The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-23

Lake Placid, N. r., July 21.-Ths Alpsn-
stock Of the mountain maid Is an article
that at nrst blush you might take for
long handled tennis racket or q new
tangled carpet beaten.
When the guileless Adirondack youth
Wishes to turn an honest penny. he outs
sapling OF the proper height and thick
ness to make good stick, and laces and
interlaces Its twigs about the upper half
in the most intricate patterns. Sometimes
the stick is peeled. sometimes the bark Is
lcf, on. Sometimes ribbons are added for
iscoration. sometimes the rule Is beauty
t..adorned. In any event the result Is
unique and inspires in the breast OF the
i.iountain maid an instant longing to have
Il as a souvenir. When she adventures
NJ. Marcy or Whiteface, a neatly rolled
umbrella Is quite as apt to be the only
a.penstock for which she has occasion.
The mountain maid of this season Is
not as OF other years. The multiplication
OF railways, steamboats, on the lakes. in
the heart of the Adirondack wilds-has
brought In trunks as big as houses, and
turned camps into Newport cottages. The
train that brought me from New York was
packed like q Brooklyn bridge car; peo-
pie who would have boarded 1t at AL
bany were unable to do SO, because there
was not even standing room In the aisles
or vestibues. At Utica this throng of
summer folk turned with one accord to-
ward the Adirondacks, and yesterday /
marked one of the results of such an
influx in the person OF lady obliged by
the breakdown of the usual conveyance
to walk the carry between two lakes in
dress litter for Fifth avenue.
Picture to yourself perfect day,
When blue and green are glad together
Overhead, the dark trees almost shut
ting out the sky, but not destroying the
impending sense of mountains. Behind,
the wash OF lake waters. In front narrow
track overgrown with moss and uneven
with roots ntruded upon by blackberry
tangle. crossed here and there by noun
tain streams.
Traverslng this forest highway came u
delicate. delicious blue silk dress, cut
TO lie with the most graceful sweep, about
six inches on the ground. The under
skirt of this dainty, summary creation
was finished with deep. accordion plated
llounce Of black lace, above which hung
tire long, narrow blue silk tunic scalloped
It the bottom and edged with a black
* cord laid In fantastic designs The
lightly full bodice. with the same spi-
derry, black decoration, showed a yoke of
white satin covered with Renaissance lace
applique. Above a mass of tuty, light
hair was perched big hat of burnt straw
piled high with giant roses.
AS this figure like bit of French bisque
tripped uncertainty from root to root,
holding up its draperles over fragile
white lace pettlcoat. and followed by a
maid carrying a dog and a parasol. moth
ing more incongruous with the time and
place could be imagined So apparently
thought an Adirondack guide as he passed,
with the long. looping step that takes a
woodsman over the ground at such a won
derful pace, shoulderins his huge back
basket
At the larger hotels dinner dress and
evening hops are as much the rule as II
within few hundred yards a deer might
not be browsing; and yet in spite of these
inroads of civilization, or perhaps because
OF them. the mountain maid with he
r. lrning face is a pleasant spectacle
Whether she elects TO climb Whteface 81
TO go fishing. her course is to the lakeside
Past the Devils Pulpit, 4 mass OF crag'
damp with fern and ivy, past Bishop Pot'
tiers summer place in interesting prox
unity, past woods and islands move tn,
boats. and now one is beached at the