THE LADIES EDITED BY "CASSANDRA"

Observer, Volume 9, Issue 529, 9 February 1889, Page 4

THE LADIES EDITED BY "CASSANDRA"

GIRLS' GOSSIP. DEAR COZ,— We had the loveliest possible time at the Kegatta. The heat and sunshine were fairly intoxicating. The wind, it is true, hopped about in the most ridiculous way from one point of the compass to another, causing the girls to hold their heads on, so to speak, for the majority had those immense hats, which seem to ask to be blown oft". A good strong breeze has its advantages as well as its disadvantages. It is a splendid cosmetic. One never sees such shining eyes and exquisitely-tinted skin as when .Boreas tickle?, the cheek of beauty, and the ear of pride. The U.B.S. Rotornahana occupied the proud position of flagship, and a very merry as well as motley crowd assembled under the awning, covering the whole length of the line deck. Cap!;. Carey and his popular officers were most assiduous in their attentions. 1 had a long chat with the skipper, who is an especial y>3fc 01 mine. I have travelled several times under his care, and found him kindness itself. He seems a universal favourite. Smiles and hearty hand ■ clasps greeted him at every turn. We had a capital band on board (Hunter 1 ;-), which enlivened the waits with delicious bits of melody — tender and expressive, dreamy and invigorating. May fairly revelled in the races, her excitement being whetted by sundry irifiing bets in the shape of bon-bons and gloves. There were several smart gowns noticeable. One very pretty girl wore a lovely costume of seafoam cachemire supplemented by a white tulle hat. I wish I could describe her to you adequately A fair, pale, oval face, with large pu-y eyes shadowed by black lashes, ' glorious orbs put in with dirty fingers.' Hor silken hair curled in baby rings about her temples. Like Vivic-n's robe her gown expressed rather than hid the curves of her perfect figure, Her companoin was a tall handsome man. Miss White looked charming in cream Indian muslin, and one of those deiiciousiy becoming rustic hats wreathed with flowers. ' Mrs Clarke had a stylish symphony in ficelle lace and a ravishing hat clouded over with tulle. Miss Hammond, in an entire toilette 01 nun's veiling in the new colour called ' lie Ac yin, 1 was followed by many admiring glances. This carious shade which claims the advantage of novelty is neither mauve nor pink ; it may, indeed, better be described as pale magenta, though it is really more subdued in tone. Miss Fenton I thought very sweet in a dainty white muslin and coarse straw hat. One gentleman, who had condescended to honour the boatin<r carnival with his presence, interested me greatly as a specimen of gilded English manhood, consigned either by circumstances or his parents to the martyrdom of wasting his good breeding and large experience on half-civilised colonials. When he first engaged my attention he was ' going the lound of the ladies,' with an eye-glass screwed in his eye. Finding nothing worth dwelling upon, he assumed an air of boredom, and, turning to a fellow spirit of the masher persuasion, proceeded to inform everyone in his vicinity that England had yet another son for whom she has cause to blush, by disparaging first the racing, then the flag- ship, finally the manners and customs of colonials in general. ' Deuced boorish lot ; don't know a gentleman when they see one.' His companion (I intend to respect. dudes from henceforth) listened to his tirade with smiling attention, then quietly said, 'I have the honour of being a colonial ; may I beg of you to introduce me to a gentleman ?' Having fired this telling shot, he changed his seat and left the Londoner ruminating. I felt inclined to give him three times three. Blanche sent over on Wednesday to beseech our help in the unpacking of a huge trunk just received from her fairy godmother. Nothing loth to participate in the pleasure of unearthing pretty novelties, we postponed a shopping expedition mapped out for that afternoon, and were scon deep in bringing hosts of beautiful things to light. Such dresses ! Tea will positively turn green with envy when I describe them. First and foremost, a dinner dress was drawn from its tissue-paper shroud — an exceedingly lovely costume made of faille francaise in vieux rose. The train is made of jolain faille and the only trimming it has ore revers of velvet, a darker shade of the same colour. Thebodire is of the velvet, trimmed in an original way by two scarves of the faille, which edged with cream silk and silver fringe, come from each shoulder, cross in front, and after apparently crossing again at the back, fall in two ends from under the front of the pointed corsage. These ends are very handsome. A wide band of the velvet is placed between two narrow ones of cream and,, silver galon ; then a deep fringe of the same is added, so that they reach to the hem of the dress. The underskirt, that just peeps out between the ends is composed of creatn lhse embroidered with silver.' An Empire fan accompanies the millinerial poem, made of inchwide gauze ribbon in cream, laid across the fan, each row having a painted vine, and tiny flowers of natural colours mounted on slender sticks matching the gauze. A delicious muff was the Jisxt treasure hrought to light. This is made ur; with alternate rowd of dark rod ribbon and ' jnafcur-il beaver. !t\i'A tea gown of medieval styjp, with corset waist and full skirl, of six or seven widths, is exquisitely put together. The material is' a soft brocade of Russian groen with great puffed sleeves of white laf'e. The skirt is lifted on one side to disclose a p-stticaat of snowy lac-?. You would lose your heart irrevocably before thn fascinations of a rohr rlr p)'i))»c')i(idf in drab grey cloth, the high collar, cui'i's, and panels. The latter, inserted in the left-hand side of the skirt, . p-rc ci" pale blue velvet. All else in this dictionary of beasity pale be- ! fore an evening dress, whicn you too will think j lovely when I tell you abo"ut i:. Picture on I your mental canvas a train of rich crimson plush, set into the back in straight graceful folds. A front or jape of faint far away rose-coloured sill', clouded over with lace, which falls in

a cascade down the right- hand side. The bodice is plush, with rose lace sleeves. Worked into a huge fit of generosity by the munificence of the contents of her casket, Blanche presented May with one of the many walking dresse?, a ilireetoire coaf, of dark, invisible green, richly embroidered with dull gold, worn over a skirt of tan eiotn. A cozy wee box contained two dozon handkerchiefs, quite novel in style. In lieu of being plain squares of cobweb cambric, each corner is filled in with a tiny fan pleating. The effect, whon tucked into the glove pocket (all the newest hand-coverings are finished with a wee pocket) is very chic. The latest hair ornaments, which also found a place in the Pandora-liko collection, are fillets of ribbon, half wreaths of forget-me-nots, and other small ilowers, banding mc hair in two pointed, fillet-like rows. They are deliciously becoming. I have just read of a duet of appetising 'long dvinks.' What could be a more appropriate sub- i jeefc to dwell upon in this thirsty weather? Here they are: -First: W.ish the p<-df", of two largo oranges and three lemons ; remove the pips and out in slices ; place the sour and sweet in a Inrge jar or jug ; pour one pint and ahalf of boiling wale)' over, sweetening to taste. When cold, strain ; adrt a pint of port and half a pint of maraschino; a lump ot ieo muchly improves the beverage. Its fellow. ' Sherry Cobbler,' is a lovely thirst quencher. The manner of its being is simplicity personified. Take a spoonful of rough white sn;\>ir, three slicus of orange or Jr-uson* two wi-u^la^es of sherry. Fill up thn glass with r-:n«ll ciiips or shavings oil ice, and invite someone to m-i-isf; you in quailing it. Of course you know it is imbibed through a straw. I cannot re^t inirin i,ing you into the mysteries ot ' Pineapple Julpp,' df-ar, by way of an extra. Gut a laoio ripe pineapple, slice, ami lay it in a glass bowl or basin ; mil in the juice ol two lemon.?, a gill of raspberry syrup, tho same quantity of maraschino, a bottle of sparkling moselle, r-mi about a 'pound ol good ice in chips. Mix, and serve in champagne glasses. Lastly, in conclusion, let. me give you ' Floater,' a Ipsp expensive, and finite as delightful a 'long drink ' as any of its predeeepscrs. Mix together a gill of pale sherry, half a p.iil of noye-iu, one ounce of j lonf svga! , thr^e h-lioi'3 ol' lemon, a piece of ice, nnd a hc.u'.r- of iced sod:; water. Adclio, clear.— Your devoted Cassanj/Ka. I LAiUK.s' STi::.!: r j' !>!a:ss:-:s. i i j | — Mi-3 I-'rieit : B^corai-ie hl^e costume ; Gem hat with ci'SHiii iixingri ; Sue:le gloved. — Miss Hushes : White lawn costume ; Gem hat with ribbon g.irhiiure ; fc'uode gloves. — Miss Wright: Pretty i-i'ver-grcy cosiumc : large hat inruraed with tullo and ribhoii ; Suede gloves. — Miss Cnshel : Charming pile pink <_-ambri° j gown; Gem hat trimmed with nbbon ; Sue tie gloves. j — Mi.'^s Coii'ey : Sea-foam cachemire gown ; cream Garabaldoi^ ; large hat trimmed with tulle ; sill; gloves. j — Mis?, Hull : P.\lo. pink cambric sown, eliiirmingly draped : fancy si raw hat g.'v.-mYned with cream ; Suede gloves. — Miss ITiilklay : Daint7 whitn co='.urnp : j .large hat-, effectively garnished with lace and flowers ; Suede gloves. — Miss William;; (Mount Edf-i:) : PvoHy Mur and while cambric costume; Com h:it trimmed with white : Suede gloves. — Miss Craif.; : Paso bine oiohemirp skirt ; j cream porsapc : krge hit cascaded with lc.ee ; Suede glover, ; cream parasol. — Miss Wnlnutfc (Ponsonby) : Stylish white costume ; tall hat garnished with tulle and Marguerites ; Suede gloves. --Miss M. Puekey : White Indian muslin toilette, the jacket opening over a blouse of pale pink ; Gem hat trimmed with ribbon ; Suede gloves. — Mrs Dr. Lewis: Handsome black lace costume ; black tulle hat, picturesquely enlivened by vivid crimson poppies ; black kid gloves ; satin parasol. — Mrs MeCo^h Clark: Effective toilette in [ vieux rose cachemire, relieved by soft creamy | lace ; stylish chapeau combining the dual tints ; ! Suede gloves. — Mrs Gardner: Richly embroidered white toilette ; tulle hat, the eiiec* of the snowy folds \ enhanced by a bow of faint coral pink : long Suede gloves. — Miss Buchanan wears a charmingly-draped silver-grey dress ; dainty white Garibaldois ; larce hat trimmed, with tulle and Marguerites ; / white silk glove?. —Mir,^ Hesketh : Pretty hlv.e pawn ; wftllfitt.ing white bod !cg ; white* Gem' hat, handed and trimmed with the same lovely colour as tho dress ; long silk gloves. — Mis? Kfiid : Stylish grey costume, the r-kirt finished with p.- panel exquisitely "rrtbraidsred in grey and white Marguerites; Suede gloves; pretty black hat trimmed with grey. — Miss Taylor: Pale blue cam brie gown, beautifully embroidp.rer? in white Indian work ; white tulle hat,, the filmy folds cau;;ht on one side by a careless cluster 01 oat? ; Suede gloves. ---Mrs Olive (Capt.) : Handsome black surah toilette, the back draperies and vent formed of watered sill:; white bonnet, with tulle and ribbon fixings; tan gloves; black and white check parasol. — Miss Blades' grown ot pretty pale salmon caehernire, costumed with long, classical draperies, is the most charming toilette of the week ; the accompaniment; of pimple, stylish chapeau and well-fitting gloves complete the eleg&nt^tout cititrmhla. —Mrs Arraifage: Exceptionally stylish costume of black and grey check material, the skirt slashed from the' waist with handsome black ribbon, the. corsage fitting to perfection ; Gem hat, banded and trimmed with ribbon ; Suede gloves.