TABLE TALK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3097, 23 July 1913, Page 63

TABLE TALK.

Monday. .Mrs Finch -entertained guests at afternoon tea at the golf links on Monday afternoon, when a number of members played for various troplrcr, the successful winners being Miss Glendining, Miss Roberts. and Miss Holmes. Some of the guests present us well as members, were (besides Mrs Finch, and Miss Finch):—Mosdames Gilray, Ward, Sargcod. Hislop, Ferguson, Black. Woodhouse, Mackellar (Moeraki), Young, Ogston, Choeseman, Holmes, Roberts, Allan, M'Mastcr; Misses Williams, C. Williams, Rattray, Mill, A. Mill. Carew, Hosking, Allan, Roberts, F. Allan, Holmes, Theomin, Glendining, Vallange, M'Master. On Monday, the 21st inst., Miss Frances Hodgkins held a private view of her watercolour paintings at the Art Gallery, when quite a largo number of people were present. The pictures shown are many beautiful pieces of work which Miss Hodgkins has done while in England and in foreign countries. The exhibition is to be opened until July 31, so all who can, should take the opportunity of seeing this artist's work. Mrs Westmacott (Timaru) was in town for a few days last week, and was tho guest of Mrs Ogston, High street. Miss Adair M'Master, who lias been visiting Mrs Hosking, Kaituna, left for the North last week. Dr and Mrs Marshall left on Thursday for Auckland, where Mrs Marshall intends staying some lime, while Dr Marshall goes on to the Islands. Dr and Mrs Batchelor left last Wednesday for Sydney, where they are visiting for a few weeks. Mr and Airs Charles Fenwick (Napier), are at present on a visit to Dunedin. M iss Forbes left for Sydney during lut week. Miss Hodgkins, who has been absent in Europe for many years, is at present visiting Dunedin, and is the guest of Miss Rattray. Craighall. Mrs Hoc-king left for the North Island last week. Mrs Laidlaw (Matakanni) and her son are at present staying with Mrs Turnbull, George street. The Misses M'Laren (Timaru) have been staying with Mrs J. M. Ritchie, Balvrnid, for a few days. Mrs Alfred Sutton (Oamaru) has been ia town for a short time. The Otago Rowing Club has decided to bold its annual ball (which proved such a decided succors lost year) on Thursday, ■August 21. The Art Gallery Hall has been * engaged, and a strong and active committee has been formed to carry out the preliminary arrangements. As far as can be judged at this early stage, the ball promises to prove as successful and popular as it did last year. INVERCARGILL, July 10. Mrs J. ,E. Watson bad a large “At home” at her residence. “Trafalgar,'" last Saturday afternoon. The whole house was practically open to the guests, who numbered come 200. The decorations (mainly chrysanthemums) were very beautiful. Air and Mrs Watson received their guests in the drawingroom. Among those present I noticed Airs Nicliol (Dunedin), Airs Jack Watson, Airs Alorrah, Airs Russell, Airs R. J. Gilmour, Mrs and Aliss Sharp, Aliss Nurse, Airs Bush, Airs Bit-knell, Airs Hogg, Aliss Aliller, Airs Smith, Airs Hazlett, Airs Geo. Watson. Airs Haggitt, Airs Studhnlmc, Airs Christopher, Airs Jjoughnan. Airs T. S. Miller, Aliss Bedford, Mrs W. Henderson, Airs Donald APDonukl (Edendale), Airs Wright (Toi Toi), Airs Mitchell, Airs Packe, Afrs T. Al. Alacdonald, Airs A. Al. Alacdonald, Mrs Drain, Airs Rawson. Airs Quinn. Airs Ronaldson, Airs Wade, Aliss Wade, Airs Den. Cuthbcrtson, Airs Geo. Cuthbertson, Mrs Webb, Airs Roe. Mrs Brodrick, Airs Gilkison, Airs Alitchell, Airs Tucker. Aliss Tucker, Airs Callender, Aliss Callender, Airs Stret'.ell, Aliss Corbett, Aliss Ewart, Miss Ronaldson, Aiisses Wylie, Aliss Senrell, Aliss Carswell, etc., etc. The A venal Bridge Club were entertained by Airs Ronaldson last Tuesday evening. Airs R. Annesley. Eyre, was hostess for the Invercargill Ladies’ Bridge Club this week. On Tuesday afternoon. Airs Sharp bad a small tea in honour of Airs Nichol (Dunedin) at her residence, Spe} - street. Airs John Shand had a few friends to tea on Thursday afternoon, to meet Mrs Steel, who lias lately come to live here. Miss Rachel Carswell has returned from Dunedin. Air and Airs W. H. Price have returned from their trip to Nelson and Wellington. Air and Mrs Somerset-Smith left for Wellington on Friday on holiday leave. Airs Snow has gone to Nelson for a holiday. Mrs Foaberry Handy side has gone to Wellington to be present at her sister’s wedding. Aliss Guthrie has gone up to Dunedin fo* a short stay.

Mrs Chas. Howells has gone to Wellington for a short holiday. TIMARC, July 19. Quito a gloom was cast over Timaru when it was known that Miss Gladys Scaly had died suddenly at the house of her sister, Mrs J. Peters. What made her death so especially sad was the fact that Miss Scaly was keeping house for h«r sister during her absence on a holiday trip to Fiji and the Islands with her youngest sister. Miss Grcvillo Scaly, and they would only learn their loss after arriving i n Mew Zealand. The engagement is announced of Mr A. Tidy, “Xho Brothers,” Hazelburn, to Miss E. Bruce, daughter of Mr Bruce. Feilding. Miss L. Day, daughter of Mr D. Day. has returned from a visit to Wellington and the West Coast. Mrs Julius is staying with her daughter, Mrs P. A. Elworthy, at Gordon’s Valley! Mr and Mrs I'. A. Elworthy leave shortly on a visit to Australia and java. Mr and Mrs Ronaid Fisher and Mrs Hart-ley-Smith leave at the end of the month for Vancouver. They intend to be away until (November. Mrs Burnand is spending a few days with the Rev. and Miss Barkley at Geraldine. Mrs Hayes (Christchurch) is also on a visit to her father, the Rev. Barkley. Miss Reid, who was the guest of Mrs Melville Jameson for several weeks, has left for the south. The euchre party given by the Waimataitai School Committoa, in aid of the school funds, last evening (Friday) was a great ■access. about 60 people being present. Euchre was played till about half-past 10. when Jdiss Strachau was declared the winner of

the ladies’ prize-, and Mr Morgan Evans that for the gentlemen. Supper was then handed round, and concluded a very pleasant evening. The Waiinataitai School Committee intends holding a scries of card parties, and as a limited number can only be admitted each evening, it is hoped in lira way to enable everyone who is interested in the school to attend one or other of the gatherings. Amongst those present on Friday night were; Mr and Mrs Inuis,Tones. Mr and Mrs G. Knowles. Mr and Mrs Morgan Evans, Mr and Mrs Hawke, Mr and Mrs King. Mr and Mrs Worry, Mr and Mrs Ken. Mayo, Mrs Cray, and Mrs G. Buchanan; Misses Fyfe, liver?, Allen. Paul, Strnchan (2). Stannaway (2); Messrs AlacCaskill. Smith, Burrell, and many others. , Mr and Mrs George Webster and Air Candy leave immediately on a trip to England. Mrs Bose. Airs Mac Lean, and the Misses Bose, who have been staying at “Softon House,' returned to Christchurch last week. Mrs Westmacott, who spent a few days in Dunedin, returned home on Wednesday. CHBISTCTiriICH. July 19. A crowded house greeted the pantomime, “Puss in Boot?,’’ at the Theatre Royal on Wednesday night. Amongst the audience I noticed;—Airs Stead. Airs Grace, Air and Mrs Allen. Miss Ogle. Air and Airs D. Al'Lean, Miss Wilkin. Mrs Guy Ronald?, Mr and Mrs B. Alacdonald. Airs Deans, Air and Mrs Jim Deans. Mr and Airs Westenra, Airs Anderson and the Misses Anderson. Air and Mrs G. Rhodes. Air and Mrs Cowlishaw, Mi sa Lee. Alps Harley, Mrs Bond. AI is 3 Cotton!!. The final round of the men’s golf championship was played at Shirley op. Wednesday. and attracted numbers of onlookers, Mr B. Wood beating Air B. Brittan three up and two to phiy. Mr Brittan made a fine fight, being I up at tbe twenty-seventh hole, and then had the misfortune to break a club. Amongst the onlookers were; —Airs Boyle, Miss Boyle. Airs Vernon. Mrs Cowlishaw, Aliss Cowlishaw, Mrs Godby, Airs Campbell, Airs Donald, Aliss Lee, Aliss Dmmiston, Alisa Humphreys. Miss Harley. Aliss Anderson, Aliss Rutherford, and Stead, Rhodes, Wood, Willton. ArLoan. Rutherford. In the semi-fimps of the Christchurch Ladies’ Golf Club Air? Cowlishaw meets Alias Joan Lee, and Mrs Donald, meet? Aliss Symons. Air Edgar Stead has bought ‘Tbnn - ’ at Riccarton. the former resilience of Mr ami Airs Patrick Campbell. The old house was burnt down, but the beautiful plantations and well-set-out gardens were unharmed. Captain and Airs Stockley have returned from Dunedin. Mr Boyle returned from AVellington cm Tuesday. Air and Airs T. Grig" and Aliss Grigg are the guests of Lord and Lady Liverpool for the Wellington races. WELLINGTON, July IS.~ The races once more, and everyixsdy, from everywhere, in town for the same. At every turn one meets old friends, and a good many people take refuge in “Fancy mootin’ you!” Politics is supposed to absorb all MlO attention, but the supposition is nothing more, for there arc the farmers and the racing men in conference, and people scorn to pay more attention to them—especially the racing men, whose talk about Sir Georg© Clifford’s motion to stop betting with the bookies has more hearers than the debates of the Parliament get in 20 years.

The races, however, take precedence of everything, and this year, such weather - sunny and bright, crisp, without frost, and dry without relaxing tendency. It tempted out the hosts of beauty and and we had a par a da of fur and feathers. arm, comfortable, and stylish, was the scene, all elegaut wraps, becoming head-gear and smart costumes, suitable for winter, and sensible exceedingly. On Wednesday the trains were full, and the Government House patty were among the passengers in the first, arriving with the punctuality always expected of the King’s representative. Lady Liverpool was wearing a brown cloth costume, big white panne hat with brown feathers, and her furs—rich and showy—were of the fox. The party were met. as they always are, by the president (Mr J. B. Harcourt), and carried off ou their first round. Miss Harcourt, who, with her father, recoiled, was in purple violet, with large feathered hat of the same, and wore ermine furs. The president and his daughter entertained many during the day at lunch and afternoon tea; and first, of course, they did the honours to their Excellencies. On the laivn and in the grandstand the coney seal coat was much in evidence. Mrs C. Johnstone. Mrs Dillon, Mrs Dymock, Mrs H. Burnea (nee Macneil, of Dunedin), Mrs Eric Kiddiford, and. Mrs V. lliddiford may be mentioned as among the more conspicuous wearers of the coney, with black hat, and I may add M rs Walter IN a than and Mrs I’■ Nathan, of Palmerston, Mrs D. Kiddiford, the latter producing the same effect with a sable coat. There were also many moleskins —the new, fashionable wear- —and squirrel coats, very effective indeed. Miss Skerrott, in coat of pony skin, was very striking among these groups. All this heavy dressing was not allowed, to stand alone. On the contrary, it figured as the background of many contrasting effects. I'or example, a smart costume of light blue (Mis Whyte) with red roses in the toque, touched whole banks, as it were, of seal and pony and moleskin, with delightful point of light, reminding one of the saying that the seasons are so mixed up here that you sometimes get bits of spring in the hardest winters. Mrs Gallon's cerise hat gave another vivid touch of colour, and Mrs id. Atkinson’s mole corded velvet made another diversion very agreeable. Navy blues were here and there conspicuous, us with Mrs A. Harris and Mrs Walter Clifford in dark costume, with a stole of black fur with white markings, carried ou another diversion in the colour scheme, and Mrs Collins’s (Dr) added another touch with toque of cerise. On the whole, the function was not only brilliant, but superior to the form of immediately preceding years, and needless to say, correspondingly enjoyed. The Race ball on Thursday evening followed, as day follows night, held, of course, in the main Town Hall. The decorations, which are always a special feature of this function—for the Jockey Club is very particular about all details, and very well advised —were unusually good, through the instrumentality of a new hand at the game of decoration. The general effect shows that a treasure has been suddenly unearthed. It was a scheme of rose-and-white, the whole of the galleries festooned with silk of those colours, with crimson, pink, and white roses in sprays, and punctuated by horseshoes of pale pink roses. The pillars were all draped to match. The stage was a bower of greenery, with dais for the Viceregal party. The entrance door was draped with a magnificent horseshoe arch of roses in the midst of greenery, and every door was a horseshoe of variegated roses. Trails of lycopodium and smiiax completed the festooning. The staircases were decorated with the rose scheme, assisted and made effective by great masses of greenery and lycopodium and tree ferns. The supper decoration scheme was ”«n suite” and completed with a show of pink camellias on the supper tables. The official set started punctually at. o o’clock—Lord Liverpool and Miss Harcourt, Lady Liverpool and Mr J. B. Harcourt, Mr Justice Chapman and Miss Massey, Colonel Heard and Mrs F. M. B. Fisher, Mr Moorhouse and Miss Allen, Captain Shaw and Mrs Beil, the Hon. H, D. Bell and Mrs Dalgctv. Her Excellency wore pale grey channelise with short panniored tunic of pule green ninon, diamond tiara and necklace; Miss Harcourt wore eherrycoiourcd ninon over satin, draped with black chiffon over one shoulder; Mrs 8011, primrose brocade, softened with luce; Mrs Chapman, rose-pink channelise with violet ninon overdress; Mrs Fisher, white satin, and red panels; Miss Massey, ivory ninon and lace; Mrs Dalgety, black lace over white, and a large violet-coloured rose; Miss Allen, gown of pule pink ninon, draped with gold and blue tissues. Some of the debutantes were —Miss Maida Brandon, white satin and ninon; Miss Myers, white charmeuse; Miss Coralie Campion, dress of ninon and lace; Miss Bidwill, black chiffon. Among the many guests were noticed:—Mrs Clifford. Mrs Walter Nathan, Mrs Larnach. Mrs Dillon. Mrs Dymock, Mrs Firth, Mrs Moorehouse, and others too numerous to mention. The supper was, as usual, a great success, and the whole function went off with immense effect. AUCKLAND, July 17. Social happenings have been almost nil during the past week. Of course, the chief topics" of conversation amongst us all justat present are the smallpox scare and the vexed question of vaccination. Miss M. Cooper’s tea-party ou Wednesday afternoon of last week went off very pleasantly. Among the guests were V Stella Nathan, Miss Ruby Coleman, Miss Roberts (Wellington), Miss Jeamiie Nicliol, Miss Audrey Stubbs, and Miss Mary Foster, etc., etc. Airs Edmund Mahoney, Rcmuera, gave a progressive bridge party. There were eight tables, and the winners wore Miss Margaret Oliphant and Dr Fairclough. The hostess wore a charming frock of nattier blue crepe <le chine, edged with fur, the skirt of which was tunicked with embroidered net, and the bodice was finished w ; th a swathed bolt of pale green satin. A private subscription dance was hc-ld at the Oddfellows' Hall, Parnell, the committee comprising Miss M. Hanan, Miss P. Metcalfe, Mis Cora Munro. Miss ii. Spencer, Miss M. Brookfield, Miss R. Whyte, Captain Matthews, Mr A. Munro Mr P. Steele, Mr F. Campbell, Mr H. Spencer, Mr C. Walker, and Mrs Alexander. The chaperones were: Mrs Matthews, who wore black charmeuse, with tunic and finishings of silver net; Mrs Leatham, black satin; Mrs Metcalfe, rich black velvet; Mrs Robert Isaacs, white satin, with a green and black tunic; ills Munro, black ninon; Mrs Knight, black satin; and Mrs Steele, ricli black brocade. On Wednesday afternoon the hounds mot at Mangere, and a number of followers, amongst whom were most of our liest ladyriders, enjoyed a splendid run, although there were no “kills.” Dr A. N. Houghton, son of Mr C. V. Houghton, Auckland, accompanied by Mrs Houghton, lias arrived from England, and is to practise his profession here Mrs James Hay, Temuka, is visiting friends in Auckland. Mrs Keesing (Symonds street) is the . guest

of her daughter, Mrs Jack Parker, in Napier. Another doctor who has lately come to settle amongst us is Dr Kenneth Mackenzie, son of the High Commissioner. Mrs Mackenzie (who is a bride, and hails from Scotland) has already made many friends here. \ery sincere and general has been the sorrow expressed at the serious breakdown in health experienced by Bishop Crossley. It is evident that he worked too hard when amongst ns, for it is well known here that he never spared himself or considered his own well-being in anv way when travelling (a-s he constantly did) in the backblocks of his diocese. Mrs Crossley. too, since her stay amongst us, has won the hearts of all classes of the community by her charming personality and infinite tact. She' was also greatly interested in many of our charitable institutions, and her kindly help and advice will be greatly missed. The remains of the late Mr Edwin Montgomery (manager of the New Zealand Tourist Agency in Sydney) were brought here for interment in the Purewa Cemetery by the Maheno last Sunday. The funeral procession included amongst its following a large number of very old friends. Great sympathy has been extended to Mrs W. B. Montgomery over the death of her son, who spent most of his young days in Auckland. Mr \\. 11. Prickitt (who has for the past seven years held the position of Consulgeneral for the United States of America in New Zealand) is shortly leaving for a trip round the world. Mrs and Miss Prickitt will accompany him.