LADIES' DEPARTMENT.
Mortal Life at Vanar
The Poughkeepsie X. Y., eorros
pondent of tho Harturd Herald writes
that there is not much formality about
the social life at Vassar college, as all the
students live in one building. There
is always considerable fun and enjoy
ment in the senior class, as a certain
corridor is their exclusive property.
They have a class parlor also sacred to
seniors, which is used as a room for
both business and social meetings, and
is finely furnished. Outside cf the
senior class, the pleusantest life is the
parlor life of the students. A few
girls room alone, but tho great major
ity have parlors, live girls constituting
a " family," each with her room, but
all having the same study parlor. The
nature of the girls determines whether
or not the room is ready for study.
Perhaps this system is conclusive to
cliques, but it affords a good chance to
learn humanity, and to adapt one's
self to circumstances. Then there is
a chapter of life (neither very social
nor interesting), the spreads—much
fun, but discouraged by the faculty—
and class and club life, whose interest
varies with different classes. Vassar
is divided into many cliques. It is not
possible, it seems to me, for any gen
eral sociability to exist, for "birds of a
feather must [lock together," and you
cannot make them do otherwise.
Fnatiton'a
The mysterious origin and quick dif
fusion of the decrees of fashion are
past finding out. The silent forces of
nature, by which the frigid and some
times repulsive forms of winter are
changed into scenes of vernal life and
beauty, are as unknown and unknow
able as are the sources of the unwrit
ten laws which hold despotic sway in
fashion's world, ify seeking, one can
rarely llnd out whence they coine, by
what mental process they are evolved,
or I*"* caprices or necessities, real or
fanciful, which call them into being.
But no enemy's stronghold, no wrong
of the ages, no malign system of oppres
sion, no heresy, or schism was ever
assailed with less hope of successful
encounter than are the edicts which
fashion formulates f<>r the guidance of
her subjects and votaries. One would
say that in our own country, or in
England, a thing of beauty-univer
sally so regarded—would always lsj
reckoned beautiful; that natural gifts of
form and feature would always main
tain their place as graces unchanged
by the vagaries or vicissitudes of la
mode. But the news cornes to us from
over the sea that there is to lie this
season an entirely new style of beauty.
A correspondent of a prominent Eng
lish journal says: "The girls with
ruddy locks or the golden hair and the
feaxon skin that have held their sway
so long, will have to abdicate their
throne to their darker-haired sisters.
So fashion has decreed, and when fash
ion does decree a thing, the result is as
unalterable as a general election. To
be in the fashion to-day you must have
dark hair, dark blue eyes, not a parti
cle of color, but lips as red as a cherry.
I fail to see how these varied require
ments are to be met, but they will be
met I feel sure, and that this new
vagary of fashion will be a source of
rejoicing to many girls who, fur the
last few years, because of their dark
hair, have Ix-cn quite surpassed and
overruled hv the blonde-haired maiden
—of that there can be no doubt."
—New York Eveninj /'of.
Fahlon \otra
Jersey tunics are new and stylish.
Bright yellow is chosen for handker
chiefs.
The fashion of sealing letters with
wax is on the increase.
Irish point collars appear in the
standing military form.
Large hlark laces are worn in place
of mantles with summer dresses.
Drooping brims have taken the
pbue of sailor hats for children*' w ear.
Cloth and cashmere suits are made
•ip in combination with ottoman vel
vets.
Softness is a prominent characteris
tic of the summer silks and woolen
goods.
Spanish net mantles dotted with
velvet, are the novelty in summer
wraps.
Copper-colored silks trimmed with
: blaek laces are favorites with Parisian
women.
Entire ruches of bright geranium
are made to cover the brims of small
bonnets.
Cold braid and ribbon velvet are In
terlaced for the crowns of little dress
bonnets.
Humming birds, poised on flowers or
laoe, are on some of the prettiest
bonnets.
Iland-run guipure and soutache
j Spanish laces are the richest and most
effective.
A French paper reports tho wearing
of laco to excess this summer on the
other side.
Percale robes, beautifully embroid
ered, are sold at very reasonable prices
this season.
Brides'trains are not very long when
the dress is of India mull or any soft
sheer fabric.
Chintzes, lawns and organdies make
up beautifully with lace or Grecian
embroideries.
Many of the pretty summer silks and
foulards in light colors are trimmed
with white lace.
Black kid gloves are shown with
English stitching on the back of man"
darin yellow silk
The fronts of some of the new straw
bonnets are formed of amber beads
mixed in gilt passementerie.
The small Grecian knot, with waved
or crimped front hair, remains a favor
ite coiffure with many women.
A unique bonnet is composed of
alternate rows of gold and leather
braid, with a brim lined with roses.
Woolen materials with raised designs
in velvet or plush in contrasting c ol
ors, grow constantly more fashionable.
Gloves are still worn very long, ami
the new English styles are gathered a'
intervals around the wrist ami arm,
forming puffs.
An accepted evening costume con
sists ot a silk bodice over a lace waist
and the skirt of silk trimimsl with late
flowers all the w ay to the top.
Watered silks and satins art: employed
for combining with other materials,
such as camel's hair and brocades, but
are not used for the entire dress.
Kate Green.iw ay handkerchiefs of
white silk, with gayly colored figures
of old-fashioned children on tin- hem,
are knotted as cravats for little lioys
to wear with their kilt suits.
forded hats in basin and poke-shape
are made of white linen and <>f colored
gingham to match the summer dresses
of little girls. A box-pleating of lawn
and lace is placed around the crown
for trimming.
THE FAMILY DOCTOR.
To Cure If,sir*' now. Beat well the
Whites of two cgifs, add two table
sjHionsful white sugar, grate in half a
nutim-g, add a pint of lukewarm
water, ■•tir well and drink often. Re
peat the preparation if nee-s>arv.
A*thm'i. one ounce flour sulphur,
one ounce pulverized sugar, a small
quantity of ground capsicum, enough
to barely flavor it; dose, as much as a
3-cent piece can hold every two hours;
rub the chest and spine with butter
and salt. The homeopathic remedies
are arsenicum and ca|>sirum; avoid
sauces, cheese, cakes. pi-s, and gravies
as food.
Lime J aire in Treatment of liijdi
th-rlei. —M. Czartoryski. M. I)., of
Mockton, C;d., w rites as follow s to the
I.ondon Lan-rt: During a prolonged
residence in the interior of China, I
became acquainted with the fact that
the Chinese place great reliance dur
ing the epidemics of diphtheria on the
internal use of the fresh juice of the
limes and of the fruit itself, whirn
they consume in enormous quantities
in every conceivable form as lem
onade with native spirits, cut in slii < s,
etc. —during attacks of this dreadful
disease, with apparently most success
ful results, it hardly ever failing to
effect a cure. The Chinese consider it
a specific, and will, in case of need, do
anything to obtain a supply. Since I
have come bark from California, as
also in Louisiana, I have used limes
anil their juices in my practice as a
physician, with most successful re
sults in cases of diphtheria even in
the most desperate cases. As soon as
I take charge of a case of diphtheria. I
order limes to be administered as
freely as possible, in any manner the
patient can be prevailed upon to take
them, cs|xria!ly in the form of hot
lemonade, sweetened with white sugar
or honey, or cut in slices with pow
dered with sugar. Beside* limejuire
(which I suppose acts by imparting an
excess of oxygen to the circulation and
thereby prevents formation of vibri
ones, etc.. and so has almost a spec!lie
effect on disease),l prescribe whatever
drug may l>e indicated to relieve symp
torns as they develop and impart
strength by appropriate stimulants
and nourishment.
A Turin jeweler has made a tiny
troat formed of a single pearl, which
shape it assumes In swell concavity.
Its sail is of beaten gold, studded with
diamonds, and the binnacle light at its
prow Is a perfect ruby. An emerald
serves as its rudder, and its stand is a
slab of ivory. It weighs leas than
half an ounce. Its price Is |SQOO.
A (TKMM'S TALE.
Thi Slnnitnll*'* <|nrii* ami tvin lie
\V*r, 11.
A Cleveland, Ohio, reporter spent
fully an hour in conversing with u
score or more of the ('hineso citizens
with a view of obtaining information
regarding tiie queues worn by Chinese.
Tliere are in Cleveland a numherof the
celestials who are intelligent and in
du.trious. One of these, who keeps a
laundry, is far more intelligent than
the average Chinaman. lie is neat
and clean in his dress, which is pat
terned after ours, and is more orderly
in his hahits and HIKMIC than most of
his race. From this intelligent China*
man, and from other sources, some in
teresting information regarding the
"pigtail" was obtained.
For many hundred years prior to the
year Dili. the native emperors of the
< liinese dy n.i-ty compelled the < hinesc
suhjects under them to wear long hair
over the w ho|o hea l, and wear it in a
tuft or coil, something after the
manner in which thy ladies wear false
hair switches at the present day. The
lirst emperor of the present dynasty,
who ascended the throne in 10-M, de
termined to make the tonsure of Man
churia, which was his native country,
the token of the submission of the
Chinese of the entire country to his
authority.
It was not long after tie began to
reign that he issued a general order
that i airiisl the greate-t consternation
with it throughout the kingdom. He
ordered the people to shave all the hair
from their heads event the crown
•
and to allow the hair on that particu
lar part to grow long and dress it ac
cording to the custom of Manchuria,
It required considerable time for the
Chinamen to Is-eotue fully a> cu- toiiicd
to this change, hut the custom tinally
prevailed throughout the length and
breadth of the great empire. It is.said
at lirst those who conformed with the
new rules were pre.-ruted with a tad
of silver. After a while :dl the new
converts to the new custom were
given half a tad < f silver. Then the
present was reduced to only a tenth of
a tael, and then only an egg wa-given-
Finally the egg was dispensed with
and no present was given.
The law that r- piired the |>eople to
shave their heads and braid the queue
was not often rigidly enforce I by the
penalty of immediate death, hut it was
*M>n an established fact all over the
empire that those who did not d > as
the emperor desirid. would never
heroine sue< essful in a lawsuit against
those who did conform, nor wool I they
sue <-id in t.eir busin- s, or other en
terprise* and undertaking.
AUiiit a year ago. when the empress
and co-regent died, the wliole nation
went into mourning, ami in memory
of the the law forbade the
Chinese shaving for a month. In the
city of Foochow, the mayor of the
town made the discovery that the
higher jH.wers were l*ing disregarded
and he accordingly made a raid upon
the l.arlier sho|, and sixty Chinese
were caught in the art of being shaved.
They were arreted, brought lefore
the mayor, were heavily fined, and
then severely bastinadoed. More than
this, their heads were painted a bright
blue, which is the color for mourning
in China, and a coat of varnish was put
over the paint. Kvery week while the
mourning lasted the culprits were com.
jielh-d to present themselves weekly to
receive a fr<-h supply of paint anil
v arnish.
In this country the Chinese who be
come American citizens. and who ac
cept the Christian faith as their ls-lief,
do not hesitate to cut off their queues
and dress their hair in the American
fashion. However, those who retain
their native religion, and who intend
at some future time to return to China
generally retain their queues or "pig
tails." as the hoys sometimes call them.
If a Chinaman were to return to his
native land without his queue he
would lose the respect of his country
men and lie compelled to leave the
country.
Japanese Horror of Fire.
As the hour approaches for the
lighting of lamps In the evening at
Yokohama the sound of the fire patrol
is heard and nil the night long the
streets are perambulated by these
warning guardians, who l>eat two
hand-stick* or clapjiers together with
the regularity of clockwork, giving
forth a sharp ringing sound that there
is no mistaking, and they also have a
regular note of warning which they
cry out nt regular intervals of time, so
that the necessity for precaution is
present to the mind of all the dwellers
in the city throughout the hours of
darkness, whether they will or no.
The incendiary Is the most depraved
of criminals in the estimation of the
people, and none others were so fear
fully punished In the past. At proa
ent death Is tho penalty meted to on
who commits arson.
"A JIJMPI.NG-OFF PLACE."
A Town VV hull Will 11, n (.airway lu
Slrtlro. A Xlrslraii Aiollrioa.
Laredo is literally tic- "jumplng-otT
pla'-" for this part of this country,
writes a correspondent from Laredo,
Tex. Here it is that the Missouri Pa
cific system finds Its most extreme
southern end, while from here the
Mexican National, and to-be-built In
ternational roads, take their start and
shoot southward to the city of Mexico,
some B<HI miles distant. 'The place is
destined, at no very distant day, to he
an important stopping point, as it is
directly on the route of travel between
the t'nitcd States and Mexico. Laredo,
take it as a whole, consists of two
parts. North Laredo, located in the
I'nitisl States, and South Laredo, which
is upon the opposite shore of the llio
(■ramie river, in the republic of Mexi*
•o. The combined population of tin
two towns is alxiiit 1.1,000. North
Laredo has a little the larger popula
tion, and is by far the more eivili/.ed
and enterprising part. Most of the
inhabitants of both sides are Mexicans,
although on the Texas side there are a
larger number of white people, most of
whom, if not engaged on some of the
railroads, are interested in business or
land in the vicinity.
Laredo is not an inviting looking
place, and does not offer many induce,
rnents to a person who wishes to li ve
in a decent, comfortable style. The
soil on wliii h the town is located is
samly, with some cactus, small hushes
or dwarfed trees growing here arid
there. \\ lien the wind blows histilv, a
line alkali dust is distributed all over,
and is anything hut good for clothes or
the eyesight. The houses and most all
other buildings are low and flat and
uninviting in appearance. The hank
building, court house, post office and a
few other buildings are. however, sub.
stantial appearing. good sized brick
structures, which have been built of
late by the Americans. The hotels
are veritable curiosities, and. although
not serving as appetizing meals as one
would obtain at home, g-1 up prettv
fair eatables. All tinlk used ;s obtain
ed from goats. It is hawked about the
streets by Mexicans who ride on a
little donkey, which has a can of the
goat's in ilk suspended on either side
Ihe drinking water is obtained from
tin- llio i > ramie. It has a queer, s--ft
taste, ami seems to have little sub
stance. There are scores of Mexicans
here who make their living selling this
v.ater almut the street*. Go where
you will down to the river bank, and
you will sis- from five to twenty <> f
these little water carts. They consist
of a large sized barrel mounted on two
wheels, and are drawn, ea< h. by one
little "burro" or Mexican donkey. I
wish that I could pleture to you the
ludicrousness of one of these outfit*
the "burro" itself is the most comical,
tough, fiod-forsakcn-looking
little creature I ever s<-t eyes on. It
resembles, for all the world, a huge
rat which has just been drowned out
of its hole. The burro has a tail
which looks as though it had l**n
gnawed half off by an industrious
terrier. The streets are quite narrow
in places, yet again they will be found
wide, well-built and sutistantial.
Most of the persons *-en on the streets
are Mexicans. They all wear the pro
verbial "sombrero," wide, flowing
trousers, and are frequently wrapped
up In a blanket, generally of some
bright color. A Mexican, when
nt tired in his street costume, looks
most like the heavy villain one s-es on
the stage almut the time blood is to lie
shed. The people all seem to le ex
cessively civil and peaceable—anxious
to please you do not stare at strangers,
but appear to have business of their
own to attend to, and go about it con
tent not to molest, if left undisturbed.
The Mexican National railroad has its
main offices at Laredo, on the Texas
side. The buildings are constructed of
brick, are large, substantial, and pre
sent a good appearance, I went to
sec "Blind Tom" the night 1 arrived
in Laredo. This musical wonder, who
has charmed and mystified thousands
all over the country for years, has
drifted way down into this edge of
civilization. He drew a good audi
ence. too, and we were greatly interest
ed, a*, seated in a large and well ven
tilated hall, located over the principal
saloon in the place, 1 gazed upon an
audience which was truly representa
tive of frontier life. 'There were a
few white ladies, generally the wives
Of Americans employed by the railroad
company; several Mexican women, in
their peculiar fancy headdress, a num-
Imr of small children and babies, almut
a dozen representatives of "Fncle
Sam" from the neighboring military
post, some In a half-dress uniform, and
others wearing simply ncivilian'!dress
and a soldier's air. There were Laredo
police—Mexican ami American—each
with a small silver star on his breast,
and a huge revolver on his hip in a
belt Colored people and Mexicans,
Americans and Germans, of all ages,
sizes and conditions, made up the
balance of the audience, which, albeit
that It was a curious looking mixture,
was a* the same time most orderly and
appreciative.
ARCTIC FIXPLOKATIOXM.
.lortlenaknld'i Htw I'rojnf,- A
Krnpti leal *ur%e> of <rccnlanil and a
Uurtt for Historical Hriutlm.
The hapless fate of explorers who
have striven to unravel the mysteries
of tiie I'olttr seas has not deterre ( j
others from essaying their task. Baron
Nordenskold, encouraged by bis past
success in navigating arctic waters,
proposes to start lor the north again.
This time his mission is not, as before,
to seek an open water way or look for
unknown lands. He is bound to
Greenland, the east coast of which he
is to survey from a ]>oiiit opposite the
southern part of Iceland or Cape Bis
marck. the most remote point on the
east side of the country.
The chief object of tiie expedition is
to search for traces of the colonies
which the people of Iceland established
in Greenland in the tenth century, and
which flourished exceedingly for a
time, so that there were many villag<
a capital city, and a bishop.
But the decline of piracy and of the
influence of which tin- Scandinavian
kingdoms had yielded in the affairs of
the north of Europe, which decreased
as pi ray l<eoamc discreditable, result
ed in the gradual neglect, not only of
Greenland, which had ls-en colonized
from Iceland, but of Iceland itself.
After contending with the difficulties
of the situation with the little help
Iceland could afford, Greenland was
abandoned, the population returned to
Iceland. It i* lslievisi that many
articles most valuable to archa-ology
and to history may have been left be
hind, su< h as manuscripts of ancient
sagas, weapons incriln-d with runic tn
si-riptiuns, swords with rings of victory
in the jKunrnels the sig-runr —so
famous in the history of the north and
many other objects which may be hoped
for. It is possible that some additional
light may be throw n upon the discovery
of Vim-land bv iijorn and Leif the
Bold, since the expeditions lor the dis
covery of continental America started
from Greenland as well as from Iceland,
and perhaps there may have been ex
peditions of which no record was pre
served in Iceland.
The hardiest etj.fi rer* have hereto
fore shrunk from this endeavor, as it
will be surrounded by hardships and
dangers that intimidate the boldest.
The possibilities have been carefully
considered by th<- baron and his staff,
and they are making preparations to
guard against all conjectural emergen
cies to preserve lift- and make the
journey successful. The party will be
provisioned tor two years, as it is
thought it will require nearly that
length of time to accomplish the pur -
poses of the expedition.
The enterprise is due to the liberality
of Mr. Oscar Dickson, a lumber mer
chant and sawmill owner of Gothen
burg Mr. Dickson is of Knglish ex
traction, but be was lmrn in the city
where he now resides. Ilis fortune,
independent of a large and very profit -
abb- business.is estimated at f 13/>oo,o<> >.
He gives employment to many
thousands. In early life he had no
opportunities to acquire an education,
but his library is replete with ltooks
that delight students in all th<-s< iences,
and he reads them attentively while
sitting at a window which overlooks
his deer park, a trad of land nearly
four miles square. He is the wealthiest
man in Gothenburg, ami hi* mansion
in towa and his country seat are won -
ders to the peasants. Hi* deed* of
charity and philanthropy endear him
to the people.
President Johnson** Romance.
A correspondent, writing from Wash
ington, rejKirts a long conversation
with l'arson Brown low's son regard
ing "Andy" Johnson, in which the
narrator recalled a romance associated
with the late president. It was John
son's first love affair. Mr. Brownlow
said:
"The President fell in love early
lie was only nineteen years old when
he married, but two years before this,
while he was a journeyman tailor in
South Carolina, he fell In love with the
daughter of a small planter. His love
was returned, but the girl's father,
who had a few acres of land ami a
couple of negroes, would not consent,
to his daughter marrying a tailor, and
the future President was rudely re
pulsed.
The great wall of China is 1200
miles long, twenty feet high, twenty
five feet thick at the base and fifteen
feet wide at the top. Towers are set
at Intervals of 100 feet, or rather were
set, for now the greater part of the
structure Is but a heap of inoldering
rubbish.
CLII'PIWM FOR TIIK (.THIOL'S.
Quick medicines have lx*-n taxed
in Knglnnd since 1789.
I 111 1< n s first steamboat Ixsgan run
ning between New York and Albany
i in I*o7.
I,ritil lK.'l. r the ]>anishmcnt f<;r sacri
lege in England was death. .At that
: date it was changed to transportation
i for life.
'J'he first Thanksgiving Day was in
| 1021, and was appointed hyGov. J'.rwL
ford, in gratitude for the se&M. "S
, harvest.
Mr John Lubbock is of the opinion
j that some of the very lowest animals
not only perceive colors hut have pref
erenci-s in regard to them.
Ihe first American bishop was Sarn
uel Seabury, who was consecrated
hi-hop of < onnc ticiit hy four nonjur
iug prelat'-s at Alxrrdeen in 17*4.
II Is reported in I/r. FooU't Hmtth
Monthly, tiiat freezing often merely
suspends animation in frogs, snail-.
Injects and even fish, and they limlx-r
up again and are "alive and kicking"
when thawed out.
A peach tree with blood red leaves
has been presented to the Corinth
Tenn., Nulj-So'ler and Ittnuyrat. It
is stated that the first tree of the this
variety grew < n the battlefield of Hak-r
( re< k, on the sjot saturated with the
1 <leel of General Tilghrnan.
Ihe forii of yielding uji a bride to
her l.ridegi m in con sequence of an
atta< k, was preserved in Ireland up to
the early j art of the last century, an 1
iri U ales it was customary for the
friends of the bride and groom to meet
on horseba k, the bride mounted behind
lier nearest kinsman, who fled with
her while a pretended quarrel went on
between the two j-arties, to be pursued
and captur. J when the ra<-e had i*--n
protra t<-l until both sides had had
enough of it.
How to Sleep.
The question of chief importance to
most jample in these overwrought,
wakeful days and nights is how to g>-t
gl sleep eri ugh. I>r. < ..ruing drops
a few simple hints which max l>e of
value. In the first j lace jx-oplc.should
have a regular time for going t > sleep,
and it sh' iild be a- s->n as can well ixj
aft r sunset. People who sleep at anv
time. a ording to convenient, get less
benefit from their sleej. than other
getting sleep becomes more difficult;
there is a tendency to nervous excita
bility and derangement; the repair of
the system d.-s not equal the waste
The more finely organized jeople ar P
the greater the difficulty and the dan
ger from this < a use. The first thing in
order to sleep well is to go to Ik-1 at a
regular hour, and make it as early as
possible. The next thing is to exclude
all worry and exciting subjects f
thought from the mind sometime before
retiring. The body and mind inust le
let down from the high-pressure strain
before g 'ing to lx*d. so that nature can
assert her rightful supremacy after
ward. Another point is, never tc
thwart the drowsy impulse when it
conies at the regular time by special
efforts to keep awake, for this drowsi
ness is the advance-guard of healthy,
restorative sleep. Heep is a lxxon
which must not l>e tampered with and
put off, for if compelled to wait, it i?
never so perfect and restful as if taken
in its own natural time and w ay. The
right side is the best side to sleep on.
except in special cases of disease, ani
the position should l>e ncar'y horizontal.
Finally, the evening meal should l>e
composed of food most easily digested
and assimilated, so that the stomach
will have very little hard work to do.
A heavy, rich dinner taken in the eve
ning is one of the things that murder
sleep. Late suppers with exciting
food# and stimulating drinks make
really restorative sleep next to impossi
ble. Narcotics are to be avoided, save
as used in cases of disease by com.
petent physicians. The proper time,
according to Dr. Corning, to treat
sleeplessness is in the daytime, and it
must lie treated by a wise and temper,
ate method of living rather than by
medicinca This is good common
sense. And doubtless a vast deal of
the debility, the nervous derangement
and the insanity of our time would be
prevented by more good, restful natur.
al sleep.— New York Star.
She Didn't Kind
"Did you hear any of Wagner's
operas?" asked a Huston critic of a
Cincinnati lady who had re
cently returned from a tour of
Europe.
"I heard them all,"she replied rather
languidly.
"1 suppose the first time you went
you were quite overeome by the grand
concatenation of sounds."
"Oh. 1 didn't mind It," was the re
sponse. "I've been married twenty
years, and my husband is s fearful
snorer."— Brooklyn Eagle.