AUCKLAND. BELLES—PAST AND PRESENT.

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

AUCKLAND. BELLES— PAST AND PRESENT.

No. 6.— A Belle of the Present— Miss

Monro (Miss Alice Crokkr.)

If you will take the trouble to go to Bartlett's atelier in Queen-street, and look on the left hand side as yon go in you will see a large handsomely framed portrait of a young girl with a lace handkerchief carelessly thrown over her upturned head. Give it another glance, it will bear inspection. The lajrge, dreamy, dark eyes have a strange fascination ; the low, broad brow has a cast of thought, of pensiveness, perchance of suffering ; the face is a face to be remembered, not that of a gay butterfly, but a living, loving, working woman. It is the chef d'muvre of the studio in Queenstreet, and the likeness of Miss Mimro who was formerly Miss Alice Croker. She was not brought up by her parents — the unfortunate and too harshly condemned Major and Mrs Croker — but by her grandmother, Lady Littler, and that bringing up was of the strictest order, for the old lady is a femme terrible. When she came to New Zealand to join her father and mother, their troubles had begun, and home life became so unbearable that she was adopted into the family of Judge Monro, of the Native Lands Court, who were at that time left almost alone by the marriage of their last remaining daughter. Miss Monro has a quiet, reserved manner which covers a very warm and tender heart, nor does she seek in any way for admiration. In this sense she is not a belle ; for there is about her an absence of all coquetry. But in the sense of having a most artistic face &lie is undoubtedly a belle, and as such I mention her. Major Croker's daughter could hardly fail to be good looking, but her serene, calm, statuesque face goes somewhat beyond good looks. She is engaged, and will shortly be married to Jim Haultain, Colonel Haultam's son. Esmond.