THE LADIES

Observer, Volume 4, Issue 85, 29 April 1882, Page 100

T HE LAD IES

Crepe de chine is one of the new materials for evening dolman mantles. The last collection mania, and which has quite eclipsed that for postage stamps, is for hair-pins, which fall, or are filched, from the heads of their beautiful owners. These are arranged in a scrap, with the names of their whilom wearers inscribed underneath. There is a new cap brought out called the Langtry cap. It is made after the fashion of the one worn by the Jersey Lily as Kate Hardcastle. But it is very doubtful if the quaint, full border of lace will suit many faces, although the original wearer looked lovely enough. The rage for tailor-made costumes is increasing among the ladies at Home. Princess Beatrice has just ordered from Messrs Redfern, of London, a dress of soft, fawn-coloured vecima, with striped moire and a curiously hand-woven gold broche braid, with buttons to match. It is made with a habit body. Some of my readers may like to know the dress of Kate Vaughan in "Aladdin " at the Gaiety Theatre in London. A short skirt of China-blue and white brocade, trimmed round the bottom with soft, white, ostrich feathers. A broad puffed sash, of terra cotta coloured silk, trimmed also with feathers, is tied carelessly round the hips ; the blue and white bodice is cut square, and the ornaments are diamonds. We have not heard yet of any dances being arranged in any of the siihmrbs for the ensuing winter which is now close upon us. But we suppose that Mount Albert, Ponsonby, Remuera, and Parnell will wake up by-and-bye. The long evenings of the cold season will be very dull for the Jeunesse doree without a little of the light fantastic. But gay arid liberal bachelors seem almost to have disappeared from among us. The result of the recent teachers' and pupil teachers' examinations would lead us to the con-

clusion that when Mr Worthington ceased to be training master, the right man was certainly taken out of the right place. "We do not like to be too severe ; but that there is something very ." rotten in the state of Denmark," nrust be apparent. To those who know the whole working of the system during the last twelve months, the failures are nothing but what might have been anticipated. The Signora, Adelira Patti, does not look more than twenty-eight years of age, though she is thirty -five, and has a face fresh and sparkling as her diamonds. She is vevj petite, with, a slender, well-rounded figure. Her complexion is smooth and clear ; her large wonderful eyes are beautiful in their velvety darkness. Unlike most singers, she has a small mouth, and her teeth are of pearly whiteness ; her hair is black, with a few short-curled locks on the forehead. One of her costumes is of brilliant chamois plush, which hats the appearance of being sprinkled with silver. The trimming is in bands of embossed leather, and is said to be very effective. The Ponsonby Wesleyan Church is a very handsome building, both outside and inside. It is seventy feet long by forty feet wide. The carving of the reredos and rostrum is very beautiful, and elaborate, and so also is that of the railing in front of the rostrum. There is an oriel, and the mouldings of the large three light southern windows are carved in the early English style. The open wood work of the roof is light and well proportioned, and the spandrils very i handsomely carved and fretted. The long rows of seats run up the entire length of the building, and will afford room for a large congregation. The tower and spire are very fine, and the whole building is an ornament to Ponsouby. The Choral Hall is certainly too far out of the way for any really popular attendance at the Exhibition of the Auckland Society of Arts to be expected. The dilletante, the few really interested, are to be seen there, but the mass of people hold aloof. Now what we really want, to make the Exhibition pay, is to interest the people. And not only so, beyond any question of money, is the elevation of taste, and progress of mind, certain to ensue from an habitual intercourse with works of art. The British workman is continually to be seen in the corridors of the British Museum, but none of his keen and clever representatives thronged, as they might have done, the galleries of the Choral Hall on Saturday night. And yet the Exhibition as a whole was well worth looking at, the chef d'asuvre undoubtedly being the oil painting of Mr Gribbs. The Star's remark about them being unnatural is simply absurd. The views of Cape Brett, and Milford Sound are lovely, his skies, and reflections most natural, and most effective. Mr Blomfield is also a very promising artist ; many of his paintings are very good, No. 17, "the Glaciers and Avalanches of Mt. Sefton," being an unusual and remarkable picture. " The Waterfalls " of Mrs Archie Clark, Nos. 11 and 12, are not nearly as good as her decorated door panel, which is very pretty and artistic. Mr Albin Martin's pictures are always good, though there is too much sameness in his coloring. Some of Mr Ball's pictures are very meritorious. Mr Trevithick's " Coromandel " is decidedly his best production. It is pleasant to notice talent descending from father to daughter, and we congratulate Miss Martin on her lovely i water-color study of " Native White Clematis." Indeed the water-color flowers, taken altogether, are exceedingly good, and the water-color landi scapes are, an contraire, inferior. We have left Mrs McCosh Clark to the last, who in all her subjects bears away the palm from all the ladies. Her prize panel, both in the selection of the subject and handling of it, is the work of a true artist, and there can be no doubt about the award of that prize. Mr S. Keesing's panel is also very fine, which received the certificate of merit. With respect to the needlework, we have certainly seen better specimens, and though some were very good we were disappointed on the whole. The fan which pleased us most was not the one which received the prize, but the white satin fan painted by Miss Leech, and a great many others were j agreed on that subject, but even judges cannot always give satisfaction.