WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 291, 3 May 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by " Eileen,' 1 )

SOCIAL NEWS NEW PLYMOUTH. Bridge—Last Monday evening Mrs. Sydney Rennell gave a most enjoyable bridge party at her pretty residence at Fitziov in honor of her cousin, Miss Foote," of Auckland, who is on a visit to this town. The prizes, which were very handsome, were won by Miss Foote and Mrs. Jack Harvey. The supper, which was most recherche, was served in tlie dining-table, the table almost groaning with the weight of the dainty dishes. Mrs. S. Rennell was robed in cream satin, with an overdress of cream lace; Mrs. Foote, rich dove-grey charmeuse; Miss Irene Foote, ciel blue chrystalline, finished with Valenciennes lace; Mrs. Francis Carthew, black silk, real lace berthe; Mrs. G. Kebbell, black silk; Mrs. Percy Webster, cornflower-blue crepe, relieved with bands of gold guimpe; Mrs. I li. George, very pretty costume of | vieux rose crepe de chine, with cream lace yoke and cleeves slashed with black; Mrs. Foote (Auckland), black silk, relieved with white; Miss Foote, very dainty shell-pink eolienne, over tafl'eta, trimmed with very rich cram lace insertion; Mrs. J. Harvey, pale blue striped voile; Mrs. Hall, black and white silk; Miss Hall, pale grey chrystalline, trimmed with a darker shade of satin; Miss B. Rennell, cream lace robe, over a foundation of rose pink siik; Mrs. S. Cottier, black silk; Mrs. .1. Avery, brown chiffon tafl'eta, finished with cream lace; Mrs. Eberlet, dainty pale blue ninon, pink roses appliqued on decolletage; Miss Reid, charming white satin charmeuse, corsage finished with silver bugle trimming. \ Mrs. \V. Skinner gave a very charming bridge party last Friday evening in honor of Mrs. Sydney Fitzherbert. There were five tables, and the prizes were won by Miss Stanuish and Mr. Morton. The supper table was daintily lightened with specimen vases filled with scarlet roses. Amongst those present were: Mrs. Skinner, black striped satin voile, trimmed with black hand-painted net; Miss Skinner, white ninon, berthe of very fine lace; Miss L. Skinner, pretty white satin charmeuse; Miss Shaw, dainty pale pink ninon over satin, decolletage trimmed with oxidised silver guimpe; Mrs. Sydney Fitzherbert, white satin charmeuse, caught up at either side, with large pearl motifs; Miss Fitzherbert, white satin, with panels of lovely lace; Miss Standish, white ninon, over glace; Miss Read, pale blue tafleta; Miss Fookes, white silk, relieved with scarlet roses; Miss Matthews, pale pinkchystalline; Miss J. Glynes, grey chrystalline, with black velvet ceinture; Miss Webster, cream silk; Miss D. Bedford, cream cashmere de soie, finished with pale guimpe; Miss Gwen Skinner, cream lace robe, lightened with emerald green silk; Miss Blundell, pale blue chrvstalline; Miss Munro, black silk.

"Via Wireless."—Miss Evelyn Kerry, who will appear on Monday next as Frances Duri'-t in -T. C. Williamson's big production. "Via Wireless," is an English actress of great reputation. Miss Kerry was for four years leading lady with Sir Beerbohm Tree iu Haynmrket, London, and was the original "Lady Diana Sartoris" in "The Whip." Besides being an excellent actress, she is a finished horsewoman, and while in England always attends the Quoin limit (being a member) and has on several occasion been in at the death and so received the much coveted brush.

Jliss Fyfe Alexander, who plays Lucy Smith in "Via Wireless," is recognised l as one of the best ingenues on the English stage. She is the niece of George Alexander (the famous English actor) and comes of a family of artists of three generations.

Miss Fvfe's hobby is rowing, and belongs to three ladies' clubs in England, and <is a member of the Lea Rowing Association she, with three other professional ladies, won the four-oar championship last year. It is said that anything more delightful, more piquant, utterly charming, than Miss Fyfe's impersonation of Lucy Smith iu "Via Wireless" would be difficult to conceive.

Miss Winifred Scott (Mrs. Charles Graham) is the. villainess of J. C. Williamson's dramas, and is one of the few English-speaking actresses who by command have appeared before his Imperial Majesty the Czar of Russia, The honor has been vouchsafed to her on two occasions, both of which took place in the Peterhof Palace, St. Petersburg. The first instance she played "Magda." and on the second occasion the heroine in Materlinck's "Blue Bird." Miss Scott speaks four languages, and is a writer of short stories of no mean merit. Mr. Ambrose Manning, "The Marsh" in ''Via Wireless," is the same actor who appeared here about four years ago with Wilson Barrett.

The beauty-man and jeun premier of the coming Williamson Co. is Mr. Lionel Atwell. He is also an athlete of varied experience—a footballer, golfer, and an expert across country. At Hurlingham, in England, he annexed many prizes as a pigeon shot. Fair, tall, with a fine speaking voice and taking presence, Mr. Atwell is said to be a' lieau ideal of what a hero of romance is supposed to be.

WORDS THAT WIN A BRIDE. HOW MEN' OF VARIOUS NATION'S PROPOSE. A Russian journal gives the following collection of marriage proposals typical of different nationalities: — A Russian: Natasha, my little dove, soul of my soul. I .love von with mv whole heart, with my whole being -T love you madly. T will love you unto death, and should troubles befall us, mv love will conquer everything. Be mine, oh, Natasha! A Frenchman: You are divine, ideal. To-day I will press my suit before your parents, anil you, mv fairy, will become mv wife.

An Englishman: [ am about to start on a long voyage and T shall be very lonely. I wonder if you would care to marry me and let us make this journev together.

A (iorman: Fraulein, you are a notable woman. \on havo read and understood my book. I cannot toll you how

much I admire and esteem you. May 1 dare to offer you my hand? An Italian: Cara mia, you arc fairer than the blushing dawn. Your voice is more melodious than the soft west wind. Oh, let me kiss those dark locks of yours and let those heavenly eyes not spurn me, for otherwise I must die. Live without you I cannot. A Montenegrin: You are a handsome and a poor girl. If you will marry me I will cut off two Turks' heads and lay them at vour feet.

THE SWEET FACE. The most expressive face is not one which writlvs or agonises with every sorrowful feeling, or twists and squirms with every amusing situation; but it is rather the one which retains a calm exterior while the strongest emotions of the soul play upon it with their lights and shadows. The'face sliould be the smooth curtain on which the heart exhibits its various pictures without disturbing it, not the stage which requires the shifting of scenery for every act. The reason why so many beautiful faces are to be found in a convent is, in a great measure, due to the daily habit of composing the features in long hours of meditation and prayer. Unmarred by contending emotions, the features arc gradually moulded into harmonious outlines. To sum up advice on this point—train your features to composure, and avoid ail grimacing habits.

Because good humor is an obliging quality, many women think they must always be in a laugh or a broad smile in order tn be charming. This is a grievous mistake.

QUARREL WITH AN EMPEROR,

ETIQUETTE AND LOVE AT THE AUSTRIAN COURT. A ROYAL OATH. Berlin, March 8. A remarkable dispute between the aged Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria ami his nephew and heir-apparent, the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, is attracting a good deal oi attention in Berlin, ° Eleven years ago Archduke Francis Ferdinand was married to Countess Sofie Chotek, a lady of aristocratic birth and ancient lineage, but not of royal rank and dignity. The "house laws'" of the imperial family of Austria, like those of nearly every other royal family in Europe, require that every' archduke and every nrrhducJiess shall marry none but, princes or princesses of roval* blood.

Several yen is went l>y before the Archduke Francis Ferdinand was able to carry out his detcrinimtinn to marry the Countess, wlio had bei n lndv in waiting to his coil-in. the Archdm bess Isabella, and then oiilv after he had taken a solemn n:ith that he would never claim for hi- wife the privilege? < f an archduchess or. after lie had a.-eended the throne, those of an empress, and that his sons and daughters, the issue of this unequal union, should for ever be excluded from the succession to the crown of Austria-Hungary.

This oath was taken in the private Roman Catholic chapel attached to the imperial palace at Vienna, in the presence of the aged Emperor Francis Joseph anil of nearly all the members of the imperial family, with the high officers of the army and navy, and the exalted dignitaries of state. It was a pledge as solemn and binding as any man could possibly take. On the following day Countess Chotek became the Archduke's wife, and some years later the Emperor Francis Joseph conferred on her the rank and title of Duchess llohenberg. When this title was conferred on her it was decreed at the same time that, she should rank before all other subjects of the Austrian crown, with the single exception of the archdukes and archduchesses of the imperial family.

She lias been systematically snubbed, and at times oven insulted by those archduchesses of the imperial family who resented her marriage to their kinsman and her rapid rise from the rank of countess to the exalted position of a duchess.

Last year, For the first time since her marriage, the Duchess Hohenberg attended the annual concert ball in" Vienna. On such occasions the imperial family enter the ballroom, in which the other guests have already assembled, in solemn procession, the Emperor at the head, and all the archdukes and archduchesses following in the order of their particular precedence.

At that hall there were nearly thirty archdukes and archduchesses, aiid tlie'v walked in two by two. At the extreme end of this procession walked the Duchess Hohenberg. separated from her husband, who was immediately behind the Emperor, witli the archduchess second in seniority leaning on his arm, bv the long file of juvenile archdukes and'arehdnchesses. was not a pleasant experience, and certainly not one that she will ever repeat.

This year it was arranged' that the Duchess Hohenberg should again attend the court hall. On the evp of that tunctmri. the Archduke Francis Ferdinand had a private audience of the Emperor rancis Joseph, and made a special and urgent request to him that his. wife should not be compelled to enter the ballroom at the extreme end of the procession, but that she should be permitted to walk m side by side with him. iminodlately behind the monarch. The Emperor, who lia.s done' much lo smooth over the difficulties of the Duchess' position, nevertheless felt unable to revolutionise at one stroke the "house laws of the ilynastv, which have been 111 force for so many centuries, and, to his great personal regret, he was compelled to reject hi.s nephew's urgent rei|Uest The Archduke Francis Ferdinand , . (lvovi ' l'omt*. and he and his wife left. Vienna for Munich the same night.