The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-05
ITEMS.

pf the skirt is a deep yoke. ana the lOunceS
are trimmed with the plaid bands.
Little girls summer dresses will be made
in princesse shape. and with Jokes, with or
without belts, but laid in flat, lengthwise
pleats below the yoke.
RED HAIR.
How n Roy Almost Ruined the Domestic
Happiness OF Two Families.
IN. Y. Times.
The name of the lady who few weeks since
dropped her back hair Oh the sidewalk of n
street in Clinton Illinois, has now been ascer-
tanned. The hair In question was Of bright
red color, and few persons would have inag-
ined that it was dangerous when unconnected
with its owner. Nevertheless. that seemingly
innocent back hair led to a tragedy that
spectacle families.
Messrs. Smith and Brown are the leading
citizens engaged in the grocery business in
Clinton. They are men Of great worth of
character and have reached middle age with
out mourning the breath Of Islander. One
evening Mr.. Smith returned from the store
and sitting down Mt the tea-table produced u
Chicago paper from his pocket, and remarked
with much indignation: THAT revolving
Beecher scandal has been revived, and Its
Ioathsome details are again polutng the
press and corruptng the minds of the public
Mrs. Smith replied that 1T was shameful
outrage that the papers were allowed to pub
lish such disgusting things, aud asked her
husband (which paper had the fullest account
Of the matter That excellent man said that
he believed the Gazette contained more about
it than any other paper, and after tea he
would send one of the boys to get copy OF it.
His wife thanked him, and was in the act Of
rcmarking that he was always thoughtful
and considerable when the oldest boy eS
claimed PA. you've got long red hair on
your coat collar"
prompt investigation made by Mrs
Smith confirmed the boys accusation There
was IN unmistakable female hair on the col
lar of Mr.. Smiths coat, and it was ubtrusiVely
red. Mr.. Smith said that it was a very ex-
traordinary thing, and Mrs. Smith, also re-
marking very extraordinary, indeed, in y
dry, sarcastic voice expressed deep disgust
at red hair. and a profound contempt fOr the
nasty creatures" who wore it,
About the same hour Mr. Brown was also
seated at his tca-table, and was endcayoring
to excuse himself to Mrs. Brown for having
forgotten to bring homo u paper. That lady,
ton at the revival Of the Beccher scandal,
had asked for the paper in order to see who
was dead and married, and was. Of course,
indignant because her husband had not
brought it home. In the heat Of the discus
sion she noticed u long rcd hair on Mr..
Brown s coat collar, and, holding it up before
him, she demanded an explanation. In vain
did Mr.. Brown alloge that he had not the
least idea how the hair became attached to
his collar. His wife replied that what he
said was simply ridiculous, "Red hair don't
blow round like thistledown, and at your
time Of life. Mr. Brown, you ought to be
ashamed of yourself The less you say the
better. but can tell you that you emit de-
ceive me. I'm not a member of Plymouth
Church, and you can't make me believe that
black is white
Now, both Mr. Brown and Mr.. Smith were
perfectly Innocent. OF course they Were an
noycd by the remarks Of their respective
wives. but, like sensible men, they avoided
any unnecessary discussion Of the painful
topic. The next day they each brought home
all the Chicago papers that contained any
references to the Beecher matter, and as the
papers were received by Mrs. Brown and
disgust which they felt at hearing even the
name of Beecher mentioned they naturally
supposed that they had made their peace.
But marital suspicion once awakened is not
handing his wife the bundle Of newspapers,
she was closely scrutinizing his coat collar
and, after she had laid tho papers on her
plate and told the children not t., touch them
she quietly took two long red hairs from her
unfortunate husbands coat, and held them
soemnly before his face.
Mary, give you my solemn word, began
the alarmed Mr.. Brown, but he was not per-
mitted to finish his sentence. Don't say one
word, exclaimed Mrs. Brown. "FaIsehoods
wife, and III have you exposed and punished
II there is any law in Illinois, Thus say ing
she gathered up her newspapers and rushing
to her room locked herself in 1t was not u-
til later in the evening that Mrs. Smith as
she was about to turn down her husbands
lamp, which was smoking. perceived that two
red hairs were attached to his shoulder She
said nothing. but after laying them on the
table before him, burst into tears and refused
TO BE- comforted until Mr.. Smith splemny
Swpra that Ip had not n rod "a iral yirl
for months and years, and offered to buy her
a new parlor carpet the very next day
OF the two ladies, Mrs. Brown was much
the stronger and more determined. The next
evening, when Mr.. Brown brought back from
the store no less than five red hairs on his
coat collar, she broke a pie-plate over his
head and leaving him welterng in dried
apples put on her bonnet and left the house.
Mrs, Smith on the same evening, found four
OF the mysterious rcd hairs on her husbands
coat, but she refrained from violence, and
merely telling him that she would not be-
lieve i'll his Innocence it he was to swear till
he was black in the face, called loudly for her
sainted mother, and was about to faint when
Mrs Brown burst into the room. Mr. Smith
like wise man, fled from the scene, ana the
two ladies soon coniided their wrongs to one
another.
When Mr.. Brown and Mr. Smith met The
next day, the former confessed to the latter
that he was in terrible SCrape. COntidpnCp
begot confidence, and they soon became con-
WINGED that they were the victims Of a fright
full conspiracy to which some unknown wearcr
Of red back -hair was a party. Their distress
was increased early in the afternoon by the
appearance of their respective wives, who
walked up and down the opposite side of the
street for hours, each carrying a conspicuous
rawhide, and evidently lying in wait for the
imaginary red haired woman. MessrS. Smith
and Brown felt that they We're ruined men,
and that q tremendous scandal was about to
oNerwhelln them. They even wished that they
were dead
About o'clock p. m, Mrs Smith clutched
her companions arm and bade her listen to
small boy who was relating one of his re-
cent crimes to a youthful companion. Il
Just picked up that there hair, remarked the
wicked youth, and put some of it on old
Smith and old Browns coats; | KEEP put
tin Of it on every day, and you just bet they
kttched it from their old women when they
went home. Smith, he is solemn as an owl,
and old Brown looks az II he was going to
b,l hilpIyf