<PAGE>                                                      EXHIBIT 10(a)
                     AMENDMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
                         WITH G. WILLIAM SEAWRIGHT
                                     
                                     
      Agreement made as of April 21, 1997 by Stanhome Inc. (the "Company"),
a Massachusetts corporation with its principal place of business at 333
Western Avenue, Westfield, Massachusetts 01085 ("Stanhome") and G. William
Seawright of 22 Gale Road, Bloomfield, CT 06002-1508 ("Seawright").

      WHEREAS, the Company and Seawright have previously entered into an
Employment Agreement dated November 9, 1993 (the "Agreement"); and

      WHEREAS, the Company and Seawright now wish to amend the Employment
Agreement in certain respects;

      NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements hereinafter contained, the parties do hereby amend the Agreement
as follows:

1.    Paragraph 1 of the Agreement is amended to change the second sentence
      thereof and to replace with the following:

      "Unless sooner terminated as hereinafter provided, the initial term
      of this employment shall be five (5) years, with an automatic
      extension of (i) one (1) year upon the end of the third year of the
      initial term and (ii) of one day at the end of each day thereafter
      while Seawright remains employed by the Company (so that the
      remaining term as of the end of the third year of the initial term
      and at the end of every day thereafter shall be three years).

2.    Paragraph 2 of the Agreement is amended to delete in its entirety the
      last sentence thereof, which reads: "Although it is contemplated  that
      Seawright will undertake some travel as part of performing the
      foregoing duties, Seawright's principal place of employment shall be
      in the Westfield, Massachusetts area."

3.    Subparagraph 4(e) of the Agreement is amended to add a new
      penultimate sentence to read:

      "In the event that (i) the Board of Directors should decide to change
      Seawright's principal place of employment, presently at 333 Western
      Avenue, Westfield, Massachusetts, to a location that is (a) further
      than fifty miles from Westfield, Massachusetts and (b) further in
      distance from Seawright's principal residence than the distance from
      such residence to the Company's current offices in Westfield,
      Massachusetts, and (ii) Seawright notifies the Board in writing that   
      he does not consent to such relocation within 30 days from receiving
      written notice from the Board of such relocation, then such action
      shall be construed to be a termination by the Company other than for
      cause or total disability under Subparagraph 4(e) of the Agreement
      effective as of the date of his notice."

4.    Subparagraph 3(g) of the Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment
effective as of the date first written above.

                                          STANHOME INC.

                                          By:/s/Anne Lee Verville


                                             /s/G. William Seawright
                                             G. William Seawright