Dear Christabel—

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 4, 28 July 1900, Page 8

Dear Christabel —

MRS JOHN DUNCAN gave a pleasant At Home, on -Friday last, at her ' house in Fitzherbert Terrace. A large number of guests arrived, but a little afternoon dance at Government Housegot up before the Royal Arthur left and carried away her good looking load of officers— prevented many from coming. Tea was served in the dining-room, the tables being decorated with daffodils. m * * Mrs Duncan wore a black satin skirt, and a black and white brocaded bodice ; Miss Duncan had on a pretty frock of palest grey crepon over silk, with white yoke. One of the daintiest gowns was worn by Miss Allen— a delicate grey-green, with tiny ruches of white satin ribbon and a white silk yoke. She wore one of those large black feathered hats that are- so smart and so much in vogue. Mrs Dunbar also had on a picturesque black hat, her frock being a quaintly effective combination of niouse-coloured cloth, much stitched ■with purple silk, the skirt cut tunic-wise over a silk petticoat. Mrs Miles' handsome gown was of blue Irish poplin, with silk guipure of white and pale pink, the upper* part of the* bodice being of 'ivory-" tucked satin. With this she wore a black and white toque. Miss Handyside (from Akitea), who is staying with Mrs Mites, had on a red cloth, much braided with black, and wore a black velvet- toque. Mrs C. Johnston bad on a dark tailormade frock, with a fur collarette, and a yellow and black hat. Mrs James Allens gown was of blue, with white silk embroidery on it. With this she wore a toque with roses on it. Mrs Herries had on a yellow silk, chiffon blouse, and a yellow hat. Mrs Marchbanks' gown was of striped brown and fawn, with the stripes running round the skirt. A long fawn coat and a hat with masses of rosecoloured ribbon was worn" with" this." Mrs David Nathan had on a sable cape, a trailing brown frock, and a wide brown hat. Mrs Hutchison's gown was a dark tailor-made, and her hat black and white. • # • Is there anything sadder than a sprinkling of shivering people in a large- theatre waiting dreafily fora farce to be played ? And when the curtain rose on Saturday night it was evident the performers lacked enthusiasm, and were infected by the mental and physical frigidity of their audience. A Saturday night crowd, too, as a rule, is easily pleased. It generally brings bags of refreshments of various kinds, and babies of all ages, and, fortified by the remembrance of the next day's holiday, thoroughly enjoys itself. We had on this Saturday night any number of people who began to eat almost as soon as they sat down. One thrifty soul, combining business with pleasure, had brought her Saturday's marketing with her in a Maori, kit, which she stowed under her seat in the dress circle. Two girls had sundry very crackling paper bags, with sticks of sweetstuff that had to be broken with much effort and many giggles. The loud snap generally occurred at a crisis on the stage. The children were the most enthusiastic among the audience, and peals of laughter arose from them as Charley's Aunt skipped about the siage, exhibiting grey trousers beneath his black skirt. * * * The love-making — and there is a good deal of it — was weak, and was adversely criticised by a couple who sat in the semidarkness, hand in hand. They were probably judges, but they did not consider how different a thing it is to make love with no one — save the man in the moon — to see or hear, to doing the same thing behind the footlights, under the glare of many critical eyes. And it was a rather unsympathetic audience. When the retired Indian officer discovers in the white-haired Dorm Lucia his old love of 30 years ago, and advances towards her with a f i antic rush and a loud incoherent cry, it laughed madly, untouched by the romance of the situation. The farce itself is extremely funny, and Mr Haygarth, alias Charley's Aunt, most amusing^ especially when coqnetting with elephantine Mr Spettigue.

I know, Christabel, you always had a lurking desire for political fame, and pictured to yourself how well you, in your new blue frock, would look in one of those crimson seats. But the powers that be have decided against women entering Parliament, and, verily, the women who desire that doubtful honour seem few and far between. A number of us have the assurance to think the House would be improved — artistically and mentally— by woman, but none of us yearn to be the pioneer in this particular line of progress. It was delightfully amusing to sit aloft and hear the honourable members' opinions. on the subject, and to conjure up, from their words, mental pictures of their women-folk. There were no feminine relations to keep a watchful eye on them as they aired their opinions, for it was midnight, and the galleries were empty. It was a pity, too, for women to miss hearing the delightful things some of the members said about us — those members especially who thought woman a household angel, and unfit for rude political strife. Mr E. G. Allen burst into poetry for this occasion on ly — about " woman's place is a myrtle grove, where warbling birds sing notes of love 1 " Such sentiments could only emanate from a bachelor with a possible She in his mind. A married man would know that a woman's place is very often over a hot stove, or a cradle with a fractious infant in it. It was a thousand pities so much eloquence was wasted — so to speak — on the desert air. # • • During the discussion, Mr Carncross voiced an objection to the term " lady " used by so many of the speakers. He was qi.ite correct. "Lady" is such an abused term now that "woman" is infinitely preferable. And should anyone object, let her be assured that, in the very best London society, there are no ladies and gentlemen — only women and men. The former terms have jquite > fallen out of use, and" a nbstessf would never dream of saying she had asked fifty gentlemen : she would say fifty men— the greater including the less. So, in the sacred names of Common sense and Fashion, who so rarely go hand in hand, let us be men and women. # # * Years ago, I remember sitting in the House one winter afternoon while the members were discussing a compulsory half-holiday with regard to domestic servants. Rows of matrons sat in the gallery and looked down with withering contempt on the men who were talking about what they did not understand. One irate old lady said out loud, " I'd like to knock some of iheir heads together." This' was when one member thought a maid, counting the time she took for changing her dress ar?d curling her hair, might leave for her half-holiday ac two o'clock. But, oh, Christabel, what a hideous tangle they got into ! They found at last — according to the Bill — that if a girl, unable to go out for her holiday because of wet weather, boiled the kettle to make herself a cup of tea, and her mistress used some of the hot water, the latter laid herself open to a fine. She was making use of the girl's services. By the time the debate was over, the members were in a most flippant mood, and the women in the gallery sniffed audibly. # # * This session there has been another attempt to give domestic servants a halfholiday. Mr Barclay is their champion, and, by the way, he objects to the term servant, and says if we were to use the term " hired assistant" it would raise their social status. I experimented at home, but found I had no time for the expression and my maid laughed. For myself, I see no disgrace in the term servant, and we have Shakespeare's authority that there is no» thing in a name. Mr Barclay also objects to the term master, but he suggested no substitute. "The governor," "boss," " the old man," are proposals from the Ladies' Gallery. Seriously speaking, however, a good many women feel that it is the mistresses that require the compulsory half-holiday. They appear — nol the hired "assistants — to be the downtrodden class in New Zealand. w # # The Speaker's Gallery has been fairly full this past week. Mrs Wallis and her guest Mrs Wilson, wife of the Bishop of Melanesia, attended one evening, and Mrs Heaton Rhodes and Mrs O'Eorke, who is staying with her, have been seen there : Mrs Seddon, Mrs Ward, Mrs Hall. Jones, Mrs Steward, and Mrs Hamer were in the gallery one or two evenings. Some of the member's wives and daughters are being very regular 1 attendants in the Ladies' Gallery. Mrs Lethbridge has been visiting Wellington lately. » • * By the Eotomahana on Wednesday, arrived the Hockey Girls. For the next week Wellington will abound in damsels (Continued on Page 9.)

wearing club colours. It is said there are nearly a hundred altogether, and the matches— provided Jupiter Pluvius turns his attention elsewhere— ought to be well attended. A dance is to round up the tournament, and it is hoped that the Eoyal Arthur may be back at that time so the southern girls can have an opportunity of dancing with our blue-and-gold heroes. * • * The concert on Monday evening at which Miss Julia Moran played was a decided success, and Lady Douglas, who directed the arrangements, is to be complimented on the result. It was short, but that is a virtue in a programme. It is so much better, Christabel, to leave off with an appetite. The stage was exceedingly pretty with its crimson curtains and background, delicate pot plants and easy chairs, and the dresses of the performers, especially Miss Moran's pretty white satin, showed to great advantage against the vivid colour. Miss Moran played with much taste and sympathy, the item " L'Elegie especially being exquisite, and listened to with devout attention. Miss Medley's pianoforte playing is delightful. Mr Hill's and Mr Harry Smith's songs were enthusiastically received. As an encore, the former sang a sprightly ditty about " the gracious smiles and roguish wiles of Julia, darling Julia." We were told this was composed by Mr Alf. Hill, Mrs Alfred Hill writing the dainty words. Miss Jeanne Eamsay sang two songs witli expression and sweetness. The quartettes by the Meistersingers were much appreciated, the humming accompaniment being quaintly effective. One of the songs was extremely charming. It was something about "doan ye cry, ma honey," and there was the usual baby mixed up in it— as is expected in coon songs. The baby was evidently a wakeful little monkey, for, notwithstanding the nurse's entreaties to go to sleep, and not to mind the other " black trash sleepin' on the floor," it needed three verses before it went off. And, apparently, the audience would not have wearied had it required half a dozen verses. * • • The Countess of Banfurly and the Hon. Hill-Trevor were present, the National Anthem being played a few minutes after Lady Banfurly had arrived. By the way, there has been some debate as to whether it is the correct thing to play the National Anthem when His Excellency is not present. By the bye, it is a pity that punctuality is not a more common virtue. Some people arrived long after the performance had commenced. If it is impossible to put their dinners on, there is always the alternative of delaying the concert. * • » The Countess wore a sable cape over her black frock, and an aigrette in her hair. Lady Douglas wore black velvet with a rose-coloured sash, and Miss Douglas a pink silk .and lace blouse with a white skirt. Miss Jeanne Bamsay's gown was of yellow, veiled with lace, with red flowers upon the bodice. Miss Medley wore black satin with lace sleeves. Most of th 6 women in the audience wrapped themselves in cloaks and coats, over the black gown that nowadays quite one-third of society dons at functions like this. Among those who wore black were Mrs Wallis, Lady Stout, Mrs Gee, Mrs Cook, and Mrs Brown. A lovely wrap was worn by Mrs Wilson, from Norfolk Island, a pale tan coat, silk braided, with a pink velvet collar edged with feathers. Mrs Heaton Bhodes' lace frilled cape was charming. Mrs O'Borke had on an electric-blue coat with fur. Mrs David Nathan wore black satin with a sable cape. Quite a number of pretty white capes were worn, and I noticed a charming pale grey brocade wrap edged with feathers that was a most picturesque garment. * • • Marvellous were the arguments for and against increasing His Excellency's salary, and the galleries were crowded to overflowing to listen to the debate. All sorts of nice things were said about Lord Banfurly, but there always is a but with some men, Christabel — Democracy, with a big, big D, forbade the increase. It struck us forcibly that there was almost as much I as D about some of the democratic speeches. The little men were the most earnest democrats, but it was Mr McLachlan who first opened the ball by declaring an advertisement for a governor at £5,000 a year — fancy advertising for a governor — would bring many suitable applicants. As the night grew later, the debate became more painfully acrimonious, and we actually had past vice-regal hospitality brought to bear on the objectors to the Bill — a piece of bad taste generally condemned. All sorts of sidessues were discussed, even to the description, by Mr Wilford, of Mr Pirani's get-up at the Government Ho.use^JFancy Dress Ball. We women, who, in common

with some men, are said to dearly love a lord, looked down reverently on Mr E. M. Smith as he airily referred to business— in ironsand, we presumed— that he had done with H. B. Hyghness the Commander of the Forces. But we suspect Mr Smith is an aristocrat at heart. He has begun to call himself by Metcalfe Smith already, and the hyphen is looming in the near distance. As one man said, the reading of their speeches on this debate would be anything but pleasant to many members, who had said many things they ought to have left unsaid. Of course, the Bill was passed by a large majority. » • • Perhaps the most interesting man in the House on Tuesday night was a tanned thin " gentleman in khaki" who occupied a seat in the small dress circle on the Speaker's left hand. This was Lieut. Lindsay, just returned invalided from South Africa. His mother was in the Speaker's gallery. The Premier and Captain Eussell both went over and talked to the young officer, who was regarded with much curious admiration by the collective ladies' gallery. • * * Quite a bevy of hockey girls arrived by the Eotomahana on Wednesday morning, with the light of battles in their eyes and roses on their cheeks. I feel sure you will say 1 am lapsing into sentimentality, my friend, but really the sight of so many pretty damsels, counting our Wellington girls, armed with their lethal weapons woke irrepressible admiration in my breast. Perhaps the glorious morning had something to do with this feeling. If I were a man it would be quite a pleasure to be bowled over by one of these fair Amazons, as a season ago was the popular and burly President of one of our Wellington Hockey Clubs. The new girl is making rapid strides, and our great grandmothers would have fainted at the advance of woman to-day. But, with her lithe slim figure, her bright eyes and cheeks, fearless independent ways, and dainty severity of her frock, there is much that is delightfully attractive in the new girl. Yours truly, PHILLIDA.

When ministers get their £1,250 a year plus 30s a day travelling expenses (modestly limited to £1,500 a year) and a " houseallowance " of £250 they may be reasonably expected to occupy houses of their own and not put up at a thirty shilling a week boarding-house. When Sir Julius Vogel reigned in the land, the ministers used to entertain pretty freely, but, nowadays, nary a dance. No one wants ministers to be extravagant, but seeing that they are all good " Liberals "they might try and live up to the name, in even a moderate way.

Mrs M'Callum announces that she is prepared to give readings of character, etc., by means of phrenology, psychometry, and palmistry. According to many of our Mrs M'Callum is exceptionally clever in her delineations. Mrs M'Callum may be consulted at any hour after 10 a.m. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, have just received a considerable quantity of rape and turnip seed of exceptionally good quality. They will furnish samples and prices to anyone applying at either the Masterton or "Wellington Office, or at Mr James Tullock's, Pahiatua.