The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-07-24
sAyEp eY IaE EAsAIoN.
He. Llss aaa Lams nave ns.n Pc.


little pertaining to comfort in nine
teenth century garments.
The habiliment Of some OF our conti-
mental neighbors is far superior, both
in elegance and usefulness, to our own,
so it is said, but we do not question this
statement, as it is not our present duty
to pick out the drawbacks of a dress
that has satisfied us so long.
Ugly as is our customary mode, it has
more than once been the means of saw
ing the life of the wearer or been in-
strumental in preventing accidents
which might have proved serious or
fatal.
A gentleman wearing a collar of exc
treme height and rigidity while repos-
ing idly on a heathery moorland fell
into a doze. but reused himself to find
something moving about his neck, and
was just prevented putting his hand on
the place BY a companion. who at that
moment glanced up from his paper.
The troublesome visitor was q large
adder, which, coiling it's Shiny body
round the gentleman's throat, would
probably have bitten him severely but
for the unusuAf height of the linen
band that has been a favorite pointlof
attack of the dress reformers for an An-
conceivable period.
BY an adroit movement the friehd
caught the reptile behind the head,
thus preventing injury tg9h1s@ band.
The collar, however, wasBimpaired in
the momentary struggle, and an ugly
stain was pointed out as the deadly ejec-
ton of the poisonous fangs.
High heels-those peglike elevations
which We are induced to believe have
caused untold misery to the feet of
women of fashion-have at least n
good service to their credit-in saving
the life pf a fair mountaineer.
This foolish person essayed the climb
ing of p~recipitous cliffs in French kid
boots heels Of the peculiar bell
shape once SO fashionable, and on the
present occasion it was well that she
did MOI wander far from her compan-
ions.
Her activity, despite the unsuitability
of her leathern elevations for noun
taineering, was irrepressible. and ven
turing too near the edge of a iutting
rock she slipped, and her frightened
companions expected to see her dashed
to atoms on the lodges below.
But, no! The high heel which had
occasioned her fall became entangled
in the thick brier branches and was
sufficiently strong to support the ven
turesome woman for the few moments
until her friends could obtain a firm
grip of her limbs and restore her safely
to the mountain path.
When examined, the shoe was found
to be nearly dismembered-the heel
hanging by a few riyets only. An or
binary mountain boot, with a Eat,
square heel, would have offered no angle
of support for the briers, and under
other than the present circumstances
the climber would certainly have met
with a terrible death.
An incident somewhat similar, but
of not so dangerous a character, has
been reported of a young fashionable,
who had occasion to ride on the outside
of an omnibus through a crowded thor
oughfare.
Leaning over the rails, he Overhaul
anced himself and would have been
kthrown in the midst of the traffic but
for the reason that the bottoms Of his
trousers were turned up in that unrea-
sonable style once more prevalent than
at present with the exquisites of fash
ion.
The turned-up hem was slung on the
edge of the rail, while the scared youth
dangled, with frantic arms sprawling,
over the windows, with a face as red as
a beet root.
A fellow-passenger released him
from above and he was permitted to
drop into the arms of the conductor.
A fall from such an elevation would
have meant a dislocated shoulder or a
broken leg at least.
What romance or history can be con-
nected with the ugly chimney-pot hat?
Yet quite lately one of these inartistic
creations saved the life of a venture
some gentleman. Strolling beyond
high-water mark, He suddenly discov.
creed himself caught by the tide, and,
being hemmed in by beetling, i~nacces-
sible rocks, all means of escape seemed
cut off.
The water rushed in and the terrified
gentleman was taken off his feet, with
not a boat in sight to render him deliv-
erance nor a person to hear his dis
tressed cries. Unable to swim, he
would soon have been drowned but for
a little occurrence which proved his
salvation.
During his struggle the silk hat he
wore was dashed off his head and the
man clutching at 1t as the only attain,
able object was surprised to find thai
it buoyed him up.
His arms were clasped, encircling thu
brim, while the top of the hat, partl,
submerged, resisted the water. BIZ
maintaining this position he was en-
abled to keep himself afoat for nearly
Is minutes, at the end of which!time I
boat rounded the cliffs. The boatman
observing him, quickly rescued hin
from an inevitable fate.-London TIT,
Bits. -
The Prince OF Liars.
Baron Munchausen, the prince Of
liars, vas not entirely a creation d
Raspe, a German refugee, who was q
protege of Horace WalpoLe, and who