Ladies Express.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 945, 21 May 1881, Page 2 (Supplement)

Ladies Express.

Come to me, dearest, I’m lonely without thee, Day-time and night-time I’m thinking about thee. Night-time and day-time in dreams I behold thee— Unwelcome the waking which ceases to fold thee. Come to me, darling, my sorrows to lighten, Come in thy beauty to bless and to brighten, Come in thy womanhood, meekly and lowly, Come in the lovingness, queenly and holy ! Swallows will flit round the desolate ruin, Telling of Spring and its joyous renewing : And thoughts of thy love and its manifold treasure Are circling my heart with a promise of pleasure. Oh, Spring of my spirit! oh, May of my bosom ! Shine out on my soul till it burgeon and blossom— The waste of my life has a rose-root within it, And thy fondness alone to the sunshine can win it. Figures that move like a song through the even— Features lit up by a reflex from heaven—■ Eyes like the skies of poor Erin, our mother, Where shadow and sunshine are chasing each other ; Smiles coming seldom, but childlike and simple ; Oh, thanks to the Saviour, that even thy seeming Is left to the exile to brighten his dreaming ! You have been glad when you knew I was gladdened— Dear, are you sad now to hear I am saddened ? Our hearts ever answer in tune and in time, love, As octave to octave, and rhyme unto rhyme, love ; I cannot weep but your tears will be flowing— You cannot smile but my cheek will be ing-—-I would not die without you at my side, love— You will not linger when I shall have died, love. Come to me, dear, ere I die of my sorrow, Rise on my gloom like the sun of to-morrow, Strong, swift, and fond as the words which I speak, love, With a song on your lip, and a smile on your cheek, love ; Come, for my heart in your absence is dreary— Haste, for my spirit is sickened and weary— Come to the arms which alone should caress thee— Come to the heart which is throbbing to press thee.

I am going to begin my letter today by describing a wedding dress, or evening dress, if you will, as without the veil it will make one of the most elegant of dinner dresses, or even ball dresses. We will commence by the underskirt, which is of white silk edged with two narrow box-plaitings, the upper one headed by a flounce of white lace, in its turn headed by a band of passementerie, embroidered with pearls. The dress is of white satin and made in the princess shape, buttoned at the back. The skirt is quite plain, and is edged all round with a band of pearl passementerie, about five inches deep. Around the hips is a belt of the same passementerie, which is fastened together on the left side in a point, and lower down than on the other hip. The belt in its fastening on the left side, raises up that side of the dress in a box plait. It is raised high enough to show the trimming on the underskirt, that is all. The neck of the body is half high, and is edged round with a pearl passementerie, like the belt. Underneath is a chemisette of lace, witn a deep ruching round the neck’ The sleeves are puffed at the top, within a pearl armlet. The remainder is quite tight fitting. At the wrists is a white ruching ; the buttons are of pearl; a bunch of orange blossoms on one side of the neck. For a dinner, the dress may be worn exactly as it is ; and also for any eveparty. The flowers alone will be changed. For a ball, the chemisette and lower part of the sleeves will be dispensed with. The wreath is worn quite at the back of the head. I would also recommend this dress in black and jet, and either black satin or black velvet. It is extremely simple, yet rich and elegant at the

same time. My readers will be pleased with it, I am sure. Steel, I see, is to be in unusual favor this year for trimmings. Cuirasse bodies will be made of soft material worked in with steel, and which will have a marvellous effect. It will partly substitute jet. I have already seen bonnets made entirely of steel lace. It is prettier than gold. A tuft of feathers dipped in steel are placed on one side ; and here I may state that spring bonnets "consist of capots, which are always in good taste and are always becoming, their large Alsatian bow at the top, and their long and wide scarf strings, tied under the chin.

Very little jewellery is worn now. In the daytime nothing but silver is worn. By the bye, here is a necklace which is being made for Sarah Bernhardt in Paris, and which is said to be one of the finest specimens of jewri> lers art of the present centuty. a dog-collar composed of two rows of > magnificent diamonds, placed at about an inch apart from each other. In the centre of these two rows of diamonds is a wreath of field flowers in precious stones, and representing the natural colours of the flowers. The poppies are composed of rubies, the cornflow’ers of sapphires, the marigolds of topaz, &c., and the leaves of emeralds. No two flowers are alike. MdUe. Bernhardt has for years been collecting stones for this neck jewel, I hear. I wonder how much it will cost by the time it is finished ? Great luxury is displayed in fans. Some have the sticks studded with gems, and the ring that holds them together is also of diamonds or other precious stones. Ladies who cannot afford this luxury content themselves with satin or feather fans to match the colour of their dresses. I must not forget to mention that for ball dresses there is a perfect rage now for brown tulle, trimmed with roses. I mention this in parenthesis, it having almost escaped my memory. The combination is rather pretty, ho—ever, although scarcely adapted young ladies. White underskirts are no longer worn during the day, only coloured skirts ; but these are of the most elegant description, being made of light- J coloured silk trimmed with frills edged with lace.