LADES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2396, 1 February 1900, Page 55

LADES' GOSSIP.

— The latest fashion, and a very pretty one, is for bridesmaids to carry floral mufis instead of the time-honoured 'bouquet, and so much taste and variety can be employed in their fashioning, and they are withal so graceful and smart a finish to a toilette, that it is not surprising it is a mode likely to last. For a recent wedding, where the attendant bridesmaids were in pale pink chiffon and creamy satin, the muffs were composed of yellow chrysanthemums, each end being finished Avit'h an edge of mimosa. In the centre was placed a loose spray of pinky yellow roses, which fell in a shower, mixed with lilies-of-the-valley. to the knee. Each of these dainty conceits was lined with cream satin and trimmed with a soft falling frill of lace, and was worn suspended on a long chain of filigree gold and pearls, the gift of the bridegroom. Parma violets edged with .•cable and mingled with tuberoses look charming ; while to the artistic eye nothing could be more pleasing than a! combination of Japanese daisies, ranging from deep cream to russet brown, woven with trails of shaded autumn creeper and loops of tur-quoise-blue ribbon shot with pink. —Mr J. F. oneridan, as Mrs Block, the Chicago millionairess, with a delightful Irish brogue, has (says the lady writer in Melbourne Punch) {he best dressing in "Little Christopher Columbus." Miss Gracie Whiteford (Mrs Sheridan), who plays the name part, also dresses well, but even her smart admiral's uniform, covered with gold lace, pales before the magnificence of her husband's clothes. No man on the Australian stage has ever assumed feminine attire with the same success as Mr Sheridan. His "Widow O'Brien" wore her gowns not only easily but gracefully, which is more tnan can be said of many leading ladies on the stage who make a speciality of their crowns. Mrs Block, the American millionairess, does not exaggerate her dressing. She m ears fine clothes, but they arc not ostentatiously fine. They are nude in Paris and London and are M(.U<im, well-designed and finished with lh. cve 1 usually devoted to frocks of a 'm,^l ,v. The most beautiful of them is k-rfully rich black silk evening gown .' ir.iin, the whole costume thickly . ed m.i li black sequins, all of which —

p c uiu-i i,t_ tho~asand c — were sewn r.n b, the naMi^ of Parisian work girls. The flf'ilil of tin a unique gown i; 5 ti emend oil". ai><' it is fortunate that the wearer is a it in— .' oman would probably feel it an 'iiiiii'tDii especially on a warm evening. Tl.u l)i ish of this fine frock is characterisiie,iil\ Parisian, and the flounces of the uii'U l'-kirt are as smart as any part of the col ume. Mr Sheridan on Boxing Night made quite a sensation amongst the ladies in the audience when he appeared in Mrs Block's smart black evening gown. The bronze shade of the wig recalled the hue of Mrs Potter's lovely natural hair, the whiteness of his arms and shoulders added to the deception tha.l the vast audience really saw a wealthy Irish American widow, whose blazing diamonds were in themselves an attraction. "Mrs Block's" evening wrap of rich crimson satin, patterned in black and gold, is a gorgeous creation that any leader of fashion might envy. The whole yoke is made of black feathers flattened inio a 'semblance of brocade, in itself a work of art, and is fnishel ct the neck with ver> handsome oslrich j^-mugs.

Judging by the risl.g prices of ostricßj feathers Mr Sheridan's wrap is a very valu-i able item of his stage wardrobe. Witls long practice he has become a quicker dresser than the average actress, and, more wonderful still, when he is impersonating the Chicago heiress he does so with a wais^ measurement of 29in, which is a degree ol slimness many Melbourne matrons regard with envy and wonder.

— " Carmen Sylva " hesitated long be. fore she would allow electric light in hep boudoir, which, says a poet who visited ifc recently, somewhat reminds one of Calypso's grotto, but, aided by Mdlle. Hitz, sha has designed an astonishing variety of un-; known flowers in crystal, in the hearts of which a very faint light will throw a softcoloured gleam. Thanks to this plan, the illumination of Pelesch has now become a thing of passionate interest for the whimsical and sad lady, who, like a chatelaine of the Middle Ages at the head of her damsels, who are chosen from among the prettiest and cleverest girls of Roumania, loves, to have something out of the way to da to soothe the restless spirit within her. — A correspondent asks me (says "Kathleen " in the Leeds Mercury) if I know of any method of "reducing too excessive adipose tissue," by which figure of speech I conclude she means superfluous fat. I cannot do better than recommend my fair inquirer to consider the line of conduct pursued by Lily, Duchess of Marlborough, the lady who is now the wife of Lord William Beresford. As Mrs Hammersley, widow of an American naval officer, she was more than plump. She filled out every crease and wrinkle of her gowns, her breath was short, her step somewhat heavier than that of the sylph of old — and, in brief, pretty Mrs Hammersley took up too much room in the world. So she consulted a physician, who forbade her to eat bread, cake, or pastry. She was to have no coffee, chocolate, sweet wines, ale, stout, potatoes, peas, rice, carrots, turnips, macaroni, cheese, eggs, butter, cream, sugar, custard, or. sweets, and, worst of all, no tea! She was not to wear flannel, or have a fire in her bedroom; she had to drink half a gallon of hot water daily, with only a little lemon juice to take off the flat taste ; her diet was limited to two meals a day, breakfast at 10 and dinner at 7, with the following bill of fare to select from : — Hare, lean meat, game and poultry, a little ' fish, dry toast, lettuce, spinach, celery, watercress, and fruit, the latter being eaten very sparingly in the place of bread or water. As if all this was nofc enough, 'every fifth day she fasted, so thaii the system consumed its " adipose tissue."She was to use only rapid sponge and vapour baths, and was ordered to walk from five to ten miles daily. The result of all this, self-denial was that her Grace became slight and graceful, her eyes were bright, her complexion as clear as a child's, and her health perfect. It rests with my correspondent, of course, to consider whether she feels equal to such a course of sclfdlenial; and it is but fair to add that it took the Duchess of Marlborough nearly two years to achieve the result at which, she aimed.

— There is a pretty wedding custom m Peru. Some say it is Biblical, and others that it is an old Moorish custom. It ia customary for the padrina, or godfather, of the bridegroom to hand the godfather of the bride a tray containing 13 pieces of moneys Xi majy be .gold, or it may be silver, but there must be 13 pieces, because Christ and the 12 Apostles make that number. The godfather hands the tray to the bride, and she hands it to the priest, and the priest spends the money for charity.

— William of Germany has started a medal for diamond wedding jubilees. The medal, a silver one, is of oval shape, with gold ornamentations bearing two enchained rings encircled by a myrtle wreath, ami the number "60." The first specimen of this connubial souvenir has been presented to the married couple Severs, at St. Pauli, through the Prussian Minister at Hamburg. — Ladies — rural or otherwise — with shapely ankles will doubtless heartily agree with the resolution passed by a large majority at a public discussion oil women's dress, which was held a few days ago. The resolution, " That long walking dresses are irreconcilable with the modern requirements of hygiene, liberty of movement, and beauty," was the outcome of a learned discussion by the professors present, and should do much towards abolishing thau abomination, the long walking dress. As long as we pay rates to have the streets and pavements kept clean there is no e:;cuse for the feminine world to turn out as scavengers and bring home in the trains of their costumes all the filth that should go into the dust-cart. But there are other reasons, it would seem, why the long skirt should become a thing of the past. Professor Rubner asserted that long skirts were often responsible for accidents, and further that the constant holding up of the skirt, promoted the severe neuralgic pains to which so many women are martyrs. Then Madame Professor Seler gave it as lie: 1 opinion that it was unworthy of a woman to become a slave to her garments, and added that short skirts maae tie wearer look younger. Surely this fact alone should weigh with those concerned, a».d those who desire to create a good impression in society should lay well to heart the utterances of Professor Brock Muller, who, as an artist, should speak with authority on what is pleasing to the eye. Although he does not deny that there is beauty in a trailing robe when the wearer preserves a dignified carriage, he points out that any quick movement renders it the reverse of graceful, and therefore he strongly advocates shorter skirts.

— A curious anecdote is going the rounds of the clubs in Paris. It seems, sass an American paper, that when Jean de Seszke was last in Paris he was invited to a dinnei at Baron Rothschild's. During the reception which followed the tenor was requested \to sing, and willingly did so several times. At the conclusion of the last piece the Baron stalked from amorg a group, and. handing De Reszke a blad 4 cheque, said loudly before the assembled guests, "We arc all delighted, mousieur. 1 don't knov/ what your prices are, but you war write your own figure- unou tfch

cheque." M. de Reszke, blanching with anger, tore the paper into fragments, and answered, " I came here as your guest, sir, and sang because some ladies requested it, and it pleased me. You shall hear of this further. ' Then he bowed round the room and departed. It is said the tenor sent seconds to the Baron, who explained that he knew it was customary for the De Reszkes to sing at private functions for money, and believed M. Jean's attitude was a pose. He was convinced that the singer would have accepted the cheque if it had not been offered publicly. He purposely so offered it because during the evenmg the singer appeared to forget his place. For these reasons Baron Rothschild declined to consider the challenge.

— Japan has its communities of silent female recluses in common with European countries. There is such a community at a place called Yunakawa. A matron of some 50 years presides, and her instructions are implicitly obeyed. The women are all j r oung, ranging from 16 to 27, and some of them are described as very beautiful. The building stands in a farm of some 250 acres, but the women do not engage in any agricultural work. They spend most" of their time indoors reading religious works, and they appear to observe a strict rule of silence.

— One of the greatest favourites of the Queen is 2>ladame Albani, concerning whom a correspondent sends us the following charming and hitherto unpublished story : '" When she was quite a little girl she was sent to a convent, and when she was only 14 years of age she became the organist there. It seems that one of the sisters lost someone very near and clear to her, and no one could comfort her. One day this Bister was interrupted in her grief by a gentle tap on the shoulder, and, turning found, she saw a sweet little girl, with long golden ringlets, standing by her side. The Tittle girl took her by the hand, and the lister, scarce knowing what she did, folJowed her. She was led to the chapel of fche convent, and quietly &at in a pew )hat was pointed out to her by her guide. jChen the little one disappeared, and the aext moment the chapel was filled with the Sweetest and most beautiful music — music jsvery note of wnich seemed to suggest ccmfort and sympathy. Again and again were the strains heard, then suddenly they stopped, for the grief-stricken sister had left her .seat and her arms were round the little organist's neck ; and, as the sister kissed her, she ssaid : ' You have given me the very comfort I want. God bless you ! ' I need hardly say that the little organist eventually became Madame Albani."

— Conversation requires ap expenditure of thought, which the modern society wojaan cannot afford, an amount of tact, Which is non-existent with many people, jnd to be a successful conversationalist is Almost impossible in these days of slang and \nannish women. We all know that to be able to listen well is a .step in the right direction ; but this necessitates unselfishness, interest, sympathy for others, and M;her rare virtues. The famous conversationalists of the past had not ..he opportunities of higher education that are open

to modern women, but they had a charm of " conversation, a personal fascination, which the study of mathematics and philosophy, or the engrossing interests of the household and fashion are powerless to impart to the modern woman. Still, the cycle of festivities comes round every year ; however bored the guests or the hostess may be, " duty " determines their occurrence, duty which results in not an atom of good to anyone taking part in the whole scheme of city entertainment.

— French ladies are far behind their English sisters in the matter of hunting. The fox, except in the vicinity of Pau, where a wealthy English colony exists, is not chased. The deer is the favourite animal hunted. The Duchess d'Uzes, though now not so young as she was, takes an active interest in hunting. She is very particular about riding costumes. These are invariably made in cloths of two thicknesses — that for the bodice being lighter than the material in the heavy skirt secures freedom and ease about the chest and shoulders. The Duchesse also encourages the Louis XIV three-cornered hat. No one appears in the chimney-pot hat. As a necktie, the old stock has been abandoned for the more elegant white muslin cravat with loose bow.

— There is a charming reference to Lady Crewe in the " Life of Sir John Millais." When the great artist was painting her picture in 1884, the child became very much attached to him, and when a few years later Lady Peggy suffered from a serious illness a lock of her golden hair, which had been cut off by the doctor's advice, was sent to Sir John Millais; It is still preserved at Bowerswell, his Perthshire home.

— Ostrich plumes on all the larger hats, and plumage is u&ed in every conceivable mixture, and in the quaintest combination of colourings. Despite the crusade against birds for millinery purposes, these seem as fashionable as ever ; but thosp of large size aie the most favomed, and the greater number are probably manufactured. — Home paper.

— The man, or more probably the woman, that invented " work parties " knew human nature — feminine human nature — just as well as the man or woman that invented bazaars. Indeed, the origin of the bazaar was probably the work party. But though there may be debate as> to the origin of either, there can be no question as to the utility of both. Each is founded on the gossiping proclivities of our character, and draws all soils and conditions of folk together to work for a common object, and to discuss that object and almost everything else under the sun. And &o the work becomes a recreation. Now, we women always declare that we have very little recreation compared with what men manage to get. What wonder, then, that we flock to weddings and work parties with as much eagerness as do the lords of creation to funerals and footabll matches? And so, of course, we have got up work parties for the various war relief funds, and an excellent contribution we shall be able to give. I know of one which already numbers over 100 ladies, meeting twice a Kcejs to seAv

and knit and talk. Most of the work is for the wives and families who have been left oehind by our soldiers, and the utmost expedition is aimed at in view of the nearness of winter. Besides this, many of the work parties are sending out to South Africa shirts and socks, pins and needles, buttons, thread, handkerchiefs, and bandages, cork soles, and slippers — in short, everything and anything — for the use of the fighting and the comfort of the wounded. We are working with a will, and you may be sure that although the tongues go quickly, thimbles and needles go still more quickly, and every fresh item of war news does but urge the workers to greater effort. — Lady Reporter, in Glasgow Citizen.

— In St. Bavon, the Cathedral Church of Ghent, there exists a visible thread of English history, to be caught up and knotted together by those who care for odd fragments of past times. Two gigantic candelabra stand before the high altar, wrought m bronze and brass, and possessing high artistic value. They bear the Royal arms of England, the Leopards, and the Fleurs-de-lis, and they are wreathed about with oak leaves and Tudor roses. As a matter of fact " Tudor roses ' are not roses at all, but hawthorn flowers. After the battle of Bosworth Field the Crown-royal was found in a hawthorn bush, and, as it was placed by Stanley on the head of Henry VII, the new King declared that hawthorn bloom should be his badge henceforth. On the Ghent candlesticks the stiff Sve-petalled flower is very conspicuous. It is regrettable that the King's cypher is not also there, for one cannot now be certain if it were he, or his son, or his grandson, or. one of liis two Queengranddaughters who placed those big brass fight-holders in old St. Paul's. One of the five Tudor sovereigns it mu^ have been, for when the Stuarts came the Royal arms were changed, and the Scottish lion ramped beside the English leopards.

With the Stuarts came stormy times for Church and Throne. And when Cromwell and his Ironsides took upon themselves to purge away unnecessary things, those great candlesticks were decided to be as superfluous as King Charles himself. They were sold — for they were worth good money — and the thrifty Lord Protector bargained them away to a merchant of Flanders. He dragged them from St. Paul's, and carried them over the sea to Ghent, where they stand to this day before the high altar of St. Bavon.