DUNEDIN

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VII, Issue 7, 14 February 1891, Page 10

DUNEDIN

Dear Bee, January 29. From the suburbs come the report of two weddings, one at North Wairo, the other at Waitahuna. The first bride was Miss Frew, the eldest daughter of Mr D. Frew, a well-known resident of North Wairo, the bridegroom being Mr Charles Stevens, third son of the late Mr George Stevens, of Gummie’s Bush, and nephew of Captain Stevens, of Beaumont Station, Southland. . Guests from far and near began to appear at the appointed hour, and the house of the bride’s parents, where the wedding took place, presented a gay scene. The Rev. S. B. Fellows, Wesleyan minister of Riverton, performed the ceremony. The bride looked charming in a pietty white embroidered Indian muslin dress, with the usual veil and wreath. She carried a beautiful bouquet of cream roses and jasmine. The bridesmaids were Miss Mary Frew, sister of the bride, who looked exceedingly well in pale blue cashmere ; Miss Bertha Stevens, sister of the bridegroom, who looked very nice in fawn with darker facings ; Miss Jane Frew, also a sister of the bride, in white. Mr Robert Stevens acted as groomsman. There was a numerous party of guests, and some pretty dresses worn. The ceremony over, from forty-five to fifty sat down to a sumptuous repast. The usual toasts were given and responded to, and a little later on the happy pair left amid showers of rice and good wishes for Winton, a drive of twenty-five miles, to take train to the Bluff, to take the Manapouri to Melbourne, where they are to spend their honeymoon. The bride’s travelling dress was a stylish navy blue silk. A very enjoyable dance was held in honour of the event, and the morning light saw the guests departing on long drives home. The marriage of Miss Williamson, of Waitahuna, to Mr John Patterson, of Milburn, came off the next week. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. McSkinner at the residence of the bride’s father. The bride wore a beautiful dress of cream beige, trimmed with broche satin and ribbon, and very nice she looked. Her only ornaments were a gold heart-shaped biooch, the gift of the bridegroom, and a lovely bouquet of white flowers. Miss Isabel Williamson, bridesmaid, wore cream nun’s veiling tastefully trimmed with ribbon to match, a knot of ribbon fastened at the throat by a handsome’gold brooch, also the gift of the bridegroom. On the conclusion of the ceremony the guests hastened to offer their congratulations to the bride. Miss Jessie Williamson wore a Sretty pink cambric; Miss M. A. Williamson, pale blue; Mrs Iruce, a handsome dark green dress; Mrs Waters, black cashmere with steel trimming; Miss Patterson also wore black richly trimmed with lace ; Mrs Williamson (Milburn), black dress trimmed with brochc satin. In the evening the bride and bridegroom took their departure for their new home accompanied by the usual shower of rice and good wishes of their friends. The bride’s travelling dress was of navy blue cloth with vest, collar, and cuffs of cream plush. The wedding presents were numerous, and some of them very costly. You will in your Wellington letter receive an account of Mr Larnach’s wedding, which our Dunedin readers will naturally read with interest, as Mr Larnach has been long and well known heie, and * Larnach’s Castle,’ that lovely residence away on the Portobella hills, one of the show mansions of Otago.

Our Otago cricketers returned all glowing with their victory over Canterbury. They were met at the station by the Mayor and quite a number of citizens, among whom were Messrs J. Rattray, J. I*. Maitland, R. Chisholm, J. H. Hosking, J. C. Marshall, James Allan, W. Dymock, W. A. Buller, J. P. Spring, D. Stronach, D. L. Austin, T. Kerr (secretary of the Amateur Athletic), Drs. Batchelor, Jeffcoat, Burns, Maunsell, the officers of the Cricketers' Association, and the representative cricketers of Dunedin. Such is fame ! If they had been defeated a desolate emptiness of platform would have greeted them, with the exception of those few faithful frienus that always turn up when one is discomforted and tell you they • told you so,’ and letters of advice would have appeared in the papers pointing out just where the reason of the failure lay. As it was, the Mayor congratulated the team on their victory, and held them up as an example to the youth of Dunedin. Mr W. H. Taggart sent a drag to meet them, and they were conveyed to Wain’s Hotel, where a glorious supper awaited them, and to which about seventy gentlemen sat down. The mothers, wives, and sisters remained at home, of course, or rather went home after watching their triumphant men folk alight from the train and in a sulslued state of excitement sat up till—what time was it?—to receive them. Mr Baker was presented with the bat he well deserved to get or his brilliant batting. They snoke in high terms of the ourtesy and hospitality shown them by Canterbury.

Did you remember that it was Burns’ birthday on Sunday, or rather the anniversary ? We remembered it, and a dinner to commemorate it was held in the Shamrock Hotel, attended by about eighty of his countrymen and admirers. Mr Arthur J. Burns, the grandson of the poet’s brother, resides in Dunedin, and he occupied the chair. Mr Simon McDonald was vicechairman. Dr. Stenhouse and the Mayor (Mr J. Carrol) sat on the right and left. Dr. Stewart, who would have been one of the most welcome guests (as he always is everywhere), sent an apology through indifferent health. A number of Scotch songs and recitations enlivened the evening. The trio, ‘ Willie Brewed a Peck of Maut,’ was given by’ Messrs Torrance, Francis, and Robertson ; Mr R. C. Torrance sang ‘ Afton Water;’ J. Muir, * Duncan Grey ;’ A. Bain, * Fora' That ’ and‘ Rantin Robin ;’ R. Hume, ‘Mary Morrison ;’ J. Robinson, ‘ Scots wha’ hae’; W. Morrison, ‘Battle of Stirling ’; R. Francis, ‘ John Grand jr ’ and ‘ The laird o’ Cockpen ’ ; A. Sligo, Cornriggs, and Davis, ‘ The Old Musketeer.’ Recitations were given by Messrs Sligo, ‘The Music of the Bagpipes ’ ; D. M’Pherson, ‘ Tam o’ Shanter ’; John Gillies, ‘ Advice to Young Men ’; J. Brown, ‘ Address to a Haggis ’; Dr. Jeffcoat also recited ‘ Pipers Adair ’; and Grey played the airs ‘ Cornriggs are bonnie ’ and ‘ Burns’ Farewell.’ Mr H. Martin contributed a banjo and Mr Ogg a violin solo. Mr Simmonds presided at the piano. ‘ Auld Lang Syne ’ concluded the proceedings at 1.30 a.m. Miss Morris with her garden party, and Mrs Reynolds with her afternoon tea picnic, have been varying the monotony a little. The destination was the Waterfalls. Mrs Cutten has given another of hei delightful garden parties. You meet the same people everywhere, among whom are the names of Sise, Reynolds, Denniston, Dymock, Sievwright, Gibson, Rattray, Lindo, Ferguson, Maunsell, Mills, McKenzie, Miche, Williams, with a few strangers. Miss Reader has been here from Wellington, and present at dance and party. Mrs Van Lenden from Sydney, also Miss Blackhouse, and Miss Debbs from Sydney ; Miss Tolhurst from Melbourne. The weather is fine, but more like spring than summer, showers being very plentiful, and everywhere the grass is beautifully green. Picnics are the order of the day, and conveyances in plenty are seen to and from the Waterfalls. The St Clair baths are much patronised, and every day slim maids, and matrons not slim, may be seen indulging in the luxury both of the hot and cold water. I was reading that it is the fashion at the home fashionable sea-side resorts for many ladies to don the most attractive of bathing costumes of tights and blouses, finished off with collar and cuffs, and not go into the sea at all, simply to 101 l about on the sand, and run about on the beach displaying themselves. I wonder where woman’s vanity and exaggeration will stop ? It is, indeed, a farce to turn one of the freest and most delightful of our pleasures into a masquerade. Fancy a bathing costume with stiff collar and cuffs ’ Modesty seems dying as well as reverence in the generation that are to make the future men and women of the world.

Maude.