The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-05 00:00:00

NE' MUSIC.

The Seaman's Daughter. Liverpool :

A tributary monody on the death of Grace Darling,
written by Mrs. Cornewell Baron Wilson, and set to
music by Mr. John Vinning, of this town. The un-
paralleled heroism of Grace Darling deserves to be
kept in memory ; and Mr. Vinning has not only con-
tributed in this monody to perpetuate her fame, but
also to enhance his own reputation as a composer of
no ordinary genius. It will no doubt become a great
favourite, the air being simple but effective.

FISSIONS FOR FEBRUARY.

(PROM TUE LADY'S NEWSPAPER.)

THE headdresses worn in ball and evening costume are
very various in style, and most of them are extremely pretty
and becoming. Feathers are tastefully mounted either in
weeping plumes, drooping on each side of the head, or two or
three small ostrich feathers are twisted and intermingled with
ribbon, lace, or whatever else may compose the coiffure. Flow-
ers, lace, and ribbon form a favourite combination in head-
dresses. Some consist of barbes of lace on one side, and bou.
quets of flowers and foliage on the other. In ball costume
flowers are generally preferred to any other ornament for the
hair. Many wreaths of flowers in natural hues have recently
appeared, far surpassing in beauty those of any previous season.
Among these may be mentioned a wreath of moss roses, hav-
ing on one side a full-blown rose, and on the opposite side of
the wreath a small tuft of half-blown roses. A novelty in the
mounting of flowers is observable in a wreath formed of ver-
bena of a rich birght purple, with its green leaves. It nearly
covers the hair at the back of the head, and forms a point
above the forehead : two pendent sprays of flowers and foliage
droop over the back of the neck. Laurel flowers made in
bright green velvet, combined with narrow pendent leaves in
gold, are very effective ornaments for the hair in ball costume.
Tulips mingled with grass and foliage of crape have just been
mounted by a Parisian fleuriste, as a dress trimming for the
Empress Eugenie.

Kt one of the recent balls given at the Tuileries, the Em-
press wore a dress of white moire antique, trimmed with
bouillonn6s of white tulle, in which were fixed a number of
small bouquets of violet-colour heartsease, encircled by fern.
Another much admired dress worn on the same occasion con-
sisted of lemon-colour silk. The silk skirt was covered by
another of black spotted tulle, trimmed with three flounces
of the same, each bordered with lemon-coloured satin ribbon,
ornamented with narrow black velvet and white blonde. A
fichu of black spotted tulle was worn over the low corsage of
silk.

An elegant out-door dress just completed, consists of bro-
catelle of a bright maroon tint, sprigged with bouquets in
velvet woven in the silk. The corsage, high and with a basque
and revers, is slightly open as far as to the waist. At the
point in front of the waist it is terminated by a bow of the
silk composing the dress. The revers and basque are trim-
med with Chantilly lace ; two rows of the lace being placed at
the edge of the basque. The sleeves are terminated by a
deep frill, surmounted by a puffing ; and the frill is finished
at the edge by a trimming of Chantilly lace. The collar,
chemisette, and under sleeves are composed of worked muslin
and lace insertion. The under-sleeves, which correspond in
form with the sleeves of the dress, consist of a puffing and a
frill. The bonnet worn with this dress is of malachite green
velvet. It is trimmed on the outside with black lace and
small black and green ostrich feathers : the inside trimming
is of blonde, mingled with black and red berries. Strings of
green ribbon, ornamented at the edge with a stripe of black
velvet. A black velvet cloak and sable boa complete the ,
costume.

Some of the new velvet jackets are made rather loose.
They are destined to be worn within doors, over the corsage
of the dress, when the weather may render a slight additional
wrap necessary. They are variously trimmed; some being
ornamented with narrow bands of grebe or ermine, and others
with embroidery. Among several just received from Paris
may be mentioned one of black velvet, trimmed with passe-
menterie and embroidery in black and white bugles. Another,
completed of crimson velvet, is embroidered with black and
garnet beads.

TUNNEL BETWEEN ENGLAND AND FRANCE.—The Mining
Journal says that Mr. Win. Austin,
many years in Messrs.
Peto, Betts, and Brassey's establishment, London, has, since
1853, matured a plan for the above object, which has been
highly approved of by first-rate engineering talent. it is in-
tended to have a triple way of three arches, oval in form. The
fall is to be from the centre towards each shore, and it is cal-
culated that the crown of the tunnel will have a thickness of
chalk of 60 feet between it and the ocean bed at the deepest
point, which does not exceed 140 feet below the tidal level, as
proved by soundings. There will be three double lines of
railway. The tunnel, by its length, will thoroughly ventilate
itself ; but, should it prove necessary, three or four, or even
more, air-shafts can be readily constructed, the upper portions
forming light-houses, or refuge in case of shipwreck, and for
signalling ships in the channel. The cost is estimated at
£6,000,000, and the time for construction peyen yearot