THE LADIES COLUMN NOTES BY "THE DUCHESS"

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 49, 20 August 1881, Page 567

THE LADIES COLUMN NOTES BY "THE DUCHESS"

— Does a girl cudgel her "brains every time she bangs her hair ? — Mrs Lang-try occupied the box- seat of the Prince of Wales' drag at. the commencement of the coaching season in London. — Mrs Fred Marshall has a sealskin jacket which could not by any chance have cost less than a hundred guineas. It is the finest ever seen in Auckland. — Mrs Cropper is the name of one of the new professional beauties at Home. When she " comes a cropper," as she is almost sure to do, no one will be very much astonished. — Winter fashions remain unchanged. In xnext Aveek's issue, as we are now verging on September, I shall give the materials, tints, shapes, and garnitures which will be worn this Spring. — During the run of the " Turn of the Tide," in Sydney, Mrs Fred Marshall, who undertook one of the lady parts, created quite a, furore- by the magnificence of her costumes which were specialiy sent out from Paris by Worth. If she plays here perhaps we may see some of them. — The Princess of Wales has signified her intention to set the fashions for the incoming season, and as a first fruits has condemned the "Jersey." She declares them to be, as worn by fashionable beauties, simply indecent. After this most unqualified assertion, I should say the doom of the "Jerseys " was spoken. — At the marriage of Mr Gerald Fitzgerald Avith the Hon. Amicia Mills, Lord Houghton's daughter, the eight bridesmaids formed a gloAv of colour in bright red satin dresses, toned down with lace and Indian muslin. Their cream-coloured bonnets were wreathed with crimson carnations, and each lady carried a Tjouquet of creamy roses. — To reneAV the colour of black silk : — " The Duchess " is most happy to give the folloAving recipe to the young lady who wishes to know : Pass the lace through a warm liquor of gall and Avater ; afterwards rinse in cold water ; then •take a small piece of glue, pour boiling water on it, and again rjass the lace through it, clap it with your hands and then frame it to dry. — So neither the young king in embryo, nor the old king de facto Avill visit us this year. Well, I suppose Aye shall get OA'er it. It Avill save the ladies a A'ast expenditure in money stnd a great deal of groaning in spirit Avhen the ibills come in. Paterfamilias may button ivp his pockets Avith a smile of satisfaction, and tot tip that little balance to his credit in every "\vay. He gaA r e it Avith a willing heart, and Avith a willing heart it conies back again. Nobody wants it. Oh be joyful ! — This comes in a private letter from Sydney re those fortunate young Princes — "I have seen the princes several times at dances here. They ar>e plain, ordinary -looking boys, and the tall one is so very shy that he always looks as if he were a little ashamed of himself. The rich married ladies here made utter fools of themselves about the Princes, and monopolized most of their time at the dances. At Government House they were introduced to everybody, and seemed to enjoy themselves. The people appeared to take leave of their senses Avhene\ r er they set eyes on a Prince, .and stared them out of countenance. The officers of the Squadron are not half as jolly a lot as the old ' Sapphires.' They seem to think more of their own consequence than the ' Sapphires ' used to do. I suppose it is because they are associates of the Princes." — "Asmodeus," in the Herald of the 13th, has outmuddle-headed himself. He says : In a late number of Punch he came across a song, entitled, ' ' A Match, " and immediately parodied it, and gave forth his parody in the Herald. He Avas not Avise enough to know (this Aery clever fellow) that "Match" Avas itself a parody (one of the best I cA T er saw) upon the Avellknown song, "If " — " If I were what the rose is, And you were like the leaf," (rans the song.) " If I were Anglo Saxon, And you were Japanese," (says Punch.) *' Asmodeus " has therefore parodied a parodoy. — Truth, reviewing the costumes worn at the fashionable Sandown Park races in June, says: — "A black lace dress over primrose satin Avas delightfully subdued in tone, and admirably suited the quiet style of its wearer. One of similar lace OA^er blue would have been equally successsful, had it not been for a quantity of blue sash that disported itself at the back. A costume of striped sateen — shot from the palest to the darkest shade of lavender — Avas pretty, and was rendered exceptionally attractive through being supplemented by a simple leghorn hat Avith a wreath of lilac. Another noticeable dress consisted of a canarycoloured brocaded body over a black velvet skirt." — The costumes worn by the most distinguished persons present at the Bagshot Bazaar on June 7th were models of simplicity. The Duchess of Connaught's goAvn, Avith tiny sprigs all over the surface, relieved Avith mauve silk and worn with a white hat, was as far from being pretentious as the Princess Louise's costume of white Holland, embroidered Avith crewels. Princess Christian wore dark blue, with white muslin apron and Avhite bonnet. Princess Louise and the Duchess of Teck, Avitli Prince Leopold, sold busily at their stall. Princess Christian presided over the fruit and flo Aver stall. The Duchess of Connaught did a Ibrisk trade in terra-cotta busts of the Earl of Beaconsfield, among other things. The Duke of Connaught assisted some ladies Avho dispensed American drinks under the shade of the enormous Japanese umbrellas which Avere very fashionable during the late season in London ior garden tents. — The Mount Albert Cinderella Dance came off on Thursday, the 11th inst. A very sA^ell ball at Major George's, Epsom, on the same .evening, .detracted a great deal from the success

of the Cinderella, as it took away a great many of the liabitues. Indeed some of the ladies came for an hour to Mount Albeit and shoAved themselves, and then Avent off to Major George's. HoAvever, the hall Avas tastefully decorated with flags and ferns, the floor Avas in splendid order, the music Avas good, and there was ample room to Avaltz in peace without colliding. A great many Ponsonby people were there, but most of them wore the same dresses Avhich they had at the Ponsonby "At Home." There AA r ere very few young unmarried ladies present, the matrons quite overwhelming them in number. Mrs Cruickshank wore grey silk, and cap to match ; Mrs 11. R. Stephenson, green tarlctane; Mrs Baker, plain black silk ; Mrs Motion, black silk, trimmed with old gold and ruby cape ; Mrs Stephenson, dove-coloured silk, trimmed Avitli wine-color ; Mrs Waterhouse, combination of grey satin and grey silk ; Miss LeAvis, blue and 'silver ; Miss Kelly, black velvet, beaded trimming ; Miss M. Kelly, brown silk, trimmed with a darker shade ; Miss James, grey poplin, trimmed with pale blue satin ; Miss Baker, black A'elvet ; Miss Boylan, black A r elvet, trimmed Avith cardinal; Miss Masefield, Miss Evans, Miss Barnes, Avere in the same dresses as at the Ponsonbv "At Home."

— Whilst avc in Auckland haAe been straining our eyes and breaking our hearts in looking out for the Princes, and ladies haA r e been giving hundreds of guineas for diamond pendants and diamond bracelets to greet them with upon arrival, the great and good in England have been meeting together to lay the foundation stone of a memorial college to that heroic man Avith whose name and fame avc in

Auckland are so intimately connected. SelAvyn College, Avliere ' ' high thinking and plain living " is to be the order of the day, Avill be a noble and fitting memorial for him who was the great apostolic Bishop of New Zealand. This isle of the sea, this warmer Britain of the Southern Sphere may be destined to a great future, to a long roll-call of historic names, but none Avill ever eclipse the three already there inscribed : Selwyn, the Apostle ; Patteson, the Martyr of the Evangel ; and Grey, the Statesman and Founder. Yet not in the land to Avhich they devoted themselves has there yet been dedicated a memorial to any of these. Our old friend, Bishop Abraham, shortly after Bishop Selwyn's decease raised by untiring exertions a sum of £21,337, and this Avas the nucleus of the fund for the neAv college where religion and culture, simplicity of life and living, attested by a college fee of £80 per annum, are the grand features of the establishment. The Hon. and ReA\ Arthur Temple Lyttelton is the Master, and Earl PoAvis, High SteAvard of the University, laid the foundation stone. Some of the best and greatest in England AA r alked through the lovely gardens of King's College, rich Avith pink and white hawthorn, with lilac and laburnam, to gather around the platform. Many touching references were made to the Church in NeAv Zealand founded by the late Bishop, and the Islands of the Seas. But he avlio gave us not only himself, but Patteson, who denied us not his OAvn son, Avill surely never be forgotten by faithful hearts in NNeA r Zealand. I kneAV him Avell, and shall always be glad that I did.knoAV him. I knew also and saAV his labours ; none

but an athlete could have borne them. I met him once on one of his overland walking journeys through his unparalleled diocesa. He came through the bush, carrying his tent poles, his coat off, his shirt unfastened, the beads of travel on his high, broad brow; not an Englishman was with him, only the natives, who surrounded him on all sides, shouting "Te Piliopa " as they brought him in triumph into the kainga. His tent Avas set up by the side of a river, the pikaus opened, and in about an hour Selwyn emerged, bathed and dressed, and looking every inch a bishop and a gentleman. The next day lie catechised and confirmed nearly the whole tribe of the Ngatiporou. Will a second Selwyn ever arise out of the college founded in his name ?

Atkinson replied, he had directed the Actuary here to prepare a scheme for the distribution of the £50,000, and he would submit that scheme to the House as soon as it was ready. Legally, the Government were unable to propose anything until they received the report of the English Actuaries ; but, on looking the matter up, he found at least they could go so far as to decide upon the principle of dividing the bonus. He had had in contemplation a proposal to bring in a general Act to hand over the management of the department to a Board, but whether there would be time to do this or not during the present session he could not say. He hoped there would be time. The books were now closed for the current year, and the statement of accounts would be ready some time in August. There seemed to be an impression that there was a slowness on the part of the office in the publication of these accounts, but that impression was incorrect. The accounts were being got ready with qiiite as much rapidity as the accounts of other offices." To those interested in the Government Insurance Department, the above remarks of Major Atkinson should be carefully read and studied, not only the lines themselves but between them, and we think, after perusing them, no one will be able to arrive at any other conclusion than that the whole business is in a state of the most chaotic confusion, that neither "The Mogul" himself, nor the Actuary, nor anybody else, knows exactly where they are, or what they are to do next, and that the whole thing is a perfect parody upon Insurance business. First of all Major Atkinson declares that he, "The Great Mogul," had directed the Actuary "to prepare