THE WEEK IN WELLINGTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 11937, 26 March 1914, Page 2

THE WEEK IN WELLINGTON.

(By MRS MALCOLM ROSS.)

March. 23rd. About People. Mrs- find Miss Each, of Sydney, are staying with Mrs Eichebaum, Mrs Rich's cousin, xho Hon. A. L. Herdman and Mrs Herd man are back from Otago, and left to -night for Rotorua. AHss Winnie Miles has returned from Christchurch. Mrs Wall, of Wanganui, is visiting' her mother, Mrs Barnicoat. Lady Ward arrived with Sir Joseph and Mrs B. B. Wood on Tuesday. Mrs Wood returned to Christchurch to-day. Mr H. W. Lever, Mrs Lever, and the Misses Lever left on Thursday for Australia and Loudon. Miss Kay Moeller, of Napier, and Miss .Doris Hermann, of Christchurch, are staying witn Mrs Gordon Reid. Mrs Vivian Riddiford and her mother, Mrs Thorne George, who has been staying with her, have gone to Rotorua. Mrs j Crosbic, of Auckland, and Dr and Mrs Reeve, of Gisbome, have been guests to .'Dr and Mrs young this last week. Misses Gladys and Sybil Nathan are staying in Dunedin. Miss Margaret Knox has gone to visit friends in Auckland. Miss Sybil Abraham, of Pulmorston North, is a guest of Dr and Mrs Collins. Mrs D. C. Peacock has gone to Auckland, and Mrs Jamison has also left for Auckland, where she stays with her daughter, Mrs •! . C. Burns. Mrs Gillies and Miss Speed left on Monday night for Picton, having got news of tuc sudden death of their sister, Mrs McNab. Mr and Mrs W*. J. .Ross, of I'almerston North, have been' visiting Wellington. Mr and Mrs K. \V. Baillie, who have been in Wellington, have returned to Martinborough. Dr and the Misses Reman, of Napier, went south, oil Tuesday. General and Mrs Godley returned from Christchurch on. Wednesday. Dr and Mrs Gilray, who have been in Dunedin, arrived hero last .Friday. Mrs W. A. Kennedy has returned from Wanganui. With her are Dr and Mrs Alex. Wilson, 1 who leave on Friday for London via Vancouver. Mrs Hasclden, of Taihapc, and Mrs Harold Cooper, of i'almerston North, were in town last week. Sir John Findlay has taken Professor and Mrs Ran kino Brown's house on Aurora Terrace. Professor and Mrs Brown are going into rooms in Grant Road. Lady Stout is back from the south. Mrs Mac Arthur left on Friday for some months in Rotorua. Mr and Mrs Gyles, and Mr Gyles junr., are leaving next Friday for England. Miss S. Wigg, of Hawke's Bay, is staying with her parents, Mr and Mrs F. K. de Castro, Wellington. Mrs and Miss Elliott, of Masterton, Mrs Nantes, Napier, and Mrs Ching, Napier, were visiting Wellington last week. Mrs A. P. Rawson, of Masterton, was a passenger to Sydney by the Willochra last Friday. By the same boat the members of "Within the Law" Company left for Sydney. Mr and Mrs Meadowerol't, and Miss Meadowcroft, went to Sydney on. Friday en route for London . The Girl with the Cue. Some most interesting exhibitions of billiards have been given by Miss Ruby Roberts this week", in Messrs Alcock 's rooms and. at the Federal Club. Invitations were 1 , sent out, and the many women who went were much engrossed, and interested. .After seeing Miss Roberts, and noticing how, the fascinating game shows off a pretty figure, gleaming hair, and beautiful hands and arms, billiards should become quite fashionable. But it does much more than that, ft is claimed for it that it keeps the figure slender and supple, b\ r the. constant change of attitude and the exercise, for a delicate girl who is worn out by a walk of a mile or two will walk miles round a. billiard table, and forget she is exercising herself. Besides, the delicacy of touch needed is essentially feminine, and so is—though one cannot exyect men to agree —the patience and perseverance that go to make a good player. Miss Ruby Roberts is no relation of the well-known billiardist, Roberts, though she has toured with him. She is ft mere girl, fresh faced, but with a charming purposeful gravity and keen eye, and her pretty hair is golden and rippled, and dressed with much simplicity. Her plain black gown of crepe de chine had short sleeves, above the elbow, and lowcut neck, with dainty muslin eulfs.and collars, and. from her belt hung her chalk. She plays with both hands, and with much grace and skill, and though she reached no big breaks, she defeated every opponent'easily. Afternoon tea. was served in Alcock 's rooms mid-way in the play. * -f * < Lady Ward's Reception. ( This was to have been held when Lady Ward returned with Sir Joseph from London last, year, the hostesses being the members of the Women 's Social and Political League, but the industrial strife intervened, and it was postponed until last week. The concert room of the Town Hall was used, and the corridors for supper. The laiger proportion of the audience were women—as was only to be expected— but I noticed Sir John Findlay with Lady Findlay, Mr Dyer, Mr and Mrs Lovvy, while later on the hall was fairly full, and after supper the guests danced merrily, Sir Joseph and Lady Ward, and Sir John Findlay and Lady Findlay, dancing the first waltz. The guest of the evening looked really charming, in a graceful gown of blue charmeuse over frills of white lace, the lace forming little paniers and composing the pretty bodice whoso wing-like sleeves were bordered with diamante. Beautiful pearl and diamond ornaments were worn. Mrs B. B. Wood —Miss Ward 7iot so long ago —wore white satin, the skirt much draped and ending in- a little pointed train, the bodice all lace and ninon, with a blue sash and a large pink rose at the waist —a most picturesque frock. The two men speakers were Sir Joseph Ward, whose remarks on finance, considering his audience, were rather malapropos, and Mr [ (Continued on Pace a.)

Wilford, who referred, an equally injudicious allusiou, to the curs and cowards who, on last election night, followed Sir Joseph and Lady Ward to the gates of Awarua House. It was generally recognised that this regrettable incident had no political significance, and was the outeomo of a set of half-drunken hoodlums and half-grown boys who had lost their heads. It was thought Mr Atmore would Spoak, but though he cauio iv later, hc<ndid not mount tho platform. » . * "' * * St. Patrick's Concert. A w.iiiderful audience filed the Tow,n Hall on St. Patrick's night, every seat being occupied, and hundreds were content to stand. The programme was long, and every item ay.is encored, ami before the first half was finished it was after ton o'clock. Of course, Dufault was the star, and he sang as if he was inspired, although he was so tired that he had to walk up and down behind the stage to keep himsalf awake. But he was generously splendid, and thrilled the great audience, which rose to a. pitch of wild enthusiasm. We have never had anyone able to sway his hearers like this picturesque Canadian tenor. The rest of the programme was good, but after Mr Dufault's second cluster of songs, the benches emptied, and the last few items were given to a scanty audience. Trains and trams had to be. considered, and. it was extremely late before the concert came to a close. Sir Joseph Ward read the patriotic, speech that the weather prevented his giving in the afternoon, but the. reading of it lobbed it of spontaneity. A few heartfelt, earnest words, such as he can so well speak, would have been better. * * * * The Tango. This has been figuring at the King's Theatre, v long film, illustrating two American exponents giving the various figures, the teacher and the pupil, both as a beginner and an expert. It was quite charming and interesting, especially to the accompaniment of the gay rag-time music The King's Orchestra, is quite above the' ordinary. The girl wears no extraordinary frock, merely a white ninon with narrow fur borders, a glimpse of white frills beneath, but the pupils pin up their skirts, and go through the complicated steps with most comical movements of their slim black legs, to the huge amusement of the audience. The exhibition tango is danced on a roof-garden in i\ew York, and the setting is very charnii ntr.