DUNEDIN.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 39, 26 September 1891, Page 417

DUNEDIN.

Dear Bee, September 9. I am afraid I shall not be able to crowd the news into my allotted space this week, for 1 know you do not care for each correspondent to occupy more than her column. The most interesting event, socially, since my last letter, was Mrs Haggitt’s dance, given at ‘ Wychwood,’ their residence at Anderson’s Bay, where the beautiful ball-room is well known. The hostess received her guests in a very handsome black silk with jet trimmings. Her daughter, Mrs Tolmie, wore her wedding dress, which I described to you a short time since, and looked very nice indeed. Mrs Fenwick looked nice in black, with pale blue chiffon; Miss F. Spence, very pretty pale pink merveilleux ; Miss Spence, pale pink Liberty silk ; Miss Sise, primrose merveilleux, which suited her admirably; Mrs A. Morris (Laurence) wore a very pretty pink cashmere, the skirt edged with inching, ind adorned with ivy leaves ; Miss E. McLaren, in white, looked nice ; Miss Dymock wore an exquisite dress of pale pink merveilleux, the point of the bodice trimmed with chiffon and bands of silver braid ; she carried a bouquet of white Howers; Mrs Lindo Ferguson, combination of blue and cream, the train and bodice of cream brocade, the front of bodice and skirt of pale blue ; Miss Macassey, white merveilleux, with blue cornflowers on bodice and skirt : Miss Williams, black ; Miss Mary Williams, cream silk ; Sirs E, C. Reynolds looked very well in white silk with violet velvet, trimmings; Mrs De Zouche wore an effective black and white gown ; Mrs A. A. Finch, a rich ivory silk with long train; Miss Hodgekins, in red silk and black velvet; Mrs Bowen, black ; .Miss Ethel Roberts, terra-cotta Liberty silk, with pale pink chiffon trimmings ; Mrs Finker, pale pink silk, the bodice trimmed with net; Mrs Husking looked very nice ; the bodice and train of her gown were of white silk, the underskirt of red net ; Miss

Neill (Clingford), lovely white inerveilleux trimmed with striped apricot coloured brocade ; Mrs Pirn wore a pretty pale lilac brocaded silk : Miss McLean, black trimmed with bright red ; Miss Stephenson looked very nice in white; Miss Tui also looked well in heliotrope fisherman’s net; Miss Roberts, cream merveilleux. A handsome dress was worn by Mrs Melland. The bodice and train were of brown velvet, the petticoat of striped cream satin edged with a full ruche ; Mrs Robert Turnbull looked well in white and pink brocade. Three young ladies made their debut— Miss Alice Dymock, Miss E. Shand, and Miss R. Neil. The dresses of all three were of white inerveilleux, Miss Dymock’s trimmed with silver fringe, and finished with a silver girdle ; she carried a lovely white bouquet. Misses Neil and Shand's dresses were both trimmed with chiffon round the skirt and on the bodice. Both wore pretty white opera cloaks, Miss Shand's braided with silver. Mrs G. McLean, slate-coloured silk, with ostrich feathers, pink and slate-coloured ; Miss G. Neil, broad striped pink and white silk. There were also present Misses McNeil, Scott (2), Mackerras (2), Grierson, Gibson, Morris, Belcher, Ross, Huxtable, Garrat (2), Webster (2), Shand, Rattray (2), Cutten, Reynolds, Martin, and Livingston. The large ballroom looked very pretty, and although so many were present, it was not overcrowded. The supper-room was tastefully arranged, the table draped with pale green silk, and ornamented with ivy leaves and white camellias. Another large entertainment of a different character was given by Mrs Dymock in the form of an afternoon tea to Mrs Buller, which was a farewell previous to her leaving for Christchurch. Almost everybody was there, among them being Mesdames Preston, Macassey, Stanford, Gaulter, Denniston, Driver, Webster, Grierson, Lindo Ferguson, Hosking, Mackerras, McNeil, Rattray, McKenzie, E. C. Reynolds, Galloway, Scobie Mackenzie, Haggitt, Gibson, Davidson, Michie, Spence, Boyd, Sise, Thompson, Charlie Turnbull, Eenwick, Melland, Woodhouse, R. Turnbull, Shand, Holmes, R. Gillies, and Sievwright, and Miss Gibson, who wore green braided with brown, and hat to match ; Miss Reynolds, fawn costume ; Miss S. Sise, light brown tweed, black jacket, and sailor hat; Mrs Hosking, black serge, red jacket, and sailor hat ; Mrs Haggitt, grey spotted tweed ; Miss Neil, brown serge, black jacket, and brown hat with brown feathers ; Miss Driver, navy blue serge trimmed with black astrachan, sailor hat; MissSpence,alight grey tweed and sailor hat ; Miss McNeil, drab tweed, and black hat; Mrs Ferguson, red cloth dress trimmed with dark brown fur; Mrs Melland, grey check braided with gold, and black bonnet ; Mrs Fenwick, light brown tweed ; Miss Shand, navy blue serge and sailor hat; Miss M. Mackerras, dark green dress, black jacket, and black hat; Miss L. Mackerras, red serge, and sailor hat with striped band ; Miss F. Spence, light brown tweed, and sailor hat; Miss Macassey, light grey tweed, blue jacket, and hat; Mrs E. C. Reynolds, navy blue serge, grey boa, and black hat; Mrs R. Turnbull, dark blue dress, sealskin j acket, and black bonnet trimmed with yellow. Miss Dymock looked very nice in a brown cashmere ; Miss Alice Dymock, navy blue serge, made with Norfolk bodice ; Miss Ruby Neili, grey tweed, black jacket, and red felt hat. The Lady Savages still continue to give their entertaining Tuesday evenings, and it will be a matter of regret when the season comes to a close ; but by and bye tennis will begin to claim attention again. The gentlemen Savages close their season by a supper. We of course, are not going. These things are not good for us. The last meeting of the ladies was at Mrs Lindo Ferguson’s ; it was not a visitors’ evening, so there were just the members present. Among these Mesdames Hosking, Colquhon, Davidson, Ogston, Melland, Spence, Gaulter, Woodhouse, McLaren, Sise, Boyd, Rattray, E. C. Reynolds, Stilling, and the Misses Rattray, Cargill, Spence, Rich, McNeil, Webster, Reynolds, Sise, and Sievwright. The Misses Cargill acted a very amusing farce of their own composition, a skit on the Woman’s Franchise. Miss Rich gave a lecture on the Sea serpent, which was also amusing, as well as interesting, and several songs were sung, Mrs Monkman’s being very sweet. Only a limited number of tickets are to be disposed of for the gentlemen’s evening which the ladies propose to give,|and every individual lady in town would like to go, as well as the lady members. We read of the gentlemen savages in London giving a ladies’ evening for the first time, so in that respect at least we are long way ahead. A new art club, called the Dunedin School of Art Club, was opened in the Choral Hall. The enterprise has been the work of a few young men, who although following other occupations, are no mean artists. Mr E. Packer’s name is among them, and Mr O’Keefe, Mr Hayward, Mr Sligo, Mr W. E. Hutton, and Mr R. F. Smith. Their idea was to cultivate art among young artists, and introduce it to the class of people who cannot afford to buy pictures. With this object in view the admission charge gives each one a chance at the end of the time of drawing one of the prizes in the Art Union. Quite two hundred pictures are displayed, some of which show considerable merit, all of which show skill and perseverance. I noticed! several [good pictures by Mr Packer, views of the Sounds, and several good studies of heads by Mr O'Keefe. Among the contributors are the names of Miss M. Wain, Miss J. Pollock, Miss A. Emery, J. Gilgour, J. McAllister, R. Coghill, Miss N. Hutton, D. Scott, P. Mclntyre, and many others. Before I close I must tell you about the Capping Ceremony, which took place in the Garrison Hall, which, as is usual upon such occasions, was thronged in every part to suffocation. The most exacting could not accuse the students this year of misbehaviour, although they never at any such time show ‘ deference due to high degree.’ They had their fun —veiv hearty fun—some of it being directed against the women’s franchise, the skeleton of a female being tawdrily dressed out, and raised by means of ropes to a very exalted position indeed, a few lines of Hugo’s song, ‘ Who's Going to Wear Them, I or You ’’ being sung to give eftect, or rather mumbled in subdued tones. Their printed songs were witty and clever, and a cleverly drawn cartoon showed two doctors, easily recognisable, lighting over the lymph question. < >ne sprawling upon the ground was represented as just having dropped a jar of Koch’s lymph, while above him flourished the words, ‘Oh what a surprise. Two lovely black eyes.' The greatest enthusiasm was shown when the ladies stepped forward to receive their honours, showers of bouquets falling at their feet. These were chiefly composed of spring flowers, and it struck me as very appropriate, as the

ladies were so young, and gathering the first honours of their labour. Miss Sylvia E. Gifford, of Auckland, was among the M.A.’s, Messrs L. A. Sine, j. A. M’Mickle, and P. G. Morgan being the others. Among the B. A.’s were Miss Helen Alexander, Miss Catherine Ferguson, Miss Catherine Moss, and Miss Marian S. W. White. A wreath intended for Miss White fell at her feet, and Dr. Stuart smilingly stooped down, and raising it, placed it upon her head in his own nice, inimitable way. As had been done in previous years, the students had erected a platform in the body of the hall, and upon this their orchestra was stationed, unrecognisable in all sorts of disguises, one as Old Father Time, with a scythe and hour glass, an immense affair, which he kept turning in mute appeal through the speeches. Butl must hurry on. Mr G. H. Schacht’s Annual Soiree was given by his pupils one evening last week, and they did both him and themselves credit. Misses Bertha Mendelssohn and Jessie McNeil played the opening piano duet. These were clever pupils of Mrs Singer. Master Cecil Williams, Miss Fanny Fergus, Master James Allen, Miss Rachel Marks, Miss Jessie Brown, Master Percy Braithwaite, Miss Violet Greig, Miss Mary McNeil, Miss Eftie Inglis, Miss Gwenda Williams, Miss Jessie Bair, and Master Claude Williams were among those who gave remarkably clever selections upon the violin. Bland Holt has opened. The Engineers’ ball is upon us, and for an evening or two there is a pleasant outlook. Maude. [Owing to the enlargement of the paper and the interest taken in society gossip, we are giving more space to it, so that you need never hesitate about sending more than a column.—Bee.]