THE SOCIAL ROUND

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 173, 27 August 1914, Page 3

THE SOCIAL ROUND

NOTES AND NEWS. Mr and Mrs McKibbon (Timaru) are al the Clarendon. Miss Tabart was a passenger for Wellington last niglit. Mr and Mrs Harvey Paterson (Mea<lcwbank) are at Warner's. Miss Bean (Christchureh) is visiting friends in Greymoutli. Mrs White-Parsons arrived in Christchurch from the north yesterday. Mrs Arrow-Smith (Wellington) arrived iii Christchureh this morning on a visit to relatives. Mrs Greenwood (Amberley) is in tewn, and is staying at Warner's Dr and Mrs kindo Ferguson, of Dun•edin, are how in Auckland, after a trip to Sydney. Mrs L: Curtis (Dunedin) is visiting Christchureh, and is staying at the Clarendon. . The Misses Metres (Christchureh) arc visiting Wellington, and staying at Caulfield House. Dr Bailey, a member of the Science Congress, who lias been visiting Christchureh and other southern towns, left for Wellington last night, accompanied by Mrs and Miss Bailey. Mr- and Mrs H. H. Jackson arrived . i*i Christchureh from Wellington this morning, and are staying at Warner's. Mr and Mrs Harris (North Canterbury)" motored into Christchureh yos- . ierdav* and are staying at the Clarenton. Miss Holmes (Canterbury), who has been visiting Sydney, returned to New Zealand by the Mauuka, which arrived in Wellington yesterday. Mr and Mrs Mowbray Tripp, - who ]:?ve been spending a few days in town, motored back to their home in South Canterbury to-day. The engagement is announced of Miss E'ybil Carmicliael, daughter of Mr Allan - Carmicliael, late of "Wairoto," Southland, to Mr A. H. Hawk, of the Bank of Australasia, Feilding. During the past, week there have been a large number of visitors to Christchureh from Wellington and oilier towns, to say goodbye to relatives who will leave presently with the Canterbury Amongst them have been Mr and Mrs Hogben, of Mr Arthur Alexander, son .of Mr and Mrs Alfred Isaacs, of Dunedin, who has achieved unusual distinction both and on the Continent as a musician, leaves by the Corinthie on July 251' for New Zealand, on account of his health, which. has for some time been very unsatisfactory, says the "British-Austral-asian" of July 16. Jle will probably • ■"*"remain in New Zealand until April, when he returns to fulfil engagements, which include London recitals in June, concerts in Vienna and Berlin, and possibly a Russian tour later in the year.

A very effective pen-picture of Hans Christtian Andersen is given by the Marchesa-Peruzzi, in the current number of the "Cornhill Magazine." "It was a golden Friday, indeed, when he Im.t came to see us (she writes), but it took me some time to realise 'that the tall, gannt, unshapely, ugly person that came'shambling into the room was really the poet-author himself.- I was quite speechless, and inch by inch I took in his strange personality. His face was—yes, surely ugly, witli a high receding forehead, scant hair ? long behind the ears; pointed nose, and chin thrown forward. Large, very blue eyes—the redeeming feature of his face; they were indeed the windows of his soul, for fight and life shone in them —sometimes ' far awav in soms northern dreamland, and then again wit and fun filled them with fire and brightness. In after-days all. one remembered was the expression of those eyes, and not the homeliness i of face and features. His garments ! we>re beyond description odd, not fitting him in the least, hanging loosely on his body as on a clothes-peg. He said that he was double-jointed; and, in fact, his legs bent in all directions, and his loug arms swung to and fro like the pendulum of a clock when he walked with.long strides in the street, swinging them backwards and forwards.'' He spent most' of his visits romping, M'iJdlv with the.children in the nursery. Recent sensations in the theatrical and dancing worlds have all hailed from the East (says a London scribe). We have had Bernhardt with his spectacle "Suinurun," and Bakst with the Russian dancers, in such a ballet as '' Sheherazfle." But it is not of these Oriental art-forms that I write; rather of the Eastern fashions which women have adopted from them. Persian rugs, Indian needlework, and Eastern china are having a great vogue, as part of the prevailing craze for things Oriental. Never have dress materials been more daring in their colour schemes or more their designs. In Paris women are wearing Turkish slippers be- " neath trouser skirts. The slippers are covered with green taffetas banded with rose silk, and arc wora with fleshtinted stockings. In some cases tlie curving toe-points are set with emeralds. The turban hat from Arabia, the caftan with its deep-folded waist-belt from Russia, and the hooped tunics from Persia, are other Oriental modes. Purples, greens, crimsons, and golds are among the colours which Keiuhan.lt and

Bakst have taught the dressmakers to mingle with startling effect. Here is a description contributed by a hostess of a guest dressed a la as seen in a London ballroom recently:—"Face the colour of a magnolia; very long, narrow, dark eyes; jet black hair plastered tightly to the head; long, transparent tunic; divided underskirt, caught in at the ankles; deep scarf-sash wound round the waist and hips; and a gold band on the head, worn very low, in the in the front of which Avas an iriimensely tall aigrette. A high, wired collar, a Parisian fringe cut straight across the eyebrows, and an eighteenthcentury 'mouche' on one check contrasted and completed the effect." The writer adds that only hennaM finger-j tips and gold anklets were lacking, and j the Orientalisation would have been complete. Art Criticism. —"Well?" said an artist, as his critical friend fixed his eyeglass and examined a just-finished picture. He went close up to it, then moved away from it, then viewed it from the south-west corner, then tried it from the north-west wall. "Good!" he said, finally. "Distinctly good. One of the best pictures of a coal mine I've ever seen! Perhaps the lighting l ." "Coal mine, sir!" cried the artist. "Coal mine!' 1 He glared at the critic angrily, and clenched his hands. "It's a bird's-eye view of Brighton! You are an ass, sir!" "Oh, am 1?" retorted the critic. "Well, that may be, but let me tell you that, if that picture represents a bird's eye view, of anywhere, I'm thankful I'm not a bird!" An Australian lady who was a guest at the recent reception given by the Prime Minister and Mrs Asquith, said it was not only the most gorgeous affair she has ever seen, with the exception of a State Ball, but that she was struck anew with the height and fine figure of English women of the aristocratic classes. She, herself, is five feet six, but -he said she felt small beside them. Tliey inclined to leanness perhaps, but their carriage, the set. of their heads, their fine limbs, united in making them magnificent. In England, unlike other countries, she argues, is is "common to be little." The maid servants, the factory girls, the lower middle class are small, tliey frave ] iat i no t quite enough air and food, and care in their youth, perliaps, while the upper classes have from birth been surrounded with that luxury which modern ideas demand for favoured children, viz., plenty of fresh air, plain, simple food, clothes that allow their wearer complete freedom, and that are neither too heavy or too light. Fuijfther, just so much restriction and so much freedom as a growing child requires. The result is these fine lithe women, unlike any other in the world.. Australians are big, but more perhaps in the American style;-they even—that is, among the .younger girls—-in many cases, are nearer the French,. Spanish, and Italian type than the British. Sir Douglas Mawson first came into prominence as a member of Sir Ernest (then Lieutenant) Sliaclcleton's expedition to Antarctica in 1908. The organisation of'Dr Ma wson "s own expedition was commenced at a meeting of, the' Australasian Science Association in 1911. The sum of £50,000 was subscribed by the British and Australasian Governments and by various institutions and individuals to defray the expenses of the expedition, the record of whose work is fresh in public recollection. Dr Mawson, who is a native of Bradford, Yorkshire, was born in 1882. He was educated in New South Wales, and at 1G .years of age entered Sydney Univer-j si-ty.' He graduated as bachelor of mining engineering when only 19 years of age, and look the degree of B.Se. in 1904. In 1905 he was appointed to the lectureship of mineralogy and petrology at Adelaide University, and he still holds that post. He is the youngest Australian to receive the honour of knighthood. A short time ago. Sir D. Mawson was married in Melbourne to Miss Delprat, daughter of Mr G. D. Delprat, general manager of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company.