"ALIEN'S" LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 11 August 1909, Page 75

"ALIEN'S" LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

(Specially Written for the Witness Ladies' Page.) THE LAST DRAWING ROOM.

Jnns 25. The fourth and last Court of the &aa.-on ■was held last night at Buckingham Palace. It was a scene of much splendour, and 6ome important prctsentation^ were made, amono- them Lady Charles Fitzmaurice, who was Lady Violet Elliot, the Viceroy of India's daughter. The stately royal procession entered the throne Toom at halfTiast 10, the Master of the Kings Music, stationed in the gallery, striking up the National Anthem as their Majesties took Their place on the dais, surrounded by Court officials in splendid uniforms a^id members of the Royal Family. The King wore many orders with Ms brilliant uniform, and the Queen her Order of ihe Garter and Danish Orders, with many magnificent diamonds, a diamond crown holding the fleecy veil that fell behind, and diamonds and pearls down the front of her drsss. Many of the dresses were of the most delicate description, subdued in tone, but with gold and .silver and aluminium embroideries, co close in some cases that the •weight must have been considerable. "To shimmer" seems to be the verb Fashion is conjugating just now for evening functions. The jewels worn were wonderful. One lady wan in a dTess of amethyst satin, embroidered with gold, wore a Irigh gold crown of exquisite fil^Tes work encrusted with amethysts and diamonds, and a deep dog collar of the same jewels, and a huge cross also. The whole effect of the blue and gold was beautiful. The Marchioness of Lansdowne wore a gown of mauve satin draped with priceless old lace, the Court train of cloth of silver, lined with mauve eatin and trimmed with bunches of mauve and 1 silver robes. Fhe presented her daughter-in-law, a daughter of the Vieerov of India, who wap beautifully dressed all in white. Other dresses of notable ladies were : — The Duchess of Buccl-euch wore many magnificent jewels with a beautiful gown of silver moire brocaded in mauve and silver, and her train of cloth of silver was lined with mauve. Lady Brcoke, presented by her moiher-m-l»w, Lady "Warwick, were «• plcure gown and a. brocade train, ard a bandeau on her plaimly dressed bair. Lady Douro's white crepe gown was wcrn wish a train o-f silvei and tulle and ehe wore the inassira diamond and pearl tiara and necklace given by the Duke and Duches3 of Welling .on "on her marriage. Lady Ncrmanby had masfea of creamy Alencon lace on an ivory velvet dress, acd the mantle train of black and white heavy "brocade with a floral design" was lined with 1*066 chiffon. Her ornaments were psaris and diamonds. The Dowager Lady • Dufferin had many diamonds with a jetted black dress, and the giey satin train was veiled in black Chaatilly .lace. Lady. Gwysfort was in .spxe blue. China" crepe trimmed with gold And silver !ac&; and her train was of blue velvet. Lady Cassillis wore a pretty picture gown of. white tulie gleaming with crystal ar.d god and silver, and her <=a,tin train wae embroidered in the same style. Lady Donegall had an embroidered net tunic over a dress and train of cloth of gold, with amethysts introduced in the embroideries; and Lady Boyn« wore a lovely n«t dress closely embroidered with iridescent effect and silver, and th«rs was a fine o:d Brussels lace on her silver tissue and white satin train. The Duchess of Wellington wcr< magnificent jewels with a green dress and train with mauve embroideries, and her daughter. Lady Eileen Weileriey, wore a picture gown of pale yellow satin with a silver grey train. Lady Helen Gordoff-Lenmox was another girl much noticed, and her white satin dress had fringes and embroideries of iridescent crystal and gold, and knots of gold roses adorned the train of ninon; and Ladj Bernard Gor-don-Lennox had a dress and train of similar material to that worn by her sister-in-law. itr« Whiteiaw Reid's dress of gold tissue was veiled in diamante green tulle, and the train of green \elvet was powdered with diamonds shaded from green to while. Lady Newborough was much admired in an ivory , crepe gown with embroidered green chiffon | draped in classical fashion, and her train ' was of almond green velvet "embroidered with great jewelled fieur-de-lys. with a trail • of the same flowers carried up one side. Lady Salisbury, in blue and silver, with beautiful old lace acd fine diamonds, presented Ladj- Beatrice Cecil, t a simple white gown and train with crystal embroideries. Also present at this Court were Lady Beatrice Herbert, in *-hite and siiver, with a train of Irish guipure; Lady Miller, ' Lady - Graham, wife of Sir Hugh "Graham. Lady Solomon, Baroness . Bruno Schrceder, | Lady Ashtown, and Lady Bushman. < The weather has simply been wicked. June is nearing its close, and one needs fires. Midsummer day was a day of thunder and hailstorms, and the numerous outdoor functions were spoilt. The river season has been a failure ; so far this year there have only been a very few days that the river has been desirable. Ascot Sunday, the great river day of the year. was fine, and there have never been greater crowds. All the famous riverside mansions had house parties, the Kinoand Queen_ entertaining at Windsor, whose towers overlook the most beautiful reache.i of the streams. At Taplow Court Lord and l>ady Desborough entertained a large house party, including Mr and Mrs Asquith and t"He Spanish Ambassador, and over 100 members and friends lunched at the Guards' Olub, including the Duke and Duchess of Teck. Over 200 launches and 1000 smaller craft passed through Bolter's Lock, and all the ferries were crowded. The river-girl was in her glory, punting and rowing in white, or some soft-tinted frock. Her Majesty and garty~ took their river trip on the Friday, from Windsor to Cookham Lock and back. On the Sunday motor oars look the river visitors to Maiden-head at the rate of 130 an hour, and the press of the up-river traffic continued till after 3 o'clock. All amusements under cover are largely patronised, it being an ill wind that blow's nobody any good. The midsummer fair mod fete at the Olym^ia ir aid of the

Great Ormand Street Hospital for Children was opened by the Quten on Wednesday afternoon. Her Majesty was attended by a large suite, and mps received by the ]>uke of Fife, who is pic-side it of tli-e hospital, and by the Countess, of Pembroke and Montgomery, and others connected onicially with "the hospital. The great Olympia was transfoimed into a Louis XV netting, with a wonderful garden, beautiful women presiding at the stalls, and half society seemed following the example of the Queen, who made a round of the garden stalls, her purse emptying itself in the cause ->f a charity which is very near her Iteart, as the little children of the Ormand Street Hospital know. Beginning with the Alexandra stall, she visited the 36 in succession. From most of these she made various purchase!?. At Lady Garvagh's etall a lire "Teddy bear*' ate' the carnations which -she earned, a loss which tlis Queen made good at Lady Beatrice Wilkinson's stall.- The /scene of the fete was one of great animation, and during the hours of her Majesty's visit £9000 was taken. - MJsanA^hile the King was -at -Gloucester enjoying the Boyal agricultural 6how, where som-a of his own cattle were exhibited. ; 'There goes the farmer's best friead." said one farmer concerning his Majesty, for the Kind's inter&st in 'farming matters is proverbial. Just before leaving th« display of prize sheep the King's earritge was 'dTawn up before one of the odd 3^ machines ever seen at the Royal. A simp'e apparatus was Btr&pped to Uie body of a red milch cow, four nY, pieces of rubber were fixed in position by the inventor, an assistant turned a handle, and in a few minu'es the cow was lnilked. This is done without any sort of suction, meiely by the tc and fro motion or ike rub:«r plates. The King expressed his interest, and looked with an*us€m«nt at the eccentric machine, invented bj a Swiss dairyman scarcely two months ago. Nothing in the 9how seemed to p asue the King so much as the horticultural exhibition, which was n;t open io the pub.ic till after his Majesty's departure. With a very snia-ll company the King walked as the fancy moved him ab^ut the three huge ten is filled with perhaps the finest groups of flowers ever collected. "A truly wonderful show," his Majesty said as he got to (he end of the big tent. He expressed a particular desire for a certain shade of pink pelargonium, a new variety Ehown by Heaih, of Cheltenham, and a pink sweet pea. This will, of course, make that flower popular. Eailier in the week his Majesty held a levee at St. James's Palace, which was a most- picturesque and interesting function. Bishops and all official visitors were present in'their robes and uniforms. One j>icturesque group among t/he arrivals was the Bishop and officers of British Honduras, at present in London ; and a Burmese — Maung Uya-U, M.R.A.S., a handsome young member of Lincoln's Inn, who attended" in his National costume. The King drove in state from Buckingham Palace 'accompanied by the Household Cavalry, and preceded by the Guards' Band — a colour pageant for the strangers in London. The route through the park was lined, as usual with crowds. There is an unusual list of Birthday honour this year, and among the most popular are two well-known names in the theatrical world— Mr H. Beerbohm Tree th- actor-manager, and Mr A. W. Pinero! the famous dramatic author— both of whom have had the honour of knighthood conferred upon them. Xo new «*•« S/™?,, 1 !" 8 year ' but °™ r 3o knight* and 12 baronets. I The Empire editor, are "through" with their , ; ate entertaining, and hare%turned let^^h^i^r^^otH^i ,epr s ay"! c -. Of **»_"» _" *»» »P £• Callander {Perthshire* ".,e«clov X«J,t da^fn F^w* m"? de!e S a^ had a holitTon of r C Hl&hlaud f *-*■>' The ccrporanVfhJ & 7 g ° Vr . yesterday displayed oefore ua the great enterprises of the Clyde Today the corporation showed its hospitality by arranging for a quick {our through some of the most majestic and enchanting par's of the HighJan<L*-Lo C h Lomond, with its memories of Rob Boy; Loch Katrine, which is tapped in the service of a great city; ?dSIV he bemut) Bpot of the ««*»-. Tbero has been a re & t from speeches and receptions, and not before a rest was needed bmce the conference started the delegates have in eighteen days attended nearly forty pub.ic banquets and functions. Public ana private engagements ha\e kept them busy each day until the small hours. Then they have had to attend to an enormous corre"spondence— suggestions, advice, demands, and invitations— that has poured on ihem from every part of the kingdom. "I start replying to my letters at 1 a.m ," said one to me. "At two in the morning I try to glance at the previous day's papers i and £3on fall t sleep over them. I manage to secure five hours' sleep a night, and I am thrivirrg on it." Some of the delegates, however, ar« net so robust. Three of the New Zealand representatives have dropped out for the time, uuable to keep up the pace. The ladies from overseas have shown even more powers of endurance than the nien They are always ready for any activity. One remark \sas made to me" by =everal delegates tc-day . '-Tell us why it is that with such beautiful holiday lands as the-e Highlands so many British go to Switzerland ar.«d Italy, and so few come here?" The tour lasted for e'even days with a break of a day to attend the King's prefen- j tation of colours to the Territorials at "Windsor. The amount of woik occomphshed in the tim« has been amazing Great centres of learning, like Oxford and Cambridge I7mversities, have been visited and studied in detail. The main centres of some of the chief British industries have been peen. and the most famous beauty spots of the island have been traversed. Our visitors have been profoundly impressed and moved by the enthusiastic welcome they everywhere received. One Boer editor told a Sheffield audience- how, if '.

ioricj! fo es eam-e against Britain in South ■ Africa, the ui.srrmg rifle cf his countrymen, not long sinoe arrayed agsir.st us, v.culd .low be en (.in sice. Mr Banerjee nas been long a, lealer of Ihs new I' cuan m<n emenx ; yet ha astured the men of Manchester that li.s j feMcw countrymen long t3 fight in BntiE'h ' ranks if ever Eng'and needs them.