MILLINERY MODES OF THE MOMENT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1307, 9 December 1911, Page 11

MILLINERY MODES OF THE MOMENT.

as a girl, she careered on a galloping pony —tho natives will vouch for it that she never used a saddle, and' was always galloping—i 3 'Coombo Cottage.; There is no other homo in Australia quito liko it. It.,is-not obtrusive,, in no wise ostentatious, but just peacefully beautiful, Eighteen months ago there. w : as n-corn-field where are now the housd.aml grounds. Abovo the. cottage, which' has'bay .windows and wide verandah spaces, and is picturesque-from every,aspect, is a pergola, and. over this, the climbing plants are beginning to find' their way. About tho houso roses havebeen.trained, whiletrailing vines ;are ' already shading '. the verandahs. Mr. Guilfoyle, fornianyyears curator of tho Melbourne Botanic Gardons, spent a year laying out the grounds, which have wide lawns, a croquet space, grass tennis courts; and pleasant paths with flowers in great profusion colouring the landscape. Tho road to ; Healesvillo is hidden by a hedge, but passing motorists pull up their cars and stand on tho ■upholstered seats to get. a glimpse of tho garden in tho Australian bush. '

"A big tower clock over the motor garage tolls the hours. Beneath the dial is the legend, - • "East, ..West, ■ • Hame's •Best.'

"In the garage are two big touring cars, and under the same roof an electric plant, with accumulators,, for supplying the light'for ...the cottage, buildings; and grounds. Another ./largo building-stables Mine. Melba's.'-pair'of bays, which draw tho high phaeton she drives about the country roads. ■ Everything-is tho-model of order, while the buildings havo graceful architectural lines, and everywhere one looks the prospect pleases.

"But,.:as the furnituro advertisements Bay, .'lt's what's insido makes the home.' To describe the treasures here would be at the' risk of exciting envy., That, muchabused word, 'artistic,' sounds more Philistinicthan ever when applied.to them and tho scheme of tho.ir arrangement. Everything is.what it purports' to be, and one's cyo is never offended by 'tho sincerost form. of flattery.' The flooring of tho music-room is genuine parquette, and, the mantelpiece is an undeniable Adams. The oil paintings are by masters; the framed coloured drawings in tho corridor are originals by John Leach. Europe seems to have been put under contribution for beautiful things, and a home truth given expression is that, wherever pretence is absent there is perfect harmony in tho effect. Gifts from. kings and princes are housed at 'Coombo Cottage.' .There are cabinets of writing tables in Australian woods, designed and executed with exquisite taste. And over all is evidence of loving care and the patriotic sentiment which inspired Mmo. Melba to make this home—it would still be notablo in any art centre in Europe—on tho spot sho knew in girlhood as tha virgin Australian bush.