The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-03-26 00:00:00

AMERICAN GIRLS WITH WIGS.

The innocence of a child is its principal charms
(remarks the Evening Standard). It is felt that what-
ever else the little thing may be, it is at least natural,
though this is only held as a partial mitigation of the
offence when the child makes observations which,
natural enough as they may be, are rude and un-
pleasant. But things are not always what they seem,
and this is the case in New York with regard to
children, as appears from the evidence of the Times
of that city. A writer describes how he admired one
day the charming vision of a little child at a window
he passed. It looked liked a picture in a frame,
etherealised by the glow of life. The rosy cheeks,
the bright eye, and the glory of golden hair falling
down over the rounded shoulders struck the sensitive
passer-by as constituting a vision of beauty which he
could never forget ; but from the dream of infantine
simplicity he was awakened by his matter-of-fact wife,
who remared in a dry way which much shocked
him, "It is a wig. Why, don't you know that any
number of children wear wigs? You can buy a wig
of that kind for 25 dole. Very nice ones, assorted to
a child's complexion, made to order, come higher."
The unsuspecting man looked horror-stricken, and
asked reproachfully, "Have you been shopping for
children's wigs? Is our own little innocents to wear
a wig ? " "No," is the reply. "I only asked the
price. Where was the harm? Why, there are
thousands of little girls in New York wearing wigs.
I should not be surprised if in time all of them would
have to wear them. Some of the fashionable doctors,
it is said, recommend wigs—they prevent cold. It
is even quite likely that children will wear wigs this
summer, because they will be thought to be cool."
Rouge and pearl powder go with wigs almost neces-
sarily, and, on the whole, it would seem the fashion-
able New York child is not so fresh and wholesome as
it ought to be. On this point the New York Times
has a special word to say to boys of a mischievous
turn of mind, and it points out to them that it would
be exceedingly wrong if they ever tried experiments
on bewiggeei little girls—very wrong indeed. If, for
instance, a rude boy were to tie a little girl's wig to the
back of her chair, the consepuences would be very
painful to the parents and guardians who had so
vulgarised a child's head.
CUTTINGS FROM AMERICAN PAPERS.

A Cincinnati paper says that no man has ever been
killed in Washington by the too frequent use of water, either
internal or external.

A "Parlour Cattle Car Company" has been incor-
porated in Cincinnati (U.S.A.), and an American paper
suggests that a "Boudoir Hog Car Company " may next be
expected.

An American daily paper inserts marriage notices
under the heading "Cupid's Victims."

A man died in Kentucky last week, aged ninety,
who never saw a locomotive or entered a steamboat. This
may, in a measure, account for his long life.—New Orleans
Picayune.

The touching sentiment, "Our first in heaven,"
appeared after an obituary notice in a Philadelphia paper,
and the father of the child came into the office raging mad.
It was the third death in the family, and, he deaupwl to
know of the clerk where he supposed the other two had
gone.

Two sable philosophers travelling through North
Carolina took shelter under the same tree during a heavy
shower. After some time one of them complained that he
felt the rain. " Neber mind," replied the other, " dere's
plenty of trees; when dis 'an is wet through we'll go to de
oder."

A Charleston negro about dying, was told by his
minister that he must forgive a certain darkey against whom
he seemed to entertain very bitter feelings. "Yes, Bah," he
replied, "If I dies I forgive dat nigga; but if I gets well, dut
nigga must take care?"

Webster's Dictionary contains over fifty thousand
words. A citizen of Milwaukee says that when he came
home late the other night, in the space of fifteen minutes
his wife applied them all to him, including some extra ones
and the fire shovel.

A citizen of Dakota took a Turkish bath and died
within an hour. The verdict of the jury was—" lie
hadn't ought to have got so much of the mud off him at one
time."

The Rochester en-I,oer at indulges in the following
reminiscence :—" I wish I were you about two hours," she
said, with great tenderness. "And why, my dear ? " he
asked, with considerable interest. "Because," she said,
toying affectionately with his watch-chain, "because, then
I would buy my wile a new set of furs."