A LADY'S LETTER FROM LONDON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5023, 9 June 1884, Page 3

A LADY'S LETTER FROM LONDON.

[By Elise.] [Specially written for the " Star." FEMININE FACTS, FANCIES, AND FRIVOLITIES. I. CONVENTIONAL MOURNING. Dear Mi Editor, — I hope I shall not shock you very much if I let your readers know in confidence that some of us are getting just a wee bit tired of the fuss people still persist in making over the death of the poor dear Duke of Albany. Fancy having to go into mourning at the very commencement of summer for six weeks. It seems too dreadful. A friend of mine, a charming woman, but sadly independent, declares nothing shall induce her to make herself uncomfortable for so long, and that she means to dress'as usual next week. Of course nothing can come of her resolve unless some ill - natured friend tells the Court officials, but it is certainly running a risk. Ladies in society who disregarded the Queen's injunctions about wearing mourning for the Prince Consort, were struck off the Lord Chamberlain's list and debarred from attending all Court balls, State concerts and drawing-rooms for three seasons afterwards. This, I can assure you, is a very serious punishment. It means social annihilation for the time being, as people do not care to be seen in your company lest they too should incur Royal displeasure. The Queen does not insist upon crape, even her ladies-in-waiting are relieved from this infliction, but she requires that the period of mourning shall be strictly observed. As John Brown used to say, " When Her Majesty mourns, she mourns." Truth Temarks, perhaps a little illnaturedly, that the Queen seems to take a morbid pleasure in ceremonies of a mournful nature, and to almost revel in all the undertaker's details as to coffins, services, graveß and monuments. Certainly she seldoms seems as active and vigorous as when superintending something of the kind. The Princess of Wales on the other hand has a womanly horror of death-trappings and crape. The mourning dresses provided for the Princesses Louise, Victoria, and Maude, are of plum black vicagna absolutely untrimmed, save with pleatings of the same material. The skirts have alternate wide pleats and rows of narrow ones half way up. The bodices have short pleated tunics attached to them which fall over the upper part of the skirts to meet these lower pleats on the skirts. Nothing could be simpler or neater. They wore these at the Chapel Royal on the Sunday after their uncle's death to the amazement | of the congregation, who fully expect to see them deluged in crape. j SPRING DRESSES. I notice that most of the spring dresses ' are being made with waistcoats, and in J lieu of buttons many are fastened with j buckles. For evening a novel idea is a waistcoat made entirely of flowers, and for day wear another of Russian leather. Pinked-out flounces of the material, and rows of ribbon velvet are used for trimming on skirts, though plain panels and fronts of the figured material united to the rest of the skirt by long looped bows is a style which obtains and needs but little other trimming. Skirts are draped at the back, but not bunched up, and the ungraceful puffings so trying to the figure have almost gone out. A lady, who possesses great taste, and occasionally writes a fashion article for Cassell's, thinks that tailor-made stuff dresses, with broad boxplaits from waist to hem, will be fashionable ; the tunic pointed in front, and just arranged in a double drapery at the back ; the pointed bodice having a narrow basque at the back, and a Tudor collar, viz., a wide straight band with corners turned down in front. Another well-arranged dress, she describes, has a velvet plaited front breadth and waistcoat; over it a red redingote cut as jacket bodice, loose, and j only fastened with a strap four inches below the neck. Under tho short pointed j basque at the side is a side piece braided ; across in close set rows of three, a button j heading each row; this meets the back, which has double draperies over a knifeplaiting all in cloth. NEW PICTURES. " Studio Sunday " (which means the day on which artists of note invite their friends to inspect the works they are about to send into the exhibitions at the Royal Academy and the Grosvenor) is over, and in a day or two the scramble for •' private view " tickets will exercise all well-regulated minds. The pictures of the year seem likely to be Alma Tadema's wonderful representation of an old English pottery at the time the Romans were ruling the country, and Luke Filde's picture of a hot summer afternoon on . the Grand Canal at Venice. Millais will, as usual, contribute two or three portraits, and Boughton has idealised Mary Anderson almost as successfully as Mrs Jopling did Ellen Terry. The most interesting picture I have seen so far is Herkomer's pathetic " Emigrants' Home at Castle Garden, New York," a startling revelation of the trials and hardships which the countless polyglot emigrants endure who are shot ashore daily into this dank and niirky refuge. We see, of course, only a corner of the big building, but into it are crowded quite a gallery of story-telling figures. One little group especially went to my heart. On the floor, with her head supported by a dirty bundle, lies a young wife with a baby at her breast, and evidently sick unto death. Beside her kneels the husband, a comely German, who tries to persuade her to drink some untempting mixture which he has just made in a pannikin. Round about their young children are playing. There is a world of weariness in the wife's eyes, and, but for the children, she would evidently welcome death as a release. Her husband, on the contrary, is scared, principally at the prospect of her illness continuing, and clearly has no notion how serious the case may become. WINES. Tom is busy refurnishing our wiue-cellar, principally with vintages of ISSO, which are turning out unusually fine. Last night we had some Moet and Chandon "Brut Imperial" of this year, and I liked it exceedingly. Of course you must go to a reliable wine merchant, and be sure to secure the "premier cru" or first crushing. By far the greater part of the champagnes sold under the famous labels' of Poniuiery, Moet, Miunm, Giesler, Wachter, &c, is third-class Vouvray or Moselle. Only the other day the proprietor of a famous Parisian restaurant was prosecuted by Jules Mumm, who proved that the proprietor served a detestable compound containing petroleum as "Jules Mumm and Go.'s champagne," the waiters being instructed to satisfy doubtful customers by " ringing in " (i.e., rapidly substituting) one of Mumm's genuine corks directly the wine was opened. A ROYAL DRESS. At Madame Derby's the other day, I saw apiece of the dress made for the Queen to appear in at her granddaughter's wedding at Darmstadt. It is of silver and black moire, most costly and rich, made very plainly, but of such material as to depend on itself alone for beauty. The train is lined with grey satin, and the whole costume, decorated with the. various orders and diamonds which Her Majesty usually wears on such occasions, would have been most effective. Of course it trill not be worn now, at any rate for a time. rnOTOS WORTH GETTING. Whenever you want a large photo of the Queen be sure to send for the one taken of her two years ago in full drawing-room robes with the Orders of the Garter, Victoria and Albert, &c, fully displayed, and the famous Koh-i-noor diamond iv a brooch. The front of the dress is covered with lace, old, exquisite, and absolutely

(priceless, and it has photographed so well that you can with ease see the whale I design. This photo and a similar one of the Princess of Wales should be in every