THE LADIES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4180, 13 December 1884, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE LADIES.

LADIK9- GOSSIP. Dear Edith, —Melbourne at last is losing the many strange faces, you met with when wending your way about. Some have returned to their homes with pockets lighter, and hearts heavier, others lat'ing with them pleasing memories of the city they have left behind, Museum, Zoological, Botanical, and Fitzroy Gardens havo been much visited, and the Picture Gallery has had many admirers. Lill and I went to see the new picture. It is painted by Mr T. Bennitcr, and 16 a fine specimen of art. Tho subject is a sea fight which took place on the twentyseventh of July, 1709, between the English war ship of the line "Jupiter." and tho French frigate " Pronevie," in the neighborhood of Madagascar. The stubborn fight is grandly realised as well as idealised on tho canvas. We heard many divided opinions as to whether " Moses coming down from the Mount" with its brilliant coloring, or the "Brigands" was the belter, but the lovely Queen Esther and Anne Boleyn came in for an equal share of admiration. Places of amusement were crammed, but thanks to Jack we secured scats, for he has not tho objection Ted has to a crowded audience, so I was able to note many different styles. Jack has just informed me you are in for a double dramatic, treat, Mrs L-cwis aacl Misa Genevieve Ward who are now in New Zealand, and who purpose visiting your town. Tho former as Miss Rose Edouin was ono of the brightest and most versatile of actresses, and years seem but to havo added mellowness lo her many graces of speech and action, bnt I need say nothing more on that point as you are almost sure to renew your pleasant recollections of her. Of Miss Ward I wrote you before when forwarding you her lovely costumes, and I will only add whereover Miss Ward and Mr Vernon appear they arc sure to be a success, as both are finished and capable artistes. ■ My musical brother tells me that Mons. Kemenyi is going to gain fresh laurels in New Zealand. Frank who. has been watching his movements with keen interest was telling me what an ovation he hud at Ballarat, tho Liedertafel serenading him at Craig's Hotel, and at Sandhurst he was warmly cheered. I am so glad you will be ablo to hear him, for what you tell me in your letters of the good musicians you have in your musical loving little town, tho visit will long be remembered among them, for he is endowed with that Heaven-born genius so few artists really possess, I hope you will hear him play The Hungarian National March " Kokoczy," Frank declares the martial introduction of his own is more massive than the " Dead March in Saul" in which he created such a furore, Mr David Leo at the organ. nis transcription for violin alone, Auld Robin Gray, tho way he pluva tho old familiuv tunes, that are so hackneyed on tho organs in tho street, seem to bring memories they never did before. Frank took Lill and I to his seven concerlß, and it was such a " feast of music " that ono never seemed to woary of. Miss Downing has a rich voice, and has introduced several now ballads, one I liked very much was " Dreaming." Mr Himmer is a sympathetic tenor, so I have i\o doubt you will be as much enraptured us you wero with Miss Jenny Clans and V\ r ilhelnrj in the sweet long ago. Now for a, topic Jack declares wo ladies could not live without—dress and fashion, and although he goes off in a pet when we start the subject at the same time he is ulways willing to do the block when wo have some thing pretty on. I think nothing ?sx excellent for wear in the early months of tho. year, and in this changeful climate, as serge, heavy or light, as the exigencies of individual wearer* demand. Blue serge, with facings of crimson, looks well, but the com-

bination is not new, and I prefer self-colored serges, braided with self-colored braids. I have one just home white serge with panels, cuffs, collar and belt of velvet, a white tulle drawn bonnet bordered with forget-me-nots, and a bunch at the side and I am very pleased with the effect.

I noiiced a pretty dress, it was a printed delaine the ground a light blue with some sort of a device in very pale brown. The bonnet was the same as the dress decorated at the side with a bunch of acorns. The sunshade matched tho dress with a fringe of marabout feathers, and at tlio top was fastened a bunch of acorns. Terry velvet is the latest trimming for bonnets and dresses it will be a change from the plain velret. There are some shepherd's plaid dresses worn, made with full plain skirts, with three or four bands of black ribbon velvet, the over skirt looped high on the side fastened with a rosette, the collar of velvet, and the sleeves with rosettes. On warm days I have seen some really nice, cool costumes in cambric, canvas, and muslin, and trimmed so prettily with coffee colored lace, and embroidered in the "Russian style in blue, yellow, and red thread. The aecordeon pleated dresses are exceedingly pretty, and can bo made quite easily in the thinnest of material. Tn the first place, all thin materials plait well, providing they are lined with a coarse muslin and the two plaited together very evenly ; this makes the"plait very effective and stands out well. For flower shows and _arden parties, muslin plaits really look well, and from close observation, I may tell you that a cheap material plaited is much more effective than a skirt trimmed with expensive lace. The bodices of these thin materials are not usually made so tight-fitting as heavier materials ; they are mostly puffed in front, the puffings bping made "to ?ontinue as a scarf over one hip, and sometimes over both.

Lill is going to -wear at a garden party next week a gown of white foulard, made with a tucked skirt and plain polonaise, looped up on one hip with a white lace scarf, one end of which falls OTcr the skirt, and the other end is fastened at the neck. Her bonnet matches her dress and is trimmed with daisies.

A pretty toilette is of beige veiling and nutbrown glace silk. The silk skirt, is trimmed with five pinked-out flounces, placed very close together. The upper skirt, of beige veiling, is simply trimmed with five deep tucks, each scalloped out round the edge, and worked in buttonhole stitch with thickbeige silk. This upper skirt falls quite loose, without any drapery, clown to the upper flounce of the silk skirt. Bodice in the Madonna style of veiling, with nutbrown silk snsh tied at the back into two long loops and two fringed ends. Are you very busy preparing 'Xmns boxes dear ? I know with our large family it is taking much of my time. Lill is busy painting cards, and I am doint- a milking stool for the drawing-room, this is the latest craze. If you want to splash or paint them yourself you should havethr-m mado to order at some furniture warehouse and varnish, or have them varnished after your work is done. They aro made of deal, and, of course, arc very inexpensive. You have uo idea what charming adjuncts to a tastefully furnished drawing-room, one or two ' milking stools' ornamented with splash-work, or painted with bunches of pink and white roses on a black ground make. I was at the Ladies' Work Association last week, and they showed mo some pretty " chair backs." They am very simple, consisting of white muslin, edged with lace, and looped in the centre with a bow of satin ribbon ; the muslin is embroidered in sprays of leaves, in darning, which i 3 done on the wrong side as a general rule, only the front end of the chair-back being ornamented, showing how art and taste can transform even the commonest things into objects of beauty. Some of the prettiest thin_s I saw were ordinary ginger-jars which, by a few cleft touches'from an artist's brush, were converted into most charming ornaments. One had'a blue background with poppicsand daisies painted on it; another, the prettiest, was painted with water-lilies, while variously colored chrysanthemums formed effective and striking ornaments on a third. I did admire some very fine linen doyles etched in Greenawny figures in marking ink, as well as some menu and name cards hand-painted in colors with the same figures. One of the new milking-stools looked extremely nice painted withheld flowers on a black ground. A pretty new tidy is made of silk gauze in a delicate veliow shade, The design is a bough of walnut with leaves and nuts in outline- embroidery. The ends are finished by a narrow band of nut-brown velvet, with an edging of lace the color of tho gauze. — Yours, Louie.