FIVE O’CLOCK TEA CHAT.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume V, Issue 41, 11 October 1890, Page 15

FIVE O’CLOCK TEA CHAT.

hADYS; ‘I notice that some people at home say Queen treats sorrow as almost a “culte. ” Certainly it is quite a religious duty with Iler Majesty to pay the final tribute to a H associated with her in her daily life, and I the strain upon her nerves is greater every L > year, as the Queen is so extremely sensitive and sympathetic. The visit to Lady Ely’s resting *' place at Kensal green affected Her Majesty keenly, but it is not the Queen’s way. despite her great age and the sneers of those who know nothing of the condition of her health, to spare herself if duty or affection makes demands upon her. I do wish, though, that someone would persuade the Queen to abandon the ugly wreaths of yellow ami white immortelles for which she has such a /n-nrhunt. Of course they aie always described with conventional courtesy as beautiful, but they are really anything but lovely, except in sentiment, but Her Majesty is so conservative in such matters that I fear she w ill neverget beyond the compromise of accompanying the immortelles and mitigating their formal hideousness by a posy of flowers.* Vera : 4 The craze tor Howers that has been increasing with each season has this year become a perfect passion. I hear that the florists’ 44 little accounts” for tai.le ami other decorat ions supplied during the season to the givers of smar t parties are of startling proportions, despite the fact that the artistic florists utilise the very commonest field-grasses and wayside blossoms for decorative purposes. It is perfectly marvellous to note the perfection to which the art of arrang ing even the simplest flowers has been brought, ami some dainty ideas are to be gleaned by those who keep their eyes ami ears open for out-door entertainment. For instance, a tennis-net. on the occasion of a tournament, might be made artistic and lovely by deft lingers with trailing sprays of greenery, brightened l»y gay flowers. In tbe'autumn, poppies and ears of corn could be used.’ Dolly : 4 T always think it such a loss in New Zealand not to have those charming English wild flowers growing on each side of the country lanes. Why, in one walk in Yorkshire we gathered ninety-two distinct specimens without leaving the road,' Stella : 4 Ah, well ! we shall make up for it this year by the art displayed in the ladies' floral bonnets.' Gladys: 4 Talking of art reminds me that Madame Christine Nilsson, now Countess de CasaMiranda, had a narrow escape in Paris lately. She was getting into the train for Lucerne at the Eastern Railway station when, says the report, her foot slipped. She fell and one of her legs was caught between the step of the carriage and the platform. She had to give up her journey and return to her residence in the Rue Clement-Marot. I'he doctors found that the Countess’s injured limb had been sprained only by the accident, but for some time she will not be able to walk.'

Vera: ‘An English paper says : “People are going mad over that wonderful book 4 The Diary of Marie Bashkirt sell',' translated into English by Mathilde Blind, and in some parts of America it has had quite a morbid effect on many of the girls, owing 1 suppose to the super-sensitive nature of American women generally. It is certainly a wonderful book, ami the opinions it gives rise to aic almost as wonderful in their way. Some sternly practical folk say it is morbid and sentimental rubbish that ought never to have been written, still less published. It is certainly the outcome of the nineteenth, or rather the twentieth,, century.”’ Gladys : 4 It is a most curious product ion, but quite worth reading, I think, though, for my part. 1 do not much care for that self-analysis of which some people are so fond.' Dolly: 4 To come down to practical subjects, I will tell you a good story I heard anent a recent Christchurch marriage. 11 was overheard in the hall tin' night before the weddirig. The happy bridegroom was bidding his bi ideelect good-night, ami softly whispered — 44 To-morrow, darling, we begin our journey as bride ami bridegroom, pilgrims of life together ; hand in hand we w ill journey a down life's rugged road.” “ I I oh, yes, to be sure ; only, I really am so worried about the train of my dress. It didn't hang one bit nicely to day w hen I tried the dress on, and I'd die with mortification if it hung so at tin' wedding to-morrow’. Go on with w hat you were saying, dear ' Stella: 4 Horrid thing! what an unsympathetic wife she will make ! Do any of you know, hy-the-bye, how many wives the Sultan has?’ Gladys: 4 Certainly not.' Stella: 4 Well, he is a much married man. \ <initi/ I'nir says he lias five first-class wives— raluhx— twenty four second-class morganatic wives, and some 250 third-class partners in his joys and sorrows, variously described as “favourites’’ ami “slaves.” Every year it was the custom of his mother to present him with some rare specimen of Georgian beauty to add to his palace of fair ami dark women ; but this year bis aunt, the Sultana Adile, has had to pei form the delicate office, the Imperial mother having joined the liouri in Paradise. The earc and attendance of the Sultan's female establishments require tin* services of 6,000 poisons, w ho are said to lie the only pie in Turkey who receive their full pay with regularity.' Dolly: 4 That is one way of providing for the surplus female population. I wonder if women were in Parliament what laws they would make limiting man's influence in tin* futuie, as women have had theirs curtailed in the past.’ Vera: 4 I think that women have quite as much as is good ami proper for them. At a recent election a candidate lost thirteen votes through making a lash promise to his wife. He had piomised that, in the event of bis election, lie would buy her a sealskin cloak and a pair of nav\ blue stockings, ami she could not rest until she had told tbiileen lady friends all about it. I’lie ladies expr<*s><‘d t lirmsrh e> as “ awfully glad to hear it, but tliieatencd their liusbands if they daied to vote for t his pai t icular candidate. “ That old cat would look nice in a sealskin cloak and nav\ blue st«M‘kings, wouldn't she?” is tin* way t bey expressed them selves in speaking of the candidate's wife. Who says that women have no political influence ?'