THE LADIES

Observer, Volume 3, Issue 61, 12 November 1881, Page 136

THE LADIES

On dit that a Ladies' Club is about to be inaugurated in Ponsonby under the management of Mr Bydder in his .spacious premises in Home Bay. It will include lawn tennis, archery and boating, and the subscription will be £1 Is per annum. St. Paul's Church was crowded on Sunday evening last to hear an old favourite, Miss Leaf, sing the solo in the anthem " As pants the hart," and magnificently she sang it ; every word and every note clear and distinct as a silver bell. Never have avc heard it sung like this in Auckland, except onee — many years ago — by Miss Rosina Carandini. As it happened to be the Sunday for collecting for the Pension Fund, a very large amount of silver coin should have been the result. A great lady has departed from amongst us. The relict of the late General Sir Robert "Honry Wynyard, X.C.8., Lieutenant-Governor of Cape Colony. She who was once tlie bountiful, powerful, courted queen of society in Auckland, when her husband held here the' important offices of commander of the forces, officer administering the Government, and who was the first Superintendent of Auckland. Highly connected, her sister married to Sir George Brown, one of the Crimean heroes, no lady has ever occupied so high a position here except the wives of the various Governors. For many years her wellappointed carriage was the only private one in Auckland, her wishes were laws, her smile was court favour ; at the Cape, of course, she was sovereign lady, and held her receptions and drawing-rooms in 6tate like other queens of society. Not very long ago it sent a bitter pang to our heart when we saw her stepping painfully and unattended into the Grafton-road omnibus. Such, and so groat are the vicissitudes of life ! Of her six children, two girls and four gallant sons, only one survives her — Mr Robert Wynyard, of Epsom. One son, Gladwin, lies at the North Shore, the graves ofthe others are " parted far and wide." Another generation had arisen here " who knew not Joseph " when she returned to Auckland a widow with her only remaining son from her sojourn at Bath ; so that her last: years were both unfriended and lonely. She had been ailing for some time, but to the last her table was laid with the magnificent plate and appendages which were the relics of hor days of state, and set with the four courses, Avithout which, though long unable to do more than taste them, she deemed it impossible to sit down to dinner. Her last days put us in mind of the last days of the great king Edward 111., but now all is over, " after life's fitful fever she sleeps Avell." Vale ! The last Cinderella Dance at the Mount Albert Hall took place on Thursday, the 3rd inst. The hall Avas prettily decorated and the music good, but the attendance of gentlemen Avas meagre, in fact, the men were so conspicuous by their absence that the ladies, who Avanted a dance had, in many cases, to dance together. This paucity of the male sex A\-here generally so many throng, was accounted for in this Avay. A great many imagined that there would be no dance until the fanoy dress affair for Avhich they were reserving themselves. However, this may be, the dance Avas not as usual, for hoAvever fond girls may be of one another, and however graceful and pretty they may look twined in one another's arms during the progress of the mazy Avaltz, they do not, as a rule, prefer this species of locomotion. Mrs Greenwood wore a dress of pale blue satin, trimmed with crimson plush, Avith crimson plush cap. This was an exceedingly fine toilette, and Avell suited la belle dame by whom it was Avorn. Mrs Stone, dress of pale blue sateen, with blue Madras muslin overskirt ; Mrs Masefield, Avalking costume ; Mrs James, dress of grey poplin, trimmed with black velvet, and black velvetbodice ; Mrs Alexander, black silk ; Mrs Stevenson, blue silk ; Mrs Waterhouse, black silk ; Miss Evans, dress of black grenadine, Avith black satin bodice ; Mrs Pearson, lavender silk, trimmed Avith black A r elvet ; Miss Dunnet, cream sateen; Miss Home, pink tarlatane, trimmed Avith black lace ; Miss Dickson, black grenadine, trimmed Avith old gold ; Miss Grey, black grenadine, Avith crimson scraper ; Miss Rigby, black grenadine, Avith mauve sash of Madras muslin ; Miss James, grey lusrte, trimmed with blue satin ; Miss Baker, dress of pink and white. The Lawn Tennis season at the North Shore was opened on Saturday last at 3 o'clock in the new recreation grounds. There Avas a very large assemblage, in fact fully a hundred people were present. The truly magnificent day and the cheap return fares brought over a great many visitors from Auckland. About fifty" names are enrolled in the Tennis Club. • There are throe tennis courts. There were some pretty dresses on the ground. Mrs Chamberlain liad on a very handsome black beaded costume, with hat to match. Mrs J. B. Russell wore black silk, black bonnet with cream and red flower 3. A lady in one of the steamers had on a dress of peacockgreen trimmed AA'ith figured satin and peacockgreen, black satin beaded dolman, Avhite straw bonnet trimmed Avith cream lace and tinted ivy leaves ; she wore a great number of silver ornaments. Miss Chamberlain, maroon dress trimmed with figured maroon silk, light grey fur hat : Miss Russell, whito cashmere Avith blue silk sasli ancl scraper; Miss — Russell, cream dress trimmed with cardinal ; Miss Binney, grey dress with light blue tennis apron, white hat ; Miss A. O'Neill, black dress, tennis apron of peacockgreen, beautifully embroidered in croAvels ; Miss Alice O'Neill, grey dress Avith sleeveless jacket of r uby velvet, black hat ; Miss Armitage, black dress trimmed with black and Avhite checked silk. Miss A. O'Neill appeared to bo the best and most aw fait of the lady players. The band of the City Engineers discoursed sAveet music. There were plenty of seats, and an awning was erected, so that yisitors and lookers-on were made comfortable. Altogether it appeared to us a very pleasant and very healthy way of spending the hours of the Saturday half -holiday.

STRKET DRESSES. Miss Fenton, dress of grey biege, trimmed with bands of black and yellow ; black hat. Mrs Aitken, dress of grey biege, trimmed Avith cream ; cream lace hat, Avith pink roses. Miss Jenny Isaacs, white dress, Avith pompadour sash ; white hat. Little Miss Green AA-ood, dress of medoc A-elvct, en prince sse, trimmed Avith crimson satin ; crimson satin sash ; grey Gainsborough hat. Miss Taylor," grey dress, trimmed with darker grey stripe, made Avith sleeveless jacket ; hat to match. Miss Hughes, dress of ombre grey biege, trimmed Avith dark green ; black lace hat. Little Miss Devorc, grey dress, en princesse, Avith grey sash ; blue. Mother Hubbard bonnet. Little ' Miss Bertha Devorc, long dress of pale blue sateen ; pale blue Mother Hubbard bonnet.