Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-07-31

piece of stiff parchment is stretched, hav-
ing number of holes forming the pat
tern. Through these holes pins are stuck,
and threads wound upon bobbins are wo-
ven around the pins and twisted in COM
plete ways around each other. These
threads now form the skeleton. The
meshes are bound together. At every two
or three turns of the thread it is twisted
around its own cord, and then again
around its neighbours cord The figure of
the meshes depends upon the number of
turns made before the twisy is changed
from one cord to another. 1t is a most
tedious process. Attention cannot be di-
verted. Thought must be upon the work.
Memory is severely taxed. The mistake
of a single twist becomes fatal to the
whole piece.
There are certain peculiar conditions
necessary to the production of perfect
lace. These are, first, the quality Of the
thread second, the abundance of female
labor; and third, the Roman Catholic re-
ligion. Belgium, better than all other
European countries, possesses the three.
Her thread has not, and never had rival ;
her peasant girls, red-cheeked pictures of
perfect health, are proverbially industri-
Gus; and her upper and lower classes are
Catholic devotees. In the vestries of the
old churches Of Flemish land there is a
wealth OF lace upon sacerdotal vestments
that is beyond estimate 1t has been col
Letting ever since Isabela's days, was
wrought as labor of love by nuns and
other holy ladies, and appears upon the
gorgeous apparel of ecclesiastical digni-
tarles on great days of the Church. But
IN all the world there is no such collec-
ton of every description of lace as at the
Vatican. From France and England,
from Spain, Portugal, Austria, and Italy,
point d'Espagne and point Alencon, Val
enciennes and Honiton, Brussels, Genoese,
Argcntan, and one knows not what, have
been coming as gifts to the Church these
800 years. There are twelve large rooms
used exclusively as wardrobes for laces in
the Papal Palace
Though a great deal of old lace has
come down in families and in ecclesiasti-
cal establishments, and though lace, as an
heirloom, is guarded as watchfully as dia-
monds, no doubt much has been lost. 1t
has been the fashion at times, in different
parts of the world, to bury the dead of dis
tinguished families in their lace This
was particularly the case at Corfu To
this day there are to be found in shops
these specimens of antique lace of elegant
workmanship, conspicuous for darkness
OF color and sepulchral smell
Honiton lace, made only i'll Dcvonshire,
England, has never been "a fayoritc in the
United States. Two handkerchiefs, con
trbuted by an American gentleman visit
ing in London, to the New York Sanitary
Fair in 1868, could scarcely be disposed
OF at cost. About the middle of the last
century this lace was made in such per
| lection that it rivaled Brussels But the
lace makers introduced set of hideous
| patterns "out of their own heads" they
| said, patterns of boars' heads and peacock
| tails; of kettles and frying pans; OF
| churches and castles. Leaves and flowers,
| graceful compositions of the old school
were abandoned, and the end was an utter
| depression of the trade. To revive the
| best days of Honiton again, Queen Victo
ria ordered her wedding lace, composed
of sprigs, to be made in Devonshire, an(
| paid for it 81 900. The bridal dress OF
each of her married daughters has beer
| made also OF Honiton point, the patterns
| being the national flowers This encour
! agelnent, together with the new business
of restoring old lace, has once again Sc
| DevOnshire industry on its legs.
OF the value of old laCes it is impOssi
| bic to speak with accuracy. The bed fur
niture, made of point d'Alencon for the
Empress Marie Louise, cost Napoleon
| 100000 francs. The flounce which Eu
| genie wore at her wedding, which had
taken thirty-siX women eighteen month.
to complete, cost $4,000 francs. The En-
! peror gave her dress also, for which he
| paid 10000 francs. In the Exhibition OF
| 1867 was a dress of this lace, which it had
| taken forty women seven years to com
pletc, and which was valued at $4,000
francs. There is a Brussels lace stole
worn only by the Archbishop in the Ma
| lines Cathedral that is said to be the
largest and finest specimen in the world
1t cost the labor of seventy-three nuns
fourteen years. "What may be the worth
of that stole?" asked lady who had been
| admiring its marvellous beauty. In
money, madame, do you mean?" asked {
the verger, in reply. yes, monsieur
| The Church, madame" said the verger
''rcckons the value of the gifts it receives
| by love, and not money."-N. s. D0dge, n
! Hearth and Home.