PICTON.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XV, Issue XXI, 23 November 1895, Page 648

PICTON.

Dear Bee. November 12 THE PICNIC SEASON. which opened lust week by the children, was continued this week by the grown-ups. Mr and Mrs Sedgwick took a small but jolly party to Waikawa.Mr Macdonald's lovely garden being the attraction. The party, after feasting estholically on the flowers, which make the garden a blaze of beauty, feasted more practically afterwards on the beach. The rest of the parly were Mies Ku th Seely (Bay of Islands!, Mrs Seely and family. Misses Linton (two). Mrs and Miss Howard, and Miss Young (Wellington.) On Wednesday a very amusing WALKING EXPEDITION eventuated, Mr Macdonald's garden being once more the goal towards which ainerry party of ladies had set their faces. At the Waikawa river they found the little stream swollen into a big one by recent rain, but. nothing daunted, they proceeded to make a bridge of ‘steppin’ stance' whilst the ‘billy’ was boiling for lunch. During lunch the inevitable rain came on. and half the party returned to Plcton. The rest went on, defying the elements, though thunder and lightning protested.

and everybody was wet through before the Maori Pah was reached. It was a real case of * astonishing the natives.* who came out to otter hospitality. The party saw and admired the beautiful garden, which is quite a show place, and were rewarded for their pluck, and started for home laden with their spoils, but alas I the road was now a sea of mud, through which they had to wade laboriously, and several of them wished they belonged to the order of the * New Woman.’ They sang, * Home Boys Home, and It’s Home We Ought To Be,’ and they planned a terrible revenge on the Government for not making a road to this new ‘Garden of Eden.* During the next visit of the 'Members* to Picton they will be inveigled into walking out to the Maori Pah. and made to wade knee deep through mud, etc. How glad they were when they saw a carriage and pair coming along that unaccustomed road 1 leave you, dear Bee. to imagine, and how cheerfully they hid their diminished heads under cover, and how they praised the thoughtful man, who sent ulsters and wraps for the party. I must leave for others in a like plight to imagine. None of them. I am pleased to say, are any the worse for the drenching they got. The party were Mrs and the Misses Seymour (four). Mrs and Miss Nora Allen, Miss B. Greensill, Miss May Greensill, Mrs Herbert Dobson, Miss Howard, and Miss Scott. THE READING SOCIETY met at the Institute on Friday evening. Mrs Mclntyre finished reading ‘The Eady of the Lake,’ and Mrs Allen contributed one of Lhomas Bracken’s poems, ‘God’s Own Country.’ The readingroom was well filled, though Mr Cheek’s • Messiah ’ practice kept many away. Among those present were Mesdames Sedgwick, Duncan, Howard, J. H. Howard. H. C. Seymour, A. Duncan, Linton, Seely, Greensill, Macshane, and the Misses Greensill, Seely ft wo), Williams, etc., etc. THE HOLIDAY for the 9th was kept up right royally on the 11th. The Blenheim £ nendly Societies held their annual sports here, and the trains brought in crowds of excursionists. The sports were well conducted. and went off* all through the day without the slightest friction, sobriety and pleasant good humour being a special feature of the occasion. The boats swings and aerial slides raked in all the threepenny bits available in the town, so that the churches are likely to come off second best for some time. A CRICKET MATCH between the Wairau and Picton second elevens, played on Nelson Square, resulted in a very easy victory for the Wairau’s. Much interest was displayed in the match, and as the sports were held close by, the spectators fluctuated between the two places. In the evening the Roman Catholics held A SOCIAL in the Public Hall, which was well attended and capitally managed. Dancing, songs, and recitations were on the programme, Miss Mary Seymour’s song. • Say au revoir but not Good-bye, being quite the gem of the evening. Mr Cribb received an enthusiastic encore for ‘ The MidshipmiteMrs Atkinson’s * Dear Little Shamrock ’ was also well received, and won an encore. Others who sang were Mrs Millington. Miss Philpotts, Miss Keenan (Queen Charlotte Sound) who gave much pleasure with net sympathetic rendering of ‘ Farewell.’ Mr Riddell, and Mr James. Of the readings, etc., Mr C. U. Howard brought down the house with ‘Uncle Podgers.’. Mr J. Fisk and Master Pirani recited. The decorations were decidedly unique. The flags were quilted, as it were, to the ceiling with bands of lycopodium, and the wails were panelled with white bordered with lycopodium, a , bouquets of flowers to represent pictures. The floor was in splendid condition, and Mr Kane made a delightful M.C. The dresses were chic : Mrs Stowe, black velvet and lace; Mrs Duncan, dark dress with jet and yellow silk; Mrs Allen, black lace, large vvhite lace collar; Mrs Seely, black skirt and cream blouse; Mrs H. C. Seymour, black merveilleux and lace; Mrs Oxley, in black lace and pretty bouquet of pink roses, looked very nice; Mrs C. C. Howard, black lace, with white lace frills: Mrs Millington wore a pretty frock of heliotrope and red, with red roses; Mrs James, fawn; Mrs Cragg, black lace; Mrs F. Godfrey, black; Mrs I. Fisk, black lace with yellow; Mrs Atkinson, black with white sleeves and vest; Mrs Love, black; Mrs Hart, black lace oyer yellow; Miss Fuller looked very nice in heliotrope, and her sister. Miss Lilly Fuller, looked very nice in pale blue; Miss Fredricks was very much admired in all black, with puffed sleeves and frills; Miss Thompson (Nelson) wore a pretty frock of black velvet and pale blue silk; Miss Lloyd also looked well in black with white frills; two other sisters wore black, and one white; Miss M. Webster was in pink; Miss Dobson, in pink and white ; Miss Jeffries in white; Miss E. Fisk, in cream; Miss McConnack, white; Miss Bartlett, heliotrope; Miss Johnston, white and pink; Miss Biddle, brown and white; Miss Love, black skirt, pink blouse, and pink ribbons in her hair; Miss Mascted, pale blue with white lace frills; Miss Thompson, white; Miss Williams, white; Miss Simmonds, salmon pink and green; Miss M. Seymour, black lace with white lace fichu; Miss Howard, fawn skirt and white blouse; Miss Nora Allen, black lace, with white lace frills ; Miss M. Philpotts, pink crepon; Miss Philpotts, black lace; Miss E. Greensill, cream veiling; Miss Scott, black velvet skirt and pink blouse, with cream lace; Miss K. Seymour, red silk; Miss E. Seymour, black skirt, pink crepon blouse; Miss Nora Kenny, fawn silk and black lace; Miss M. Linton, dark skirt and red blouse. There was a crowd on the stage, but it was impossible to find out who everybody was, or what they wore. Among the sterner sex I noticed Messrs Duncan, Stowe, H. C. Seymour, Riddell, Gerald Allen, Hursthouse (Nelson), Beauchamp, Cribb, Kenny (two). Greensill, Marshall, Kane, Oxley, Howard, Jeffries (two). Card itwo), Fisk (three). Pirani (two), Lewis, Bartlett, Cragg (two), Godfrey, Western (two), James, Miles, Father Dogherty, and hosts of others. Dancing was kept up merrily till 3 a.m. ODDMENTS. Mr and Mrs Rutherford were away for three days during the week visiting Mr and Mrs George Watts at Landsdowne. Afternoon teas have been this week at Mrs Andrews’, Mrs Alien’s, and Mrs H. C. Seymour’s—old friends flocking round the wanderers. Un Monday Mrs Rutherford gave afternoon tea at her residence, Nelson Square, to her friends. Many were glad to rest in her pleasantly cool room and drink of the ever-refreshing beverage. Mrs Sedgwick has been the recipient of a very handsome Hymn Book (Ancient and Modern) from her co-w*orkers in the Sunday-school. A resident of our town is building a merry-go-round. Already the tent ornaments a vacant section at the corner of High-street, and the rising generation are considering ways and means of raising money to spend on that fascinating amusement. It is to be ready for the New Year, and after that other enterprising residents have hired it for a peripetetic ramble round the colony. They feel sure there is money in it.

Jean.