SOCIETY

Observer, Volume 4, Issue 96, 15 July 1882, Page 278

SOCIETY

[Announcements and contributions for thi column are invited.~\ Some of the champagne at the Citizens' Ball ■was as bad as it could be. The Nelson Band performed on Saturday afternoon , at the Grovernment House Gj-rounds, but ■whether it was that the crowd around them deadened the sound or whatever the reason was, the fact remains that no one went into raptures about the music. It is said that the Queen has committed several social blunders which Her Majesty would never lave been guilty of had Prince Albert been at her elbow. The holding of court festivities at Windsor on the day appointed for the funeral of the late Lord Cavendish and Mr Burke is instanced as a flagrant breach of decorum. One has to go back ,to the days of Greorge IV to find a parallel for such a mistake. The Renmera dance last week was the most successful that has ever taken place in that suburb . The pretty little hall was well filled, but not at all crowded, and the attendance of the officers of H.M.S. Nelson and H.I.G.M.S. Carola gave additional interest to the gathering. The floor was capital, the music particularly good and the ladies, among whom were some of the prettiest in Auckland, looked more than usually charming. Every one had a good time, and the enjoyment of the evening was without alloy. The Lord Chainberlin is said to be very indiscreet and careless occasionally as to the character of the ladies whom ho admits to the Queen's Drawing-rooms. There was a recent presentation of a lady of some rank which caused a thrill of astonishment and indignation throughout the country where she was best known. All the "tag-rag and bobtail" think it necessary to pay their duty now, and to attend a Drawing-room or Levee has long since ceased to be a sort of hall-mark, as it used to be in old days. The flat Alsatian bow has had -its day, and is gradually disappearing. Its successor is the large rosette, made of loops of satin ribbon, sewed with one pleat so as to stand erect. A little practice is required to give the ribbon the exact nip at the right place, not handling the satin more than necessary. Bonnets appear with the large rosette on the sides, where a bunch of flowers might be placed. On hats also it is effective ; tunics are looped with it, and on the shoulders of an evening dress where flowers are conspicuous by their absence. A jovial evening was spent by the members of the Tauranga Tradesman's Dancing Class last Wednesday, the occasion being a ball in connection with the clas3. The tasteful decorations of the hall, added to the handsome costumes and animated countenauee3 of the girls, constituted a very pretty scene. All the arrangments in connection with the affair were ably carried out by the management and by that efficient M.C, Mr A. B. C. Sanders. At the conclusion of each dance vocal selections were delivered, the rendition of some of which went far to show that the class does not lack musical talent. Abundant and appetising refreshments reflected great credit on the caterers, Messrs Butt Bros. Dresses at the Mount Roskill concert : — Miss Hetcher, black silk dress, trimmed with black fringe ; Miss Watkins, grey dress, trimmed with grey satin, silver jewellery ; Miss Hay, winecoloured dress, trimmed with black velvet ; Miss Yause, black dress, silver jewellery ; Miss Lambert, black dress ; Miss Carr, black dress, trimmed ■with black velvet, silver jewellery ; Miss Freeney, "brown dress, trimmed with brown satin ; Miss F. ITreeney, brown dress, trimmed with black velvet ; Miss J. Bishop, black dress, silver jewellery ; Miss Stephenson, brown dress ; Misses M. and A. Stephenson, grey dresses. The little Misses Bishop looked very nice in black velvet dresses trimmed with black satin and fringe. In spite or the steady downpour of rain on Tuesday evening, there was a large attendance at the Choral Society's performance, the fourth of the season. Among the audience "were Commodore Erskine and many of the officers of the Nelson and Carola. The first portion of the programme consisted of Mendelssohn's " Athalie " (the part of Reader being omitted) and the second of a concert. The second production of "Athalie " ■was a pronounced success and another proof of the great improvement made by the society lately in their rendering of classical music. The Grlee Club of fche Carola contributed several part songs in good style, and the other itemswere : — Overture, " Cenerentola ;" recit and aria " Ernani Involami j" part song, " Hark the Merry Drum ;" adagio and allegro Symphony No. 1, " March Tanhanser ;" quintette " Sonnambula ;'' and valse " Marion," all of which were given in a manner highly efficient and reflecting credit not only on the members of the society but also on their able conductor Herr Schinitt, to whose unflagging zeal the success of the performance was mainly attributable. A very pretty marriage was solemnised at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Napier, on the 6th ult., by the Rev. David Sidey, the happy looking bride being Miss Harriet LeQuesne, second daughter of the late Mr Joseph LeQuesne, timber .merchant, of Napier, and the lucky bridegroom Mr J. A. Smith, headmaster of the Spit District School. The bride was given away by her uncle, Mr Holt.. She wore a lovely white satin dress worked with crewels, and trimmed with lace and orange blossoms. She carried in her hand a pretty bouquet of bridal flowers. Four young ladies accompanied her to the altar, namely, Miss Holt, Miss Sidey, Miss Sarah Stuart and her own sister. They all wore very stylish dresses of Aurora pink satJeen, trimmed with cream lace ; "white straw hats, trimmed with cream lace and cream feathers. The church was crowded on this interesting occasion, Mr Bollard being, as usual, amongst the eager spectators. Mr Aplin played Mendelsohn's " Wedding March." After the , ceremony the bridal party and a number of guests were conveyed in carriages to the residence of the bride's mother, Shakspeare-road, where they partook, of a sumptuous breakfast, catered by D. B.

Watt, confectioner, and in. the evening a very pleasant dance was given by Mrs LeQuesne. The bride" and bridegroom left for Hastings in the afternoon amidst a shower of rice, and they will take their departure on Saturday in the Te Anau for the Empire city. Should the bride prove a good sailor they will visit Christchurch also ere they Return. The dance held in the Panmnre Hall on Friday, July 7th, was well attended — in fact too well for the convenience of dancers. Refreshments were in abundance, but the coffee was too-utterly-awfully-too. Did they wish to experiment by introducing kerosene as a specific to quench thirst, or substitute it for milk ? The local band discoursed excellent music. Mr H. Christmas acted as M.C. in a very efficient manner. The following are a few of the most noticeable dresses : — Miss Wren, pale blue sateen, trimmed with black lace (the belle of the evening) ; Miss Kay, claret velvet, trimmed with cream lace ; Miss Kilkenney, ruby velvet bodice, with cashmere skirt ; Miss Clowe, brown satin cloth, trimmed with black and lace ; Miss A. McGree, Carmelite trimmed with brown lustre ; Miss Quinlin, brown velvet; Miss B. Quinlin, black velvet bodice, with Brussels cord skirt : Miss Cummins, wine-coloured cashmere, trimmed with fringe ; Miss M. J . Pierce,black cashmere,trimmed with silk ; Miss Wills, black merino, trimmed with velvet and fringe ; Miss Wyllie, prune cashmere, trimmed with satin ; Miss M. Wyllie, prune cashmere, trimmed with velvet ; Miss Baskerville, pink sateen, and grenadine skirt ; Miss O'Keefe, blue satin trimmed with black lace ; Miss Roberts, prune merino ; Miss Clarey, black merino, with cardinal bows ; Miss Brown, plum merino, trimmed with velvet ; Miss Fahey grey lustre, trimmed with black velvet ; Mrs Graven, black grenadine, with cardinal sash ; Mrs Vasey, black silk, with bugle trimmings ; Mrs Christmas, brown lustre, trimmed with old gold ; Mrs Hovill, plum cashmere trimmed with velvet and fringe ; Mrs Loomb, black velvet with bugle fringe ; Mrs Hamlin, ruby silk, trimmod with ruby velvet. The dancing was kept up with great spirit till 4 a. m. The following was crowded out of our last issue : — The second winter dance came off at the Theatre Royal, Tennj son-street, Napier, on June 30th, and was even a greater success than the last, the room not being nearly so crowded. The dresses being, as is usual, of the most costly materials. Poor husbands and papas ! Two young ladies made their cleltU, namely, Miss Rosie Bell and Miss Minnie Kennedy. They looked exceedingly well. The former wore a very stylishly made cream silk, and the latter a. pretty cream cashmere, with plush body ; Miss Sutton, cream cashmere, trimmed with satin (in fact, cream was the predominating colour there) ; Miss Weber wore cream figured silk, Avith a pink wreath,but unfortunately she wore the said wreath too near the forehead. It requires a very tall woman to do that successfully ; Miss Tuke w r ore a very pretty blue silk, trimmed with cream ; Miss Elison, cream silk, trimmed with pink ; Miss Bel], , black silk ; Miss Addie Bell wore a lovely dross of Suez-blue silk and cream Madras muslin ; Mrs Kinross, cream figured silk, trimmed with satin and Brussels net • Mrs Carr looked well in black, with scarlet flowers ; Mrs Yickerman, pink sateen ; Mrs Stuart wore satin of that lovely, but uncertain colour called by some steel, and others blue, with ; pink silk panniers. It was decidedly a success. But again Miss Hitchings displayed her superior ' taste, and was once more the belle ; her dress was ■ cream silk, with cream plush body and Spanish ■ lace trimming. The appearance of Mr Clarke created quite a sensation, being, as usual, followed by his small clog, which was put out but returned later in the evening, and had to be chased round the room before it made its final exit by its lucky owner. And as usual a number of the " f las " supported that pillar of the dress-circle nearest the entrance. The music was again supplied by Mr Grarry, who always give 3 great satisfaction, several ladies rendering their services when extras were required. Dancing was kept up with spirit until the wee hours' of the morning.