Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-11-29

so arranged that one end. stiff as
starch can make it. stands straight I'D |
in front like a soldiers feathers. and |
seen at little distance the heads of a
group of women gossiping together as
women will, look like Il bed of gor-
geouS tulips nodding in the breeze
But somehow, in spite of half-savage
.idornmentS and violent contrasts of
color, the costume seems to be quite
IN keeping with the complexion of the
Wearers and the tropical surroundings
and only quietly dressed foreigners,
! ike ourselves. look as out of place as
few brown wrens among multitude
| of bright-colored paroquets.
Nothing in Martinique attracts
/ strangers attention more quickly than
the everyday dress of the hucksters.
market and serving women. 1t con-
slsts of single flowing robe of white
i muslin or gaudy calico. made very
loose at the throat with waistband
high up under the shoulder-blades and
very long trailing skirts, which are al
ways tucked up at one side. display
irg deal more limb than enc is &C
cuStomed to see in polite society
The young negresses. with intuitive
coquetry-and many of the older ones.
in whom feminine vanity dies hard
nave queer fashion Of leaving one
arm and shoulder quite out of harness.
III strong contrast to the always clean
white of their diaphanous drapery. To
such an extent was this peculiar one
shoulder fashion carried that even the
lax French law felt constrained to i'll
terfere few years ago to regulate the
extent of the exposure, as it is said that
once upon a time the wise legislature
of the state of Pennsylvania sat in
solemn dignity on the Mother Hub
bard" question and forbade the wear
ing of those ungraceful garments on
the streets
The excitement Of the dEsnoty corso
and the favorite promenade is of the
good and everybody is Enthusiastically
happy. Here and there some little
maidens dance and boys run races
encouraged to effort by the bestowal
of prizes from fond relatives. We see
groups of portly middle aged ne
crosses, clad in Powered chintz which
we could think altogether too yaudy
for sofa covers, the starched upright
ends of their turbans wagging in a
way that betCkens sweet discussion of
the latest scandal and the rending to
rags Of somebody's reputa ton.
Meanwhile the carriages continue
their monotonous rounds. so that their
OooupoptS GRO narpat11alIy n nt;p,r oY, Il
smiling upon one anOther-till at
length the sun goes suddenly down in
blaze of glory, as that orb has a
habit of doing in these southern re-
giOns. Then the vehicles with one ac-
cord whisk away. and the dandies on
their rocking horses pace after to
pastures new; old ladies put up their
parasOls to ward off the malaria laden
dews, and peasants take off their shoes
and tuck their skirts still higher pre-
paratory to tramping homeward.
Presently the savannah is quite de-
serted. and looking out upon the spark
ling sea, every vessel stands out with
weird distinctness in the evening light,
like painted ship upon a painted
ocean. You can almost count the piles
of barrels and bales of merchandise on
the distant wharf, and it is so still that
you catch the words of a French song
: sung by a black crew as they pull to
shore from a black hulk outlying the
| harbor.
Suddenly -hideous bray. ringing
!. close beside you, awakes discOrdant
echoes. 1t is not the voice of Balaam's
, historic animal, as you might suppose,
but comes from one of the three bu
glars who make the Batterie d. EsnOty
their starting point. and in turn repeat
the harsh sound until they reach their
barracks.
AS quickly as the clamor and hurly-
burly of the crowd gives way to pro-
found silence, profound night follows
bright day without any intermediate
cleaning, after the blazing sun has
dropped perpendicularly into the west
ern sea. Wonderfully clear are the
nights in Martinique. You see distinct
shadows, and on looking up for the
moon find that she is tardy just now in
arising, and the shadows are cast by
star Venus probably, which shines
with remarkable radiance