO

DrAR EiDiELiNE,— The evening of Friday, the 2Dth mst., again saw Mnheno "en fete," the occasion being a return social to the Me^ws Claik Bros, , of whoso harvest home I wrote to you a iew weeks ago. The lai«e gathering of people from far and near testified to the esteem in which tins family is held, theie being fully 300 people assembled in the Athensenm Hall, which was prettily decorated with ferns cvor-grtcn-s, and art muslin for the occasion. The urand march was led off by Mr A. iFamilton and Mrs James Clark, and when I tell you the Ccnimittco had brought the Yatcs's Band up fro .1 Dunce' in. you will understand that there wts nothing lclt to be de=ired sc far as the music was concerned. Tho Oddfellows' Hall wis reserved for the suppor, and the plenteous and dainty f:irc was done ample justice to and reflected groat credit on the ladies who undertook this department. Many extremely pretty costumes were noticeable — so many, in fact, that I feel rather too nervous to undertake the awarding of the belleslnp ; but I will content myself with describing a few which came xuider my special notice. Miss Gemmcll wore a very prottv costume of pale pink nun's veiling,

i the neck, which was slightly open, finished wiffi revers of pink edged with gold gimp and frills of cream &ilk, tho sleeves prettily gathered and finished at the elbow with frills of pink and cieam silk, ornament pearls and wild roses; Miss Janet Gemmell, dainty dress of pale blue nun's veiling, the frills of pink silk and ( the sleeves frilled, ornament pearls and pink ; roses ; Miss Mather, pretty gown of palest green, j the gathered bodice finished with frills of white i lace, a mass of tiny white flowers with green. | foliage at tho low-cut neck, pearls completing , this dress ; Miss Eoss, pretty costume of pale yellow nun's veiling, the bodice trimmed with narrow rows of black velvet, finished at the neck with a frill <*f black lsce; Miss Barraclough, white spotted muslin finished with a, ' irill at the foot of the skirt, the bodice finished ( with sleeves of frilled lace and a folded belt , of white satin, white slippers and a. coral neckj lot; Miss Johnson, cream, the sleeves of lace I with epaulettes of cream velvet bordered with ; gold, folded belt of cream silk with long sash ends; Miss Finlayson, sapphire blue the bodice prettily finished with white lace and whiteflowers; Miss L Finlayson, pule gieen, sleeves of a darker green plush; Mis,s A. Finlayson, pale blue, the sleeves and full gathered front, of cream silk, the neck finished with blue chiffon; Miss Curran, cream frosted net, Swiss belt of gobelin blue plush edged with .swansdown; Miss M. Robinson, pale blue with large cream silk sash ; Miss Raiikin, cream, sleeves of blue plush; Miss M-heiumn, pale blue, -tho bodice covered with aequin net, white flowers an'l pearls; Miss Wylio, old gold, black lace; iUiss i/iltle, heliotrope, sleeves of cream silk; Mrs Graves, pink, with white lace. There were also many pretty evening blouses, but space will not allow of any further descriptions. Mr | Aew'ands and Mr J. Frame acquitted themselves well as M.C.'s, and in addition to tho , dancing- several songs were rendered and well i received. The morning was well advanced beI lore tne gathering broke up, everybody having spent a very enjoyable night.— (.{ l'kst.