Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-01-15
American Silks in Europe.

An American lady writes from Paris TO
Messr>. Cheney Brothers, n follows:
Three wears ago, or whereabouts, | re
ceived from You Il dress pattern of black
American silk from Your manutactory,
with a letter in which You asked me to civ e
it hard usage, and when | got a hole in 1t
to let Won know Holes have nothing to
do with the inditing of this letter, but to
tell YOU how the silk has behaved.
II was exceedingly anxious that it
should prove Il success. because ii was
American, and if have one bump big
ger than another it is patriotism. The
dress-makers universally denounced Amer
lean silk a. worthless. After several
>kirmshes with my dreSs-maker, |, how
ever. got NY dress made, and put II on.
For the first six months | didn't know
whether | like it or not. Like all gf0N
grui1A> it caught the dust. But at the end
of six months | should not have known
how to do without it. | wore 1t every
where and kept on wearing 1t, until now 1t
is a travel dress. | crossed the sea with
it, wore it throughout England it was my
everyday dress and Sunday -gO-tO-meeting
dress for six months in Paris; it protected
me from the blasts of the Mediterranean.
Naples to Venice: it sailed on the Adriatic,
was my constant companion during a three
months of adventures among the heathens
of Vienna and now that I've Worn it back
to Paris. and turned it wrong side out, hind
side before and upside down, it Is my best
gown. and the only friend that | have en-
dowed with infallibility In short. it is
the most remarkable silk | ever saw. and
because it never wears out is why the dress
makers don't praise it. During these three
years | have bought but one dress, for |
thought | ought to have two dresses in
case anybody shonld lay illegal hands up
on the american fabric, and that Il
French silk of precisely the same value in
cost per ward. | have worn it but little,
but already it has taken on a shining COM
pleXion and threatens treason at every
turn.
Believe me. Messieurs, Your trans-At-
lantic well-wishing compatriot.
ANOTIIFR CHARACTERISTIC STORY ABOUT
AGASsIZ.-I was with him once in the
small cabinet of Il college, which he was
examining with a good deal of interest, and
where he was Just as modest as if all the
scientific treasures of the earth We're before
/ his eyes. when singularly-formed turtle
| shell from the Mississippi was shown him.
with a request that he should name the
species to which it belonged. Taking it
into his hand, with the candor of IN un
spoiled child he said: " don't know this. :"
The confession surprised us, rs we know
that the study of turtles was favorite
branch of Investigation with him, and that
here he was profoundly learned. In a
moment or two. however. he remarked
very quietly: - All. | see it is Il malfor-
nation which it really was, though it re-
quired vast knowledge of this sort of crea
lures to detect the fact. We can imagine
how the commonplace professor, deslrous
of keeping up Il name for knowledge,
would have managed to conceal his igno-
rance-Rer. II. Y. Porers Of Chicago.
\ MYSTERY ON LAKE MICHIGAN.-TwO
farmers on their way to Maiden. Mich. on
Sunday week. saw Il boat floating in Lake
Michigan, with man sitting upright in
the stern. On returning that way, a few
hours after, they saw the same boat hard
and fast on the beach, the man still sitting
as before. On approaching him. they
found him frozen hard us Il rock. and
clasping the oar so firmly that they wrench
ed it from him with great difficulty The
mans legs were encased in ice up to the
knees, and there was II foot of water in
the boat There was nothing to indicate
who the man YVES, how long he had been
afoat, or. whence he came. He was prob
ably put off from some vessel, or driven
from some island by hunger. and may have
been floating about for fortnight. The
body was cared for, and given Christian
burial.