CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVI, Issue XIII, 28 March 1896, Page 356

CHRISTCHURCH.

Dear Bee March 18. Summer has come back to us tor a final good-bye. We have had the most delicious weather, still and warm, with now and again a gentle shower to lay the dust in the streets and refresh us generally—the sort ot rain one likes to stand out in, you know. But we are not deceived, and know full well that it is only a breathing space before the usual period of frosts and fogs and furs and all the other mixed blessings of cruel winter. Our great hope is that the fogs and rain will hold off till after Easter. It would be such a terrible disappointment if not for all our tennis enthusiasts. TENNIS IS THE TOPIC EVERYWHERE now, and the excitement (I had nearly said betting) runs already quite high. Our own representatives are very busy practising at Cranmer Square, and comprise the names of Mesdames Way. Hurst-Seager. and Ollivier. Misses Mendelson (Temuka). Misses Van Asch (Sumner). Misses Lean. Harman. Marchant. Styche. Simpson itwoi, Messrs G rossman. Garsia. Collins. Harman. Wilding. Sutcliffe. 8.-isted. Laurie. Cox. and Styche There wasa large meeting of the Committee and Ball Committee on Monday. Amongst the ladies taking prominent part in the proceedings are Mesdames Bruges. Denniston. P. Campbell. Arthur Rhodes. H. Cotterill, and Humphreys. The lady players from Dunedin are Misses Rattray. McKerras. McNeil, land Graham, but I have not heard yet who is coming from Wellington. The arrangements so far for the ball are excellent, particularly the plan of charging the same admission for ladies and gentlemen, one calculated surelv to ensure equal proportions of the sexes at last. There will be about twenty four tennis strangers invited, and the matches are to be played at Cranmer Square, which is so very central. Altogether t he ball and tournaments ought to be a great success, in spite of a cycling concert, which is. I believe, to take place the same night. Athletics, indeed, are so much to the foie just now that there is really very little of a purely social nature to detail. THE FENDALTON DRAMATIC CLUB gave one of their pleasant‘At Homes'in the Fendalton Schoolroom on Thursday evening. Mrs Denniston was there, wearing a pretty white lace blouse and pink ribbons : Mrs Henry Wood in black grenadine and white lace: Mrs Henry Cotterill. tn a lavender silk blouse: Mrs Bruges.black : Mrs and Misses Macpherson dark goxns: Mrs Harry Simens. bro vn and blue: Mrs Bishop, black silk : her daughter in pretty pink blouse: and Misses Russell and Walter and Mrs Anstey were others present. Among the gentlemen I noticed Mr Henry Cotterill. Mr Henry Wood. Messrs Ballantyne and Jackson. Hon. Townshend and Rev. Northcote. The Mariana Club gave some pretty melodies in parts, and there was music by Misses Bishop. Cuddin. Russell and Messrs Adley. Simens. etc. A screaming farce brought the evening to a merry close, and dainty refreshments were handed round also. On Friday there was a good muster of the Girls' Boating Club and also an afternoon tea given by Miss Thomas. Salisbury-street " esL The tea was daintily laid in the dining-room, and the table looked most artistic decorated wih soft yellow silk and delicate yellow flowers, with numerous delightful cakes and sweets. Mr Powell played the banjo so prettily, and Miss Black the piano very well. Miss Thomas wore a soft pink silk blouse, and dark skirt : Miss Fulton, fawn and blue costume ; Miss Adele Baker (Napier*, smart grey flecked tweed and sailor hat: Miss Blakiston. pretty black and white dress : Miss Russell, cream serge and electric blue, hat en suite-. Miss Powell, navy serge • Miss Henry and her sister, grey and steel costume : Miss Knight (Sydney), tailor made black gown and large black feather hat • Miss Wilson (Culverden). cornflower blue with black ribbons and coffee lace, hat en suite : Miss Philips (Victoria), fawn dress and white hat. and many more that I have forgotten were there On Saturday afternoon, besides a Polo match, there was a big GATHERING AT THE COLLEGE to bid farewell to Professor ! and Mrs Macmillan-Brown and welcome Professor Maythew. There were many speeches and much nice feeling on the part of students and professors, and Miss Gibson made a dear little speech on behalf of the lady students. The memorial took the form of a Macmillan Brown prize to be awarded at stated intervals for literature, and the Professor himself seemed much pleased with the form of the offering and the manner in which it was offered. There were many students present and some outsiders, and tea was provided by some of the lady graduates and appreciated by aIL PERSONAL. Mrs Nunnerly. whose daughter has achieved such a welldeserved reputation in tennis circles, is staying with Mrs Turrell at ' Aberdeen ' House. Gloucester-street. West. Miss Bee Knight (Sydney) is theguest ot the Misses Henry. Sali-sbury-street. West. Mrs Cameron and her sister. Miss Enbling (Melbourne), are the guests of their aunt. Mrs Enbling. Opawa. Hon. L. Walker (Four Peaks). Mr T. C. Wason (Connor) Mrs Berkeley HarrDon (Akaroa), Mr Ch. H. Tripp (TimaruL Mr T G Wilson (Culverden). Mayor and Mrs Storey {nee Jolly) (Hawerai were all in town during the week. Mr and Mrs Patrick Campbell left for the West Coast on Friday. 15th. Mr and Mrs Alec Boyle and their children. Professor and Mrs Macmillan-Brown and their little girl, Mrs W. Reeves and her children, are all passengers in the a s, ’Kaikoura' for England this week. Dolly Vale