LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2360, 18 May 1899, Page 52

LADIES' GOSSIP.

— American women are nothing if not enterprising, and their ingenuity in opening up fresh channels for the exercise of thentalents is apparently inexhaustible. A Chicago lady, who is visiting this country, gave the writer some information on an entirely new feminine calling. ' Just lately," she said, "a number of the best hotels at our fashionable resorts have commenced engaging ladies who, in the role Oi guests, mingle with the other visitors, introduce them to one another, -take the lead in their pastimes, organise outings, and generally do everything needful to promote their comfort and enjoyment. The girls .•who fill such positions are well paid, but a. great deal is expected of them. They must fee bright, of good presence and social standing, and thoroughly accomplished. The fact that such a girl is an employee of the footel in which she is employed is kept Secret, and she is regarded by guests as an jhnusually amiable and talented visitor. 'Judging by the way in which the idea is spreading, I guess the hotel-keepers find it .profitable, and of course it is a pleasant occupation for girls who want to be independent. — Home paper. — The marriage of the Hon Neville Lytton, younger son ot the late Earl and ot tha Countess of Lytton, to Judith, daughter of Mr Wilfrid and Lady Anne Biuut, the latter granddaughter of Lord Bjtoii, ,was celebrated in February at Cairo with becoming pomp »nd ceremony. The civil marriage took place at the British Consulate early on Thursday morning, after jwhich. the bridal party drove to the Roman Catholic Church, Zeitouin, near Metaniah, '•where the Rev. Father Chateau performed 4he religious ceremony, the certificate being signed by Lord Cromer and General the jEon. Reginald Talbot. The bride, who is tall; graceful, and very pretty, wore a Jovely dress of white mousseline-de-soie over fwhite silk, covered with beautiful filmy Jace and trimmed with orange blossom. Her 'hair, broadly waved, and raised loosely in the present style, supported a bridal coronet 6f the same flowers, which was covered with lace veil. There were no bridesmaids, but she was attended by the two children boy and a girl) of Dr Sandwith, and the groomsman was the Hon. Roland Baring, Lord Cromer's eldest son.

— Marlborough House, though, it frequently encourages new fashions, is no autocrat in these matters. An instance: Last summer, in order to encourage Spitalfields .weavers, the Prince of Wales heroically rvv.ore a silken brocaded waistcoat, but the hint was not taken, and the waistcoat had at last to be discarded. The Duke of York, It appears, is no great dandy, as he simply requires his clothes to be comfortable. He ordered 20 suits once all in a lot. He is thought to look best in a blue serge yachting, -costume. As to the German Emperor, his wardrobe is marvellous, including the uniforms of every regiment in his army, besides many foreign ones. Among the most prized naval uniforms is that of an English admiral.

Now the average school girl cannot " abide " a new girl who arrives with busts and pictures of the mighty dead in her box, and poor Beatrice had to pay the penalty. Unholy hands were laid upon her treasures s The excellent John Hamnden's features

were defaced, and a pipe was stuck in his mouth ; while Schiller and Shakespeare were hidden away from their worshipper. However, when it was discovered that the new girl could entertain the dormitory at night with marvellous stories, the teasing was dropped, and Beatrice became quite popular.

— A change is coming over the feminine taste in the matter of under-linen. It is now no longer one mass of lace and frills; in fact, frills even on the hem of the garments are distincty out of vogue, and now the whole attention is given up to cut. A simple real valenciennes trimming round the neck, with a tiny baby ribbon, and the initial embroidered on the left shoulder, is the latest smart thing to wear. But the cut, that is the difficulty, for all the beauty of these delicate under_-garments depends entirely on tte fit. Combinations are dying out except for bicycling and active sports. — One of the features of the retrospective Bection of the Pans Exhibition of 1900 will be a doll's kitchen fully equipped, with which Louis XVI used to play when a ihM. It is absolutely complete, and a perfect reproduction in miniature of the kitchen of & great house at the beginning

of the eighteenth century. The decorations, of carved and gilt bronze, are by the sculptor Caffiefi, who died in 1716. The toys cannot, therefore, have been made in the first place for Louis XVI, though they must have been made for a Prince. There are charming decorations in Dresden china, and a Dresden cook and his female assistant stand among the tiny pots and pans. — Earrings of small dimensions are once again being worn ; single pearls, gold beads, or tiny flowers being the varieties most often seen. They fasten to the ear with a little spring, so 'that the necessity for the piercing of the lobe has been entirely done away with.

— From a Danish gentleman a Home paper has received the following description of the Kloster, an institution provided for Danish women whom misfortune or bereavement has rendered homeless : — " The particular Kloster I have in mind," he said, "is an old castle endowed and set apart for the accommodation of 12 daughters of Government officials. Each inmate has her own suite of rooms, furnished to suit her requirements, and the place is under the superintendence of a lady superior elected by the ladies from amongst themselves. Other Klosters differ in size and in the class of inmates provided for. Danish fathers register the names of their infant daughters on the waiting list of a Kloster suitable to their rank, paying at the time a sum of money towards the funds of the institution. Vacancies caused by deathare offered in^tum to each woman upon the list until one is found whose position renders it necessary for her to enter the institution. A Kioster is in no sense a nunnery or religious house, although in some degree under the control of the Lutheran Church. Inmates may return to the world at any time, and in the particular Kloster which I have described they are allowed two months' leave of absence and the privilege of entertaining a guest for a month." — After the guests bidden to a gardenparty given by the Queen have withdrawn, the police, with a staff of beaters, go carefully through the grounds, examining tho interior of the marquees and scrutinising nooks and retreats in search of lost jewels. Everything that is found in the way of trinkets, sticks, lace handkerchiefs, and love letters is forwarded to the Lord Chamberlain's office.

— Laces can be made to represent large sums of money. The Astors have been credited with owning lace worth £600,000, and the Vanderbilts value theirs at £800,000. The Pope is said to be content with only £15.000 represented in lace, and the Princess of Wales can boast of £50,000 worth.

— Plain tailor-made costumes are no longer worn. The present style goes to the opposite extreme and has many pleats and much braiding. Needless to say, the more complicated the design adopted the better it is for the makers.

—It is only within the last year or so that lace has been allowed to take up its proper position in the world of dress. As an elegant accessory, its charms have always been duly recognised, but it has been left for the modistes of to-day to discover and to emphasise the fact that lace is, of all fabrics, the mosii. beautiful and the most becoming, and that it can be worn successfully by women of all ages, and on all occasions. — Pall Mall Gazette.

— Tears are a certain beauty-destroyer and bring wrinkles to the face sooner than anything else. Women who indulge in weeping on all and every occasion lose their good looks very early. A smiling face and a cheerful temper are the best preservatives of beauty in the world. —To the casual observer (says a writer in a Home- paper) there is little apparently worthy of cherishing about tlie ordinary dance programme. A piece of cardboard, printed and supplied with numbered dances in order to remind forgetful human nature of arranged dance engagements, has little indication of sentiment and none at all of romance. The difficulty of explaining why so many members of either sex so carefully guard and collect their dance programmes is the great. A drawer full of ancient, often torn and dirty, programmes is surely a benefit to nobody ; but the collecting becomes a perfect mania, and the owner cherishes his — more usually her — programmes with the greatest care. The programmes may sometimes be reminiscent of delightful dances and happy evenings, but more generally a girl would find it difficult to say who the initials "D.S.,'' inscribed half-a-dozen times on the card, really represented. And even although she has lost all interest in the originals of the different names many years ago, the average girl will keep her programmes as carefully as ever. They, of course, if required, can always serve to re-awaken memories : but few girls have time, and fewer inclination to brood over past heartaches or enjoyment. The explanation probably consists in the love of collecting inherent in human nature. Fans, old clocks, photographs, stamps, or dance programmes, we all have our mania ; and the collection of programmes is at least an inexpensive one.

— Local orators at functions at which members of the Royal Family take a leading part sometimes say curious things. Once when the late Duchess of Teck was opening some institution, a speaker, after eulogising the Duchess and her daughter, prophesied that the latter would " develop on the same broad lines as her mother !" The stout, good-humoured Duchess laughed heartily, and saved the situation. Another well-meaning person remarked that he had great pleasure in introducing tht Prince of Wales for the first time to the inhabitants, forgetful or oblivious of the rule that subjects are presented to Royalty, and not vice versa. On occasions like ttase, a certain number of local magnates and officials are always presented to Royalty, and the latter i 3 usually primed beforehand by some trusty henchman with a few details with regard to the life, works, or family of the persons concerned. This is the explanation of the wonderful insight and knowledge which Royalties display on these occasions, which go further to dellgnr. the recipients of the honour than even -ihe presentation itself. At the same time, -i. must be observed thai? Royalty has really a wonderful memory, and has proyed. it again and agin

when no priming was possible. For instance, on one occasion when Princess Henry of Battenberg was performing an opening ceremony, a number of ladies were presented to her in rapid succession. The secretary blundered the list of names, and described Lady X as " Mrs Z " The Princess promptly addressed the lady by her right name, and inquired after her father. Her Royal Highness had seen her once before, and remembered it. There is one rule which must be absolutely observed. The programme of the day is made out in full detail, sent to the private secretary, and approved or amended by the Royalty. From this there must be no deviation whatever.