LADIES’ COLUMN.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 14133, 12 February 1910, Page 5

LADIES’ COLUMN.

(By Sister Ann.)

OF LOCAL INTEREST. Miss Gay Shaw left Now Plymouth for Wellington last week. Mrs. D’Arcy Robertson ami family concluded their month’s visit to Stratford on Thursday. Miss Marshall and Miss Bertha Matthews arc at present the guests of Dr. .Johnson, in Carterton. Miss D. linker is spending several weeks here. Miss Grant came back to Taranaki last week. Mrs. Gorton and Mrs. Lovett, of the Rangitikei.. have been spending six weeks in New Plymouth with the Misses Stcnhenron Smith. Mrs. G. Fox and daughter returned on Tuesday from a week's stav in Stratford. Mrs. R. W. Holihcs, of Wellington, is nt present visiting her mother. Sirs. T. White. Mrs. Walter Bayly has gone to Wellington for a short holiday. GOLDEN WEDDING. The Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch have .just celebrated- their golden wedding nt Dalkeith Palace, amid the greatest rejoicings. Nearly every member of Their family lias been present, and among them Lady Scott, wife of the Duke’s only brother, Lord Charles Scott. She, as will be remembered, was formerly Miss Ada Ryan, of Melbourne, a sister, of -Mrs. Rowan, the well-known flower artist, who with her husband Captain Rowan resided for some years at tho White Cliffs, Taranaki. The Duke and Duchess wore presented by their tenantry with massive silver gilt candelabra, a silver gilt loving cup, and a double photograph frame of pure gold. The King also sent gold vases, and the Pripec of Wales and his sisters an ontique gold box. A ROYAL LOVE MARRIAGE. There has been of late quite a flutter in all the dovecotes of tho European courts by reason of the marriage of tho young Prince Alfonso of Orleans and the Princess Beatrice of Saxo-Cobnrg, who is the fourth daughter of the late Duke of Saxe-Coburg Gotha, better known as the Duke of Edinburgh, brother of our own King Edward. The young bridegroom is one of the proud Bourbons—the most rigid and haughtily tradition-hound house in Europe. Ho is the son of Prince Antoine of Orleans, and the Spanish Infanta, Eulalia, aunt of tho present King of Spain. This couple do not agree, and have lived apart for many years. The young Royal Prince, Infante, ns lie is called, long ago threw in his lot with his mother’s people, and is a lieutenant in the Spanish army. His mien is so attractive, his personality so winning, and his rank so high that nil doors to worldly success might have been open to him. As it is. his love for a bomiio girl, has seemingly changed tho whole current of his’ future life. Two years ago he ra'ct the Princess Beatrice and ho has wanted her for his own ever since. Her sisters have all married well and she herself might have become the wife of Cv-av Ferdinand of Bulgaria, but he failed to touch her heart and she declined the honour.,, She is an attractive and lovable girl, much more. English in her ways than German, indeed she was born in England and is, of course, cousin to Princess Ena, now Queen Victoria of Spain. Tho way might have been made smooth for the lovers, were it not for the question of religion. Alfonso is a Roman Catholic, but Beatrice is a Protestant, and a staunch one withal. This might have been condoned had she agreed to bo received into the Faith of the Infante, but this she steadfastly refused to do and she told her lover that ,if he would have her ho must take her exactly as she was. So he declared publicly that ho was fully resolved to marry her, no matter what the difficulties might be. There were in truth many obstacles in the way. In the first place, his father withheld his sanction. Tho Pope also strongly objected and the Spanish King did his best to prevent the‘marriage, military law was' also against the prince,'he could not leave his regiment without the leave of his colonel, nor Spain without the consent of the Minister of War. But Prince Alfonso con-, sitlerod tho world well lost for love. Ho showed all the obstinacy and tenacity of the Bourbons. He left his regiment*, without leave, crossed the Spanish frontier without .a passport, went straight to Coburg and was married next day to the girl he loved so truly. So that the wedding might lie quite legal, three ceremonies wore performed'; first the civil marriage, then tho Catholic, and lastly the Protestant, in tho chapel attached to the castle of the lat n Duke of Edinburgh in Coburg. Then the vonnp counlo wont off to tho lakes in Italy_ for their honeymoon. Though Prince Alfonso has .thus-cut himself off fragi his

people, it is thought that tho King of Spain will probably relent towards his cousin and that ho may.be restored to his place in tho Spanish Army. Meanwhile—nous verrons. Tho future permanent home of tho young couple will probably bo at Schloss, Edinburgh iu Coburg, hut after their they visited tho brido’sj relatives ou her father’s side, viz., the English Royal family’. SOME PRETTY FROCKS. Tho “ Dollar Princess,” which is being played at Daly’s Theatre, is proving most popular and drawing immense audiences. Miss Lily Elsie is taking the loading part and her frocks aro spoken of as Mining visions of beauty. Tho first is of white cashmere-do-soio, the straightly cut tunic field together at the side by broidered tabs of the same soft fabric, of which too, the absolutely tight and plain underskirt is formed, the bodice curves .seamlessly into tho sleeves, a little turn down collar of ivorv-toned lace, having its ruffled softness, fastened by a tiny bow in the same delicate China-blue, which is broidered beneath iu a central aud curved medallion, the devise being repeated on those tunic tabs. Thcn,*m tho garden scene of tho second act, Miss ELio wears' a closelyclinging softnos of pink chiffon and cobwebby lace, while upheld from the shoulders by plaited hands of bine satin ribbon there is a most cleverly arranged over-draper’/ of blue crepe-dc-chine, which, after being upturned at the knees in “fishwife” fashion, is drawn into a long-looped and silk-fringed sash bow at the back. , This altogether delightful dress is subsequently exchanged fur a superb and scintillating evening gown oi silver tissue veiled With blush-rose pink chiffon all worked with rui'flings of narrow’ silver lace, and studded with wee pink roses, while just a touch of blue is introduced bv moans of hands of satin ribbon. And yet this is only the un dordross, aud over it all romes. a final veiling of white not which is all ablaze with an embroidery of diamonds and crystal bugles. Last, and perhaps loveliest of all. is a dross where beneath a closely-pleated transparency of pink chiffon and rnel-lew-toned lace a broad hand of softest bine satin is folded round tho corsage, and again in hist about the knees, and tied in a big flat bow towards the left side, the waist being outwardly encircled bv a hand'of satin in tho same'soft oink as tho chiffon, and this being finished off at the hack -with sash ends. Below the knee, tho chiffon gives place to satin soft cashmere cloth absolutely devoid of trimming, and so disWaving fully the perfection of fit and form.