CLIPPINGS.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1376, 28 April 1881, Page 3

CLIPPINGS.

A Curious Ameeioax Town.— One day — I hhall never forget it — I had taken a trail that was new to me. After a while the woods began to open, the sea to sound nearer hand. I came upon a road, and, to my surpiise, a stile. A step or two further, and without leaving the woods, I found myself among trim houses. I walked through street after street, parallel and at right angles, paved with sward ' and dotted with trees, but still undeniable streets, and each with itsnams posted at the corner as in a real town. Pacing down the main thoroughfare— " Central Avenue." as 'it was ticketed— l saw an open air temple, with benches and sound-ing-board, as though for an •orchestra. The houses were all tightly shuttered ; there was no smoke, no sound but of tho waves, no moving thing. 1 have never been in any place that seemed so dream* like. Pompeii is all in a bustle -with visitors, and its antiquity and strangeness deceive the imagination ; but this town had plainly not been builfc above a year or two, and perhaps had been deserted overnight. Indeed, it was not so much like* a de&erted town as like a Bcenc upon the stage by daylight and with no one on the boaids. The barking of a dog led me at last to tho only house still occupied, where a Scotch pastor and his wife pass the winter alone in this empty theatre. The place was "The Pacific Camp .Grounds, the Christian Seaside Resort." Thither, in , the warm season, crowds come to enjoy a life of tectotalism, religion, and flirtation, which I am willing „0 think blameless and agreeable. — if. L, Stei'ctiwii, in Fntwr's Magazine.

Yankee modes of Advertising. — At the recent ball of the Seventh Regiment, an ofleuoe against good taste was an advertising" girl, who had been sent to the ball by a Broadway confectioner. There has been of late hot competition between the candy merchants. They put their workmen in the Bhow windows, use every means of attracting attention. Beautiful salesgirls have been a device, and several remarkable types of American loveliness are on , exhibition in the stores. They are ostensibly employed to sell candy, but really are set up to be admired! They are virtuous girls,' for all I know, and, as a rule, they rrepel, any male advances. Indeed, they are not displayed with a view to .attraot men, but to. please ' women, Most women are ardent' admi- / rers of beauty in their, own sex, in spite of jealously ; and a candy store with lovely clerks is sure to be thronged by them. •Well, one establishment has secured a surpassingly gorgeous brunette, with sparkling feyes, and lips sweeter than the poisoned sugar she sells. , She is the talk of the shoppers. In order 'to gain for her a wider notoriety, her employer sent her to the ball. He had dressed her at an expense' of $500 for her costume, and an un- f conjecturable' amoun^ of diamonds These brilliants, consisting 'oi' i a,,':aeaklace , $nd ' earripgs^ ' ,were , unquestionably, genuine) and their worth' was fuliys2s,ooo. It was said that he had hired them for the, night of a dealer. The 'dress however, was new, and fitted her too perfectly, not to f havfe'beeri made expressly for her. It; was^ of. white ,br.ooatelle T and .white satin,prinoes^&Tmpejl.,,, Tjhe' front' of itwa^of gathered is'alm,'. ' covered, f with, wjbjte, Hoe, , arid wliita. bearded , embrodiery", ' and thq trkin was OTo'eafeile'trimuiea with plaited' ( flounce JBi!'kHJ 8i!'kHd Mged .with coral satin balay•enser. Thetforsage.was Ott^ outsquare^ awl .ithe-'sle^velfc&mefcJ^heelbqw^ 'Ttteiiec>''lace 1 lay, slio wily ; oa l hhi r da'rk, 'rich'fleiih, a^dfherirkv^,fiatt Iwfes1 wfes ! brg^hod^ell-biMc .from her ears^io-th^ttHd'l'UstMMg pin-*' aanfce aijst {*s% tfi| Jhbia^lief., Sh^

was the centre^, of, glance,* wherqver^riie went, and, 1 whenever anybody 'asked who she was, somehody was sure tp repognise -her as Blank and Blank's clerk. She will be discussed in society f Qr a Tfeek, and no doubt the ' advti'rtismfent will pay its cost. To guard against the xisk of , posing, the diamonds^ ' three private detectives, in immaculate evening dress, were constituted the girls body-guard.,