The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-29

making anything light and dainty. This
lace bark is the film which covers the heart
of the lace-bark tree. The natives care
fully remove it and soak it in running
water for three or four days in order 10 get
off the gum and unnecessary fiber. After
that it is bleached on the sands by the
river and sprinkled now and then to whiten
it. When it has become a creamy white
it is pressed with a hot iron or a heated
stone and is ready for use. 1t has a fine
lacy appearance and runs into more artis-
tic patterns than any manufactured article.
When made into a dress it is wonderfully
beautiful.
The jungle girl uses it sparingly on her
ordinary clothes, but for her ball dress
fiounce after fiounce is used to give fluffy
look to the skirts. She knows that it be-
comes her as nothing else would.
Her jewelry consists of beautifully colored
seeds strung together in the form of neck
laces. bracelets and tiaras. In addition to
these, on the night of the ball she catches
the brilliant firefiies which swarm in the
jungle, and artistically arranges them In
her dusky locks. The jungle girl would not
exchange her 'peenie- wallahs." as she calls
the firehies, for the diamonds of North
ern belle.
The jungle girls hats are a marvel to
behold. She weaves them herself from the
jippi-jappa grass, and can get any shape or
style she fances. She trims them with the
netty fiber of the cocoanut palm and the
gorgeous wings of the mountain parrokeet,
which is shot and brought home by her
father and brother. Even her parasol and
umbrella are supplied by kindly nature.
When the sun is too hot or the rain too
heavy, big plantain or banana leaf does
as well as anything bought in the largest
stores of an American city.
A creole belle is as fond Of perfume as the
daintest American woman, and is just as
particular that it shall be of the best kind.
She goes to much more trouble to procure
it, but then she knows that it is always
pure and fresh. She first picks her fresh
flowers. and then, by Some process handed
down from one generation to another, she
distills IL.
The secret method is often known to only
a few families, ana they would not give 1t
away for any sum of money. The lucky
holders of the secret are, of course envied
by all who know them. Although others
may receive presents of the much-valued
scent from those in the secret, they cannot
make ii themselves, and, therefore, cannot
afford to be as lavish with Ii as they wish.
The tropical girls soap is procured on the
way to the bath. AS she. walks down to the
river TO battle. she stops here and there to
gather soap berries, and cuts piece Of
a toothbrush. She chews the end of il until
1T becomes quite soft and froth gathers at
the end. She then rubs her, teeth we'll with
and il not only prevents the teeth from de-
caying, but keeps them beautifully white
and clean. People in other countries, know
ing the value of this chewstck above all
others as a dentfrice, have II powdered and
exported TO them.
In many parts of South America the ma
tves cannot buy cloth to make their
clothes, so they have to spin il themselves
out of cocoanut fiber, river weeds and bam-
boo fiber. The cloth woven from the bam-
boo fiber is very soft and silky
Unlike the West Indians, the South Amer
lean belle wears shoes of a kind These are
made of a coarse woven material like sail
cloth, which is attached 70 soles of raw
hide. They are the most comfortable shoes
ina ginable. and used by the soldiers of
South America when OH the march They
are called ''alpagattas," and Americans
who have travelled in South America in
variably bring them home TO their wives
and daughters for bath slippers. Those
who lucky enough TO have a pair would
not exchange them for any other slippers,
however costly. No other footgear equals
the ''alpagatta" for comfort and durability.