THE LADIES COLUMN NOTES BY "THE DUCHESS."

Observer, Volume II, Issue 40, 18 June 1881, Page 438

THE LADIES COLUMN NOTES BY "THE DUCHESS."

— The Choral Hall Skating Rink has been very thinly attended lately. On Wednesday the Bth inst., the fair skaters found the corridor closed and blocked up with forms, much t their disgust. Mrs Isaacs very wisely observed that visitors would have no inducement to attend if the best skaters stuck to the corridor and never showed in the Hall. She wns quite right, and I cordially agree with her. Those nice little flirtations are over and done with my dear young friends, until you feriot out some other 1 quiet spot, which I have no doubt you will do very soon if possible. The dais was again deserted, save by the shadows of the past I noticed Miss Harrison in a dress of oatmeal cloth trimmed with scarlet bands and fringe to match ; black hat and feathers. — Mrs Waterhouse, of Mount Albert, gave a large party in the Albert Hall on Thursday, the 9th inst. ; in spite of the inclemency of the weather it was very numerously attended. Canning supplied the supper. Mrs Greenwood wore black satin trimmed with cream plush, and fringe, very handsome diamond and gold ornaments. Miss Lewis wore a very handsome dress : the underskirt was of blue silk, with a pointed polonaise of blue velvet trimmed with silver fringe and tassels. Miss R. Plumley was in a black silk Avith a very long train. Miss F. Plumley looked very well in a white muslin prettily trimmed with crimson flowers arranged from the waist round the skirt. — The monthly Ponsonby "At Home "was literally crowded out on Friday, the 10th inst. There was hardly room to dance. If these assemblies increase at this rate a new hall will have to be built to accommodate the guests. The committee of gentlemen were most courteous and attentive. The supper was excellent, the ladies having again taken, the arrangements into their own hands, and the hall was beautifully decorated with ferns and flags. Altogether the Ponsonby "At Homes " are most pleasant, social, and agreeable re-unions. Mrs Masefield wore a black grenadine, let in down the front with crimson satin ; Mrs Lewis wore black grenadine trimmed with pink silk, with very handsome black lace flounces, and sash of pink silk ; Mrs Waterhouse, dress of cream sateen, with crimson sateen sash, laced up the back with crimson cord ; Mrs Quick, dress of black velvet made en princesse, let in down the front with pale blue satin and trimmed with point lace, pearl ornaments (this was a very handsome dress, and suited well the fair wearer) ; Mrs Home was in black satin ; Mrs Cunningham looked very well in pale blue sateen ; Mrs G. Cruiekshank wore lavender silk ; Mrs Mclndoe, black grenadine ; Mrs F. Mclndoe, light blue satin, trimmed with white muslin and white lace ; Mrs Bayntun, lavender silk, with crimson velvet sash ; Mrs Arthur Lewis, pale blue llama ; Mrs Forbie, black grenadine, trimmed ■with white lace ; Mrs SYeston, white muslin, trimmed with pink satin ; Miss Lewis, tussore silk, trimmed with pale blue ; Miss Dunnett, white silk, trimmings • of white tulle and crimson silk ; Miss Nelly Dunnett, white silk and swansdown ; Miss Kelly and Miss Marion Kelly wore plain black grenadines ; Miss Alice Biewer,. blue grenadine, with blue silk bodice ; Miss Langsford, black grenadine, trimmed with heliotrope satin ; Miss ICirby, lavender silk, with a crimson plush bodice ; Miss George, white muslin, with crimson flowers ; Miss Helena George I cream sateen, trimmed with old gold and crimson sateen, crimson cord and tassel ; Miss Eva George, black velvet dress, with pale blue surat silk sash and trimmings ; Miss Harley black and maize dress j Miss Jones, blue grenadine, trimmed with white, silver flowers ; Miss 11. Oldham, white cashmere, trimmed with pale blue ; Miss Home, pink grenadine, with black and white lace overslurt ; Miss Leighton, black grenadine, pale green sateen sash and trimmings; Miss Baker (of Mount Albert), cream lustre, with black velvet sash j Miss Bidder, white llama dress, trimmed Avith black velvet, jersey collar of white embroidered llama ; Miss James, black and silver. — Whilst out last week it Avas my lot to hear some rather interesting anecdotes of Herr Bandman and Miss Beaudet, which at any rate seem to have the merit of truthfulness. Place mix dames. Louise de Ruiz Beaudet Avas, it is alleged, born at Tours. Her father Avas French and her mother a Spaniard. Her parents emigrated ,to America, where her father did Avell in business, and became Mayor of South Boston. When he died, Madame Beaudet carried on the business ; Tout their warehouse was burnt clown, and this and other losses reduced them to great poverty. Madame Beaudet's health gave Avay Then Louise thought that it devolved on her to repair their broken fortunes. Her taste and talents pointed to the stage, and she -was fortunate enough to meet with Herr Bandmann as a preceptor. She speaks of him Avith great reA r erence and affection. "He is a very seA r ere master" (these areheroAvn words), "but that is all for my advantage ; and then he is so good and generous, and Avell principled, and so cultured, that it is a liberal education to live near him." Mdlle. Beaudet's usual salary is £20 per week, a large portion of this she sends home to her mother, and another portion she puts by ; for the dream of of her life is to buy a cottage and a little land in the neighbourhood of Paris— to iriake a home for her mother and a resting place for herself from the toils of theatrical life. Her skill as an actress has not been acquired without much, labour and much sacrifice. She has often worked twenty hours out of the twenty four with little nourishment; has gone home from the theatre at 1 o'clock in the morning, and sat doAvn till 3 o'clock, to study a neAv part. She has a strange mixture of romance and shrewdness, and is not yet tAventy years of age. It is impossible to speak of her in terms too liigh. She is good, sensible, cleA^er conscientious, grateful, and affectionate. There are few young actresses so entirely estimable in private life as Miss Beaudet. Her acting is always graceful, though some-

times unequal,, and she often has to take •characters beyond even her highest flights. •She is always letter perfect as to the reading. Herr Baiulinann is a very fine man, both mentally and physically. Even if he were not =an accomplished actor he would be a most •agreeable and instructive companion, for he is literally steeped in German and English philosophy and poetry. He has also a noble mind, is considerate, honourable, and anxious to do right. His great fault, and one of which he is •quite conscious, a-ul against which he earnestly ■strives, is his violent, ungovernable temper. This gets him into many scrapes, and unscrupnlous people take advantage of it. Apart from his culture, he has moved in the best society, and is a member of the Garrick Club— a select club open, not merely to actors, but to •artists and literary men of every description. He knows, or has known, more or less intimately most of the literary and political -celebrities in Lond-m. He has a strong dash of German sentiment, and a vivid conception of the soul-life, as Germans call it; and all these things combined together make of him a ■delightful companion. His wife (Mrs Bandmann) is residing in London and taking charge of their two children, and visiting, I may add, In very good society. With regard to his acting, lie has first of all a magnificent voice, of a most penetrating, vibrating quality. His enunciation is sometimes too rapid, and he has a tendency to rant in some of his characters ; but his Othello is a •wonderful conception, and quite equal to some of the best efforts of the

best actors at Home. There is irresistible power, pathos, ami pas.sion in his delineation of this, the greatest of all Shakespeare's masterpieces. Mdlle. Beauclet and Heir Bandmann are total abstainers. They drink lemonade and water, and between the acts take Liebieg's Extract of Meat. I looked with wonder at ihe poor houses these really clever performers drew. There was a total •absence of the jeunesse clorec and the aristocracy of the city. Alas ! They were all at Haselmayer's, entranced And delighted with a second-class •conjuror. — [This is a lady's article all over, and must be taken cudi (jrano sails Herr Bandmann is lucky to have such an enthusiastic admirer •as "The Duchess."— Ed. Observkk.] — The crone dc la creme at home still cling to (/ants dc Suede, or undressed kid gloves. These retain their well known bro-\\ n, grey, mastic and ecru tints ; with cream white" for full dress. The taste for silk net, and Chantilly lace mittens has by no means declined. — Combinations of plain black satin, satin brocade and black surah silk are fashionable for evening wear. The tablier is of steel wrought surah, and a rovers of the surah turns over on h .right side of the train. The sleeves have a puff at the top, set so high that it crosses the shoulders, giving the square, stylish effect seen in the devismgs of ancient armour, .and cuffs of the surah, with lace, finish the wrist. — For some time past, fashionable note paper has been engraved for each clay of the week. Perhaps it is not generally known by ladies that handkerchiefs are now marked in the same manner. Consequently seven handkerchief boxes, or else a box ■with seven partitions is a necessary adjunct to the dressing table of a reigning belle, as it would be a sad thing if she were by mistake to exhibit on Tuesday a Monday's pocket handkerchief.