A WOMAN'S LETTER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8183, 16 July 1906, Page 3

A WOMAN'S LETTER.

(Specially Written for the Age.)

WELLINGTON, Saturday. Attracted by tbe glorious sun--;shine and perfect mildness of tbe weather rnauy hundreds journeyed by train to Trentbam on Wednesday lust when the Wellington Rac- • ing Club held their first wiuter meeting. Lady Pluuket, who ia now xnuob stronger, was present, wenrinp g stylish raoe coat of blank cloth, black skirt, and small black and white hat. Hon. Kathleen Pluukett wore a becoming tailor outdo of • heliotrope cloth, tbe long American coat being flniohed with yo.lvet. collar and cuffd, with this was worn a small dark hat. Miss Huicourt wore a Btyflsh 'brown tailri-made with toque and furs to rn.Ua 1 >; Mm lan Duncan, brown cloth dress and hat of white felt: Mrs Mis?, coat and -akirt of tmi'ple cloth, hat to jvitob; Mrs J. Abort, dark blue coat and skirt, acd tiuy bat; Mrs G-riitf! Johnston, cream cJo'b costume, cream hataud white furs; Mrs A. Abbott, blacK olotb tailor-made, and black hat; Mis C. Richardson, fawn costume, with long coat; Mrs Kember, navy blue cost and skirt, blue hat; MieaStead, dark blue race •costume, sable collar ami toque; Misses Stafford, pnle bluefrockd aud pretty hats to match; Mia* tiarnicoat ( (Wangauui), cream coatume trimmed ■with tiuy buttons; Mrs Harold Cooper (Palicerston), smart tailor-made of cream cloth, cerise hat; Mrs grey costume, smart gruen bat. Others present were: Meadatnes Stratton, Iza d, Bethw, Watkine, JBlundell, Pearoe, Tnckey, Harding, .Nathan, Coleridge, Johnston aud McDonald.

The dance given by Mrs at her charming residence "Fern Grove," Lower Hutt, on Tuesday, in honour of the coming of age of her aon Brio wbh a moat delightful funotion. The ball room was tastefully decorated, and most effectively lighted by numbers of soft rose shaded lamps and bowls of deep pink roses. The wide verandahs being olosed in made a delightfully 000 l Slipper room, where many small tables were laden with delioious and pretty cakes. The same soft yink light was found here where the decorations of shaded lamps and bowls of roses was carried out as effectively as in the ball room. Mrs KiddiJord wore a very handsome gown of lilao chiffou velvet, trimmed with silver embroidery, her ornaments were diamonds; Mrs Harold Cooper wore a pretty gown of pink silk muslin; Mrs G. Pearoe, a white satin gown prettily trimmed with lace; Mra W. Hutcheson soft grey chiffon gown and laoe bertha; Miss Marjorie Humphries, white silk muslin insertioned with laoe; Mrt Hubert Sladden, oream satin gown; Miss Erica Fell, blue ohecked silk; Miss Fell, pretty flowered silk; MissHarcourt, handsume oream satin gown; Miss Oolelidge, pink silk taffetas; Miss S. Oolerdge, black net frook, spray of pinK roses; Miss Ina Lee, solt white:net gown trimmed with laoe; Miss Williams, pretty pink mouslenide loie. Amongst the gentlemen I noticed Drs Purdy and Ross, Messrs Higgineon, Cooper, Haroourt, Broad, Somtperville, Oliver, Bunny, and Hughes.

Mrs Wallis held a large reception in the mudio hall of the Town Hall last Tuesday afternoon, when the room was taetefally arranged as a drawing room. The tea tables were deoorated with large bowls of wattle and bands of yellow satin ribbon.

The much looked forward to Kaoe Ball waaheld last night in the Town 'Hairand"waß undoubtedly dne of the most fbHlliant functions ever held in Wellington. The decorations were beyond decsripfcion. The entrance, whiob wa? a blaze of light and colour was carpeted in rich orimsou carpets and dividing the front of (he main doors was a moat life-like model of a horse with the blanket on. 'JFrom the central electrolier in 'the ball loom hang grod and white streamers, giving a very Arabian tent like effeat, ornamented by festoons, of red and white electrio lights. Each side of the hall beneath "the gallery was arranged intblounges and oosy cornets, and at the baok of the hall was a veritable garden • laid oat with walks of green baize and flowers and ferns. One oonld almost imagine oneself in a fairyland forest; and forget for the time being -saoh things aa electric cars and tomorrow's duties. Alas for the awakening which calne only too soon. Lady piank4tt who danced in the official set of Lanc«rs with Mr Har- * oonrt (iPres'dent of the Ulub) wore a gown' of pastel mauve Jrairror velvet, fashioned iu the Princess robe style, the boflice being trimmed with Oar-riok-na-orosglaoe, and the small puff sleeves being of white tulle. The Hon Kathleen Plunkett wore a becoming gown'of apricot net over silk the Bkirt b ing very full and aather*ed: the bodice was fiinshed with raffl's of lace. Miss llarcourt's gown was of rose patterned ohine silk; Miss Grace Harcourt wore a lovely gown of ivory corded £ ilk; Mrs? Hislop wore a gown of bandsome blaok brocade; Mrs Brandon, rich ivory brocade with rose ' on the corsage; Mrs Turnbull, sea-green taffetas with exquisite lace and diamonds; Mtb lan Duncan, white satin veiled in chiffon, with touoLe-a of pale bine; Mrs A. Abbot, white satin gown with green waist band ; Mrs K. Duncan, princess robe of Ivory sntiu with large medallions of lace; Mtb Arthur Dnncnn, very pretty gown of painted rose chiffon; Mrs J. Abbot wore pale blue glace made in princess robe style; MnO. Kebbell, a striking gorcn of sapphire blue chiffon; Mrs A. Young wore a gown of white glace with tiny frills on skirt; Mrs McEwen, embroidered ■ crepe-de-chine over pink glace foundation; Mrs Riddiford, a lovely gown of black mirror velvet; Mrs Perry, 1 soft blaok silk trimmed with white chiffon; Miss Simpson, pale mauve glace with tucked chiffon hertha; Mrs'G. W. Mills, handsome black satin gown with tonohes of white; Misa MoLean (Aucklaud) lovely gown of eaa-de-nil-glaoe; Miss Elsie Simpson, white Spanish laoe gown over pink. There were numbers of very beautiful gowns worn but quite half the guests were visitors to Wellington. One particularly 'striking gowa was worn by a hand-

somely da v k woman. It was oomposed of white chiffon and all round the skirt were rows of single roses, deep pink in shade, the game on the corsage/and iu addition to theae were Beveral tpuohes of blnck vel vet ana a black velvet waist belt was also worn, blaok fan and black gloves finishing this altogether French toilette.

Miss Eileen Ward who in at present in London with her pireuts is one of the JNew Zealand girls who h ve had the honour of beiug pre sen tea at Court.

A pretty compliment was paM Miss Tittel Liruua by Mr Willamaou's fir in on tho termination nl her twenty two weeks run iu Melbourne iu the form of tho preseutnt on of a diamond swallow brooch.