FIVE O’CLOCK TEA CHAT.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VII, Issue 11, 14 March 1891, Page 15

FIVE O’CLOCK TEA CHAT.

NINETEENTH CENTURY BARBARIANS—FLOWING GARMENTS —JESS —A FRENCH DRAMA—THE QUEEN OF PORTUGAL AND WORTH—DARKEST ENGLAND—THE LITTLE KING AND QUEEN—CURE FOR DIPHTHERIA. A OLLY : ‘What barbarians the ladies of the 1 W present day are !’ J f! Vera: ‘ A sweeping accusation, Dolly. In y w hat does their barbarism consist ? In tying up their little ones in clean frocks and forbidding them to get them soiled ?’ Dolly : ‘ That is an old grievance of mine. This present trouble is that our fashionable girls are dressing their hair like savages—l mean particularly as regards the dagger pin that is stuck through the knot of hair at the back. It is a ridiculous, senseless, dangerous practice—a poor copy of tbeii untaught, semi-gannented, black sisters’ style of hairdressing. ’ Gladys : ‘ How is it dangerous, Dolly ?’ Dolly : ‘ The other evening I was in a crowded omnibus. Next to me sat a lady with one of those ugly pins stuck through her untidy hair. The sharp point was nearest to me. As this person was nursing a fidgety little girl she frequently and rapidly moved her head. I had also to make frequent and rapid movements of my head to avoid receiving the point of her protruding pm in my eye. Further down the omnibus I noticed, with some amusement, a gentleman similarly occupied. He was more foitunate than I, and escaped without a scar, whilst on my cheek you can still see the nasty little scratch that woman's vanity and selfishness inflicted on innocent me. If ladies

will wear such idiotic things, let them bury the points in their own heads where they can hurt no one but themselves.’

Vera: * I have often thought that in case of a railway, tram, or carriage accident, it a lady were thrown on her head, the chances are that one of those long pins used to fasten on her hat or bonnet would probably be driven into her head. They easily get rusty being kept in damp warmth, and we all know the suffering frequently entailed by the prick of a rusty needle.' Gladys : *lt is all very sad. Men lose their hair by ill ventilated hats, their easy understanding by tight boots, their patience by limp collars and vanished studs, their comfort by their inappropriately ridiculous, conventional style of clothing, whilst women lose their health by tight-lacing, their complexion by using cosmetics, and run incredible risks of their lives by pins and needless other adornments. What fools we all are !’

Dolly : • Oh, for one loose flowing garment reaching to one’s ankles, and simply fastened at the throat and waist. Think of the saving of sewing, the saving of patience spent in waiting for the dressmaker !’ Stella : * Let us be savages at once, and read no more, write no more, etc., etc.’

Gladys : ‘ Talking of reading recalls to me that I saw in a daily parter a sketch of that delightful little cottage in Pretoria, South Africa, made famous by the novel of MiRider Haggard's. Don’t you remember when Jess came to Pretoria to visit her friends she lived in it ?’ Vera: ‘lt was not a creation of his fancy, then? I always imagined it was.’ Gladys : * Apparently not. It is described as a snug little place, buried amid creepers and wild hedge roses.’ Dolly : ‘ Is anyone here interested in Dr. Koch’s new cure for consumption ?’ Gladys : • I wonder who is not ? And fiction has already laid her grasping hand on the subject. I see that a French dramatic author—of course a French one—has just completed a five-act drama, the climax being the cure of a consumptive girl by Dr. Koch’s inoculation in the fifth act. This author’s motto ought to be “ Carpe diemfugit her a anyhow, he hasn’t lost much time in making literary capital out of the fashionable doctor’s lymph cure. Dumas’ “ Dame aux Camelias ”is now being acted in Brussels. It is suggested that the last act be entirely altered, and that instead of the plaintive cries and the hollow cough of the poor consumptive woman, Marguerite, the hypodermic syringe of Pravaz, with an injection of Dr. Koch’s lymph, should be introduced on the stage, with the happy result of Marguerite’s complete restoration to health and the arms of her only true lover. Or, why not, in this age, where high art has to take a back seat for realism, procure a real consumptive patient and hire Dr. Koch and his bacilli to come and perform his cure in front of the audience. What a draw it would be ! But it seems horrid thus to play with our sufferings. ’ Vera : ‘We were talking about the Queen’s dress the other day. Perhaps you would like to hear something about the Empress of Austria. She does not care at all about dress, her health has’been bad so long that any kind of contraint is irksome to her. Yet she wears loose, comfortable and pretty things, and contrives to look very nice notwithstanding. Her chief gown is a straight pleated black skiit with a bodice like a Swiss peasant's ; over this she wears a loose jacket which she changes three times a day, the material varying according to whether it is warm or cold. The Queen Dowager of Portugal, on the contrary, takes the most vivid interest in all sorts and conditions of attire, and goes in for the most lavish expenditure. On one occasion she ordered one thousand pairs of shoes from Paris, and again she oidered seventy dresses from Worth to be delivered at the same time ; when these were subsequently lost at sea Her Majesty- simplyerdered Worth to send seventy duplicates, which he did.’ Gladys : ‘ I think I referred a few weeks ago to Mr Booth’s book, “Darkest England.” The Queen has sent him a womanly letter of sympathy in his great scheme, whilst on the other hand, many well informed people are strongly opposed to it. Sermons have been preached against the idea, and, in fact, there is, as might Ire expected, considerable opposition. The Marquis of Qrreensberry is uncompromisingly candid, sending a cheque for £lOO from, a “ reverent agnostic.” ’ Vera : • They say there is now a great friendship between Queen Emma of Holland (sister of the Duchess of Albany ), who is now Queen Regent for her little girl, and the mother of the baby King Alfonso of Spain Happily for the foimer, her child gives her no anxiety on the score of health, whilst the Queen of Spain is always watching her delicate little boy. It is wrong to circulate the wonderful speeches with which he is credited. If they are half of them true, then he is being brought up to think himself the most important peisonage in the world ’ Dolly : * Let us ho|>e they are not true, only invented pour passtr le temps.’ Vera: *I am glad to see that someone has again .been advocating the use of Hour of sulphur to be blown down the throats of diphtheria patients. 1 believe it is a certain cure if used in time.’ Dolly : ‘ And everyone ought to know that in the event of a child swallowing a marble, stud, anything, holding himup by the heels nt once, and vigorously patting the back will dislodge the article. I have known of several little lives so saved.’ Gladys : * Our public schools ought to give a little practical instruction on what to do incase of ordinary accidents.’ Dolly : ‘So they will when women add a little common sense to the School Board brains.’

‘ORB’ CORRUGATED IRON will cover more — a long way inoie than any other iron, and for quail'y haa no equal.- Advt.