Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-12-13

at the present day, purchase worsted or
wooden goods under the denomination of
Ctshmeres, are or ought to be aware that
such goods are cashmerian only in name. A
real Cashmere shawl, made by the inhabitants
of that Indian valley from the wool of
peculiar variety of goat reared on the plains
of Thibet is a most costly article, eagerly
sought after by the rajahs and sultans of the
east. but finding its way to Europe very
rarely indeed To make pair of large and
handsome Cashmere shawls requires the labor
of IL or IA men for half year, The late
Runjeet Singh, the chief of Lahore, gave
5000 rupees for a pair of these wooden shawls,
the patterns of which represented his vic
tories
p The Boston Evening Transcript quoted
what late writer says on the passion for
shawls which women have, everywhere, in a
remarkable degree. 1t may amuse our fair
readers as well as those of the Transcript.
In one country, the shawl may flow from
the head like a veil: in another, it hangs from
the shoulders; in another, it is knotted ronnd
the loins like a sash; in yet another, it is
swatbed round the body like a skirt
Wherever worn at all. it is the pet article of
dress. From time remote beyond computa-
ton. the sheep of Cashmere have been cher
ished on their hills. and the goats Of Thibet
on their plains, and the camels of Tartary on
thti steppes, to furnish materials for the
choicest shawls. From time immemorial, the
patterns which we know so Will have been
handed down as half sacred tradition
through HindOo ancestry, which puts even
Welsh pedigrees to shame. For thousands of
years have the bright dyes, which are the
despair OF our science and art. been glittering
in Indian looms, in those primitive pits under
the palm tree where the whimsical patterns
grow. like the wild flower springing from
the soil. For thousands Of years have Eastern
pOtentates made presents of shawls to distin-
guished strangers, together with diamonds
and pearls.
At the Russian Court, ladies Judge one an
other by their shawls az by their diamond
In France, the bridegroom wins favor by a
jndicious gift of this kind. In Cairo and
Damascus, tie gift Of a shawl will cause al
most as mnch heart burning in the harem as
the introduction Of new WIFE In England
the daughter Of the house spends the whole of
her first quarters allowance in the purchase
of a shawl The Paris grisrtte and the
London dress-maker go to their work with
the little shawl pinned neatly at the waist
The lost gin drinker covers her rags with the
remnant of the shawl of better days. Tie
peasants daughter buys white cotton
shawl, with a gay bordar, for her wedding;
and it washes and dyes until having wrapped
II her babies in turn. it is finally dyed black
to signaize her widowhOod. The maiden
aunt, growing elderly, takes to wearing a
shawl in the house in midwintcr; and the
aged grandmother would no more think Of
going without it at any season than without
htr cap.
We have written mostly about the Cash
mere shawl and its near or far off imitatorS,
in this article. But there is large family
Of shawls besides-the rich grapes from
China; the plads, and Pasleys, and mards.
from Scotland; the Bay State Mills, from
Massachusetts,, and others of which the
ladies know more about than we can tell
them.