LINDA’S LETTER TO HER COUNTRY COUSIN.

Southern Cross, Volume 6, Issue 9, 4 June 1898, Page 11

LINDA’S LETTER TO HER COUNTRY COUSIN.

My Dear Elsie, —We are all looking: forwaid to the Governor’s visit, especially to the ball, which the Mayor gallantly proposed in order that we women might take a part in the festivities. The shop windows are gay with pretty materials for evening wear, and fans, opera cloaks, and flowers of every kind and line. I wish yon could have seen Messrs Herbert Haynes and Go’s, gaslight exhibition it reminded one of a Collins street window. The dainty goods have been removed, and their places filled with warm dress materials, fur gloves, and Seasonable articles of dress. I understand Lord Ranfurly tabes a very great interest in ambulance work, and he has undertaken to give their certificates to local winners ; he is also to open the Southland A. and p. Association’s winter show. The members of this society are to enteria’n the Governor at—a'fruit supper! An Invercargill fruit supper in June ! Oh, dear, oh, dear. Well, Lord Ranfurly has bad several narro.v escapes lately ; let us hope his usual good luck will attend him on the 9th, The ball is to be held in Guthrie’s buildings, the downstair portion of which is to be converted into dressing-rooms, and the upstair into ball and supper rooms. Isn’t it a pity Lady Ranfurly cannot come ? Men are not so interesting as women after all, and I really do not know how the new monthly entitled Fashion is to be kept going if, as the Home News states, it is to be devoted entirely to the description of dress tor men. There seems to be as great a tendency now-a-days for men to be womanish as there is for women to be mannish. In Woman’s Realm, in the Argus, a lady, who had a peep into one ot the rooms at the Albert Gate mansions, a huge pile dedicated to the housing of rich but ‘ homeless ’ men, says, in describing it, that the curtains and chair-covers were of the palest pink cretonne, with shadowy flowers in grey traced upon it. The windows and the bed were shrouded in lace, and the oval mirror, on the toilet-tablo was set in a Dresden china frame of Cupids and roses,

while photographs of well-known paintings adorned the delicatelytinted walls, and the scent of flowers pervaded the atmosphere. The adjoining dressingroom displayed still more signs of luxury and comfort. Silver oases and cut-glass bottles, and ivory-backed brushes, emblazoned with monograms, were thrown about in lavish profusion., The easy-chair was of velvet, the furniture of the washing-stand of Indian china. Embroidered slippers end quilted satin dressing-gown, to say nothing of pipe-racks and cigar cases, showed that the ‘ homeless ’ bachelor was a man who loved his ease, and was accustomed to take it. How soon the stern realities of war would stamp out all such effeminate affectation. Nellie has had a lovely comb sent to her from Melbourne. It is a sort of Spanish shape, but is lower in the centre than the sides, which makes a point at each side ; each of these points is topped with a large lustrous pearl. I like pearls better than any other gems, in spite of the fact that they are the emblem of tears. There is something human-like about them, because no two are ever exactly the same. Nellie is very proud of her comb, and she intends to wear it at the Governor’s ball, with her hair dressed in the latest style that is, waved upwards to the very top of the head, where it is coiled in a little twist, which shows in the front. The side pieces are combed away from the ears and fluffed on each side of the face. The front is raised high above the forehead, which is unadorned, save for a few flat curls, I expect to have a great deal to tell you in my next letter, as there are several entertainments to take place shortly, so I will now conclude and remain Your affectionate Cousin, Linda.