THE LADIES’ WORLD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2625, 6 October 1909, Page 3

THE LADIES’ WORLD.

ITEMS OF SOCIAL INTEREST

(From the Society Papers.) Princess Alary of Wales has been recently receiving her first lessons in etxAiery, and is said to be resembling I.UT mother in displaying aptitude for this work. It is the intention <T the Prince: o of Wales to have her daugn.o. instructed in the whole of the dcmc-V----arts, and tins plan is now being carried out. From being little more than a baby the Princess has been trained in the use of the needle, anti she now assists to darn the stockings of her younger brothers. A short time ago Princess Mary was asked what .she. best preferred to cook. Her instant reply was, “Something that. I can eat afterwards.” By the way, many papers make frequent errors concerning the names of the Prince of Wales’ children. Princess Mary, for instance, is never by any chance addressed as “May,” which is a name still retained for her mother by every member of the Royal Family. Neither is Prince Edward of Wales ever called “Eddy,” thatbeing the name sacred to the late Duke of Clarence and Avondale.

English Royal etiquette appears a very Serious affair, indeed, when reports reach us of the larkiness that is permitted to a German heir-apparent and his wife! The young couple have been staying at Heiligeulamm on the Baltic; the German equivalent, say, for Eastbourne. Both Crown Prince- and Princess joined in all the waltzes and polkas at the Casino, the former pirouetting with anybody and everybody. Then, one evening. His Imperial Highness started bicycle races round the end of the pier, in which he and the fine flour of the German aristocracy participated. Bicycle races were followed by wheelbarrow races, and the Crown Princess’ pretty first cousin, the Duchess Antoinette of Mecklenburg (the Roman Catholic member of the family wh/up; the Kaiser so hoped that King 'Vi.ifon.so would make his Queen), whilst being trundled at full speed bv a guardsman, was pitched out of her barrow—the trundler disappearing into the sea! Now it transpires that the duchess and her trundler had neatly rehearsed the whole affair to add to the general hilarity. Their ruse succeeded, for the guardsman was rescued from the briny amidst cheers and shouts of laughter from the Crown Prince and Princess, and all on shore.

At the Holy Trinity Church, Upper Tooting, London, the wedding took place two days ago (writes a London correspondent on August 20) of Mr. Hugh Lowder-Lees, of Alat-apuna, Oamaru, N.Z., to Miss Elsie Beatrice- Cobb, only daughter of Air. J. W. Earnest Cobb, late of Rochester, Kent. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Persse Maturin. The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a directoire tailor-made dress of white cloth, and a large white Tagcl-straw picture hat trimmed with wings. Its brim was lined with pale-blue. Her bouquet of white flowers. The duties of best man were carried out by Air. Herbert J. Cobb. At the conclusion of the ceremony the wedding guests were entertained at the residence in Balham of Dr. and Airs Stanley Cobb. Those invitee! included Air. and Airs. "William Lees, Air. and Airs. Herbert Alington, Air and Airs Bradley, Air Dalzell, and the Alisses Dalzell, Airs. Ran'kine, Captain Stanley Alusgave. and Airs. Alusgave, Air. and Airs.. G. H. Scholeneld, Air. aiid Airs. Marker, the Alisses Williams, etc. Later in the day the briele and bridegroom left London for Gornig-on-Thames, where the first week of the honeymoon is being spent. The travelling dress was of grey, and the hat was of black with a touch of red.

Despite the popular opinion that Lord Kitchener is a woman-hater there is a possibility that before lie takes ovc-r bis Sisition as High Commissioner in the editerranean he may enter the marriage state. Those who have been into intimate contact with Lord Kitchener are aware that it is hardly fair to describe him as having any real distaste for the opposite' sex, but in his own words so far a wife lias never entered into the scheme of his career. A couple of years ago Lord Kitchener was being gently chaffed by a party of his friends and was asked point blank when ho proposed to get married. “There are more unlikely things,” he Said, with a quiet smile, “that 1 should marry so soon as my work is finished hero.” It now remains to be seen whether Lord Kitchener Will carry this statement into effect. Two or three years ago a certain member of Lord Kitchener’s staff who had been married a few months previously applied for permission to go on sick leave. The permission was readily granted. A couple of days afterwards Lord Kitchener happened to meet the wife of the officer in question, who thanked him profusely for allowing her husband to go to the hilLs and exnlaincd that she was now in the midst of padring up. “But there is some mistake somewhere,” said Lord Kitchener. “When I gave Captain permission to go to the hills it was so that he might have a rest, and I am going, to see that he gets it. If you go his leave will be cancelled.” The trend of the times is toward individuality. And this shews itself in many ways—in religion, politics, business—even in our hobbies and amusements. Dogs and cats are the current craze,- but several of our well-known women have more exotic notions in the way of favorite animals. Snakes are no novelty. Lady Constant Stewart Richardson has often kept them, and so has the Duchess of Marlborough, while a big python is kept by Mrs. Arthur Cadogan. But of late years there have been some new departures. The lastmentioned lady owns lemurs, and Lady Churchill once bought a live crocodile. Theodosia Lady Cottenham and her daughter, Lady Mary Pepys, have kept marmosets for years, and now the latest fancy seems to be for the meercat, a small, grey beast, about the size of a rabbit that has been imported from South Africa. Amongst those who keep meercate arc Lady Sybil Findlay and Mrs. Albert Shaw. Then Miss Rose Broughton Leigh, of Brownsover, near Rugby, has, or had, a hyena that she bought at Constantinople. And the Ladies Hope, aunts to Lord Linlithgo, keep a hare and a Cingalese bull as pets in addition to their Shetland ponies. The fancy for dogs and cats is a harmless one, and the care of these pets make an object in life for many a dull, lonely woman. But a few eccentricities seem to be practised in this owns a famous breed of direction. For instance, Lady Brougham’s black poodles have chairs placed for them at table, and their forelocks are tied with rosered ribbons; and Lady Aylesford owns a famous breed of chows, one of which was seen in the l street wearing spectacles that had been made to suit its eyes by an oculist. At a recent dog show one of Lady Decies’ pets lay on a sky-blue silk cushion, in a miniature blue silk boudior; and Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein has a cattery de luxe in" the grounds of Cumberland Lodge. Those who have seen it declare' that each cat has its own separate house, with a front door, a letter-box, and lace-curtained windows.