Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-09-13
MISCELLANEOUS PARAGRAPHS.

CAN a pretty woman be plain cook?
FLORIDA has just sent out NIFTY tons o
sponges.
SALT LAKE CITY has stock exchange
in successful operation.
AN English authoress has written q
book to prove how lady may dress on
S75 year.
AND now it appears that the Secretary
of the Treasury refuses to endorse the APP
pointment of DIR. Mary Walker to clerk
Ship. He so informed her when she re-
ported for duty.
A SINGLE sale of 1900 head of cattle
was recently made on the North Platte, In
Wyoming. The average price per head
was $1,000, the total being 100000.
kissing CRoQUET"i is the latest. Ac-
cording to its rules lady is allowed TO
move her ball six inches every time she
favors her gentlemen opponents with
caress. It Is popular all round.
"REBECcA JONES, you are singing
through your nose again." exclaimed a
Wisconsin music teacher, and Rebecca
was so mortified that she ran out and
jumped into the river, but was rescued.
An angler on Trout Lake, Ontario,
lately had his hat blown away, and while
rowing hard to recover it, was surprised
TO see 1t spinning across the water at
tremendous rate. On overtaking 1T he
found that large trout had taken an arti-
fetal fly affixed to the hat, but the line
broke before the trout could be secured.
For fish story, the above is equal in ar
ustic finish to any lie that has been the
rounds Of the press for some years.
A SPECIAL detective from the agency in
New York City is now in Paris in pursuit
of the Bender family. From the efforts
that are going on actively it is evident
that the world is to be thoroughly searched
in the determination to hunt out this pes
tilent brood and bring them to justice.
The opinion seems to prevail that they are
somewhere in France, and if so they can
not long escape detection.
A CRUEL Ornamental new and cruel
invention at Long Branch is the introduc-
ton of living butterflies into the center
pieces of flowers, which usually adorn the
middle of the table at the fashionable din
ner and supper parties. The poor insects
are fastened by wire, which is passed
through their bodies, and concealed
among the flowers. The cOnvulsive quiv-
er of the expanded wings, as the tortured
butterfly struggles in its dying agonies, is
supposed to represent charmingly the
graceful wave of the same above some
freshly-opened flower.
A BABE DIES FROM FRIGHT.-The Bos-
ton Herald asserts that an infant only five
days old, died from fright in Newtonville,
Massachusetts, one night recently, I'M
der the following circumstances On that
evening very. heavy thunder storm pre-
vailed in that vicinity, and at each report
of the thunder the babe jumped spasmodi-
cally, and gave every evidence Of thor
ough fright possible in so young an in
FAINT. AT last terrible clap came, the
child's limbs twitched convulsively, and
it died instantly. The lightning struck a
house only few rods distant, but it is
not tho .ght that the electricity had any
effect upon the child, for it was not felt by
any others.
A STRANGE CAsE.-A young lady OF
this city was taken sick on Monday, the
l4th inst, and until yesterdy she had not
slept moment, nor had she partaken OF
any food. But the strangest thing about
the case is that Immediately after she was
attacked she began to speak In rhyme.
Every sentence that she uttered for sew
eral days and nights, about the common.
est affair, was framed into measure and
verse, and this was done with rapidity
and precision that was astonishing. Some
OF the verses made were by no means des-
titute of poetic sentiment, and were re-
ally beautiful. We are glad to learn from
the attending physician that the young
lady, by the use of strong opiates, has
had refreshing sleep and Is now better.
Lagrange, No., Democrat, July "a.
FEMALE LovELINEss.-Ac correspondent
thus describes the female deceptions prac-
ticed at Cape May: The ladies, finding
it dangerous to trust to nature for their
charms, even during the brief time they
spend in their daily "dip" in the briny
waves, have resorted to the witcheries of
art to help them out where natural lowell
ness falls short. ] allude to the padding
of bathing dresses that has become quite
fashionable. Not only are the bathing
dresses for private use made in this man.
ner, but also those for hire at the public
bathing houses. The breast, arms, shout
ders, and even the calves, are so neatly
and symmetrically padded, that every fair
bather you meet appears TO be a perfect
Venus, as regards personal appearance.
A WHITE RoBN.-A white robin is a
bird no oftener seen than a ''white black
Bird" but one of these veritable monde
scripts is now in the possession of Mr.. c.
H. Ewell, of Rocky Nook, Plymouth,
Mass. The parent bird had built near his
residence. but no notice had been taken of
the little family, until few days stree, as
Mr.. Ewell was Easing under the tree,
the young bird became alarmed and took
to flight. Noticing the strange appear
ance of this particular bird, MIR. Ewell Sc
cured him, and now has him caged-a
study for naturalists and wonder for
those who have never seen the like. The
bird appears In all respects like a robin,
with the exception of the plumage, which
Is entirely white.