THE LADIES

Observer, Volume 9, Issue 523, 29 December 1888, Page 4

THE LADIES

A v a' : GIRLS' GOSSIP. COZ.-r-This has been a glorious ;_£f.lHw Yuletide with us, savouring in its festi ■• '■A A**& vities of dear bid England. ' Steeped to /; ,■ " the neck in fun, one's thoughts woolly 'gathering, in Comus' merry court it seems —in "■■ my case at least — a task of Herculean magnitude - : to collect the few ideas Dame Nature has endowed a me with into the commonplace focus of letter- / writing. Everything is at ' sixes and sevens 'in the mental store-room. ',/ We spent Christmas Eve with the Primroses, ywhose hospitable mansion is always inundated ' .'with cousins, uncles and aunts at the plum t. pudding season. Everyone, to use a Yankeeism '/.enjoyed a real good lime. First there was the ;. dinner, a^f easfc for a band 'of Epicures. My attention was devoted principally to the puddings. ; On the principle < sweets to the sweet,' one of the medley selection was so delicious I feel ' tempted to Wer ye from the chit-chat -course to > give you an insight into its perfection. The foundation was sponge cake spread over with .. 'raspberry jam ; a layer of chopped almonds came next ; then whipped cream flavoured with vanilla ; a twin sponge oake acted as umbrella, supplemented by more whipped cream. The condi- '*.- ment was dubbed ' dry trifle.' If ever you have ; ' a chance of partaking of these delicacies, seize the opportunity with avidity. After drinking the health of everybody present and absent in champagne, we repaired to the apartment dedicated to Terpsichore. At eight o'clock a very ' rosebud garden of girls,' with their attendant cavaliers, swarmed in like gorgeous bees intent on sipping honey from every bud of the frail tree of happiness. Some of the gowns were very amart. Amy in the role of a three-months-old bride, wore a jupe of creamy crepe de GMne, with panels of pearled net, and a' tiny drapery of the crepe at the top of each side, tasselled with pearls. The train, of bronzed velvet, surrounded by folds of crepe de .Chine, whioh softened it wonderfully. May in- - fired to the resurrection of a_stheticism by wit- ' nessing the play, ' Old Men and New Acres ', during her recent sojourn in one of our sylvan retreats, donned a robe which would have inspired the renowned Oscar to pceans of praise. The gown was composed of foam-green Liberty / »ilk, embroidered with small sunflowers (the halo of the .Esthetic Apostle) . The front was arranged : in a myriad of wee folds, so thoroughly flattened as to appear like a plain front until the wearer moved, when the' folds fell open with artistic •ffect. At each side was a breadth of ivory coloured foulard with fringed-but ends. The bodice was also of foulard. One of the toilettes, gracing the person of an old-young lady (whose thirties had long been entombed in the leaden coffin of the past), ' which she proudly informed everyone whose oral , member was within the compass of her intensified contralto, was her own work, we examined with interest, as indicative of ihe combination of new lights with ancient prejudices. The decollete bodice represented Science; the skirt and draperies recalled the fantastic antics of an unenlightened age. The result was a certain rakishness very unsuitable as a frame for crows -feet and imported-, ivory. My symphonious creation was maize tulle over silk, looped with buttercups and grasses. There is after all one advantage in the possession of raven locks and a skin of gipsy delicacy, in being ablet o patronise this most delicious of all colours. I cannot close my oration on feminine adornment without an "in conclusion," containing a .crown to the whole, namely, a description of Marguerite's dress at the Royal wedding at Turin. The train was of rich green velvet profusely embroidered with gold, and with a tablier of rose satin, similarly embroidered. Her mantel was of rare old lace, fourteen feet long —a heirloom worthy the ransom of a king. This was fastened on the shoulders and corsage by three sprays of priceless diamonds. Could anything be more fitting a sovereign ? ' But to returh to our mutton— as the French jocularly remark. Dancing reigned on the quarter-deck of the salon till the witching hour of midnight, when Morpheus, like Bacchus, . geeks his prey. The fantastic evolutions were not without their comicality. One of my partners persistently danced ofi his heels to the accompaniement of 'One, two, three; you're getting on very "well now ' — a point on which we differed, considering the persistency with which he performed the pump-handle jgyration,- and ground my feet under his heels, td say nothing of holding me in a vice, and breathing hard in the intervals. At twelve o'clock we trouped into the diningroom, and, with lights extinguished, indulged in *nap-dragon. Whilst snatching the burning fruit I was ' tickled to death' (Yankee copyright) by a scrap of conversation between a betrothed , pair, whose ' fond hearts beat as one,' etc. She whispered tenderly, ' This time next year I shall be your own .little girl, Jack.'. ' Yes, darling' replied her ideal • ' what shall we have for our first Xmas dinner ? ! My soul answered, 'Is Marriage a Cook-shop? * ' I must not omit telling you of our rejuvenating process in the draw'ng-room in honour of Old . Father Christmas' advent. You would fail to .'recognise the old room, in the present bower of ' novelty. Jack brought several Japanese panels at the redent sale. , These ornament the walls between hangings of artmuslin.their united charm entirely concealing the paper. The muslin has. a groundwork of ivory, meandered over by indistinct impossible diagrams. in soft gold' tones. The mantel .is draped with the 7 same material, caught on cne ( side by a great bow-of>.gold satin. Similar ' curtains . flow from the gilt cornices. A veteran book-case, procured at its birth for a vmodest.florin, enveloped, tester fashion, in art,, 'and. surmounted by a figure of I 'Pan' in parian /tnarble— a relic of ancient days—is simply Euperb. k/rA;.huge Japanese vase. Stands ope jhe right side of skfhe/mahtelpi^ .-.- -A ' .7 |l|||:QtiiW9&

my inimitable sea-foam plush bracket, with a handsome silk scarf in the beautiful tender shade trailing froni the centre with unstudied grace ; it forms a resting-place for a monster pawa shell. The art mode of po.ishir.g up the charms of faded upholsiery comes, as regards expenditure, within moderate means; the effects are so delightfully picturesque. The woman who would, not accord homage to the new home-beautifier comes under the category of artistic heretic, Virtually, dear, the monarchy of cretonne has fallen and the grand Republic of Art- muslin-has risen from its ruin. ' Tripping into Blanche's ancestral portals after church on Christmas morning to wish her the war- cry of the season, and refresh my cirooping spirits with a cup of her delicious tea, I found her in a great state of perturbation owing to an incident of the previous day, in which her precious olive-branch had enacted the role of enfant terrible. Tot— who, by-the-bye, is the one creature in life on whom the head of the household does not vent his grievances (this term is the masculine of x sulks, dear) —was entertaining her parents by a host of pretty tricks in the salon, where her father "espied the approach of visitors, and cautiously left the room with Tot. A duet of ancient mariners in the shape of dowagers with large families of 7 marriagable daughters were ushered in. Tea and cake were quickly resorted to as an antidote to ennui. In the midst of the uninebriating feast, Tot marched in. Blanche who claims the unhappy knack of never letting well alone, said, 'Tell papa Mrs is here, darling.' ' Pa's out,' replied the little one. ' No, dear, he is in the garden,' said her mother. 'He isn't though, 'tos he told me to det his hat, there was a batch of chatter- women in the drawing room.' Picture the tableau 1 We went to hear the ' Messiah ' on Friday night, performed by the members of the Choral Society. The oratorio— our Great Christmas anthem — was splendidly given. Needless to say, the hall was packed. You shall hear more on this subject next budget. Jack has promised to take us s to the races on New Year's Day, so look forward to three volumes of fashion shortly. Addio, dear. Your devoted cousin, Cassanera.

Mies Bluestocking sits in the public school, The holiday season is drawing nigh. And one would think her hands would be full, With keeping her ' pupils ' under her eye ; But that, oh ray ! Is all my eye ; For she's got the Observer Xmas number, And no thoughts of school her mind encumber.

LABIES' STREET DRESSES. — Mrs Black : Stylish costume of deep crimson cachemire; velvet bonnet en suite • tan gloves. — Mrs Olive : Recherche costume in a steely shade of grey ; pretty blaok bonnet, black kid gloves. — Miss Niccol : Pale pink cambric gown ; large straw hat, trimmed with lace and poppies ; Suede gloves. — Miss Walker : Silver-grey toilette, composed of soft, clinging material: Gem hat, garnished with cream ribbons ; Suede gloves. Miss Hamer : Dainty muslin toilette (wbite ground) covered with heliotrope design ; straw bonnet garnished with heliotrope ; Suede gloves. —Miss Binks : Pretty seal-brown dress, the corsage effectively garnished with velvet ; cream gera hat banded and trimmed with crimson ; tan gloves. ■ — Mrs Cobbett : Effective hair-striped costume' combining dark crimson, cream, and pale blue; high-crowned hat, with ribbon fixings ; tan gloves. —Miss Hughes: Grey beige gown, the jaunty jacket opening over a full vest of white striped silk ; Gem hat, garnished with ribbon ; tan kid gloves. v —Miss Williamson: Pretty cream skirt and draperies ; - deep crimson Garibaldois : rustic leg- , horn hat, daintily cascaded with lace ; Su&de gloves. —Miss Taylor : Fawn cachemire costume, the pretty tight-fitting jacket rolled back over, a cream silk waistcoat ; dark red velvet bopnet ; fawn gloves. Miss Buddie,: Stylish black gown; cream straw Granny, hat', lined with bkek velvet, a lovely white ostrich feather encircling the crown ; blaok gloves,, —Miss Julia Knight : Artistic gown, combining pale pink cambric with panellings of blue ana pink stripes ; stylish hat, lined ahd trimmed with pink lace ; Su6de gloves. - ' —Miss J. Britton looks charming in a gown of a delicate shade of Bea- foam cachemire ; short, tight-fitting jacket; white tulle hat, with Marguerite fixings : Suede gloves. —Mrs Armitage : Stylish grey, dress, costumed aia Directoire, the skirt finished with a handsome . slashing of black ribbon ; Sailor hat, banded and trimmed with cream ; Su^de gloves. . —Miss Buckland: Black cachemire dress; white Liberty -silk Garibaldois: full hat (black), its. garniture an\ exquisite/ group, of Marguerites,, bordered' by-grassesij/long tahglov.es./j^-y;;, y yS-'-F-'i*. 77 >isUi,&i-J£ i :^':-hJtV^-^:A<AA<^-:;A-l,A-<-Pv?AA- : ., ~?:.:£,-s.K>- -.?-'■*

—Miss. Yoiing (Remuera): Stylish costume of crushed strawberry carmelite, the draperies arranged in graceful folds ;= the ravissahte bonnet in crushed strawberry eatin ; and Suede gloves. —Mies Lyell wears a most entrancing toilette in a lovely shade of rose, tho corsage fitting to perfection; large cream straw hat, cascaded with lace; long Suede gloves; Dwarf parasol, in red silk. — Mrs Clarke : Creamy maize toilette, the corsage crossed with straps of rich brown plush; large straw chapeau, lined with the plush and wreathed with cream ostrich feathers; Suede gloves. — Mrs Everard : Handsome heliotrope costume, the tunic finished with revers of satin broche : a demi vest of the same rich fabric adorning the bodice; becoming bonnet, trimmed with check ribbon ; Suede gloves. — Miss Blandford : Dove-coloured gown, looped with effective grace ; a liberty silk blouse vest, honeycombed for the length of a hand from the neck; boat- shaped hat; tan gloves. (Themost stylish toilette of the week).

S-'o read and dream, my dainty miss, Your scholars count it purest bliss ; Read and dream, — would I were you, Sure of a tidy Government screw, _ Humoring* youngsters instead of fighting em, And enjoying jokes instead of writing 'em ! Billy the Fiddler. Land of Canin,' Xma3, 1883.