TABLE TALK,

Otago Witness, Issue 2511, 30 April 1902, Page 60

TABLE TALK,

Monday Afternoon. On Thursday evening quite one of the best dances of the season was given bj Mrs W. H. Reynolds at "Willow Bank," the residence of Mrs George Dermistou, which the former has leased for a feiv months while her daughter visits the Norta Island. The front door was closed, ant entrance gained by a side door. Thus ti. : hall could be utilised as a room, and vci;.* bright and pretty it looked, furnished wit 1 chairs and sofas and decorated with flowers.. The guests, after being announced, passed into the drawing room, where the hostess, along with Mr and Mrs Denuiston, received them. The large dining room made a capital ball room, while refreshments were served in the morning room during all the evening. The verandah, which was enclosed and furnished with chairs, made a delightful spot for the dancers to resort to between the different measures. Shortly after 11 o'clock the large schoolroom was thrown open, and here a most recherche supper was served. A regular '" sit-down 5 ' meal was indulged in, the guests finding seats round the long table which ran down the length of the room, looking charming, decorated with vases of lovely chrysanthemums and laden with delicacies of all kinds. Mr Stokes supplied the music, and every dance seemed to be keenly enjoyed by those present. Miss Reynolds and Miss Vid.i Reynolds played the extras. Mrs Reynolds was ably assisted in her duties of hostess by her daughters, who were most assiduous in looking after the wants of all their guests during the evening. Luckily the night was fine, so between the dances the garden, as well as the verandah, could be utilised as a cool spot to promenade. Amongst- those present besides Mrs and the Misses Reynolds and Mr, Mrs, and Miss Denniston were Mr and Mrs E. C. Reynolds, Mrg Leslie Reynolds, Mr W. E. Reynolds, Miss M. Macandrew, Mr and Mrs W. Sargood, Mrs George Roberts, the Misses Sise, the Misses Rattray, Mr E. B. and Miss Cargill, Miss Petre, Mr J. C. Marshall, Mr and Miss Macassey, Miss L. Roberts, -luass Butterworth, Miss Sale, Mr and Miss E. Ulrich, the Misses Farquhar, Dr Smith, Professor Gibbons, Miss D. Bartkman, Miss Logan, Miss Jackson, Miss Ruby Neill, Mr G. Ritchie, Mr Graham, Miss M. Boyd, Mr and Miss Sinclair, the Misses Williams, Miss Hart. Miss Barroch, Miss F. Bathgate, Miss Atkin, the Messrs Cameron, Miss De Lautour, Mr R. Sise, Mr Barron, Mr Burk, Mr Stewart, Mr C. Stewart, Mr Grumitt, Miss K. M'Lean, Mr M'Lean, Mr Webster, Miss L. Mackerras, Mr Hunter, Mr Stilling, Mr Gully, Mr Ulrich, and Dr Stanley Batchelor, etc. Mrs Reynolds was gowned in a handsome trained gown of black satin, the bodice richly embroidered with black sequin and lace ; Mits Reynolds wore a smart klack merv. dress, the bodice daintily draped with Brussels lace and relieved -with touches of crimson velvet; Miss Rachel Reynolds, pretty frock of white satin, the bodice trimmed with lace and chou of pale blue velvet ; Mrs Denniston, handsome trained gown of black brocade, the low-cut bodice trimmed with jet and lace ; Miss Denniston, smart black silk frock ; Mrs E. C. Reynolds, rich pink brocade gown, trimmed; with lace and passementerie ; Mrs Leslie Reynolds, black silk dreps, trimmed on the bodice with lace and sequins ; Mrs W. E. Sargood, white silk trimmed with white" chiffon frUls ; Mrs George Roberts, pale> green satin trimmed with lace and jewelled! ! passementerie and sprays of crimson, damask roses ; Miss M. Macandrew, black l silk dress relieved -with, a spray of 6carletf flowers ; Miss De Lautour, pretty frock of black eilk, the square-cut decoUetage adorned with cream lace and bands of peacock blue velvet; Miss K. M'Lean, hand-f some white satin, frock ; (Miss I. Rattray, moss-green silk trimmed with frills of chiffon of the same colour ; Miss Lucy Rattray, lemon-coloured satin frock, iwithf bodice of tucked chiffon ; Miss Hart, lovely) dress of cream crepe de chine, with biscuitcoloured lace trimmings ; Miss D. Bartleinan, pale blue silk frock covered with white spotted muslin ; Miss Barroch (Mcli bourne), handsome dress of .-white satin,skirt festooned with white chiffon and bebef ribbon, bodice of cliiffon and sequin embroidery ; Miss Ruby Farquhar, -white glace silk frock trimmed with white lace and* gash and chou of pink silk ; Miss B. Farquiar, white satin princess gown, with' short bolero bodice of tucked "white chiffon and laca insertion ; Miss Petre, black brocade frock; Miss Cargill, black silk dress 1 , t- 1 - *uidifr__' r lrinrri "^ r^Jifr**' Mi —

Maud Reynolds, rich yellow satin dress, both skirt and bodice adorned with, white lace applique ; Miss Vida Reynolds, pale iblue glace silk frock, both, skirt and bodice trimmed with bands of -white Honiton lace insertion ; Miss Neill, .wallflower velvet frock with long sleeves and revers of cream ilace ; Hiss Logan, black silk dress with cream lace and crimson roses on the bodice ; Miss Sale, cream crepe de chine trimmed 'with, lace, and a spray of pale blue poppies •on the bodice; 'Miss E. Ulrich, black tucked silk frock ; Miss Macassey, cream lace frock, the bodice draped with lace end a chou of pink chiffon, and relieved ■with touches of black velvet ; Miss E. • Gilkison, black satin and lace dress ; Miss iL. Mackerras, pale blue silk dress, ■with flounce and trimmings of white ; Miss May . Sinclair, yellow satin frock, the bodice <draped with white chiffon; Miss iiuriet 'ißoyd, very smart frock of tucked pink silk, corselet of cream lace threaded with 7 t>lack velvet bebe ribbon ; the Misses "Williams both wore small; black silk and net frocks; Miss Butterworth, pretty pink crepe de chine frock, bodice draped with lace and large blaok chou ; Mis 3L. Roberts, ihandsome pink brocade with cream net insertion on the skirt, bodice trimmed with Jace and black velvet chou. diamond star necklace ; Miss Sise, stylish frock of soft •w-^iXq silk, 'the skirt made with a flounce, trimmed with Valenciennes insertion and lace, and the same on the bodice ; Miss Maud Sise, dainty frock of rose-coloured tucked silk, the 'bodice trimmed with chiffon and cream guipure.

]\lr and Mrs J. M. Galla/way gave a large juvenile dance on iFriday evening, 25th inst., at their residence at Musseiburgh, an honour of their son, Mr Garth. Between 70 and 80 young people were preeent, with a sprinkling of " grown-ups,' and very merrily the evening passed, dancdng being kept up with great spirit until the small hours of the morning. Mrs Gallaway, who wore a smart black merv. gown, along with her little daughter, f rocked in a dainty white muslin, received her guests in the drawing room, but an adjournment was soon made to the large dining room, which -was prepared for dancing. Supper was seized in the morning room, the table looking very pretty decorated 'with chrysanthemums and laden ■with good things of all kinds.

On Saturday evening Mi-s Logan gave a fancy dress juvenile dance at her residence, " Sarnia," in Roslyn, in honour of Miss Gladys Darling, who is her guest at present. A number of " grown-ups " iwers also present on this occasion, and very pretty the fancy costumes looked floating round in the dining room, which had ibeen prepared for dancing. The hostess, ■who received her guests in the drawing room, looked charming dressed as a Japanese lady of rank. She wore a soft floral silk gown, made in the "Jap." style, her hair dres«ed higii. and large pink chrysanthemums becomingly stuck above her ears. Numerous gipsies, peasants, flowers, and 'Highlanders, etc., were represented amongst the guests. Little Miss Hart, who was charmingly dressed as a little "Jap," looked sweet; Miss Gretchen Larnach, as " The Salvation Lassie "' in " The Belle of New York," conquered all hearts. Little Miss Le Cren was also dressed as " The Belle of New York " in white satin and feathered bonnet ; Miss D. Bartleman made a very pretty gipsy, and Miss Kathleen M'Lean was capitally got up as "My Lady's Toielt,"' every requisite, iioin the curling tongs to the pin cushion, being hung on her pretty white-spotted muslin frock. The time passed all too quickly, everyone joining in the various dances, and soon half-past 11 o'clock came, when this pleasant party "broke up' 1 after singing " Auld lang syne *' and giving three cheers for Miss. .Logan.

A private ping-pong club is being formed for the winter months It is proposed to Lold fortnightly meetings m one of the halls in the city. The committee consists of Mis Eardley Reynolds, Mrs Oldham, Miss F. Fergus, Miss Jean Maclean, Miss N. Royse, Mr F. Little, Mr E. C. Reynolds, Mr A. Hogg, Mr J. M. Lowry, and Mr W. M. Barron. Mr Alex. Maclean will act as hon. secretary.

The marriage of Miss Susie Giuliani, daughter of Mr C. C. Graham, will take place on the 14th of May.

Miss Freda Bathgate has returned from Invercargill, where she has been residing for several months past.

The Misses Macgregor (Wellington) are Tesidin^ at Anderson's Bay, which they ■will make their home while their parents visit the Old Country.

Miss Fraser went north on Saturday to Wellington with Sir Joseph and Lady Ward, whose guest &he will be for some time.

Mr and Mrs Michaelis left Dunedin last ireek foi then home in Sydney.

Mr and Mrs Ernest Izard and family Jiave come to reside in Dunedin, and have taken up their abode at " Red Roof," in Eoslyn.

Miss Kate Rattray has returned from "Wellington, where she has been paying visits for some time.

Miss Lilian Turton is in town for a few •weeks' time.

A quiet wedding took place last week at St. Luke's Church, Christchurch, when Miss Buckley, daughter of the late Hoii Geoige 3?uckley, Park teriace, was married to the R«v. .Mr Kay, curate at Holy Trinity Church, Lawrence Only immediate relations were present at the ceremony, and the bride, who was given away by her •brother, woie a becoming travelling costume. The Rev. Mr and Mrs Kay will reside in Lawrence. The honeymoon will be tfteufc io. Ib& £j»r Ih JsAaaA.

I The engagement is announced of Miss I Aggie Shelmerdine, youngest daughter of Mr W. Shelmerdine, to Lieutenant Sydney Jones, of the Tenth Contingent, youngest son of Mr J. R. Jones, Dunedin.

INVERCARGILL, April 28. We have had a visit during the week from Sir Joseph and Lady Ward, who arrived here on Tuesday afternoon and went on to the Bluff the same evening, staying ' there till Friday, when they returned to 1 Dunedin, en route for Wellington. We ivere all very pleased to see both Sir Joseph and Lady Ward looking so well. , The Misses S. and* E. Macdonald re- ! turned from Stewart Island last Wednesday. The Golf Club opened their season last i Wednesday afternoon. Mrs Sharp gave an enjoyable euchre | party last week for young people. I much regret to have to record the death of Mr Robert Gilmour, sen., which took place at his residence, " Ardbit," on Thursday evening Universal sympathy is expressed for Mrs Gilmour and her family in their sad bereavement. Mr B. Wilson and Mr Macalister. of Wellington (Sir J. G. Ward's private secretaries) were in town during the week. Mrs Morrah and family have gone to Wellington for a short holiday. Measles are very prevalent in Invercargill at present. Mrs Bnsh gave a very enjoyable evening last week. The weather has been simply terrible lately, and consequently has almost put a stop to all social functions, but at the time of writing it seems to have really taken

■useless looking back, by sinful repining over mistakes, or what we choose to call .mistakes, made in the past. It seems to me that we would stare with great astonishment at the exceeding smallness of the middle pile when compared with the others, and come to the conclusion that we were, after all, sorry fools thus to groan •beneath the troubles of both past and future when God meant that " sufficient for the day should be the evil thereof."' There is, of course, a sense in which looking ahead is right and commendable ; there is also a sense in which it is the reverse. Much depends on what we are looking at, and for what jwpose. If we are looking forward through tears to the morrow, and shrinking from or bemoaning the events we allow Dread to paint for us there, then certainly we are doing wrong, for we are using up the fortitude we will so sorely need should there really be trouble ahead to be met and passed through, and if it can be averted by any means, why, then, we are unfitting ourselves for the discovery of those means by wasting our energies in useless and premature fretting when we should be holding every sense alert and watchful. Then, too, our tears preveut us seeing and irecognising many a blessing which the •present has brought us ; our on n loud murmurings drown or jar the music which other lives are making, and making for .us, so that we reap but loss and injury to ourselves by this untrusting way of (looking forward. Nor are we the only injured or losing ones, for we co act and react upon one another that all who come within sound of our moaning and murmuring are more or less affected by it. The castle-builder, too, loses much of to-day :

ing for him in a distant and uncertain future has found in the toil of to-day a rich recompense for so doing. They 'have beautified their " to-day " -with their best. — best of heart and brain and hand, and, in return, to-day has turned the very tears which disappointment wrung from them into pearls, and brought to their view many a sweet thing undreamt of when they lifted its burden. We would unconsciously work out for ourselves a great and happy future could we always feel, with Longfellow : Xot enjoyment and not sorrow Is our destined end or way, But to live that each to-morrow Finds us farther than to-day, and give a ready response when we read : Trust no future, howe'er pleasant, Let the dead past bury its dead, Act, act in the living present. [ Heart within, and God o'erhead. God o'erhead, guiding, controlling, overruling events, bringing good out of evil, clearing pathways through what, to our tear-dimmed vision, seems but solid rock, and bringing to pass that for which we •have yearned, though often leading us by a way that we know not, and certainly I never could have planned oufc for ourselves. If we must look onward, then let us look upward, too, — upward, till we learn to take each day and live it as though we realised that He who gave it us was looking down, upon vp — upward, till we feel that we Ccin say from the heart : The changes that aie sure to come Wo do not fear to see. Not only is it a customary thing to look far ahead and borrow burdens, but many — women more especially, I think — begin each day weighted with the burden of its every hour. They are so painfully conscious that

up, Sunday being a bright, clear, frosty day. Mrs Christophers gave a large afternoon tea last Friday afternoon at her residence, Bank of Xew- South Wales. The table was beautifully decorated, and was laden with .ill kinds of delicacies in the way of cakes sandwiches, etc. The afternoon passed off most pleasantly, and notwithstanding the bad weather a large number of ladies were present, and several very smart and handsome costumes were worn. Amongst tho"-e present besides the hostess and her sister (Mrs Adams, of Dunedin) were Mrs Bush, Mrs Stronacli, Mis Hull. Mrs Batger. Mrs Bicknell, Mis Robinson, Mrs Morns, Mrs Sharp. Miss Thompson. Miss Macdonald. Miss Sharp, Mrs Fowler, Mis Black, Mis and Miss Gngor. and many other--. Miss Macdonald gives a euchre paity tonight. Miss Galbraith is now .staying with Mrs Rawsou, and leaves for Melbourne eaily in May. Mr Charles Bell, of Want wood, who has been seriously ill, has gone to Hobart for the winter to visit his sister, Mrs Webster