The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-10-02 00:00:00

A CENTIPEDE STORY.

A company of emigrants had camped in New
Mexico, and one night one of the party, who was
sleeping on the ground, was awakened by a peculiar
sensation on his toes. He looked and saw an enor-
mous centipede crawling across his foot. Only a faw
feet from him was the campfire, and he could see
every fibre of the reptile. Knowing its peculiarities
and the effect of its sting, he, too, was in a fever of
excitement. Afraid to move a muscle, he dared not
attempt to shake it off. After a second's pause he
reached under his head, got his pistol, and, taking a
deliberate aim, fired. It was a life-saving shot for the
man. The centipede divided and dropped on each
side of his foot. But hero comes the most remarkable
part of the story. Within an hour after the shot was
fired the men heard a terrible groaning from one of
their mules tied only a few yards away. They went
to them and found one of them with his left foreleg
swollen to an immense size. The swelling increased
as did the agony and groans of the brute, until it died
in about thirty minutes thereafter. An examination
was made, and it was discovered that the bullet that
had severed the centipede had entered the mule's foot
just above the hoof and inoculated it with the poison
from the reptile.

" MAMMA," said a little girl, " I've slept just six
teen hours. I went to bed at eight and got up at
eight."
"P'," said Bobby, sleepily, "can I ask you ono
more question if 'taint foolish ?" " Ya-as, one more.
"How much older is a ripe old age than a green old
age ?"
A CERTAIN rich man says of his wealth : "This is
what I have often sighed. for, even cried for, some-
tin3es lied for, and nearly died for; what should I
let it sllda for ?" •

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

MANSIONS in the country (says a writer on "new
fashions" in the October number of The Season) are
continually filling with their usual complement of
visitors ready to enjoy the last fine autumn days, and
ladies who are fond of getting up amusements of all
kinds to make time pass gaily, will always find assist-
ance from those gentlemen who prefer their society; to
the pleasures of the chase. Many engagements are
announced at this time of the year, for a good deal of
close companionship takes place when young people
are living together under the same roof, and they
learn to know an -,eem each other. Often too an
acquaintance began at a party or ball is renewed at
the seaside, or an inland watering-place, and
characters appear so perfectly suited, that the result
is a sudden betrothal and the happy fiancee returns
home to make preparations for her outfit and
wedding.

EVERY young lady in choosing her trousseau should
keep in mind the station and household she has to
represent, and if the income of her future husband
should be moderate, perhaps even limited—it may be
only for a time—she must avoid a superfluity of rich
embroidery, expensive lace, and fine batiste for her
personal and daily use, which will only occasion dis-
agreeable and irreparable accidents, when put into
the hands of common laundresses or ignorant servants.
Our young friends may purchase a very handsome
and practical outfit by taking fine linen for under-
wear, trimmed with pretty hand-made embroidery,
worked on strong durable materials, that were never
so cheap as now, or crotchet, knitting, guipure netting,
etc., and these they may order at little cost, or make
themselves, if time permits.

TILE future brides whose purses are not abundantly
supplied, will find it a somewhat heavier task to fur-
nish themselves with pretty, useful, and tasteful
lingerie, for the present fashions requires a super-
abundance of fichus, vests, plastrons, and parures to
be worn at every possible time and occasion. It is
certainly true, however, that many a plain bodice be-
comes elegant by the addition of a gracefully draped
plastron, or elegantly worked waistcoat, and
our plainly made corsages demand an ornamentation
of some kind.

DRAPED &hug are again in vogue for the adorn-
ment of square and V-shaped dinner dresses, and as
these are useful to brides in all ranks of society, they
must never be forgotten in buying a trousseau. Pretty
&bus are worn with low bodices in the evening, some
of these are composed of white, cream, pink, or blue
crape or gauze and trimmed with small round blos-
soms, such as roses—once discarded, now so fashion-
able—asters, double daisies and such like, gauze
ribbon, and two frills of lace; another style is ar-
ranged of a crape scarf draped round one shoulder, a
lace falling like a berthe round the other, and both
the drapery and flounce are caught up on the
shoulders with bows of delicate transparent ribbon,
and meet on the chest and in the centre of the back
under similar bows, a wreath of flowers, and longer
and shorter sprays, the latter falling down over the
chest and continued as a drooping garland as far as
the left hip, where it is caught up by loops and ends
of ribbon.

PRETTY draperies (fichus) for wearing with the
open corsages of dinner dresses are composed of silk
muslin edged with lace, and bows of ribbon or velvet,
also silk gauze arranged as a full drapery edged with
lace on one side and two flounces of lace on the other,
is an extremely pretty style of fichu covering the
neck more than the ones just des,,ribed. A great
many fashionable fichus go down to the skirt and
are continued as panier draperies round one hip to
end in the back drapery of the dress.

usEruL chemisettes for morning dresses are made
of coloured foulard, spotted batiste, figured mull
muslin and similar tissues, and have folded neck-
bands to match, fastened on one side or in the middle
with a bow of the same or a cravat bow with ends,
these giving an opportunity for showing off coquet-
tish taste and style, and some are really magnificent
arrangements of embroidery, lace, ribbon, and even
velvet, suiting exactly the morning cap, if one is worn,
or the hat or bonnet.

THE question of how many toilettes it is necessary
for a bride elect to have is very difficult to answer, as
luxury increases every year in this respect, and it
depends so math on the personality and character of
the lady herself. We are told eight or nine dresses
is the least possible number; these consisting of a
morning, ball, dinner, evening, travelling, and wedding
toilette, likewise a tea gown, shopping and promenade
costume.

WE must not omit to mention, that, as underlinen
is now much more complicated than formerly, even a
simple trousseau must be composed of several sets of
linen, made and trimmed in the same style, besides
the underclothing required for general use, thus
chemises and petticoat bodices are to cut with square,
pointed, or rountied yokes or bands, and either very
short sleeves or none at all to suit the dress corsage
with which they are to be worn; yet our young
friends must not be frightened at the idea of what all
these will cost, for, as they have been taught, no
doubt, to cut out and make up their own linen and
have a sewing machine to assist them, will give them
an excellent opportunity of showing their talent in
plain sewing, and the purchase of a few yards of stuff
more or less will be of little or no consequence.

Now that many elegant ladies have banished the
fringes from their foreheads the example is being
followed by many young girls from 12 to 16, who
now wear their hair low again. The hair is brushed
plainly back, and only tiny natural curls are allowed
to remain on the temples, whilst two or three thick
curls fall at the back of the neck, and are merely con-
fined by a light tortoise-shell slide.

WINTER modes have appeared and shop windows
are gay with new stuffs, trimmings and costumes,
which, as far as one can judge at present, do not show
any important change in outer effect and grand out-
lines.

TILE short costume remains, and will be adopted
for street toilettes, paying visits, small soir6es, etc.
The training dress, as last winter, will only be worn
for grand occasions, such as large receptions, etc., or
at weddings by near relations of the bride or bride-
groom.

VELVET, plush and beautiful faille almost as soft as
satin will be the only silken materials seen this winter.
Figured and embossed velvet and all broch6 textures
will gain little favour. Those of our friends who
possess these stuffs will do well to use them up as
soon as possible, and those who do not, must not think
of buying them afresh, for plain materials will be
preferred for dressy toilettes by really fashionable
people.
* * *

THE most lovely trimmings are of large panels and
stripes, or robing, composed partly of lace partly of
beaded passementerie, and they are used to ornament
robes of velvet, plush and silk yet so as to give an
appearance of length to the figure, and we must beg
our readers to notice that this tendency is seen on all
the most dressy styles now, and is in direct opposition
to our present fashions.

PLAIN- or very small patterned woollen tissues, fine
cloths and vigognes with a downy nap, also coarse
Barges of very soft texture and patterned like granite,
or with tiny spotted designs in blue, red, or yellow,
this last colour in small quantity, will be extremely in
vogue. There are likewise many handsome fringed
tissues of strange hues looking like damp earth, coal-
smoke, cocoa-nut, and some new shades of brown are
to be observed; among which we would mention
brown Saint Bruno; the fringe is on such stuffs
brighter and darker than the colour itself. Gentian-
blue, red-lilac and amethist of a very deep shade still
continue in fashion.

HATS are of two very distinct shapes, the large
chapeau of velvet with turned-up brim, trimmed in all
colours with long ostrich feathers twisted together
and falling down at the back, come first, then there
is Vali pretty, plainly-trimmed felt hat with plain fiat
edge. Such velvet hats are often turned up suddenly
just in the middle in front, and others are put
towards the back of the head, or a little on one side.
Felt shapes, like toques, are set firm and low over
the forehead. Three forma dispute the palm, and
these are the Spanish, composed of a straight brim
and square crown, and the helmet, this resembling
what the French term " le casque de voyage" at the
back and looking like a high coiffure in front. Those
ladies who cannot wear round hats must content
themselves with the new bonnet and capote shapes,
which continue to be always a little high; that is to
say, either in shape or trimming. The prettiest orna-
menation is composed of tiny birds with outstretched
wings.

HUMAN efforts to achieve certain alms are very much
like a cat trying to catch his tail. Just as we think
we are about to succeed away goes the tail.
TACT is the lubricant that makes sliding down the
baluster of life easy. She had two adorers, and as is
usual halted between two opinions. Henry loved her
well, but George's head was tho longer, as the sequel
shows. "Speaking of memories," cried Lucille, "why
I can remember when Lused to play with dolls and
make mud-pies in the lane." 'What a wonderful
memory," exclaimed the foolish Henry, admiringly.
" Pshaw Wonderful to recall that which occurred
so few years ago?" spoke George of the long head,
and the next time Henry spoke to her she snubbed
him.

- ,f said a well-known provincial citizen, ap-
proaching a blind beggar the other day, "I respect
your affliction and desire to apologise." "Eh ?" said
the surpriled mendicant. "I have passed you daily
at this corner for many years," said the citizen. " I
have never given you aims; on the contrary, I have
often expressed the conviction that your blindness
was assumed—that you were an imposter. I now
desire to retract." "Can't seen an inch," mumbled
the unfortunate. "I believe you," said the citizen,
warmly. "I have just seen you solicit charity of a
London excursionist. I now perceive that I have
slandered you, and I apologi?e," and handing the
blind man half-a-orown the con3cientious citizen
•
walked off,