The Birthday Ball at Government House.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume X, Issue 22, 3 June 1893, Page 522

The Birthday Ball at Government House.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Wellington, May 24. THIS was the largest and most brilliant ball ever given at Government House in Wellington, and everything passed off with great success. The decorations were beautiful. The ballroom mantelpiece was a mass of maidenhair tern on the lower part, and the upper part was filled with the lovely blood-red flowers of the pointsettia plant drooping over. At the far end of the large ballroom there was a red cloth shield with a wreath of laurestinus round it, and in the centre was the crown and V.R. in white chrysanthemums. This beautiful piece of work was arranged by Lady Glasgow herself. Indeed, most of the floral decorations were done by the clever ladies of the household. All along the lengthy corridors were large pots of ferns, bamboo, palms, and other lovely plants, and the walls and lounges were all draped with red and flags of all sorts. The verandah, too, was most enticing; it was all draped with flags and lighted with coloured lanterns, and soft red carpet underfoot. The conservatory was cleared of most of the large plants, thus making room for sofas, lounges, etc. At the top of the broad staircase quite a little drawing-room was arranged with a couple of large high screens to shut off the ends of the upstair corridors, and with a few plants, sofas, chairs, and illuminated lanterns, the effect was very pretty.

Now tor the supper-room, for which the dining-room was used, and as the room is only supposed to hold about fifty or sixty people, the difficulty was to manage to make between six hundred and seven hundred people satisfied. A large horseshoe table was arranged with all sorts of dainties (which 1 will not attempt to describe, but will send the mend), and steps were taken so that only a certain number of guests were in the room at once, which was an excellent plan, and everything passed off without a hitch. The tables were beautifully dressed with hot house plants, and at one end of the room hung the Royal Standard, and at the other was the * Split Eagle,’ the crest of the Boyles, besides various Union Jacks, etc. All the gas globes had tinted shades over them, and the effect of the pretty soft light was splendid. The Earl and Countess did not, as usual, receive the guests, but as the clock struck nine the band played * God Save the Queen,’ and they entered the ballroom, accompanied by the Ladies Augusta, Alice, and Dorothy Boyle, Miss Hallowes, Miss Wauchope, Miss Holroyd, and Captain Hunter-Blair. ♦♦* * * * His Excellency opened the ball with Mrs Grace. The others who danced in the ‘ set ’ were Lady Glasgow and Mr H. D. Bell (Mayor), Sir James Prendergast and Mrs Bell, the Hon. C. Johnstone and Lady Alice Boyle, the Hon. Dr. Grace and Lady Augusta Boyle, Captain Hunter-Blair and Mrs C. Johnston, Sir James Hector and Miss Wauchope, Mr W. T. Travers and Mrs W. Johnston. THE DRESSES. Lady Glasgow wore her lovely dress of thick pearl satin brocaded with pale blue and terra-cotta flowers, the sleeves were terracotta velvet lined with blue, and round the hem was a vandyke pattern of pale blue and terracotta velvet, she wore her coronet of diamonds, and diamonds on her low bodice. The Ladies Augusta, Alice, and Dorothy Boyle wore pretty white spotted muslin frocks with pink silk sashes tied at the side, tan shoes and stockings ; Miss Hallowes wore lemon-coloured silk covered with Russian net; Miss Wauchope, pale blue silk spotted with black, black satin sleeves and bound with black round the hem.

Miss Holroyd, salmon pink silk .draped with black lace ; Mrs Grace wore a lovely grey brocade and diamonds; Mrs Hell, a pretty pale yellow silk with a front panel beautifully embroidered ; Mrs Walter Johnston wore black brocade trimmed with white; Mrs U. Johnston, a lovely gown of black velvet and jet; Mrs Levin, deep pink merveilleux with large sleeves of claret velvet, the same trimming the skirt; Mrs G. Beetham, lemon-coloured brocade trimmed with beautiful silk lace; Mrs (Dr.) Adams wore black brocade and lace ; Lady Prendergast , crimson satin trimmed with light coloured lace; Mrs Hadfield, black; Mrs (Judge) Richmond, a rich black brocade trimmed with jet and lace ; Mrs (Judge) Williams (Dunedin), yellbw silk draped with black lace; Mrs (Dr.) Collins, pale green silk with large yellow velvet sleeves; Mrs Castendyke, black lace relieved with mauve; Mrs Rhodes, black velvet; Mrs T. C. Williams, also black velvet; Mrs Newman, rich brown satin the front part being cotfee coloured lace ; Mrs Eberle, pale pink silk and lace; Mrs (Captain) Rose, handsome grey satin : Mrs Parfitt, pink surah silk ; Mrs Gore, black brocade; Mrs R. Pharazyn. a handsome gown of pink and grey satin ; Mrs Arthur Pearce, a pretty dress of maize coloured silk slightiy trained and trimmed with broad white lace ; Madame de Lostalot de Bachonv, cream silk gown trimmed with narrow black ribbon velvet; Mrs Robert Hart, rich black silk; Mrs Pviisent. black, relieved with white; Mrs (Dr.) Anson, white silk ; Mrs E. Richardson, handsome gown of black and white striped satin; Mrs Fulton; Mrs Elgar (Featherston), lavender silk and tulle; Mrs Maxwell, black lace and watered silk, sleeves of violet velvet; Mrs L. Reid, cream surah gown with orange velvet sleeves and facings ; Mrs T. Wilford. lovely dress of deep crimson silk and black lace, shoes to correspond ; Mrs Sprott, black and

sage green; Mrs Maxwell (Tauranga), black; Mrs Eliott, rich gown of moss green satin; Mrs (Dr.) Gillon. very striking gown of Srey velvet, made very plainly, and bordered with silver; Mrs reen. rich red corded silk with long train and trimmed with gold embroidery; Mrs Firth, plain black velvet dress relieved with deep pink and jet; Mrs Bristowe, pale yellow silk with white lace; Mrs M. Richmond, sea green velvet trimmed with thick rutiles of yellow chiffon; Mrs Vennell, black satin: Mrs Seed, black: Mrs Harry Crawford, very handsome gown of cream striped corded silk and satin trimmed with black velvet and cream silk lace: Mrs Barron, black velvet handsomely trimmed with jet; Mrs Tudor Atkinson, pale lemon silk with quantities of chiffon; Mrs Holmwood, very pale pink silk gauze; Mrs Graham, black, relieved with white; Mrs W. Crawford, pretty white silk gown; Mrs Hudson, pink corded silk: Mrs G. Hutchinson, black and white; Mrs Samuel, very pale pink; Mrs Low’, pale blue brocade covered with net; Mrs Alfred Brandon, black: Mrs H. Rawson, handsome gown of blue figured silk ; Mrs Page, black ; Mrs Barclay, black velvet and broad white lace ; Mrs J. Turnbull, black ; Mrs (Dr. )Chapple, black gown, big sleeves of pale blue silk ; Mrs Heywood, Mrs Edwin, brown silk trimmed with coffee lace; Mrs Jackson, black. I noticed three brides present, namely. Mrs Field. Mrs Biss, and Mrs Symons, who all wore their wedding gowns, the latter wearing hers high to the throat; Mrs Allen, also somewhat recently married, looked extremely well in a pure white merveilleux gown with huge puffed sleeves. Among the debutantes were Miss M. Wilson, who wore a pretty frock of white surah silk, the skirt slightly trained; Miss A. Gore, very simple but pretty dress of white broche; Miss Q. Elliot, white merveilleux softened with chiffon about the bodice ; Miss A. Vennell, soft white silk falling ?uite loose from the throat: Miss A. Lee looked well in her pretty rock of white silk ; Miss Holt, white pongee silk and lace ; they each carried pretty bouquets with long streamers. Miss Richardson wore a very pretty gown of white silk trimmed with turquoise blue velvet and chiffon ; Miss Hilda Williams wore one of the prettiest gowns in the room, it was lovely white silk made very full in the skirt, which was trimmed with tiny flounces, huge puffed sleeves to the elbow, and broad white lace falling over the bodice ; her sister also w’ore white silk; Miss Richmond wore pale mauve merveilleux draped with black and mauve net and ribbons; the Misses Moorhouse, black and yellow; Miss Reid, sea green brocade, with huge sleeves of green and pink, the skirt being also trimmed with pink; Miss K. Johnston, an effective gown of magenta silk trimmed with the same colour velvet and silver; Miss Elliot, dark blue velvet; Miss I. Johnston, very peculiar frock of white silk with bright rose coloured sleeves, the back of the skirt being draped with green tulle, and round the hem were sprays of green and red grass ; her sister wore white silk and lace with light yellow sleeves: Miss E. Barton (Wairarapa), white silk prettily trimmed with yellow velvet; Miss M. Gore, pretty gown of pale primrose watered silk; Miss Douglas, light grey silk ; Miss L. Izard, white net, the skirt and bodice being trimmed with pale pink silk; Miss Turnbull, red satin partly covered with black net: Miss Graham, a brown velvet gown; her sister, handsome pink brocade ; Miss M. Grace, black lace trimmed with narrow white ribbon and violets; Miss A. Grace, white silk and net; Miss Rose, pale mauve gauze; Miss Kock, white silk relieved with sage green ; Miss Fairchild, blue watered silk: Miss Holmes, a pretty combination of grey and yellow ; Miss Barron, pale pink net; Miss E. Barron, red gauze; Miss Hadfield, black and pink silk; Miss Percy-Smith, black trimmed with embroidered chiffon ; Miss M. Pharazyn, (Featherstone), grey brocade trimmed with pink silk; Miss Burnett, cream gown with brown sleeves ; her sister, green and pink silk ; Miss Hart, black dress relieved with white flowers and ribbons; her sister, black and red; Miss Harding (Melbourne), pink satin ; Miss Noake, black brocade and lace ; Miss Hamilton ; Miss N. Barron, maize-coloured surah with white lace; Miss Gillon, black; her sister pale blue prettily trimmed with brown velvet; Miss Moss, white ; Miss Tuckey, pink silk ; Miss B. Tuckey, a combination of black and red satin; Miss Lingard, green net with large pink sleeves; Miss Jackson, pretty shade of heliotrope with dark velvet sleeves ; Miss Menzies, blue silk and net; Miss Heywood, pretty gown of blue satin trimmed with dark blue velvet bands ; Miss Pownall, black relieved with blue chiffon; Miss D. Harding, soft white silk ; Miss L. Kennedy, black velvet, broad yellow sash tied at the side ; Miss Haise, black and white lace; Miss L. Haise, black net and red satin; Miss E. Haise, cream; Miss Harper (recently from England), pale blue brocade; Miss Quick, pink satin trimmed with bands of grten ribbon and fur tails; Miss Webster (Dunedin), bright yellow corded silk; Miss Messenger, pale blue and cream striped silk ; Miss M. Kennedy, black ; Miss Allen, cream; Miss Stowe, white surah silk ; Miss Trimnell, Gobelin blue; Miss R. Blundell, pale lemon silk : Miss Hoggard, pink silk trimmed with black lace; Miss Tolhurst, white surah silk: Miss Hector, white; Miss Riley, soft white gown ; Miss Skerret t, mauve velvet trimmed with pink watered silk; her sister, a very pretty ijown of white silk with broad bands of deep pink velvet on the skirt, the sleeves also being pink ; Miss Barclay, pink : and her sister, blue ; Miss Laishley, bright pink satin with pink sleeves ; etc., etc. Of course it would be impossible to describe all the dresses at the ball, as it was so crowded. A band of eight performers provided the music, which was unusually good. The floor was also in splendid condition. Ophelia.