"ALIEN'S" LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3463, 27 July 1920, Page 56

"ALIEN'S" LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

jSpeciat/v Written; for the Ladies' tage.J

BRILLIANT LONDON

May 17. '.;'. Ur was a golden day for the marriage of Lady Cynthia Curzon, second daughter of Earl Ourzon of Kedleston, and Mr Oswald Mosley, M.P., eldest son of Sir Oswald Mosley, and not only was . the tiny Chapel Royal, St. James's, crowded with a "brilliant assembly, including two Kings and two Queens (King George and Queen Mary! and the King and Queen of Belgium), but the near, neighbourhood of the, Palace and of 1' Carlton House terrace, the;town residence,of,.theCurzons, where'' the reception was held • after the wedding, was crowded with' people, who* watched the arrival and; departure of the guests. Thj glorious weather brought out : many summer-like toilets, and lace and chiffon among them. The King received; a popular welcome. Her Majesty wore a.* lovely gown of . saxe blue- embroidered with beads and a grey toque. The King and Queen of the: Belgiums were also cordially. received, .the Queen looking very well, and showing little trace of the anxious years through which she and her husband have passed. Her gown . was a pale grey crepe de chine with a copper-red broche 'velvet cloak and. a toque of black and erold tissue. But the bride was the chief interest of the occason, the picture for which the charming , frame was prepared. It was a lily; wedding—the bride the central flower of" the bouquet formed by her bridesmaids, who were like a cluster of pale green leaves, surrounding. The exquisitely simple bridal dress was of white, the train of. Court length embroidered with arum lilies, the leaves > touched with pale green, and unheld by the little page walking behind,' and showed the arum lilies full length; while over the train the veil fell in soft folds, fastened with a cluster of tiny lilies, Tvhich were repeated at the waist. The bride's ornaments were pearls. She carried a 'great sheaf of arum lilies. As she went slowly down the aisle on her father's arm she looked lovely. ' Behind the whiteclad page, with tunic of pearl.and silver : embroidery, the bridesmaids followed in ; translucent green chiffon, the gowns made in the form of petals, with wreathes and bouquets of water lilies and lilies of the valley. Masses of lilies of all kinds and white lilac decorated the chapel, and the

bridal procession passed down an. avenue of white flowers. The King and the Queen and the King and the Queen of the Belgians sat in the front right-hand pew nearest the altar. Lady Curzon of Kedleston sat in the first row of the opposite pew, wearing a beautiful toilet of ivory lace over black, with a broad blue sash tied at one side, and carried a bouquet of mauve orchids. Lady Irene Curzon. sister of the bride, was seated with Lady Ourzon and Lady Suffolk' (sister of the late Lady Curzon of Kedleston), also Lady Katharine Howard and Lord Curzon s sisters, Mrs Mac Michael, Lady Miller of Maunderstone, Mrs Hardress Waller, Miss Blanche and Miss Eleanor Curzon; also Mrs Assheton Curzon and Mrs Alfred Curzon. Mr Francis Curzon was -one. of the ushers.

Some beautiful and summer-like toilets were worn, and grey was a noticeable colour, and exquisite combinations of black and white. Pearls were the chief jewels, and with the diaphanous toilets many rich furs were worn. After the ceremony their Majesties honoured with their presence the reception given by the Earl and 'Countess Curzon at 1 Carlton House terrace. The wedding gift of the King and Queen was a very handsome diamond brooch. The bridegroom's presents include a -diamond ; tiara, diamond ring, diamond brooch., and sapphire ring, and the bride gave him pearl studs and pin and a gold watch. The bridegroom's father, Sir Oswald Mosley, -gave the bride a corsage ornament, and Lady Mosley a gold handbag. Among the gifts from "her father were an emerald and diamond ring, silver,, set of sables, and jewellery from' Lady Curzon of Kedleston. • -'•

Practically every social -..function that marked the London season before the war •will be re-established this season. For the first time since 1913 Courts will be held, and hostesses are competing with one another to make these functions brilliant, and ~a number "of beautiful young debutantes who have passed from the schoolroom into the flower of the first fresh young. womanhood will bring zest and charm and enjoyment to the scenes which visitors from all the world will share.

"The lawns of Hurlingham and Ranelagh are at their perfection. All traces of war camps have disappeared, and the stables at Hurlingham once again are put to the peace uses for which they were built—the accommodation for polo ponies. The disfiguration of the ancient lawns is erased:~ once more they wear their emerald green velvet, over which stroll leisured feet.

London is supreme again-—the world's great centre. For a time there was a partial eclipse. A year ago some thought that New York had wrested our supremacy, financial and commercial; even London itself appeared in danger of being Americanised. "New York has since learned her.,, mistake," says F. A. M'Kenzie in Mail. "We hear much .of the American invasion. It bids fair to be rivalled by the Oriental invasion, the. Dominions' invasion, and the coming of the Continentals. The reasons for this rush are many. London has since the war become the focus of the world. It is here that the fate of nations is how settled. If you have a new crusade to launch, a new • religion to preach, an ancient nation to save from tyranny, or a reform to advocate London is the starting-place. . . . Business men from overseas are pouring in because they realise that London to-day is the world's ' boom' city. There is, for example, more land speculation going oh here at present than in the wildest Western city/at the height of the wildest 1 Western boom. . . .' Fortunes are made here in a night."/ Yes, by . the units.' But there are about 8,000,000 people in London., Hundreds, thousands, have' made fortune, fame, and won distinction ; hundreds of thousands, riches and prosperity; hundreds of thousands have brought their riches and their distinction from other parts of the world to well the power of London and to receive its stamp. But the. bulk of London's millions are the workers. And among the millions are tens of thousands whose talent and toil sroes unrecognised to the building 0 f the City Wonderful. I have sometimes tried to analyse the fascination of London—a fascination that draws men from the ends of the earth, and if they please, or charm, or profit, bestows smiles or honours that mean more than the smiles and honours of any other country. But it is not in the gain of the lucky that the fascination lies. It is

not in its justice to talent and genius, for among its "failures," its suicides, its ragged and broken-hearted is as much talent as in the seats of the -mighty. The conditions of life for ordinary men and women are as hard and impossible as civilisation will permit. But London is large in freedom. / Anv man or woman, so long as they do not break the laws of the country may possess it intellectually-. Its most interesting sights are free. The most interesting sight of all is pageant of the streets, an ever-moving picture "featuring" the world. The recluse may make his desert place apart amid the crowd, unnoticed. The "failure" is an unmarked man'. Wealth and genius are not singular—a few years of the pavement will provide the student of humanity with contrasts sufficient for a lifetime _of thought. Grime and saintliness are side by side on crowded pavements. No fame impossible, no great achievement singular. A man or woman who can keep his. feet and earn his bread among the teeming millions of workers knows the job, for every claim is tested where millions are efficient; if one falls out there are a hundred .pushing to fill the gap. Abnormal self-esteem is checked. , The millionaire is elbowed by the multi-millionaire. The inventor finds his invention duplicated, the hero is in common company. There are heavens arid hells on the same side of the street —whatever the man's-level there is a regiment of his own inches. No story has ever been told that is not possible of someone. And no improbability, imnossible; no hope or "endeavour eo vain but that someone has brought it to pass. > London's very vastness is its security against monotony; every phase of life is true of it, evil and good. There is nothing new there under the sun, yet much seems new, for first one phase and then another of its many-sidedness is under the limelight. Big" men tumble over one another, and small men swarm. Merciless, cruel, without compunction, munificent, kind, enchanting according as it will. The Mecca of the world. "If-the, present rush means anything," it is said, "it means that - within 10 years London will be a city of 10,000,000 people.". For many who come remain, and many who go return. .-;.■' .'•• , .

Once again, as in the seasons before the war, the "blocks'" occur in the traffic, miles of busses, taxies, and waggons pass, and pause, and stop, choking the thoroughfare. Long streams of cars stand outside the palatial hotels and shops, andthe night is only less and crowded than the day. The scene is changed to gleaming lights and evening dress, the destination of the people is different ; the city lulls, shopland is closed, and theatreland is "arched with twinkling light. : ' • - The grand opera season opened last week with a tremendous and brilliant house; —the old scene of splendid jewels and. wonderful gowns and cloaks. The Royal box was empty owing to the Court mourning, otherwise ' 'Everybody'' was there. The professional, thieves in the audience, locating the jewels and apprising, their value, must have spent a covetous evening, for some", of the most wonderful : stones adorned the wearers, treasures of art and history that have not been seen since before the war. The boxes and stalls were -booked some time ago, a number of them from America and elsewhere for the season. The first of the .gallery patrons (the gallery seats, which once were Is, are now 3s) arrived shortly after 8 o'clock in the morning, waiting 12 hours in anticipation. By noon a queue of opera enthusiasts had formed who whiled away the time discussing music and the ■respective merits of Melba, Caruso, Calve, Patti, and.other great singers. The first night's, performance was "La Boheme" in Italian. The Russian Mine. Kousnietzova was Mimi, the rest of the cast being English, French, and Italian. A new young singer, Miss Graziella Pareto, was introduced at Covent Garden during the week in the revival of "The Pearl Fishers." Her voice is described as a tuneful "coloratura soprano," a delicate Ihread of sound. The opera was the delight of Paris of the Second Empire, "so no one expected it to be very excit big." A new Covent Garden tenor, Mr Joseph Hislop, is an Edinburgh man. He •was a student of the Royal Scottish Academy, and when on a visit to Stockholm was urged to cultivate his voice. Ha studied in Sweden, and appeared at the Stockholm Opera in 1911. He sang there at Christiana, and later at Copenhagen in opera and concerts until last

year, when he went to Italy. Now his success' is assured in London. At Drury Lane Mine. Pavlova held.all hearts in the interesting musical novelty "La Pen," of Paul Dukas, which proved to be the best sort of ballet music. A wandering king seeks immortality, which is hidden in a flower which a peri (Mme. PavJova) guards, and to gain the flower the king woos the peri. . ; Mme. Pavlova looks wonderful, sheathed in silver tissue, and her dancing was more wonderful still. A new Russian violinist, Mr Jascha Beifetz, has taken London by storm. On his fiiot appearance at the Queen's Hall he had an immediate success, recalling the early appearances of Kubelik, and other dazzling violinists from Eastern Europe. Everyone wants to hear Mr Heifetz, Avho is gaining all- the praises of London's musical world. He is only 19, but much older in his art. He played the violin at six years old, it is said, "with such accomplishment that masters of. the instrument were aniazed and., envious." ■ • . . '

The streets of Westminster were thronged on Sunday evening with crowds who assembled to see the passing of London's pageant in honour of the canonisation of Joan of Arc. Fully 3000 people, most of them women and girls, marched in slow time along the route arranged from Westminster Cathedral _ p and back. The majority of the processionists were diessed in white, wearing white communion veils, and banners were borne in front of them. Kepresentative parties came from York, Liverpool, Bournemouth. Newcastle, and other provincial towns. At the head of the procession-rode a'young girl on a grey charger, clad in armour, carrying a banner, in her right hand, representing Joan of Arc. ■•■-' ■> ; The Investitures at the palace still take place from time to time,_the : last,being held in the open air of the quadrangle, with the added advantage—of which American and other visitors in London, avail them* se l ves _that the proceedings can be watched by the crowds who congregate outside the palace railings. «, A shipload' of "sweethearts," it ia affirmed, will leave England for New Zealand, when the s.s. Mahana sails from Liverpool on May 27. These girls are the~" 'wives-to-be left behind, last year by; the New Zealand soldiers, prudence desirino-'. time to prepare homes for their brides "rather than hurrv them into warweddings, and for the brides to. prepare for'the new life in a new country. The authorities are inundated with thousands of applications by intending settles in New Zealand, preference being given to emigrants nominated for passage bv people now in the Dominion. The Overseas Settlement Office is dealing with 700 inquiries a day, and; has granted free passages to about 16.000 people .to Canada, Australasia, and South Africa, and practically every berth is filled now till September. .. - Nearlv 1000 girls will.be ,on board the Mahana, and most of them are engaged They come from towns and villages all over . the British Isles.