BLENHEIM.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 13, 26 March 1892, Page 305

BLENHEIM.

Dear Bee, March 10. I have several gaieties for you this week of an interesting nature. Mrs de Castro gave a small evening party for young people, which passed off most successfully. Tableaux formed the chief amusement, which were wonderfully good for impromptu efforts, while some pink fires burned on the verandah greatly added to the effect. Miss B. Horton, in classical robe of cream and gold, made a striking Galatea; Miss Isabel Rees, in a handsome black velvet gown, was effective as Lady Jane Grey, with Mr Kennedy as a most realistic executioner in black mask, doublet and all complete ; Miss K. Smith was prettily got up in white brocade as the Sleeping Beauty, and Mr Sharp and Mr S. Hodson as Prince and Page, wore the handsome fancy dresses we admired at a recent ball ; last, but not least, two young men (I will not give their names, and thus spare their blushes) made two dear little ‘ Babes in the Wood.’ A quiet wedding—that of Miss Gracie Ferguson to Mr Petre, son of the Hon. William Henry Petre, of the Manor House, Writley, Essex, England, took place at 2 p.m. at the Schoolhouse, the residence of the bride’s sister, Mrs Lucas, only members of the family being present with the exception of Mr Sharp, who was best man. The bride looked very sweet in a simple but becoming gown of soft cream cashmere, with frills of silk lace, tulle veil and wreath. At three o’clock the bride and bridegroom left for Havelock en route to Nelson, Mrs Petre looking charming in a dark red travelling dress, and black hat with loops of cream velvet. She had some very pretty wedding presents, and I noticed particularly a sweet afternoon tea set and large tray from Mrs Cleghorn, and some lovely things painted by Mrs Hiley, Mrs Earp, and Mr H. Douslin. besides biscuit-box, butter dish, cruets, handkerchief sachet, etc., etc., but I believe many more gifts arrived after I saw them.

Mrs Mclntire gave one of her enjoyable garden parties, and had a fine warm afternoon, and tea was served on small tables in a delightfully cool and shady place under the willows near the tennis court, and the heat made the delicious cakes, meringues, and fruit look particularly tempting. The hostess wore a cool white blouse over a skirt of navy blue and white striped silk, shady black hat with violets ; Miss Munro (Valleyfield), who was staying in the house, wore pretty pink flowered sateen, shady hat with pink roses ; Mrs Chaytor (Marshlands), grey tweed gown, black hat with feathers and pale primrose ribbon ; Miss Elinor Chaytor (who has just returned from England) looked very pretty in a stylish heliotrope gown trimmed with chiffon, and Leghorn hat with white feathers ; Mrs Diewett (England), wore a black embroidered gown with waistcoat most handsomely embroidered in gold and trimmed with gimp, black bonnet with jet, and crown of yellow chrysanthemums and shaded red leaves ; Mrs Tom Mowat looked very pretty in lilac and white delaine, chiffon frills, and hat with lilies of the valley; Mrs Cleghorn, new fawn tweed gown trimmed with cord, soft white shady hat with coral pink bows ; Mrs de Castro, light tweed trimmed with cord, becoming black hat with black tips and scarlet poppies; Mrs G. Robinson, pretty green cotton, black hat; Miss Flora Speed looked handsome in a pretty white embroidered frock, picturesque white hat ; Mis C. Earp, becoming pale giey gown, white vest, small white hat ; Mrs Holmes looked very nice in black silk and lace with handsome jet trimmings on the bodice, becoming black bonnet with white heath ; Miss B. Pickerinir (Wellington), cool embroidered muslin, white Bond-street hat, and breast knot of lilac flowers; Miss Horton, checked cotton in fawn and red, shady hat and lovely apricot roses ; Miss Beatrice Horton, white gown, Tom tug hat, and yellow roses at her waist. Messrs Mclntire, B. Chaytor, Pollard, C. Earp, De Castro, Howard, and Rowe were also present. Last week 1 saw Mrs C. Watts, looking very well after her Nelson trip in a perfectly-fitting grey gown with-spotted vest, and becoming black and gold bonnet.

At the delightful cricket match between the veterans and young men, 1 saw Mrs Richardson, looking, as usual, very well in grey tweed gown, and a handsome cornflower blue thiee-quarter cloak with yoke and high collar biaided with gold, large black hat ; Mrs George Watts looked very pretty in a delaine gown of cream and green, fawn threequarter cloak braided with brown, and white hat, and with her Miss Seymour (Picton), who is staying at Erina, in an uncommon gown of pinky sateen tiimmed with claret cord running up the seams of the skirt, fawn three - quarter cloak, Tom-tug hat ; Mrs Seddon wote black ; Mrs Allen (Picton), black, and pretty fawn bonnet ; Mrs Macalister, terracotta broche, and bat with feathers; Mrs Buick, floral deiaine, big white hat; Mrs Hanna, grey cotton prettily made with frill round the bodice, and trimmed with quantities of white insertion, and with her Miss R. Atkinson (Nelson), in fawn and white hat ; Mrs

Griffiths, well - fitting black gown of soft thin material trimmed with jet gimp, small black and gold bonnet with black tips ; M-ss Ivey, stylish dark sateen with large rings, black hat ; Miss O'Callaghau, floral delaine, white bat ; Mrs Lucas, cream spotted muslin, shady hat ; Mrs McNab, Hussar blue cloth trimmed with white braid, small bonnet with roses; Miss Flora Speed, looking very well on her return from her delightful drive to the Amuri, in dark blue corduroy skirt, three-quarter Newmarket coat, and pretty white lace straw hat with yellow marguerites. We hope before very long to welcome Miss Flora Speed among us, as she is to marry Mr Howard, the popular manager of the Colonial Bank here. Miss C. Dixon wore half-mourning sateen dress prettily made, and grey hat with white lilacs Miss L. Pasley, white frock, fawn coat, Tom-Tug hat ; Miss A. Pasley, pretty blue grey tweed, white hat and feathers ; Miss K. Sinclair, pretty flowered delaine, soft white hat; Miss Horton, heliotrope cotton. Bond-street hat ; Miss Brown, delaine gown, white hat; Mrs Mulgan, lilac and white muslin, fawn coat, stylish little black bonnet ; Miss B. Pickering, white frock, sailor hat, grey cloak. Elsewhere you will have particulars of the lawn tennis match, and I will here only give you the ladies' names. Among the visitors weie Mrs Mclntire, in a pretty gown of soft electric blue flowered silk, black bonnet with blue Howers to match ; Mrs Clouston looked charmingly cool in a simple white gown, and becoming white hat with feathers ; and her little boy wore a dark blue linen smock, beautifully worked with red ; Mrs Cleghorn and Mrs de Castro also wore white ; Miss Ivey looked handsome in a well cut grey gown braided with olack, becoming black bonnet with coronet of jet, and with her Miss O'Callaghan, in simple white frock and large white hat : Mrs Lucas wore cream flowered sateen, pretty cream hat with pink flowers; Mrs Rogers wore cream and blue delaine dress, with ribbons and lace, shady hat with black and white feathers ; Miss B. Horton, green floral sateen, white Tom-tug hat; Mrs Ferguson, purple silk trimmed with velvet, black mantle, and bonnet with violets; Miss G. Ferguson, white delaine with yoke and cuffs of flame coloured silk to match the pattern on her dress. Tom-tug hat ; Miss B. Ferguson, coral pink cotton stylishly made with flounced basque, small white hat trimmed with velvet and Howers ; Mrs Earp, heliotiope gown with cream vest, crinoline hat with white lilacs and cream velvet loops ; Mrs G. Robinson looked well in a becoming shade of pale green sateen, with graduated flounces and lace frill round the bodice, black hat with shaded pink tips ; Mrs Hiley, pale green cotton, white hat with feathers, and black velvet strings ; Miss Chaytor, white embroidered frock, white hat with lovely blue cornflowers ; Miss Elinor Chayton, fawn tweed, white hat ; Mrs Ballard, lilac and white flowered delaine, big white hat: Mrs Dodd, pretty shade of heliotrope delaine ; Mrs H. H. Dodson, floral delaine, with collar, cuffs, and pointed belt of apple green silk, becoming crinkled black hat with tips ; Mrs Jackson, cool cream silk blouse electric blue skirt, and small black bonnet with buttercups ; Miss Dodson and Miss Wheeler, white muslins, and large hats with feathers ; Mrs T. Carter, striped dust cloak and black hat; Mrs Thompson looked nice in cream silk with pretty bonnet ; Miss Rees, grey gingham with handsome guipure lace, white hat and blue cornflowers ; Miss McLauchlan looked pretty in a pale fawn tweed with vest and collar in white corduroy, white hat ; Mrs Smith, brown dress, black mantle, and bonnet with cream bows ; the Misses K. and B. Smith, white frocks and hats ; Misses L. Clark, Draper (2), Farmar, Fulton, etc., all wore white. Messrs Rogers, Mclntire, Holmes, Henderson, C. Earp, Smith, de Castro, Douslin (2), Lucas, Howard, Thompson, Sharp, Horton, Jackson, Robinson, McCallum, Wright, Furness, S. Hodson, Kennedy, Maclean, and P. Clark were among the crowd of men.

SINCERITY.