NAPIER.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VI, Issue 36, 6 September 1890, Page 12

NAPIER.

Dear Bee, August 29. Everything is, and lias been for some time past, as quiet as ean be. 1 think the reason must be that very few, and, indeed, none of the folks with the ‘gilded lore,’ entertain, with the exception, indeed, of Mrs Ormond, who is always ready to give pleasure to others. By-the-bye I must not forget to tell you how Sydney Hoben, our very own musician from the Royal Conservatorium of Germany, is getting on with us.' Well, he is simply being lionized, and people from all parts of the town and country, of all ages and of all sizes, have at last found out what a decided taste they have for music, and how necessary it is that they should encourage that taste byhaving lessons, even if they have to go without a new gown or bonnet. The number of teas, too, that there have been in the afternoons lately would surprise you, but of course they are necessary- evils, for, ‘ you know, dear, we must entertain Mr Hoben in some way or another. Everyone else has done so, and you do get so friendly over afternoon tea.’ The third dance of the Cinderella series has come off, and was, I think, r ather better than any of the others. The honours of the evening were,in myopinion, divided between Mrs Click Burke and M iss Hewson. Mrs Burke wore the same gown as at the last Cinderella. It was a bright pink silk skirt covered with pink tulle, and pink silk body to match. Miss Hewson wore a pretty heliotrope silk ; Mrs Failfax Fenwick also wore heliotrope, the front of which was covered with gold spangles. Miss Nevill, I think, was the only other lady in heliotrope. Mrs Logan looked decidedly pretty in black ; and Miss Spense, a lady visitor from Dunedin, wore pink Liberty veiling. Mrs Tabuteau looked very well in a handsome robe of dark green velvet relieved by a front of primrose yellow silk. I noticed Miss Taylor, too, in a pretty new pink silk striped gown and Miss Beamish in white net and white satin shoes. Miss VnaHitching*, fresh from the Empire city, was, of course, very stylish in a blue frock trimmed with narrow pink ribbon. A great many of the fair sex arc doing their hair Mary Anderson style. It is very becoming to a pretty face, but poor, plain me—l nerer could aspire to such a fashion. I think 1 have told you about most of the best dresses in the room. Few of the ladies had gone to the trouble of preparing new gowns for this dance, as, I suppose, everyone intends ‘lying low,' as the expression is, for the next, which is to be the best of the season, ami is to be held in the Theatre on a much grander scale than any of the preceding ones. A great disappointment to many of us theatre-going people has been the postponement of I’lanquette’s favourite opera ‘ Rip Van Winkle,' in consequence of Mr F. Kennedy having been ordered away to Wellington to appear before the Commissioner on Duinmyism. Never mind! when it does come off 1 shall let you know all about it, and shall take care to notice all the different dresses, too ;so bewaie, ladies of Napier, and look your best. Just fancy, there are seventeen engagements in Hawke's Bay at the present time. The latest has taken us all by surprise, being quite unexpected. The lady is a daughter of an ex-member of the Assembly, and the gentleman the well-known ami popular manager of the railway. We are to have a wedding at the end of this month, and I think it

ought to be a pretty one.

Becky Sharpe