LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2525, 6 August 1902, Page 62

LADIES' GOSSIP.

— The "Dresden China Beamy" has ch.inged her love lit> for one of the m all England. By this name the New Ytrk Journal refers to the new Marchioness of Duft'p.rin. When she was a wee scrap uf a gill playing about the north side of Washington square she had the yellowest of yellow hair and thp bluest of blue eyes and the pinkest of pink cheek*. People vsed to stop and ask whose :ovel\ litt'e girl she was. Meanwhile, admiieis, of the child's dainty, fairy-like beauty endowed he- with another name. They labelled her the "Dresden China Beauty," and the label fitted so well that it c^ung fast until she lu-rtelf discarded it to become the Lady Terence Blackwood. But that was not until her horizon had widened far, far beyond the confines of Washington square North. SLe still had her yellow gold hair, her deep b'ue eyes, and her very pink cheeks. She still suggested the dainty, delicate beauties of Dresden china ;.rtists, but her face gradually bec.tme less and 'ess fomiliar in America. New chfldien lomped <ti,d ran along the autocratic pavement ■"hile she was being labelled with many new and pretty label* deliriously fitting and fi.reign. Before she was ready to make her debut in New York .society the ''Dresden China Beauty' 1 was taken over to Paris to be taught the ways and manners of the Faubourgs. Although she was but a sllioo^iil, supposed to be hidden behind times of irregular veibs, somehow she came to be known as "the mo&t beautiful ' Americaine. 1 " Her mother, who w«ts Mr Da vis's second wife, was herself a renowned beauty of Cleveland. She tried to keep her daughter as secluded as possible, but beauty, like murder, will out. Mrs Davis had her hands full with her beautiful Flora, who was quickly celebrated as the only daughter and heiress of the rich Wall street banker. Miss Flora Davis's beauty was of an unusual type. A man once trying to describe her said he had seen her lay a rose leaf upon her cheek, and he would defy detection as to where the velvety softness of one began ?nd the other ended.

— The London correspondent of the Melbourne Age writes: — Some hard things have been said in the correspondence columns of th? newspapers on the subject of society women's voices since the discussion to wLitJi I referred a couple of weeks ago began. Opinions differ chiefly on the point as to whether the loud aggressiveness complained of is due to the lowering of the standard of refinement — the innote, as distinct from the superficial refinement — or to the outdoor pastimes which nowadays, v, hen not oveidone. give women of leisure long limbs and strong nerves. In connection with the latter view it is interesting to •see that some of the most cutting comments are made by society men, who. though they enjoy a great deal of outdoor life themselves, are able as a c'a-ss to avoid shouting in their ordinary conversation-. One man vho writes fiom a T'loeadPly club potests against the ''psucoeky" clatter dinned inlo hi> e;ns by the women of his <.-!a<-<- "Peacocky"' is a good word ; it fits the .situation pretty thoroughly, ihough how it has become applicable to female con\ersation has not quite been cleared up h/ the present discussion. The harsh society voice is piobably the outcome of a combination of cause 1 ;. Shoutintr on the yolf links and thp hockey ground has something to do with it; so h.is the pose of rnanmshness acquired at girls' public schools ; so hive the pu^h and ostentation vhicb ha\e been fo"-teied by mutated oplxrtunities for personal advertisement. There is something also, peiiuip*. in the dictum of Mr Benson's latent smait society heroine, that in thoe days "it is \ulirar not to be vulgar. 1 ' And the remedy? Rjdicu!e — and plenty of it. It is the only effective weapon. It strikes at the sensitiveness which is the most universal. Ihongh Jpast willingly acknowledged, of Britisli fo-ble?. Meanwhile ihe influence of Queen Alpxandia may be counted upon as an a"l to the n»-cessarv reform. She has noticed the society voice, and is said to detest it. —By special pei mission a fashionable throng has viewed at the establishment in the Rue Dannon the wcndioup Coronation robe of Queen Alexandra. Although the f-f*tlv mat-ejinK are of Indian oi'igin. her Maje*tv 'eft rip execution of tlie work in IVench h.imU The dress (says the Paiib of n^spond'ciit <<f ihp Daily Chionic'e). vh'ch is of puie c'oih of gold, seems to renV' t n>- in a dream, the glory of Kngland s Qi:e°ns from lime immemonal. The dazzling eff< ct of the simple and shapely r»>bp it- subdued by a covering of nebulous white silk tulle, dotted over thp bodice with gold floweret*, the i-Hnie device being ■simplified upon the skat. Still moie stsiely is the train oi £old bro-

cade with a vision of varying hues upon its rich surface. Another dress destined to be the fashion of this Coronation summer in London, Paris, and other capitals is the Queen's reception gown, in a pale and hitherto unrealised shade of mauve. The amber robes of the fiist lady-in-wait-ing are in modest and effective contrast. I ?a\v ail this amid the tame surroundings of a Paris salon by the electric light with the buzz of admiring ladies around me. Impressed as I was, I could not help anticipating the effect amid the pageantry and array of Westminster Abbey on the great day that is now at hand.

— A cyclist relates the following charming incident in a Home paper : — "I was c_a cling recently on the other side of Windsor when I passed a lady sitting by the lcadside with a lit ft fellow — :rying lustily, and with his face smeared with bl»od — on her knee. The lady beckoned to me to stop, and when I Lad dismounted she told me that the boy. a tiny mite not more than four years old, had fallen aud hurt his nose. which -was. indeed, bleeding profusely At the lady's suggestion I hurried away on my machine to the nearest house to fetch some water! and she bathed the child's face with her handkerchief until the nose had stopped bleeding and the little fellow wa« wc-ll and smiling again. As the little fellow was able to tell me where he lived. I undertook to see him home, while the lady, with a gracious smile and words of thanks which I shall remember all my life, jumped on her machine and i ode away. A commonpjEtee incident, you may think, sir ; but not so, for in' the good Samaritan I recognised one of our King's daughters, and if I had had any doubl it would have been dissipated by the name "Victoria' embroidered on the handkerchief w Inch is now in my possession."

— 'The mouth," said a physiognomist, "is a suit of focus of nervous sensibility ;iud a most important index to character. A mouth that droops at the corners is a sign that its possessor is irritable and discontented ; in men it oftens betokens a cynical disposition. Women who value their good looks should pay great attention to the .shape of the mouth, for when, once it has fallen into certain unlovely lines it is difficult to transform it. Still, whatever its defects, a month may be improved and made attractive by cultivating a pleasant expression. A mouth to be beautiful need not be small. Indeed, a fairly laige mouth often goes with strength of character and mental capacity, and in, f-uch mouths the lips are often finer and more expressive. Thin lips usually denote a cold and critical disposition. Hence they are not an acquisition to the female visage, ■n ith which fuli, red lips are more in keeping. But biting the lips to make them red will not help matters. Too often. it renders them coarse and thick.'

■ — Among the great workers for the cause of womanhood Mrs Henry Pawcett will always hold a high place. The widow of the late Postmaster-Geneial and the sister of Mrs GaiTett Anderson, the famous physician, she has made a reputation for herself as one of the unfst sneakers iv the

countiy. She H« written a great deal, among )us" woiks being a life of Queen Victoria. She was 55 on June 11.

To fiisure pvhlicniion in the fortltrornvng issue lettrrx blwiilii reich the W'titfrx offic if possible en Saturday v!<iht. but on no account later than if onday mr Dncriptions of bolls, A-c, must be endorsed by either the Wittiest eorr'gpondciit for Uu- district or by the secretary tv the bull eominittte The 31S of any correnpoiidentt tcho do not comply with thix rule will be sent to thr secretary for endorsement prior to Mpptaring.-EUUELISE

bachelors' baxl at boukd hill.

Dear Emmehne,- The bachelors of Round Hill gave their annual ball in Crowley'% Hall on the evening of July 25, and the gathering was a pronounced success. Fifty couples took part in the Grand March, including visitors from all districts between Invercargill and Waiau. It is a well-known fact that the bachelors of this lively little mining township excel in their hospitality, and their last effort waa only another convincing proof. More than u«ual importance was attached to the last ball, rs during the night Trooper H. Corkin, of the Seventh New Zealanders, was the recipient of v substantial presentation from ihe local-resi-o«nts. The music for the evening was supplied by Mr Coulmg (violin) and Miss Delaney. (pißiio). Trooper Corkin and Mr ±- O'Brien conducted the ball in an. efficient manner, and Messrs Kingsland and Son laid cut a tempting supper table Amongst the large assembly of prettilydressed ladies I noticed ilifiS Guirk, in black velvet dress, with chiffon and sequm trimming? relieved with white roses; Miss O'Brien, black dress, guipure lace trimmings; Miss Fitzmaunce. white blouse, black skirt, blue trimmings , Miss Lily Fitzinnunce, pmJc blouse, black skirt; Miss Maud Fitzmaurice, cream blouse, black skirt, black zouave; Mibb Coulmg, white b.'ouse. blue skirt: Miss M Me, -bite blouse, black skirt; Miss Hughes, b.ue elrc-68, white silk trimmings; Miss, Couling iGlifton) cream blouse, black skirt ; Miss Cook, bicwn skirt, blue silk blouse; Miss Clode, black skirt, heliotrope blouse, lace trimmings; Miss Villa Clode, brown skirt, tartan silk blouse; Miss Nutsford, black dress, white chiffon trimmings; Misses Donovan (2), black skirts, black velvet sailor blouses, relieved with, white trimmings ; Hiss McGregor, white musLm over pink underskirt; Miss Dugan, white mubhn skirt, blue silk blouse, white trnnniings ; Miss Phillips, white muelin dress, white lace trimmings; Miss Cummmgs (InvercargilH, black skirt, blue blouse, lace trimming* ; Mrs Smith, red velvet skirt, white blouse, lace trimmings; Mrs Ramsay, green costume, silk trimmings to match ; Mrs Couling. black dres=, g-U'!" jra , la€ c '••lnimi.i? , -»'rs Morgan, blue brfirt, blue velvet b.ouie, guipure locs trimmh p- , Mrs Broomhall, blue skirt, pink blouse white lace trimmings; Mrs P. Devcreux, black costume; Mrs Fiveash, black costianc , Mrs Fitzmaurice, black costume relieved with red ; Mrs Cullinger, brown costume ; Ifclra Mason, blue dress, white lace trimmings; Mn Reynolds, black costume ; Mrs Bates black: costume ; Mrs Fesira, blue costume; Mrs A. P«rry, block skirt, vhitf pi'k blouse: -Ii"» P.roomhall rColac). black flre<?<!, crear ,sco lnmr.rn £ = —SWEET WILLIAM.

" Home Rule," onoe vpry much discu6s.ed, Ts laid aside and left to rust. O!d Gladstone, epite of all his skill, Tailed to paFS this famous Bill. Jlow often do the greatest fail? And coushs make ill tho strong and hale, I T n!o=, the remedy they procure— W JS. Wogps' Gb»at ?BrTI»MiKT item*