Year: 1879

have employed the quaint old method IN
the development of modern beauty.
These workmen have no confidence IN
however and little originality.
They require to be led and guided every
step.


The most admirable piece of Mexican
gold work / have ever seen had pretty
legend connected with it. To the Won
der of its workmanship was attached the
happy interest of romance. 1t was
bracelet which Senor Armaio, now the
richest sheep owner in America and
patriarch at Albuquerque, intended for
his bride. It was made more than sixty
years ago in the City of Mexico, at an
expense of four and half months OF
labor and $3.50 in wages, exclusive OF the
value of the materials. 1t consists OF a
massive piece, shaped like quarter
section of the orange peel, and OF equal
size, from the points of which extend the
broad series of ornate pieces that were
to clasp the rich round arm of the proud
senorita. The whole work is q tllgree
of pure reddish gold, fashioned in an in
tricate lace work like close intertwining
of vines and tendrils, and each line OF
the filigree is elaborateiy chased and
studded with lines and circles and
branching sprays of minute round balls
or berries of gold, in size from a pin
head to microscopic speck. There are
said to be over 1900 of these. Do you
know how they are made ? A thin sheet
of gold was cut into a fringe with scis-
sors; then the fringe was shipped cross
wise, and dropped into diminutive cubic
fragments. These were scattered on
charcoal and put in the furnace, where
they speedily melted and ran into polish
ed globules which were sorted and SOL
dered upon the surface of this master
piece of the Mexican goldsmiths. But
the chashed and studded gold was
enough. Across the crest of the centre
piece of the bracelet flew parrot, whose
head cleaned in blue and green enamel,
whose back and wings were tinted doYe-
color and pale brown by some process
now lost. Beside it two brilliantly en-
amelled lizards eyed each other suspi-
ciously, and everywhere insects and
flowers of rich enamel studded the sur
face, growing among the golden winery
that bore abunt fruit of turquoise and
amethyst.


Perhaps if Senor Armajo given this love-
Iy token to his inamorata to keep while he
was gone, all would have been different.
But he took it to Europe with him; and
when, after two years, he came back, his
sweetheart was dead-of broken heart ?
The senior gladly sold the bracelet, and
married another woman. Now he has
offered $1,000 again and again to get
back mis- bracelet and fails; but Senor
Armaio comes to town now and then
wearing S15, 900 worth of diamonds, and
so is happy without it.


Another article that one sees common
ly among the people is the puzzle ring.
Formerly rings were fashioned only in
silver, which in this dry climate will re-
main untarnished for a long time, but
now gold is frequently employed for
them. The are always large, and the
top is bunch of grapes with
a leaf on each side, rosette fanked by
little bows, buckle with broad strap,
or some similarly massive design. TAX
ing the ring in your hand, you observe
that the slender band really consists of
four thin bands fitting accurately togeth-
er, and that underneath the boss the
ring is not solid, but a net work of wires
loosely braided. Examining it more
closely, and perhaps trifie roughly, it
falls apart, aud you hold ring
no longer, but chain of four links.
Three of these links possess as many
portions of the ornamental part of the
ring, but the fouth is plain, and acts as
the key which holds the whole in place
when together.


The getting apart is very easy; the
putting together again is next to impos-
sible without instruction. One of these
rings is somewhat costly, but it is COM
mon thing for their owners to offer a
stranger the gift of it if he will put it to-
gether in twenty-four hours. 1t is very
rare that the promise proves rash one.
The one method is to let the chain hahg
by the piece which bears no ornament,
and then to lift the center ornament Sec
ton up, at the same time turning it
around so as to match it fairly with the
other. These are the two central sec
tions of the ring, and this done, it is not
so difficult to slip the side pieces dex-
trously into position by lifting and de-
until the elbows and crooks
that go to make up the intricate network
underneath are gently insinuated into
position. Any Mexican, from the swar-
thy "Greaser" who brings you fire wood
on his donkey to the handsomest hidalgo
of them all, will show you how to solve
the puzzle when you are out of patience
with trying.


Three old gentlemen are sitting around
a table on q steamboat waiting to get
another party to a game of cards. Pres
emily they espy nice looking young