LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2356, 20 April 1899, Page 51

LADIES' GOSSIP.

— " The future," said Mrs Tanqueray Number Two, " is only the past entered by another gate." And of nothing is this so true as of feminine fashions. The tightfilting sheath-like skirt which is just now coming into voguo is merely a reminiscence of the early days of this century, %hen the fashionable belles went to the incredible length of damping their underclothing to make their outer garments cling more closely to the lines of the figure. — The Hon. Mary Hughes, who is engaged to Lord Edward Pelham Clinton, is one of the Queen's Maids-of-Honour. Her fiance, who is a good deal her senior, is- a widower, and uncle to the present Duke of Newcastle. He is. moreover, a prospective heir to the dukedom, as both the Duke and Lord Francis Hope, who married Miss May Yohe, are childless. Miss Hughes, who it a granddaughter of the first Earl of Ravensworth, is a great favourite with the Queen. The wedding, which will take place late in the season, will cost the Queen £1000, the tiaditional dower given by the. Sovereign to her Maids-of-Honour who marry during their term of office, together witli the traditional cashmere shawl.

— The German Emperor, when receiving foreign representatives or military attaches of foreign Powers, always wears the uniform of the army of the country the visitor represents, and sometimes during a levee he will change his unifoiin five oi six times

— Many Greek girls wear- -frequently merely a pretty ornament — an elegant silver chased . dagger. On marrying, these daggers are laid aside, the idea being that the husband's protection renders them no longer necessary.

— It will probably surprise our readers to learn that the so-called " kisscurl," which has enjoyed so much popularity during the. last two or three years, first sitting solitary in the centre of the forehead, and more .recently flanked by a crisp companion on eithei side of the face, is to be found in both these forms in some of the oldest statue? -in the Vatican. Evidently Solomon knew what he was talking about when he said, "There is nothing new under the sun-bonnet."

— Brilliant a figure as she is in society, it is as a sportswoman that Lady Lurgan has achieved most widespread fame. .She rides to hounds with the fearlessness and persistency of the mo.sl enthusiastic .sportsman, and. in addition, she runs her own horses, undo- her husband's name, on tho leading English and Irish racecourses When

brown feathered felt hat; Mrs Mondy, fawn coat and skirt, large picture hat, relieved with scarlet; Mrs Brown, grey coat and skirt; Mrs Buckland a pretty gown of grey cloth and handsome sealskin cape, large picture hat with pink roses ; Mrs Thomas, smart costume of brown cloth elaborately trimmed with guipure lace and beavei fur, large black hat; Mr 3 Roberts, handsome gown of Blate bluo cloth, elaborately trimmed with black velvet ribbons and steel buckles, black velvet hat trimmed with green feathers and narrow green ribbon; Miss Rattray, black serge coat and skirt, the coat faced with white silk; Miss Cutten, a light tweed costume, the bodice finished with a yoke and trimmings of yellow lace, large black hat; Mrs H. Le Cren, dark green cloth trimmed with green velvet and black ribbons; Miss Sise, coat and skirt of grey cloth heavily braided, sailor hat; Miss De Lautour, bright blue dress, with cape to match, piped with white silk, blue hat with feathers ; Miss Ramsay, grey coat and skirt ; Miss M. Ramsay, black coat and skirt ; Mrs Michie, a smart gown of green cloth, the bodice being composed of velvet trimmed with jet and steel, black hat with feathers ; Mrs Valentine, black coat arid skirt, black hat with feathers ; Miss Wilson, fawn coat and skirt, black picture hat; Miss G. Roberts, black and white skirt and long fawn cloth jacket, large cherry-coloured velvet hat trimmed with black feathers; Miss C. Williams, costume of green cloth, the bodice, which was made double-breasted, be- • ing braided with silver, dark green toque hat; Mrs Bush (Invercargill) a smart gown of pink and fawn shot silk, trimmed with pink silk ; Miss Kempthorne, navy blue serge coat and skirt, black straw hat trimmed with black and white chiffon; Mrs Fergus, very stylish costume of purple cloth, tho bodice relieved with a full front of white chiffon and jewel trimmine, purple bonnet with purple trimmings ; Miss Fergus, fawn cloth costume braided with white, large white hat trimmed with black and white.

Quick (Melbourne), Mr and Mrs Valentine, Mr and Mrs Edmond, Mr and Mrs A. Fisher, Mrs Brook, Miss Butterworth, Mr and Miss Roberts, the Misses Handyside (Hawke's Bay), Mr and Miss Sise, Mr and Miss Shand, Mr Bridgman, Mr Oldham, Miss Ram. ay, Miss Kempthorne, the Misses Farquhar, Mr Brown, Mr Goodlet, Mr Marshall, Mr Gully, Mr and Mis 3 Macassey, -Miss E. Gilkison, Mr Tapley. Mr Menlove, Mr A. Thomson, Miss D. Williams, Mr Matheson, Miss Levi, Mr Carr, Miss Stephenson, Mr Pattullo, Mr Ziele, Miss Jackeon, Miss F. M'Lean, Miss B. M'Lean, Miss M. Turton, Mr and Miss Joachim, the Messrs Haggitt, Mr Harris, Miss L. Robert*, Mr Sinclair, Mr Grierson, Mies Mackenzie, Mr Hull, Miss E. Batchelor, Mr J. Haggitt, Mr Mackenzie, Dr Macdonald, Dr Riley, Miss K. Holmes, Myb F. Bathgate, Mr A. Williams, Mr Royse/ Mr Turnbull, Mr Ratfray, Mr Rankine.

Mrs Neill looked exceedingly well gowned in a black silk dress, covered with black net, adorned with silver sequins. Unfortunately, owing to indisposition, Miss Neill was unab!o to come downstairs at all during the evening. Mrs A. Fisher wore a white silk dress covered with handsome black jetted net, and trimmed with bands of turquoise blue velvet ; Mrs Edmond, very rich white brocaded moire trimmed with lace; Miss Quick, white satin dress trimmed with flounces of lace and sprays of white flowers : Miss A. Shand, becoming bodice of green chiffon over a- black satin skirt; Miss E. Batchelor, smart dress of white silk, the Bkirt trimmed to the waist with ruches of white chiffon and the bodice also trimmed with the same; Miss B. M'Lean, pretty black silk dress, the bodice trimmed with tiny bebe ribbon ruches of harlequin colours ; Miss Lily Roberta, smart yellow silk gown, outlined with white; Miss Jackson, white silk dress, trimmed with lace and chiffon ; Miss M. Sise, white brocade dress trimmed dn both skirt and bodice with true lei era' knots and lace and chiffon ; Miss _N. Farquhar, pale blue satin dress, the bodice

teachers, a very handsome silver tea and coffee servico, and a marble clock from the scholars and teachers of the Petone School ; also a handsome silver teapot from the girls of the Sixth and Seventh Standards, with whom Miss Ohapple is a great favourite.