A SOCIETY

Observer, Volume 5, Issue 117, 9 December 1882, Page 196

A SOCIETY

A concerb and ball took place at Whatawhata last evening. A Grisborne on dit is that Madame De Costa gives another select dance shortly. Mr Lawrence, of Te Arai, purposes giving a grand ball in commemoration of his son Gulliver attaining his majority. There was a pleasant dance given at Tauranga, in honour of Mr MeKinny last week. The hall was comfortably full, the dresses excellent, and the music first rate. A Q-erman paper, the Leipsio Illustrated Neios, is publishing a series of pictures of " Beautiful Women," of which it has been remarked as curious that fully three -fourths of them are English. Miss Fulloon and Mr Buckworth are engaged. The lady is the stepdaughter of Mr James Brown, Q-overnment native interpreter, while the gentleman is brother to Mr E. F. Buckworth, of Tauranga, and a recent arrival in the colony. St. Andrew's Day at Whangarei was a general holiday. The inhabitants spent the day with picnics, a rifle contest for the Mitchelson Cup, (won by Mr Cox) and an excursion to the Heads in the s.s. Rotoiti, the festivities winding up with a hop in the public hall . The concert, followed by a ball, given by the "foreign professor" at Whangarei was very successful. There was a large attendance, and dancing was kept up with great zest until some of the gay revellers asked each other whether it was not time to go home and look after the cows. The concert at Drury, in aid of the church fknds, was very successful, thanks to the efforts of the young ladie3 and Mrs L. The principal

performers were Miss Seaborn, Miss jE Miss Mcßurney, the Misses Blake. OB? most noticeable dresses were those of IftSfc black; Miss D., black velvet and blmfsfr Miss 8., black velvet ; Miss S., peai^^*Mrs L., black and cream ; Miss NfSjßagb sateen. Tfjip Dresses at the Sons of Old ColonioJHp Miss Fortzer, fawn-colourod dress, triniJßB 1 fawn satin ; Miss Hutehins, cream oatiMßB 8 | trimmed with blue sateen ; Miss Slatt^W merino, with black satin, water-wove sa^B 8 White, tartan, with blue water-wove sajOHr Kellar, pink sateen, water-wove sas^lS 1 McDonald, black cashmere, trimmed irtjflf sateen ; Mrs W. 0. Connolly, fawn gJBr fawn satin ; Miss White, lavender silt lmF with cream silk ; Miss F. White, peacotnfi' with sateen body ; Mrs G-. Tyler, brown s^S brown sateen ; Mrs Heape, black satin !&§■ with Spanish lace ; Miss M. Tyler, bla<|Sff trimmed with black silk, seaweed frin&Jffi Binstead, black lustre, trimmed with piu'iHg 1 Miss S. Tyler, black velvet, trimmed wiffl| satin and Spanish lace; Miss B. "Wliibmf silk, with black sash. fig The opening of the new library at MalJßl celebrated with a concert and ball, heljw Public Hall, on Friday, December ijra Committee of Management deserves the Jh credit for their efforts to make it a aucc^S has proved to be undoubtedly the besteJfi in the district. Mr T. Wilson was electrfßß chair. Some excellent songs and recitatiJßt delivered during the evening. Mr (J.«B acted as M.C. in a very efficient manner. n| was kept up till lialf-past four a.m. The IS on the whole wore very tasteful. Miss M.mH was decidedly the belle of the ball. ShetßS extremely rich costume of black velvet \Mb with satin cord ; Miss Toomey vrore SB sateen trimmed with pale blue ; Miss Bilm black sateen trimmed with ribbons of dnS shades ; lai'gc flowers ; Miss Mcßiraie^jffl French merino trimmed with, mournings! Cummins, black sateen trimmed with paMßfl Mrs Jones, black cord trimmed with beaiisffl Bywater, black lustre trimmed with wliitiH Mr and Mrs Richards provided the mui^S was really excellent, and they also deserttSf praise for their good management. TheJS of Mr C. Boyd, of Pokeno, who was to havJS part in a dialogue, " The Sailor's FarewelH a great disappointment, as he is a m=B| favourite witli the ladies. fg We are sorry to learn from our correspS at Aratapu that the place is seriously me rating in musical excellence, though somelisS it aimed at ranking facile princeps on tk§| The concert lately given was reckoned aim bad as it could be, musical talent beiinj spicuous by its absence, save in one jB instance. Our correspondent remarks:"® pifey such should be the case, as there anS really good musicians and vocalists procure! the gentlemen undertaking the managemffl these concerts would only take the traH collecting them in time, and then fulfilli;™ promises made on their programme. TA&sJ rendered by our local club were fairly glvesj the one song of the evening was "TheH Farewell," by Mr Lambert, given in this M& man's usual style, in saying which no higkrH can be given. Out of consideration fortheH performers I forbear criticism, mentioniifi| passant, that one individual alone, as farasH learn, enjoyed the entertainment, and IflS (tell it not in Gath) deaf. The committsg fetching Mr Spiers from. Kaiku to gi^M specimen of his champion dancing, miglfl provided some music, instead of disappoint™ only the public, but one who, from »i desire to assist, put himself to considerable® and expense. ra The Reception Ball, at the Thames, inlS of the Carbine Champion, Gordon and fcheH the. shootists, came off on Thursday MB certainly Gordon should be proud, if thecqß assemblage there to meet him could make 18 Thei-e must have been at least 300peoplepffi The Ball was opened by the Champion nM Murray ; Major Murray and Mrs Gordon™ Wildman and Miss Roche ; Mr Speight nffl Kilgour. The elite, with the exception m Mayor's party, were conspicuous by their auH but for all that, the ball was an immense sH There were many pretty and tasteful (jra amongst those were Mrs Murray, pink andS Miss Roche, old gold and black ; Miss DJw black trimmed with white lace ; Mrs $m pink and white ; Miss Newby, blue aridffl satin ; Mrs Cloman, white satin, trinnn£j| blue ; Miss Ensor, pink satin ; the abog were the prettiest dresses of the lot, Mi' 3«« black silk ti-immed, with white lace; _ V Price, blue silk ; Mrs Watson, grey silkH Walker, blue cream sateen ; Miss Jessie M chocolate-coloured silk ; Miss Lettie, daji sateen ; Mrs Honnis, black velvet ; Mfffl Atkin, fawn-coloured lustre, trimmed ; Mrs Townsend, white silk, trimmed ! Mrs Reid, slate-coloured silk ; Miss Mcß| black velvet, trimmed with cream lace|l Watts, black velvet and silver jeweller/H Grim, cream lustre, trimmed with jl ! flowers ; Miss McLaughlan, black velvet tH | with cream silk, and white flowers ;M \ Houghton, claret -coloured velvet, t"? l^^ white lace ; Miss Locke, blue lustre, trimfflM white lace ; Miss Fleetwood, white silg numerous others, equally pretty, but too iu® to mention. The music ■ was supplied || brigade band, and they are certainly _n°H complimented on their time, which fa.Ja round dances was unanimously voted tjg The programme was also not well seleoffl numbers of the dances were almost <g The supper was supplied by Forgie affi passable. Mis? Alice "Grim deserves til® her two extra waltzes as the time was ve«| and in many quarters, they were said MB most enjoyable dances of the evening. §1

STBEET DKESSES, ffi| Miss G-rey : White mull costume ■witk,H sa3ii ; small liat of peacock-plush. .JB Mrs Hales : Black silk, trimmed wm ■wove ribbon 5 water-wove sash. g| Miss Pisher ; Nun's . veiling, trinimH fa^vn satin j cream hat. ii

HBTfinrbetfc (North Shore) : Cream oatmeal iHgrey liafc, with pink roses. gSfe^Uoou : Pretty costume of pale green ; pink plush, and mull trimming. HyCoffn : Fawn-coloured costume, with ; straw hat with cream lace. hß|j' Hughes : Costume of Turkish towelfflßy^w hat, prettily trimmed with white !$& and lace. WBt cjiainberhn : Brown cashmere dress, ISffjd 'with velvet, large straw hat, trimmed ML Jfacdonald (Parnell): Sateen dress, Wmd -wifcli white embroidery ; white lace hat, §K Ellis looks well in a dress o£ pale pink ip S ash ; white straw hat, trimmed with jjHL Mabel Battley : Black cashmere costume, flffiv made and trimmed with satin ; white fflLmnifid with lace and feathers. fra T. Barnett : Black sateen costume with ML, of pompadour ; Grainsbro' hat of black Wmi feathers. [83 Cook : Black sateen dress with flowered fagress; large hat of black chip, with cream fKjuck feathers.