OUR CHRISTCHURCH LETTER.

Observer, Volume 3, Issue 60, 5 November 1881, Page 120

OUR CHRISTCHURCH LETTER.

Christchurcii, November Ist. I don't know that I have much of an interesting nature to communicate this time. Spring toilets are beginning to be generally worn. Lawn tennis dances, the latest idea, are pleasant and simple little parlies commencing with an afternoon game of hiAvn tennis, then a little rustic tea and chat, and a Cinderella dance. They give young folks a chance of making pleasant and unstudied acquaintance, and at the same time keeping early hours. For lawn tennis the costumes are pretty, many being elaborately drawn Mother Hubbard shaped dresses. With the spring and tennis apron, crewels re-appear in great force, the larger and more striking flo Avers onccAvorn seem, however, to have given place to all sorts of delicate Avreaths and traceries, which ure much prettier and more becoming. Only young ladies lately from England Avear the close little straAV bonnet yet, our young ladies vote them matronly-looking. They are so very flat and close, and are really a very trying style of head-dress. Some young ladies wear the" Mother Hubbard mantle, but it is very full, and requires a very graceful figure to carry it off successfully, and ladies Avith very graceful figures arc not fond of hiding them. Do you see our society paper, the L ibrrfy I It has much' improved of late. There are Avoodcuts of Avell-known individuals in it weekly. I donotknow many of the men avlioso (supposed) portraits have appeared. It happens this Aveek 1 know both. Mr T. I. Joynt is a Avell-known lawyer here, who has made for himself a reputation chiefly by criminal pleading. He is rather a short man of about fifty, Avith a massive head and physique that look 'as if greater height would be an undoubted improvement. He wears a " count y crop," close shaA-es, has a heavy moustache, and a cleft chin, so that some slight resemblance avus unavoidable (Avith such marked characteristics). The nose, too, is hit off very happily Avith its deep lines on either side, but they have given him fierce big eyes in place of small, keen, and rather cunning ones ; and they have provided him with a " shillelagh," so let them look out that the smart but somewhat irascible little Irishman doesn't break their heads Avith it for caricaturing him. For the picture is a caricature, with a hideous resemblance to the real individual, that- Avould entitle it to a place in the London Punch. He may therefore feel aggrieved, and his legitimate Aveapon the I-.iav Avon't touch, as they are not bound to think him either young or handsome ; still— perhaps it is as well— the " shillelagh "is not a very formidable one. As to poor Mr Rolleston, really the joke on him is too cruel. He is rather a good looking man, but the atrocious creature in the Liberty looks like a- selection from Dr Simms' collection of celebrated American murderers ; fortunately for them they have not given this maligned gentleman a stick. One or two of your Avood-cuts in the Observer I knew. " The Organist of St. Matthew's " I can see is still my old friend, Mr Joseph Brown. How many, many years it is siuce iirst avc metI should know Alt' Isaacs' nose again, though Avhen I used to see that prominent feature it adorned the pale and slender countenance of a lad about twentv — genial ancl sociable even then, and ready to be the life and soul of any little pleasant social gathering ; fond always of private theatricals, and a very likely man to become Avhat he has evidently 'developed into— one of tho leading spirits of Auckland society. Ah !Mr Alf Isaacs, don't you remember the O'Neills and the pleasant parties and the rounders at Government House Avith the officers of the Virago, Blanche, Clio, etc. Ah ! Those Avere great old times, and I see_ very, very few, comparatively of the old names in the lists published of fashionable doings in the Observer. One old and Avell-known name that still remains is Mrs Whitaker. I Avondcr lioav long this lady has been one of the foremost and most popular leaders of Auckland society ? Why, her name is recorded (as attending a party) in the first newspaper ever printed in Auckland, printed on a mangle ! Well, long may she be spared to dispense hospitality. She is a' Avorthy member of au an unusually nice family, and her loss Avould make a blank indeed ! The highest ton parties here arc the assembly dances. A committee of ladies scrutinize all names before invitations are issued, and the gilding must be very thick indeed that will persuade these Avorthy ladies to overlook the Avant of grandfathers and' grandmothers ; nor is it sufficient to have had grandfathers and grandmothers, unless you have enough gilding to smooth your road in the aristocratic grooves of society. Some outer barbarians say that some of the committee themselves have not only been governesses, etc., but have had to invent the necessary grandparents, &c. These arc, however, only those disappointed pariahs, the foxes, who, sighing for the grapes of invitation beyond their reach, cry Avith Reynard of old, " sour, sour." They are not to be" listened to for a moment. The dances are

fairly good, but a little frozen. On Thursday the number of guests Avas smaller than usual, but so many of the leading families are in mourning just noAv, and that is the reason. The Cracoft Wilson's the Moorhouse's, Studholm'e's, Turners, are all in black with their kinsfolk, and so the dances suffer. On Thursday, the most noticeable dress Avas an imported costume of pale green figured satin, Avith shoes and etceteras, en suite. The Avearer Avas Mrs Banks, of Tilford. Other pretty dresses Avere Mrs Scott, pink satin and Avhite lace, Mrs J. B. Gresson, ecru satin, Miss Murray-Aynsley, pink silk, Miss Reeves, plain black velvet and moniton lace, Miss Wilkins, Avhite satin, Avith cardinal trimmings, Miss Palmer, black grenadiuc and cream-coloured trimmings. One lady Avore the unusual and rather trying candlelight combination, green and mauve. Tlie best of these dances Avill be the one in race Aveek (November) . No doubt there will be some very handsome toilets. The RoAving Club, not to be deterred by past year's misadventures, are talking of another ball. The arrangements seem, this time, to be in the hands of sensible men, so I hope there will not be the same offence and fuss that there Avas last year. Certainly, there Avere some grounds for offence .Avhen the son of a haberdasher blackballed young ladies because their father Avas in trade. At any rate, there Avas a great hubbub, and I suppose that this time all these distinctions -will be left out, and I think fairly. People can conduct private parties, Avhether subscriptions or otherwise, to please themselves, but the members of clubs and societies have a right to demand that invidious distinctions shall not be made at balls given by their oavii clubs, and I know for a fact that ; at the Rowing Club Ball numbers of their own club members Avere entirely passed over and ignored, never receiving any intimation that there Avas to be a ball. That this Avas the cause of Avidespreucl dissatisfaction Avas only to be expected. But this is quite a long enough gossip for this mail.