BLENHEIM.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVII, Issue II, 11 July 1896, Page 54

BLENHEIM.

Dear Bee, July 2. The most important function this week was the MASONIC BALL on Wednesday. The weather, instead of improving, got worse, butthat did not prevent the assemblage of a great number of guests. No doubt had the weather been more propitious there would have been many more, and then dancing would have been impossible, for the ballroom was quite crowded as it was. The floor was in splendid condition, and Vaninni's orchestra supplied excellent music. The extras were played by Miss Player, Miss Ferguson, Miss Draper, Messrs Stratford and Corrie. On account of the Masonic hosts being delayed by the business of installation, the dancing did not begin till 9 30, which, as the programme numbered twenty dances and half-a-dozen extras, made it a late affair, the last dance not being over till after 4 o’clock. All the arrangements were perfect. The dressing and waiting rooms for the ladies were in the adjacent hotel, a covered passage way admitting to the ballroom, which was gaily decorated with Masonic devices, mottoes, emblems, and flags. The only drawback was the inferior lighting, which took one back to the days, or rather nights, of kerosene lamps. Some thought that the gas was bad. others that there was something the matter with the burners. Whatever the cause, the effect was unpleasing, and the dresses of the ladies and the regalia of the Masons were not seen to advantage. The stage was furnished with comfortable sofas and chairs, whence the chaperones and those who did not care to dance watched the mazy evolutions below. At the back of the stage the supper was set forth on a long table extending the whole width of the hall leaving only a small passage to the card and dressing rooms for the gentlemen. The supper was prepared and set out by the wives and daughters of the hosts—a privilege which entails a great deal of hard work, and the Masonic colours were carried out in the decorations, which also included chrysanthemums, marguerites and variegated foliage. It made one wonder to see such a profusion of flowers at this time of the year. The ribbons, the colours of which represented the three Lodges—Unaniminity Killarney and Wairau—were carried in festoons from the large vase in the centre of the table to others in various other parts which, together with numbers of fairy lights, crinkled paper, etc ’ made a dazzling and tempting picture. Among the guests were Mesdames Griffiths, Taylor. Mclntire. Gillespie, Young, (Blairich) Tunnicliffe, Carey. Winstanley and McNaughton, who all wore black dresses; Mrs Weetman, in a lovely white satin dress with long train; Mrs Fred Dodson, black dress, pink sleeves veiled with black gauze; a beautiful dross was worn by Miss Gordon the skirt was amber silk, the bodice of Trilby silk of a floral design trimmed with silk similar to the skirt; Miss Renwick’s handsome black silk was trimmed with lovely lace on bodice and skirt; Miss Rees’ grey striped with black silk was very becoming: the bodice, square cut. was trimmed with steel passementerie: Miss Seymour (Picton)and Miss Mellish (Christchurch) each wore black satin with jet trimmings; Misses Eva and Mildred Fell, wore black velveteen: the former had white lace on her dress, and the latter a spray of white flowers on the front of the bodice extending over the right shoulder; Miss Tunnicliffe, black dress and pink trimmings: Miss Carey, black velveteen and jet: Miss Muir looked very nice also in black touched here and there with amber. It is unusual to see so many young ladies in black, but it is very becoming, although brightcoloured dresses add greatly to the gaiety of the scene, finding sufficient contrast in the black coats of the gentlemen. Mrs Powell, black and jet: Miss Ferguson was handsome in black with pink roses on the corsage. In contrast to all these black dresses the white ones of the two debutantes Mies Winstanley and Miss Mabel Powell were very pleasing; Mrs Cleghorn looked lovely in a pink brocaded silk dress; Mrs Malcolm (Greymouth), in pink and green; Misses Farmer and Ella Bull, each in pale blue; Miss Gillespie, amber dress; Miss Mary Adams, pale blue drees and blue ribbons: Mr and Mrs Geo. Robinson, Mr and Mrs Bright Mr and Mrs Fuller, Mr and Mrs Thompson (Spring Creek) Mr and Mrs Cawte. Mr and Mrs Prichard, Mr and Mrs T. Ball Mr and Mrs Howard, Mr and Mrs Adams (Langley Dale)' Mr (and Mrs Alex Mowat, the latter in a particularly handsome white dress: Mrs Merewether, heliotrope Bilk trimmed with a darker shade of velvet; and the Misses Anderson Cotterill (Nelson), Pickering (Wellington). Tissiman (two), Taylor (two), Beauchamp, and many others. Dr. Boor (Nelson), and Messsrs Williams and Freeman, of Wellington, were among the guests. They also assisted at the installation of the in-going W.M. of each Lodge. Taking it altogether the ball was one of the most enjoyable ever given here, and one little realized in gazing on the animated scene within, where not one discontented face was to be seen, that it was pouring with rain without. Fortunately. however, it had ceased at the time the ball broke up and enabled the belated revellers to reach their homes without a

drenching.

Frida.