, 1876-07-08

PARTISAN L1FE.-One new fashion,
says Paris letter, is worthy Of re-
mark; blood-red parasols are decid-
edly Ia mode. They reflect pref
ty rose tint on pretty faces certainly,
but are they in good taste? Like
most excentricities, they were first
introduced by the demi-monde, but
many ladies of fashion have-as they
say--fallen in love with them that
we can hardly permit ourselves to
pronounce them ''mauvais genre, +"
and yet! This moment of hessi-
tation while on the subject of dress
has brought to my mind q charming
story of dressmaker, whose name
and price are known to many of my
Boston readers, which proves that
there are French girls who under
stand profiting by the tide which
leads on to fortune, and taking their
places accordingly-when they get
there.
Nine. Roger was an Industrious
little needle-woman, wife of an hon
est day laborer, and very glad she
was to have employment six days in
the week, at fifty cents a day. A
rich and elegant lady of my ac-
quaintance appreciated her talent,
and on one occasion had the little
needle-woman make ball dress
which she wore to cne of the Monday
evening soirees of the Empress. Her
Majesty noticed and admired the
pretty toilette, and Nine. x, being
the kindest-hearted of women,
pushed her little protegee on in the
world of fashion and finance, and in
short time so good a reputation
and patronage had been acquired
that Nine. Roger established herself
in Rue Lous le Grande, where many
of my lady readers remember order
ing the most satisfactory dresses
they ever wore. There they paid
high prices, but then the dresses
were so we'll made, and, bearing
Nine. Rogers Eame, were so much
admired. The successful co"t,,iere
was still young and grateful, and not
being over-contident in herself, she
never made dress for the Empress
without first consulting Nine. x,
whom she rightly regarded as the
soul of her success. Years passed.
Nine. Y. left Paris, M. Roger died,
his widow married a lawyers clerk
who. thanks to her money, bought
the business and became lawyer in
his turn, and all went on so swim
mingly that one fine day the once
little dressmaker sold out (leaving
the name of Roger to her successor.
and retired on o large fortune. She
set up a country house in which to
pass the summer months. fine res
idence in Paris. horses, carriage aud
the rest of it. Nine. \. returned to
to the French capital, and, walking
up the Champs Elysees one day,
met her former protegee whom she
always addressed as Nine. Roger
said how pleased she was to see her
again, and added: II can't stop to
talk with you now. but come to me
ON Monday and 1 shall be glad to
hear all the particulars of your sue
cessful life" Nine. Roger bowed,
held out her little hand and replied:
Il, too have my day, madame, and
on Fridays shall be most happy to
receiveyou."
The CURIOSITY CT FIsH.-The Gu
riosity exhibited by a fish is worthy
of remark. Like nearly all the ami
NAL creation, fishes are inquisitive.
Workmen in diving-bells and sub
marine armor tell some interesting
anecdotes illustrative of this pro-
pensity. A diver who was engaged
in tunneling for the water works OF
an Eastern city, whose labors at the
bottom of the river occupied him
for several days. became suddenly
aware one day of the presence of a
larger fish than he had seen before
"a which he thought
would weigh eighty or ninety
pounds. It visited him for several
days in succession, and eventually
became so fearless as to approach
within little more than arms length
of him, although at first it was
quite shy. Along the southern shore
of Lake Erie. and in some other
places at the North where ice forms
of sufficient thickness, fish are at
tracted to openings through the ice
lover which a small, perfectly dark
house is placed by means of a small
decoy fish, attached to a line, and
moved rapidly through the water be,
meath the ice. A fish will sometimes
follow one of these lor long time,
but seldom take it in its mouth, un-
less the representation is perfect.
They evidently come merely to see
what is going on. So have seen q
school of fish follow baited hook
every time it was drawn to the, sur.
face of the water, but not one would
take the most tempting bait.-Hon't
and School.
The recent African discoveries
have developed the fact that vast
mineral wealth under;ies the surface
of that great continent. Lieutenant
Cameron, who has just returned
from there, tells of enormous de.
posits of coal and iron; enough he
saws to supply the world for untold