TABLE TALK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2651, 4 January 1905, Page 64

TABLE TALK.

A small dance was got up by some of th» members of the Otago Courts Tennis Club on Thursday evening in honour of the visiting tennis players, -which went off most successfully. Mr and Mrs Robert Turnbull went up to Linbuxn station before Christmas, and will spend a. little time there. Mr Justice and Mrs Williams are spending the holidays at Linburn, as guests of Mr and Mrs Turnbull. Mr and Mis Ritchie and their family left before .Christmas for their station, Caxrington, where they are spending lie holidays. Mrs Edmond and her children are spending some weeks at Waikouaiti. Mr and Mrs Sinclair Thomson and their children have gone to Goodwood for some weeks. Mrs Mills and her children left last week for Henley, where they propose spending some wenks. Mrs and Miss James -arrived from England, by way of Melbourne just before Christmas, and are staying with Mrs James's daughter, Mrs Balfour Neill, at "Sarnia," Roslyn. Mts W. Menlove (Windsor Park) is at present visiting her mother, Mrs Roberts, at Littlebourne House. Mr and Mrs Wilfred Stead, who have spent Christmas and New' Year's Day with Mrs Stead's mother, Mrs John Roberts, returned on Monday fox Christchnrch. Mr and Mrs W. Hazlett and their children, who have been visiting .Mrs Hazlett's mother, Mrs Stephenson, returned last week fc Invercargill. Mr and Mrs Knox (Sydney), arrived by the Moeraki, and have proceeded to Waihola. Mr and Mrs George M'Lean and the Misses M'Lean left on Friday for Warrington, where they will spend the next few weeks. * Mrs Wilford and her children have accompanied Mrs M'Lean to Warrington. Mra M'Gowan and her children are spending a few weeks jit Waikouaiti. Mrs Whatson and, her daughters are spending th© holidays at Brighton. Miss Denniston is staying at Carrington. with Mrs Ritchie for the holidays. Miss Gwenda Williams is also spending a little time at Carrington. ' Mr and Mts Goodman are at Puketeraki for the holidays. Dr and Mrs Batchelor and Miss Batchelor left before Christmas for liivercargill, where they are spending a little time ■-— * Mrs Miohie and family left before Christmas for Waitati, where they will stay for some weeks. Mr and Mrs Hiinter Macandrew have gone to Stewart Island foT the holidays, and return, next week to Dunedin. Miss Marchant has gone north, and will spend her holidays in Christohurch and Wellington. Mr and Mrs Gilkison and their children are spending the holidays a>t Moeraki. The Misses Teschemaker (England), who are on a visit to their brothers, were in town for & few days last week. Mr and Mrs Richardson. ' (Wellington) are on a visit to Dunedin, and are staying with their daughter, Mrs Eardley Reynolds. Mar and Mrs Woodhous* and the Misses Woodhouse are spending 4he holidays at Moeraki. Mr and Mrsi Htinter-Weston and their children spent the Christmas holidays in Dunedin, staying with Mrs George Roberts, a-t Littlebourne, and returned on. Thursday to "Cottesbrook." Mr and Mrs Oldham have been north lor tha 'feolidaya-.

I>r and Mrs Ixindo Ferguson are spending the New Year holidays at "Warrington. Miss Gilkison is staying with Mrs Alichie at Waitati for a little. Mrs and Mrs Sinclair and family have gone to Moeraki for a few weeks. Mr ana Mrs Stilling are staying at Purakanui at present. Miss Miller left for Tasmania on Christmas Bay, en route for England, and will be absent •boat a year. Mrs Heaton Rhodes, who ha*s been for some time in Dunedin, returned last week to Christchurch. Miss Tabart accompanied Mrs Rhodes to Christchurch. Mr and Mrs Machin are staying at Pukeieraki for a little. Mr and Mrs Stewart are spending some "Weeks near Broad Bay. \ . . Mr and _Mrs B«swick (Christchurch) were passengers from -London by the Ruapehu, and arrived last week. - " > Miss Peep 'Gibson was also a passenger by the "Ruapehu, and -is staying in Timaiu with ler "brother; Dr E. Gibson.- . . ' " . ' | -',-_ INVERCARGIDL, December. 26. Qn^Wedriesday Mr and. Mrs Masaey and , familjf, left for the, north-.' -\ - S/ - , Mr and "Mrs J. •Herdman (Wellington) arrived last,wee£ i; anWwill be the guest^of Mt and;Mrs'"J. SC Roy 'dsj during 'ilie Christinas holidays. - Miss Swinburne, who has been on a long ■»isit-to Napier,- returned on Saturday. Mr and the Misses Churton (2) were passengers for Stewart- Island on Saturday.- •- On Tuesday Mr and Mrs H. S.S. Kyle returned from their trip to Melbourne. Mr and Mrs Howorth and their daughter are j visiting Stewart Island just now. • Mr and Mra D. Brent (Dunedin) are the .guests of Mrs H. Brent, Gladstone. ■ January 2. On -Monday last Mrs Callender gave a very pleasant' picnic to Rivefton. Miss Ina Thomson has returned from her visit to Gisborne. Mr H. Robinson arrived last week,' and is spending his "holidays with his parents. Miss Bothamley (Wellington) -is the guest •f "Mrs" Stronach "just now. Among the passengers from Stewart Island on "Wednesday wjsre'- Mr and- Mrs Dyer, Miss "Wade, Miss Nurse, Mr and the Misses Churton, 3Jrs and Miss ' Robinson, etc. f~~' * , OAMARU, December 26. On Tuesday last • the Musical Society gave^ "The, Messiah before. a "very large "audience. The choir and orchestra .were exceptionally strong, and as 'the solos were taken by Misses Murphy and Wilson and Mes.srs Foster and Mitchell, we, enjoyed a musical treat. At tEe close' of the performance the members, 'of the , society "presented Mr Roee. :their^"conductoiit withja 'handsome siiver_^tea' service^ „£rnbngthe, audience I- noticed* Mesdames M s Phefsdn^ Seth- Smith,'Mont«gu, JPlattsV Don/and' Morris;^ Misses Creaghi BuHedd, Armstrongj' Keddell (2). ' 'Tha Misses. Hasseil left' on Monday /for "Wellington, where tKey'intend-stayxng^foxisoine treeks." •° - - ,- v-- "* -,s "> . Mrs Platts (?ort. Chalm«r9) - is. staying- for" -» few/days" with hen; daTightgr,\Mr& Eisner. „'- - •Mrs,SctKvSmitii',(3^>karalii) "is ih" v t<>vni- i for'tli:e lolidays. •" '" T .-■: _/• ' - . -\ 'Mr? JT.'JNicollß and the Misses Nioolls are iraking a" short' stay at "Gasa Nova," Mis 3 Pike left for Nelson last Tuesday, and •will spend, -sonre weeks .with ' relatives there_ . before proceeding to P«lorus Sound. > - < • ■* _. " ,s, s _: * - - , WELI/INGTON, December.3l. Ere many hours' Have passed the year 1904 ■will ba Jjune'd! with the past/ and the bel-Js ■will "ring out the -old,' ring in the jSew." If there is one time more than another when one indulges in^thbughts of a sentimental nature,' then it is surely during the Jast, few hours or minutes of Ihe passing year. Here in New Zealand we are not much" eiven-to the oldtime custcm of "welcoming" the New Year." A Wellington girl,, who spent this time last year in London, tells of a -delightful" NewYear's Eve party- at which she was guest. An early dinn«r party was followed by a theatre party of 12 guests; after that ir drive to a fashionable restaurant for supper. A.s tne clopk struck 12 hundreds of bells commenced to ring, and glasses were filled-; then everyone in the large- room drank "to the New "Year," «nd afterwards sang "Auld lang syne." - • Quite "Vnumber of theatre parties have been •rrangedjoT to-night, the attraction, being' the Kmght-Jeffriec - Company in "The Eternal -City," Monsieur Beaucaire haaTjeen" attracting^ wonderful houses -for the' last . seven nigJxts, and^the 'majority of the audiences' have^gone home delighted with th^>eharming, and'rornantic playi-'as^MonsieuTj-Mr" Jnilins Knight, is altogethei pleasing, and'^ one ' can readily^ Relieve that ,what he says w.iruo— namely, ' that • it is his favourite /character. - In the large audiences I havo,'noticed~ the Bishop of Wellington - and 1 -Mf'b "Wallis, the latter wearing black satin lace ; her sister, Miss Rachael Williams, also -wore black relieved with -a chemisette of d' esprit net; Lady Ward, black and white, theatre gown; Mrs FuJHkxh, black; Miss Pulton, white silk; Misses Quick, dainty 'lace gowns relieved with rose-colour; Mrs Holmwood, black; Miss HoJmwood, white, with fichu and crimson roses ; Mrs MacEwan, black relieved with lacej-Missea Seddon, Mi&s "Ward, Miss Broad, Miss Baber, Mrs Sprott, Mrs E. Coleridge, Mrs Quick, Mrs Tolhurst, Miss Tol- . hurst, Miss Finch, Miss Heywood, Misses Turner, etc. Dr and Mrs Anson returned yesterday from England, having had a most delightful visit. Both are in -excellent health, and have done a deal of cycling and motoring. The welcome arranged by the Ngata Huia tribe in honour of their white rangitira and namesake — the Hon. Victor Huia Onslow — was held at Otaki lost Wednesday, and was just as imposing, picturesque, and enjoyable as the hospitable, enthusiastic Maoris couldi make it. Poi dances and mild hakas were interesting features of the programme, and there were several speeches Chief Huia-, of course, received many presents — mats, kits, and carving, and, from the tribe, an illuminated address. He, in. turn, presented his fellow-chiefs with gifts which they will no doubt prize highly. A large number of guestsiwent up from Wellington to be present at the ceremony. Lady Onslow, Lady Dorothy On&low, the Hon. Huia Onslow, and Dr and Mr 3 Collins, with whom" they are staying, went to Waikanae on the previous day, making the distance to be travelled *n "Wediesdlay considerably shorter. Others •who were present were the Right Hon. the Premier, Mrs and the Misses Seddon, and Mrs Dyer, Bishop and Mrs "Wallis, and Miss Williams, the Hon. C. J. Johnston (who is godfather to the Hon. Huia), and Mrs Johnston, Mr Feild, M.K.R., and Mrs Field. The Countess wore a tailor made gown of dark green cloth and close-fitting toque of black «hiffon. Lady Dorothy Onslow was much, ad-

' mired, t. earing a gown of grey voile and grey [ hat and ostrich stole. After the ceremony a very substantial luncheon was provided in the -meeting-house, and both the Otaki Brass Band and the Maori Band enlivened the proceedings with music. There has been a great deal of quiet entertaining for Lady Onslow — a small dance on Friday, given by Miss Johnston, ivas very much enjoyed; dinner parties by Mrs Collins and Mrs Arthur Pearce ; and a luncheon party by Mrs Johnston. If crowded streets and varied and hideous noises are important elements on a successful Christmas Eve, then ours was surely such, for all Wellington seemed tc pour out. of doors between the hours of 8 and 10 at night, with - all their belongings in the way of family, and each child blowing a squeaker or bugle. "Country cousins" have been much in evidence, and spend hour Si gazing at oar shops, and much cash in train rides. Amongst the many preparing to depart for England are Mr and Mrs Clarke- Johnson, who leave next month for Sydney en route for Eng- ' land. They travel by the Orient steamer Orontes Mir Frank Johnson is at present studying for the medical profession at Edinburgh. - ' Mrs Fitchett is spending the holidays at Botorua; Mts Wylie is at Paikakaiikei ; and Mr and Mrs Stuart M&nteath and family, at Titahi Bay.