584 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



the ■week in order of selection for marriaijc, seven- 

 teen per cent, occurring on that day ; but in Scot- 

 land, no true Scot will marry on a Satur<lay, 

 nor, indeed, begin any work of imiwrtance. With 

 the Scot, Saturday is an unlucky day for marriage, 

 and he is impressed with the superstitious Ijclicf 

 that, if he married on a Saturday, one of the par- 

 ties would die before the year expires, or that, if 

 both survive I, the marriage would prove unfruit- 

 ful. Hence it happens that Sunday or Satui'day, 

 the two favorite days fom marriage in England, 

 are blank days for marriage in Scotland. Friday 

 is the day on which the English do not marry, 

 bui in Scotland, it is one of the favorite days for 

 marriage. 



the beginning of next month the winter styles will 

 be ready for the inspection and >election of the 

 ladies, and Broadway will again witness the ex- 

 citement of opening day. The liikle goddess that 

 rules modistes and their customers is already pre- 

 paring strange surprises for her subjects in Gotham. 

 — New York Herald. 



THE FASHIONS. 



The races at Jerome Park and the summer-like 

 weather of the past week brought out the belies of 

 the metropolis in the brightest and gavcst of fall 

 toilettes. It is an agreeal)le feature of the inde- 

 pendence and good taste of American ladies to sec 

 that our mof/tA^es are obliged to modify and har- 

 monize the extreme peculiari ies of the fashions 

 dictated in Paris. The prevailing col r in dresses 

 and bonnets among the f\iir patronesses of Ji romc 

 Paik was blue, and interminable trails mingled 

 with the coqucttisli short dresses that came into 

 vogue last spring. The becoming little Fanchon 

 still graces fashional)le heads ancl nostlcs beside 

 preposterous diignons. Ornaments of gold are 

 much used, but do not necessarily portend a re- 

 turn to specie payments on the part of the wearers' 

 liusbands. Satin and velvet trimmmgs are seen 

 on nuiny of the crape and tulle hats, and thi re are 

 already indications of a return to crowns and cur- 

 tains in the matter of bonnets. Lace strings are 

 extresnely fashionable, and streamers of a narrow 

 rilibon wave in the wake of every belle. There is 

 little novelty in cloaks to be seen out doors yit, as 

 the Indian summer still encourages hand-ome 

 short suits, with elaborately ornamented overskirt 

 and bodi 's of every possible pattern. Jet and lace 

 will be ihe principal materials in trimmings tliis 

 season. On evening dre>ses bands and bows of 

 velvet form strange geometrical ligurcs. There is 

 a rumor that ribbons of immense width will be 

 worn this season, not oid} as sathcs, but al.-o in 

 tlie'hair, on dresses, and tied around the itpper 

 part of I he sleeve. Tlic Bismarck brown is still 

 prcfVrred in ti ileties, but it cainiot hold sway very 

 long, for a m(.rc unbecoming color never i Uianated 

 from the sanctum ot Madame Fathion. About 



The Spinet. — Any lady who will take the 

 ti'otililc to mount to the fourth story of the Messrs. 

 Cliickcring s piano store in the city of New York, 

 may sec stich a spinet as Mrs. Washington, Mrs. 

 Adams and Mrs. Hamilton played upon when they 

 were little girls. It is a smallharp-shaied instru- 

 ment on legs, exceedingly coarse and clum-y in its 

 construction, — the case rough and unpolished, the 

 legs like those of a kitchen table, with wooden 

 castors such as were formerly used in the construc- 

 tion of cheap bedsteads of the "tritndle" variety. 

 The keys, however, arc much like tho>e now in 

 use, tliouuh they are I'ewcr in iiiiml)cr, and the 

 ivory is yellow with age. If the reader would know 

 the tone of this ancient instrument, he has hut to 

 stretch a l)rass wire across a box between two nails, 

 and twang it with a short pointed piece of quill. 

 And if the reader would know how mticli better 

 1867 is than the year 1700, he mav ti^^t hear this 

 spinet played upon in Mes.-rs. Cuiikcrinu's dusty 

 garret, and then descend to onef)f the floors below 

 and listen to the round, fall, i^rilli int singing of a 

 Chickering grand, of the present illustri lus year. 

 By as much as that grand piano is better than 

 that poor little spinet, by so niuili is the p -e-ent 

 time, is better than the clays when Louis XIV. was 

 king. If any intelligent person d )ul»rs it, i; is either 

 bcKiiisc he does not know that age, or because he 

 docs not know this age. — Parcon. 



Female Logic. — As a young woman was walk- 

 ing alone one evening, a man looked at lier, and 

 followed her. The young woman said, "Whvdo 

 you follow me ?" lie answered, "Lie au.-e I have 

 fallen in love with you." The v\oiiian said, "Why 

 are you in love with me ? My sister is iiiiicn hand- 

 somer ; she is coming after mc ; go a d make love 

 to her." Tlie man turned ba k and saw a woman 

 with an ugly face; being greatly disple ised he 

 turned to the first woman and said, "\Vii.\ did you 

 tell mc a f.d-ehood ?" The w.unin answered, 

 "Meithcr did you speak the truth, t r if yo i were 

 really in love with me, why did you Ic.ivo me to 

 look ui)un my sister ?" 





