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Show 58 NATIONAL WAGON ROAD GUIDE. bloomer costume in full, made as perfect a dis pia y of its utility, under a pressing e1nergency, as was perhaps ever witnessed. Upon the plains, it is usually "every man for himself," to a very great extent, and the same of companies or families, every family for itself; and so it was in this instance. The husband mannging the oxen and holding on to the yoke, whilst Mrs. Bloomer, with three young bloomeretts, had hold of the rope behind, the mother nearest to the wagon. Cattle and all were doing their best, but the hill was very steep, v.r hen a sudden jerk upon the rope, caused bloomerett•. e No. I, at the upper end to slip, and sliding, took the heels of No. 2, from under her, and so of No. 3, and then came the old lady's turn, for they were_ all in a pile upon her heels. But by this time, the smaller ones had all become so imbedded in the deep dust-drift, before and around then1, as to check their further progress; but not so with the old lady, for though down, she still clung to the rope, when another sudden j erk, sent her between the wheels, "vhere she plowed a deep, double furrow the "r hole length of the wagon, and brought up with her feet against the forward axle. By this time the little bloomers had all crawled out from the dust heap, and probably for thf3 first , time since the creation, were here seen, three children laughing as if their sides would burst, at seeing their n1other laid in the dust. After a loud '" whoa"! had brought the cattle and 'vagon to a stand-s~ill, and the dust had in a measure NATIONAL WAGON ROAD GUIDE. 59 ~..,---- :BLOOMER COSTUME PUT TO A SEVERE TEST. subsided, the lady emerged from under the wagon, and opening her eyes-the only two clean spots about her face-and seeing more than a score of men, women and children, enjoying a hearty laugh at her e~pense, at length exclaimed, " Well, laugh if you're a mme to, who cares ? I know one thing, if it had1nt been for the full dress bloomer, I might have been badly hurt 1" To wh1. ch her anxi.o us husb ancl respond ed , . " Now Sally Anne, ain(you hurt? and if you are, where ~" SINI{· OF THE I-IUMBOLDT. .To one who has never made the passage of the plains, |