TABLE TALK.

Otago Witness, Volume 02, Issue 2420, 2 August 1900, Page 58

TABLE TALK.

Monday Afternoon. On Monday afternoon Mrs Lindo Ferguson a very successful afternoon, tea. at her

residence in High street, as a farewell to Miss MacMillan, who has since sailed for Sydney, en route for England. Between 30 and 40

guests were' present, and Mrs Ferguson received them in the large drawing room. Tea was served in the dining room, where everything looked charming, the cakes being delicious, and the table decorated .vith lovely yellow and while chrysanthemums.

Amongst those present were Miss Butterworth, Mrs Butterworth, Miss MacMillan, Mrs Colquhoun, Mrs and Miss Sise, Miss Rattray, Mrs Melland, Mrs Woodhouso, Mrs Michie, Mrs Moore, Mrs Pirn, Mrs Bathgate, Mrs and Miss Haggitt, Mrs J. Wright, Miss Wright, Mrs Sale, Mrs Eosking, Mrs Hoberts, and Mrs 0. Pvattray. •

Mrs Ferguson wore a smart silk bodice of a Paisley shawl design over a fawn cloth skirt ; Miss Buttervrorth, a pretty frock of pale green spotted muslin, trimmed with lace ; Miss AiacMillan, smart frock of blue lustre, trimmed with narrow black and white braiding, and lovely red straw hat ; Mrs Colquhoun, dark green cloih ccslume, feather boa, and pratty bonnet ; Mrs Miehie, dark violet cloth costume, the bolero coat opening to show a smart tucked silk vest of the same colour, hat and muff en fcuite, trimmed with bundles of Parma violets ; Mrs J. Wright, grey cloth costume, trimmed with black, and becoming hat trimmed with violets and feathers ; Mrs Moore, grey cloth, costume with tucked bodice of scarlet velvet and grey bolero, white felt hat trimmed with chiffon and feathers; Miss Wright, grey cloth skirt, short Eton coat of black cloth, aad pale blue chenille hat.

Airs Colquhoun gave a very nice luncheon on Wednesday at her residence in High street, in honour of Miss MacMillan.

To Dunedinites a most novel and entertaining kind of ball was given on Wednesday evening by Mrr and Miss Logan, at their residence in Roslyn. The novelty consisted in the invitations requesting all the guests, if possible, to wear fancy dress, and one and all responded tc the hostesses' gentle request, a'/>d appeared in "costume/ Some of the selections proved most becoming to the wearers — in fact, all the ladies looked well; while some of the men managed most successfully to hide their identity, and appeared as brigands and "heathen Chinee" in-such well-carried-out designs that fair maidens were seen to start and tremble, until the brave one spoke, and somehow or othe? the voice always seemed to bring recognition, and soon the brigands might have been seen waltzing round wiih the "ladies of high degree," the English soldier with the Chinese maiden — heedless of the troubles at Tientsin and Pekin, while the Dutch maidens seemed to feel_ no animoEity towards the Russian counts. Hospital nurses, Puritan maids, shepherdesses, gipsies, costormongers, cooks, and duchesses all joined together in the "wild fray," and fo\md the hours speed all too quickly" with "flying feet." Once upon a time fancy dress balls were quite a common occurrence in Dunedin ; but it is now some years since anything of the kind was attempted. This one proving such a great success, however, will doubtless induce not a few hostesses to try this novelty when wishing to entertain.

Between JO and 80 guests were present on Wednesday evening, bivt as the rooms are large and spacious, there was little or no overcrowding; and when the dancing room did get too full for comfort in dancing, there were always plenty of nooks and corners to be found in the covered-in verandahs, on the stairs, or in one or other of the co&y little morning rooms, which were reserved for renting places for the dancers. A sumptuous supper was served in the library, and the wide verandah leading from this room was covered in and supplied with chairs and a choicely-laid supper" table, so it was as if there were two supper rooms, thus giving ample space for a regular sit-down supper at one or other of the little tables invitingly dotted about. Mrs and Miss Logan received their guests in the drawing room, Mrs Logan wearing: a handsome gown of black satin and brocade ; Miss Logan, who wore " powder and patches," looked remarkably well in a black satin dress, with lace on the square-cut bodice, and a spray of scarlet flowers; Mrs Walcot-t wore a black silk dress ; Mrs Adam, a lovely gOM'ii of pink silk, veiled in black lace; Miss L. Logan represented a French peasaiit girl, and wore a smart short skirt of royal blue embroidered satten, black velvet corselet bodice, and full chemisette of white nrull muslin; Miss A. Logan looked very sweet as a Swiss girl in a short" white book imislin frock, trimmed with bands of dark-green velvet, and deep Swiss belt of the same, her hair hanging, a straw hat with strings, and carried a bucket filled with cherries; the Misses Roberts looked perhaps the best of all, being dressed exactly alike to represent "Punchinello," wearing smart short frocks of black satin, trimmed on both skirts and bodices with white chiffon rosettes, full white chiffon ruffles round their necks, aud lars>e court hats of black satin over their well■powdered hair,' and carried long sticks of black ebony ; Miss Hart looked very nice as a Grecian girl, in white and gold, as did also her sister, who made an excellent representation of a Japanese girl ; Mr Le Cren was very well got up as a French king of the fifteenth century, wearing a. handsome suit of crimson velvet, with hat en suite, trimmed with long white plumes; Mrs Le Cren was a Geisha girl, and wore an embroidered heliotrope satin robe, and crimson roses in her hair ; Mr and Mrs Sargood were almost indistinguishable in their splendid representations of a Chinese lady and gentleman ; Mrs James Logan, Italian girl, wore a royal blue skirt, white chemisette and iewelled black velvet corselet bodice, trencher hat of blue satin, with pink roses, and her hair hanging ; Mr Lo^an made a capital representation of David Garrick, in a suit of pale blue satin and lace ; Miss Power, a Roman lady, in white and gold; Miss Macassey, " A Lady of Quality," white satin g-own, powdered hair, and a huge black velvet, feathered hat ; Mrs Stock, a hospital nurse ; Miss Stephenson looked exceedingly well dressed to represent a tui bird, wearing a short frock of black satin vandyked over a white and black skirt, and large hood of black 'satin, tui birds being placed all over the dress; Miss Fisher, a French maid, wore a pink frock and white muslin cap and apron ; Mrs Barnett made a capital gipsy, in a short scarlet frock, and scarlet cap trimmed with gold coins ; Miss K. M'Lean, " Toilet Table," wore a smart white book muslin frock with apron of the same, and adorned with puff box. curling tongs, and all the accessories of a lady's toilet ; Miss Lorna Rattray, Puritan maid, wore soft grey cashmere and white fichu and cap ; Miss E. Gilkison, a Watteau shepherdess; Miss Butter worth, "My Grandmother " ; Miss Bothamley, "A "Rope"; Miss Moodie, an Italian peasant ; Miss Mackellar looked very sweet in p, Eat,. Greenaway froekj, Mr

Lowry wore a most original-looking costume of '" black and white," carried out in every particular, even to his face, which was halfconcealed by a black veil; Miss M. Shand, '' Queen of Hearts " ; the Misses Farquhar and some others wore ordinary evening dress, and " powder and patches " ; Miss Y. Logan, an early Victorian girl ; Miss Sise, a French cook; Miss Sinclair, "A Baby"; Mr R. Sise, a clown; Mr Hull, tropical suit; Mr P. Han-is looked exceedingly well as a German count; Dr Baraett, degree gewn ; Mr Mooclie, a baker; Mr 2?aron, " Captain Cook " ; Mr Duncan, Mr Maihescn, Mr Reeves, Dr Mackellar, Dr Blomfield, Mr Niehol, Mr PasJco, and others all wore different uniforms, and there were a few in. Windsor uniform.

Mr arcl Mrs "Wright and the Misses Wright left by the s.s. Mokoia en Thursday for Hobart and Sydney, at which places they -will spend a couple of months' time.

Miss MacMillan left on Friday by the Moura en route for London.

The next meeting of the Kahanga Club will be held in Miss Hodgkins's studio, in Liverpool street, when Me Oldiiam will be in the chair.