TEA TABLE TALK.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3539, 1 June 1912, Page 4

TEA TABLE TALK.

The Countess of Aberdeen is an enthusiastic dog fancier, her Excellency’s West Highland terriers and 'Skye terriers being, however, special favorites. The kennels at the Viceregal Lodge, Dublin, are extremely u-to-date; exercise yards and cover ed runs are provided for the dogs, and the kennels are heated by stoves in cold weather. Lady Aberdeen also possesses some fine cats, including a numlier of beautiful blues, tortoiseshells, etc. A mahogany ease hangs in the chief kennel containing the numerous challenge cups and medals won by her Execellency’s dogs at the different shows. • * » Miss Lulu Glaser, a famous American actress, is'not a believer in bad luck, for she wears the “unlucky” bangle worn by Queen Draga of Servia when she was assassinated. Not only the ill-fa;; ed Queen, but other possessors of the bangle for generations back have suffered all sorts of ill-fortune. But Miss Glaser says that, if anything, it has brought her good luck, not bad.

There are States in America where divorce can be obtained for all sorts of ‘•'reasons.” 'A lady recently petitioned for one on the plea that her life was made a burden to her by her husband’s habit of keeping a gramophone almost incessantly going. The gramophone was produced in Court, and after listening to it for ten minutes the jury agreed that it was unbearable, and granted the divorce !

The militant suffragette supplies topic of an up-to-date nursery rhyme 1 figuring in an English paper, and runs as follows:

Sing a song of suffragettes, Stockings full of stones; Four and twenty “bobbies”,— ■'Struggles, cries, and groans. When the gaol is open The girls begin to sing, Isn’t it a pretty mess For Parliament and King? * *. VC Germany believes in the open-air cure for delicate children, and in the pine forests near Charlotteberg classes are held daily, the forms, desks, blackboards, and copybooks being taken out into the ojjcn. The system is so successful that 90 out of every 100 delicate children are able, after a lew months’ study in the “open-air” school, to go back to their class rooms and work there without being any the worse for it. * * -V. Labor-saving devices are becoming an obsession with tile American woman. The very latest is the “box service” for parties. Hostesses liave found for a long time that the modern staff of servants is not adequate at a large party, and many 1 of the more timid and retiring guests go supperless rather than push and scramble at the supper buffet. Ip order to prevent any of her guests going away hungry, the most up-to-date hostess has provided supper boxes, which are divided into compartments, fitted with the different eatables, and handed to- each newcomer on 'his or her arrival. Presumably the guests then retire to small tables and unpack their boxes, like so many children at a Sunday school picnib with their paper bags.

The United States Treasury employs two intelligent women clerks as “waste basket searchers.” Recently one of them found a package containing 10,000dol. in bills which had accidentally been tossed into a receptacle for waste. One wonlers whether the elation of the discoverer of this package fairly balanced the chagrin of the clerk who had discarded when the latter was confronted with the “fina. * * \ Mrs Harvey Brown, who is iij America, was left, a fortune on condition that she married at once. Not having a husband in viewjshe advertised, offering £4O for anyone who would marry her, and guarantee not to molest her in any way afterwards. She and her husband parted at the church door. * * * Lady Henry Bentinck owns Underley Hall, one of the most famous places in Westmoreland- Turner painted bits of its scenery, andfßuskin has extolled its beauty. Over the way, by Casterton Woods, is the school wherein “Jane Eyre” put in a part of her turbulent career. Her sex prevented Lady Olivia Taylour from becoming Marquis of Headfort. Underley was left her by her father shortly after her marriage Lord Henry Bentinck, a half-brother of the Duke of Portland. She is one of the beatuiful women who have grey hairs, her golden locks having assumed that tone while she was still little more than a girl.

* * vr A copy of Omar Khayyam, the cover of which is studded with 1,050 jewels set in gold, was sold at Sotheby’s roins for £405. The cover is the must remarkable specimen of binding ever produced, and the stones comprise rubies, turquoises, amethysts, topazes, and garnets so interlaced that none can fall out. * « % Sotheby’s sale roqms were invaded by the fair sex when the Gretna Hall register and marriage certificates were sold for £420. These relics of Gretna Green, which came up at the instance of a descendant of John Linton, who celebrated nearly all the marriages between 1825 and 1854, included nearly twelve hundred certificates, almost down to the year when the Legislature stepped in and stipulated a three weeks’ residence in Scotland before marriage.

In Lapland garments made of reindeer wool are famous for their moisture resisting propery as well as for their warmth. The hair, unlike that of many animals, is not hollow throughout its length, but is divided into many watertight cells filled with air, which appears to oe under compression, so that when the garments are placed in water the hair, or wool, swells without breaking, and Hie wearer is buoyed up and does not readily sink if he falls overboard. Such garments are in common use among the Swedes and Norwegians-

Once at a dinner Henry "Ward told his sister, Mrs Harriet Beecher-Stowe, that her “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” had been translated into Italian, by a monk; and that a letter full of adulation had been received from him in which he stated that if he could kiss the woman who wrote the hook lie would die happy. Mr Beecher then added:— “Well, I sent him a portrait of you, Harriet, and nothing has been heard of him since.”

Queen Victoria retained to tlie last her love for simplicity in the laying on -of gardens. Above all she favored the old-fashioned garden with trees, paths, beds, and flowers reminiscent of the sixteenth century. Hei taste was generally known among her friends, and there were few among them who on visiting them did not arrange in the grounds of their estates some “nook” which exactly suited the aged Queen’s taste. Of these perhaps "White Lodge, Richmond Park, the present residence of Lord Farquliar, stands out most prominent. There is one corner of the grounds still called “Queen Victoria’s Garden.’’ Quaint little paths, old-fash-ioned little beds filled with the colored daisy—thq late Queen’s favorite flower—all go to present a picture which speaks more eloquently than words of the love of simplicity which characterised Queen Victoria.

A girl has invented a profession of her own in France. She dyes natural flowers by placing the stalks in various chemical preparations, the coloring matter being gradually absorbed into the flowers. A common pink can be turned blue, yellow, green, or violet with very little difficulty. People in search of weird . effects buy the dyed flowers for table decoration, greatly to the indignation of many flower-lovers. A protest was recently sent to the French Minister of Agriculture, imploring him to stop “the dyed-flower craze.”

The Countess of Bessborough was formerly Miss Blanche Guest, a sister of Lord Wimborne ,and was considered one of the most intellectual debutantes of the mid-Victorian era. Her ladyship’s interest in all things Irish is very keen, and she was vastly concerned with the Garry Hill Cottage Industry, which she inaugurated and piloted to success proving that this kind of charitable hobby can be made to pay its way. She is as popular in Kilkenny as her husband, who had the honor of being chosen a member of the first Kilkenny County Council. As Lady Duncannon the Countess started a shop near Bond street-for the sale of the products of the 'cottage

industry before mentioned, and her name, “Viscountess Duncannon,” appeared in large gilt letters over the doorway of the premises.

Lady Vallet'ort was, before her marriage, Lady Edith Villiers, daughter of Lord Clarendon. Fond of country life, she is a fearless horsewoman, but is principally remembered in the sporting world for her love of dogs. She used to be the owner of a celebrated fox-terrier kennel, and she liad great luck at the big shows. On one occasion she received as a prize themodel of a fox terrier in diamonds. Lady Valletort is the original of Millais’ famous picture, “Cheri’y Itipe.” She and Lord Valletort possess in Mount Edgecumbe, Plymouth, and Cotehele, Cornwall, two of the finest, oldest and most interesting WestCountry houses. Wonderful armour, tapestry and much antique furniture fill the great hall of Cotehele.

In Italy they have a novel way of advertising vacant apartments. In place of the card inscribed “Rooms to let,” or “Apartments,” which one sees in England, a white cloth, about the size of a serviette flutters from the casement notifying the passer-by that the rooms can he rented.

Why does the American woman go to London? Why is she .so well regarded in London, especially during what is called the “Season”? A famous American who was once askeci thatdouble question said the American woman went to London because she lirds more in the Old World from a woman’s point of view than there is in the Now World. It ha:> more of what is beautiful and sweet and tender —in fine, what is womanly. He also said, this shrewd American (according to the Graphic), that his country - woman has conquered socially in London just because she is fresh with the freshness of the New World, and, therefore, unconventional; also because she has qualities of her own which would carry her to a high place in any society. She is bright, she is witty; she is, as a rule, well-edu-cated, and, added to that, she has what Barrie, in one of his ]jlays calls “bloom,” an indescribable but very real tiling. * * •* The woman buyer is quite an established fact in America. In nearly all the smaller towns there are many firms watch. employ women t-o go to New York to buy for them. The wholesale merchants say that, on the whole, there is very little difference between the man and woman buyer; the former is usually more daring, more willing to take big risks, but the woman works harder and pays more attention to detail. Very often she has better taste than the man, and in purely feminine goods lias generally a deeper knowledge-

The New York women suffragists held a big demonstration the other day (states a cable message in the Sydney Sun.) In the parade tnat took place, Duleie Deamer, a wellknown Australian authoress, carried a banner inscribed: “Australian women have vites, and that is why they have such progressive legislation.” This banner attracted great attention, and was received with terrific cheering all along the route. * * w Apropos of the preset craze for the knitted coat —or.-'“golfer,’’ as it is popularly known—a London correspondent. writing early in March, says:—“Quite 90 per cent, of the women in London this winter have sported knitted coats. They are comfortable and pretty, but tlie very latest eccentricity of fashion in this respect is an atrocity resembling a man’s blazer, with stripes loud enough to drown any conversation. They are supposed to he specially adapted for seaside wear, though why you should make yourself more hideous at the seaside than anywhere else remains a mystery.”