THE SOCIAL ROUND

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 73, 2 May 1914, Page 7

THE SOCIAL ROUND

NOTES AND NEWS.

Eev. G. and Mrs Nelham Watsbn ; leave to-night by the Tarawera for Gisborne, en route to their home at Te Koraka, Poverty Bay. The Hospital Lady Visitors' Association met in the nurses' sitting-room yes- ; terday afternoon, for the first working; party of the winter months. A largenumber of ladies were present, and work, c onsisting chiefly of making wearing apparel for the patients, commenced at 2.30. Similar parties will be held at regular intervals throughout the winter. Mrs Gould.and Miss Gould left by the Maori last evening for Wellington. Miss Harper, arrived in Christehurch yesterday morning from the. north. Mr and Mrs J. Knight, well-known residents of the Waikato, leave by the Eiverina on Monday week, to catch the Dutch steamer Hautman at Sydney for Java. They will travel via Singapore to Hong Kong and Shanghai, and after , visiting Peking and touring Northern China, will visit Japan, and from Yokohama will proceed to Vancouver, catching the Union liner back, to New Zealand. They.expect to be away between eix and nine months. Dr. Chas. Morkane and Mrs Morkane are at present visiting Wellington. Miss Elsie Cooper, of Wellington, is at present holidaying in Christehurch. Mrs M'ELvedy, from the North Island, is visiting Christehurch. Pleasurable anticipation centres around. the visit of the musical Kennedys, who will make their appearance in the Theatre Eoyal to-night.

7 Last evening a number of people interested in art met at the Art Gallery for a private view of the Medici prints, which Mrs Hurst Seagar, president of the committee who was responsible for the collection, later on formally presented to. the Canterbury Art Society. Mrs Hurst Seager, who, accompanied by Mrs Burdon, received the guests, wore a graceful gown of black charmeuse, the skirt draped effectively, and the corsage being principally composed of black lace mounted on ivory ninon. Mrs Burdon wore mauve crepe meteor, draped with old lace. Others present. included Mrs Blunt in black taffetas, Mrs Wallwork in saxe blue charmeuse, Mrs Jennings in yblack supple satin, deep bertha of Brussels lace, Miss Merton du Barri pink, Miss Hay pale blue duchesse mousseline,, Mrs Wm. Wood amethyst ninon over chiffon glace, giving a pretty shot effect, Mrs Stevenson pink crepe de chine with flounces of shadow lace, Mrs Carey Hill black satin, Mrs Clark chartreuse blue satin with which she wore an old gold opera coat. Mr and Mrs Herdman Smith, Hon. E. C. J. Stevens, Dr Stevenson, Mrs Elworthy, Miss Stoddart, Mr Hurst Seager, Mr Hallenstein, Mr Lund, Dr and Mrs Anderson, Dr Jennings, Mr W. Reece, and Mr Butterworth were among those present. Miss Roberts, who is shortly leaving for Hampstead, was on Thursday entertained at afternoon tea by the school committee and parents of the"Heathcote .Valley scholars. During the afternoon the guest of honour-was presented with a handsome dressing case, and other gifts, all testifying to the esteem and affection in which she is held. A short musical programme was submitted by the school children, and before dispersal a warm welcome "was accorded to the incoming head mistress (Miss Jamieson) who suitably acknowledged the evpresBions of'goodwill tendered to her.

According to the "Daily Graphic," "one who bears a very famous name," and who has just returned from a tour' of the Empire, tells that paper that "the people in Australasia know that the King and Queen cannot visit them because of their official duties, but there is a-passionate and extraordinarily widespread desire that Queen

Alexandra and the Prince of Wales should visit Australia and New Zealand incognito. In this way they would receive the honour which is their due, without being plagued with formal ceremonial. At dozens of places, by scores of old friends, I was asked to make this wish known in Britain. If Queen Alexandra and her grandson will go out to the Southern Dominions in one of our warships, they will {jive the keenest delight and happiness to the people. Why, in Australia alone there are 200 towns and villages named after Queen Alexandra." The manuscript of Mrs Mary Gaunt's "A Woman in has reached London, and will be published by MiWerner Laurie in the autumn. Mrs Gaunt,,we learn from the "Publishers' Circular,'' proposes returning to Europe through Central Asia, via Lan Chou, Tibet, and Turkestan. Dr Morrison is said to be very much opposed to the idea, as the trip be highly dangerous. The country is very unsettled, and there are in consequence no caravans, and Mrs Grant-will have' to travel alone. ' *' *'

Berlin now possesses an ice palace, much than any/ other in the world, and an ice ballet equal to the best in the London theatres. This.bah let at the Admiral,Palace,.performs its evolutions on a surface four times as large.as the stage of Coyent Garden. The dancing might more appropriately be called "flying; V its movements far surpass in gracefulness and difficulty the most elaborate'form of fancy.skating. A new occupation for girls has thus been created in Berlin. There 75 girls in the ballet, and their average age is seventeen. The dancers are carefully trained at the Admiral Palace for several months before they appear in public. : , . .... ,