WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXIII, Issue XVIII, 29 October 1904, Page 50

WELLINGTON.

Dear Bee, October 21. Xu astonishing amount of gaiety has been crammel Into the Inst week. Dau cob have been frequent, and, of

course, the Government House fete has inouopol »ed three days and two nights. J hear of very little going on .next week, and I am sure we shall need the rest, as such a gay period has not been known this session. The weather was not very good lor the fete, but U improved for the races. Thursday, THE FIRST DAY OF THE RACES, was gloriously fine, but many people stayed away as the racecourse railway was destroyed in the gale. Bus?s and brakes were in readiness at the Hutt station to convey passengers to the course, but there was inevitably rather a scramble to get sc its. His Excellency the. Governor and lady Plunket drove out.- They were attended by the Hon. AL Bingham. a”d Captain Braithwaite and Mr XWiterfield were also present. J.ady Plunket wore champagne cloth, with motifs and rutiles of tinted lace, white toque, furs and long brown coal ; Miss Harcourt was in white voile, smartly imide, and a floral hat: Airs Vv. Johnston. black e’oth elaborately inserted with white and bordered with fringe, black and white toque with pink roses; Mrs D. Nathan, pretty crepe de chine, much embroidered, .military coat of rod and blue, and large brown hat swathed with tulle; Airs W. AI on r house. black tailor-made, with white collar appliqiud with b ack: Miss Dransfield. royal blue canvas and cornflower hat; Miss Grace, brown cloth with vest and rutflrs of Alencon lace; Airs Michie. champagne, voile and black hat with plumes; Afrs Rawson, grey canvas, with jabot of lace, black and white hat; Miss ‘ Rawson, white cloth and red hat; Airs Kember, reseda canvas and floral hat; Airs Pearce, white cloth and picture hat; Airs Riddiford. mole cloth and lixpie with roses; Airs Lindsay, smart voile with touches of blue and a hat of chiffon ami lace; Mrs Turnbull, white canvas, and blue hat; Airs Crawford, champagne voile and picture hat. Airs Riddiford, of the Hutt, gave AN EXCEPTIONALLY SUCCESSFUL DANCE on Monday evening. Airs Riddiford wore a lovely dress of rich velvet with a .berthe of handsome lace; Airs Lindsay. in whose honour the dance was given, was wearing her exquisite bridal gown <»f ivory satin, draped with Limerick lacr. All her bridesmaids. Misses XVilfnrd. Hewitt (Palmerston ), Riddifor 1 (3). were there in their dainty frocks of white and pale blur. The rooms were decorated with masses of rhododendrons and azaleas in varying shades of pink, the supper tables wsre done with pink flowers, and the elect rm lights were softly shaded with rose colour. The Hon’. Kathleen Phinkct wore black tulle, with a jetted berthe and deep draped belt: Miss Higginson, pale green crepe dr chine: Miss Harcourt, pale blue satin; her .sister was brocade; Miss Brandon, black taffetas; Miss Fell, white’satin; Airs Pearce, amber satin; Miss Fitzgerald, ivory taffetas;' Afis ' Dr.nc.ui, sea-green chiffon; Ali.ss Williams,’ ivory “crepe ’de chine: Miss XX i Ilia ms. jwlt-st blue satin; Miss Lee, white silk, veiled in net/Afkss Coleridge. black taffetas; Aliss Fitzherbert.. white aud pale blue glace; Miss Herl or. white merveilleux. On th? same (fate Airs Fulton gave one ox those ; x ENJOYABLE LITTLE EVENINGS’, which ho'in with then I ricaks ami end up with a dance. 111*? rlar. n.-.s the ‘•.Xlousei;ap, ’’ and the Ic.iiing pares were taken by Mr :»n I Mrs Mnltuliii Ross, aided by Misses T«dhmst, Edwin, Fulton, and Stafford. Airs Ross was splendid as the heroine, and looked very well in a grey fouter I, inserted with lace and piped with orange velvet; xXliss Stafford looked well in ivory voile and lacr. wHh a yellow sash and mange roses in her champ?g tr hat; Aliss E<lwin hail a pretty pale blue eolientm with a chine sash, and her big black velvet hat had . long tul|c strings: Miss Fulton was in a dainty pi»k Frwieh muslin, and a large white picture hat with plumes. The audience was veiy appreciative, and applauded enthusiastically. All the performers were recalled. and Mrs Ross was presented with u bouquet. . A short concert was also given, afirr which the room was cleared for dancing while the guests were at supper. Mrs . Fulton wore a beautiftii dress p/. clmnipagnc chiffon and 'ace, embroidered .in mauve and greeny Miss Fulton was in white satin.

Later on in the week A JOLLY LITTLE DANCE was. given by Mrs Brown for her guest. Miss Claudia Foote. Professor and Mrs Brown have recently moved into their new house in Aurora-terrace, which is most artistically designed and furnished. 'file danee was small, and there was a pleasant preponderance of men. .Mrs Jtrown wore cream satin, embroidered with silver and erystal; .Miss Foote was in white and pale blue. Anior.ig those present were Mrs Wright, Mrs Hunt, and Misses Harcourt, ('olerFitzgerald. Higginson, Brandon, I ell, Hislop, Grace, Johnston, Fitzgerald. lETF. AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

After a vexatious delay on account of the weather, the long-expected fete at Government House in aid of the Veterans’ Home has successfully eventuated. Hie financial result was a little disappointing, but there have been many calls for charity lately, and this particular object is not one which appeals irresistibly to a Wellington public. The sum realised was £720, but out of that the expenses, which were unavoidably heavy, have to come. The Governor and Lady Plunket and their staff were indefatigable in their efforts, anil they were ably hacked up by many holjM'rs. Never before has there been such a galaxy of talent known in viceregal circles in Wellington. Nothing seemed to come amiss, from hat trimming. sweet-making, and poster designing, to general organisation. The elaborate programme was one of the wittiest ami smartest things ever written in Wellington, and there is much conjecture as to the clever author. The Government House grounds presented a

very picturesqiie appearance. Everywhere there was amusement and enjoyment. Many people spent a shilling for an energetic five minutes with a wooden spade in the endeavour to find the treasure. Among those who discovered it were Mr Algar Williams, who dug up :t £5 disc, and Miss It. Williams, who found two discs for £1 each. Other lucky people at the fete were Dr. Purdy, who won a diamond and emerald mar-

quis ring in a r a file; Mr Louis Pharazya (a gold grauuy chain), and Mr Gollan (solid silver tea service). J.ady Plunket's arts and crafts stall contained a large selection of quaint and beautiful china, pottery, needlework, and metalwork. together with a goodly numlrer of beautifully-bound hooks. Misß Coates was helping to sell. The Hoti. Kathleen Plunket. Mrs Ross, Mrs A. .Crawford were in charge of the hat stalls, and Mesdames Pearce, Tweed, and Wilford had a pretty tent of flowers and pot plants. Dr. Arnold Izard was indefatigable in running the living Aunt .Sally, who grew blase, and refused to thick unless a man v.as aiming. Retribution overtook him when a well-known society lady got in a shot which landed on one eyebrow, and speedily converted him into a very gory object, who had to be bandaged up and led away, a sadder and a wiser man. Once was more than enough for those who visited the Hon. A. Hingham’s haunted chamber. and it was amusing to hear their endeavours to induce other people to venture. An overwhelming number of entries turned up for the baby show, ami the judges Mrs J. C. Williams, Dr. Hislop, and J.ady Plunket’s head nurse, quailed at the idea of deciding on the best-behaved and the most suitablydressed children. There was a most denioeratic assortment of infants, ranging from the Hon. Brinsley Plunket, who was marked ‘’For exhibition only.” downwards. An indescribable melee of parents and offspring was gradually sorted on tlie, weight-for-age system, and the prize winners, three iittle boys, were presented with silver mugs in red satin bags. Two special prizes were awarded to two sets of twins. The mue’t-talked-of hat-trimming competition for ■men only was won by Mr (lily \Vdliains. -It was wonderful what miracles of millinery were achieved by fingers. more accustomed to grasping a golf club or a polo stick than an insignificant needle. The prize hat itself jyas run very close by several others, Mr Buller’s and Mr Ritchie’s both being very highly commended. Bandeaux, and head linings did not daunt the artists.

■X>d in one a pathetic little bloodstain was. visible. . In admiring the ehow several mothers pointed an impressive moral to daughters who have expensive tastes in millinery. Mention must be made of His Excellency’s contribution, labelled, “Le Dernier eri a Ballyliooley.” It consisted of the crown of a battered silk hat. Emerald green ribbon was twisted round the base, and in'the knot was stuck half a dirty day pipe. It, was modestly labelled, “Kot for ’ competition!” Lady Pluiiket wore a graceful gown of cream doth, much box-pleated and herring-boned with Indian gold thread. Her hat of cedar brown straw had long strings of tulle in the same shade. It was lined with eream, and a eream ostrich tip was placed on one side of the crown, wlileh was bordered with large brown beads. Brown and ivory was also the colour scheme of. the dress she wore on Wednesday. The ivory glace underskirt was veiled in laee-einbroidered grass lawn, and the pelerine collar was bordered with lace; brown chenille toque,'with clusters of primroses. The Hon.'Kathleen I’lunket wore white doth, embroidered in shades of light, green and blue, and a whits chiffon hat on the opening day, and later' oh she was in pale grey canvas, with a crepe de chine blouse, and an ostrich feather stole of the same colour. Miss Baeliel Williams —mho has been staying nt Government House lately—was in white canvas voile, and a black pi lure hat: Miss Aird was also in white, with n black hat; Miss Dunean, and her assistants at the tea stall, wore white drSSses, and cither , floral or picture hats. The same scheme of colour was adopted by-those in the flower tent. Mrs Brown’s staff were hi -white, and wore large rustic hats, tied with pale blue. Miss Harcourt’s girls all had cornflower blue dresses, blue hats, and white muslin fichus. It would be hopeless to attempt a list of all those who were present, but among them were Mrs C. Johnston, wearing black crepe - de chine, and 9 black and white hat; Mrs D. Nwtham reseda cloth with Oriental embroideries, and black picture bat; Mrs A. Crawford, black taffeta, and hat trimmed with lilac: Mrs Williams, black silk voile, velvet coat, and bonnet with pink roses;

Mrs A. Pearce, white canvas, and red hat;,Mrs Wilford’s dress was a broderie Angiaise, flounced to the waist, black picture hat; Alias Coates, black moire and velvet coat; Miss Williams, blue canvas; Mrs Tolhurst, black cloth and velvet; Aliss Tolhurst, navy tailor-made and floral hat; Mrs Biddiford, black crepe de chine; Mrs M. Lindsay, grey checked tweed, and smart hat; Mrs W. Johnston ("Higliden”), black cloth, white revers, edged with fringe; Mrs W. Johnston, jun., maroon cloth and black hat; Mrs Sprott, black tailor-made, faced with plaid; Airs W. Turnbull, navy serge, and blue and green hat; Airs Beridon, black voile; Aliss Seddon, white canvas; Miss'M. Seddon. lilac voile and black hat; Lady AVard, black taffeta and smart toque; Airs Mills, black silk voile arid white and black toque; Aliss Mills; biscuit canvas and floral toque; Miss —

Mills, white voile, picture hat; Airs Donne, white soic de chine, lucked and inserted with lace, large hat of brown Louisine with clusters of orange roses atrd a large gold buekle; Airs Larnaeh, black tailor-made; Aliss Harding, iron grey tweed ami pale blue hat; Aliss H. Harding, navy tailor-made; Airs S. Thorne George, black cloth, richly embroidered; black toque; Aliss George, white canvas, and mushroom hat with loses; Mrs Newman, grey tweed; Airs Reynolds. black canvas; Miss Reynolds, navy cloth; Airs Blundell, black voile de soie; Mrs Pearce, black tailor-made and white beaver hat: Airs Hislop, pale blueJinen; Miss Preston.-blue etamine; Aliss Prouse, white voile and floral hat: Aliss Swainsou. blue-grey tweed.-and hat trimmed with hydrangeas; Miss Fell, pink linen and black hat; Aliss Kirkcaldie. cream canvas, and hat with plumes; Aliss Turner, royal blue cloth and blue hat; Miss Breniner. blue and white flecked canvas: Airs Henry, black dress and caracul coat: Mrs Menzies, black velvet, and bonnet with violets; Aliss Macdonald, eream crash, embroidered with blue, and trimmed with cords and tassels; Miss Flannagan. • white cloth and white'-pieture hat; Aliss Kelly, white voile and black hat; Mrs Wright; blue-and white checked tweed, _ appliquril with white cloth; Mrs Atiehie. brown tailor-made; Mrs .Stafford, black coat and-skirt; Mrs-Ross, brown twee:!

and brown toque; Miss Cooper, navy cloth and floral hat; Mrs Richardson, navy and white voile; Miss Partridge, black tailor-made, and toque with

cherries.

OPHELIA.