GARDEN PARTY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3108, 5 February 1909, Page 4

GARDEN PARTY.

A MOST ENJOYAfifiE AFFAIfi. There was an attendance of ovei* three hundred people in the charming grounds of Mr and Mrs H. T. Woods' private residence, Victuria street, yesterday afternoon, when a Garden Party was held in aid of the Knox Church Organ Fund. The garden and its environs were looking a perfect; picture, summer blooms and beautiful shrubbery and fern presenting an inviting appearance, and as there were over two hundred ladies at the gathering arrayed in summer finery, the party comprised an altogether bright and attractive spectacle. Many very dainty costumes were worn, the day being so favourable for the donning of typical summer apparel. The feature of the function was a May Queen coronation and a Maypole Dance. Mrs Kendal had tutored about thirty children in singing and dancing, the characters taken by the tiny folk including pages, elfoes, sailors, maids of honour, butterflies and flowerp, and very pretty they all looked. Miss Albertba Scott, was a moat appropriate Queen of May, as. she possesses probably the best head of beautiful hair of any girl of her ase in the district, and this feature of the "Queen" caused considerable interest. The "crowning" ceremony was carried out with much pomp, Master Roy Harris singing "I Am the Captain of the Band;" and Miss Dorothy Cork "A Call to the Flowers." The dancing was admiraoly executed, and Mrs Kendal deserves special mention for the pains ahe took in arranging the affair. The stalls were numerous, and didr* an excellent business, the following being in charge:—Fishing we'J, Miss Hogg; fancy stall, Miss Reynolds; arts and crafts stall, Mrs Wood and Misses Wingate and B. McLachlan; refreshments and afternoon tea, Meadames Scrivener and Thompson; sweets stal 1 , Misses McKenzie, Miller and McLachlan; flower stall,. Miss McXenzie; produce stall. Misses L. lorns and Smith;. Among those who worked especially hard were Mesdamea Wood,. Scrivtner, and Thompson, and Mr Wood, to whom a large measure of the success of the gathering must be attri-% buted. ' \

An orchestra composed of Messrs Reihana Boyes, Mcintosh, ana McLeod, played on the lawn, during the day,, and also assisted in trie Maypole • and May Queen ceremonial.

A number of competitions, some of p highly diverting nature, were held during the day, in which substantial prizes were offered. The sum of nearly £l4 was taken at the gates alone, and to this will be added the amounts taken at the stalls, which means that the organ fund will benefit to a very appreciable extent. There is no doubt the choir, and church members \ are under a deep debt of gratitude to Mr and Mrs Wood for placing their convenient, spacious and beautiful grounds at the disposal of the church,, and also for personally working so assiduously at the function. Yesterday's party was one of the most enjoyable ever held in Masterton. Among the visitors were the Rev. J. if. Patterson, of Wellington, Mo 1erator of the Presbyterian Assembly, and the Kev. L. Thompson, vf Carterton.