Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-10-17
written f,r tie Free Press and Tines
he Vermont Farmers In their Homes.

NEW SERIES, so. III.
Hoaca's Dress TRIMMINGS rs. Lcisure.-
Occupation fer me FdrmdrS' Daughters.
Women supported ia idlenoss' Trust
them fur that, Released an ordinary woman
from overwhelmiu. household dutie-, put
few hour, Of time at her absolute command,
and what visions Of sariag Fit through her
brain not only her own dresses, bat double
the number OF tuoks. frills, nounceS and
f1rbelows or tie children; not only the
masculine uudcrsarments, but the more
protentious vests. pantaloons and coats
nothing seems impossible to her with
sewing machine and a little prospective
leisure. Leisure ,''-tLat word for the
average woman means only time to sew.
| once thought it must be Vermont
farmers wife who wrote to Mr.. Beecher,
asking him if be supposed it would certain
" be wicked for her to knit Of Sunday
evening while listening to sermon read
aloud. but since have learned about other
women believe 1t might beanybody vile.
Be thatas it may, and let the world do as
it plcases. would think twice before con-
senting to give every hour Of the twenty
four that could possibly save from the
house work, from company, from rest and
sleep. to the mending and making and
trimming of things to wear. | would ask
myself and Others the question that Yankees
find , pertinent to every subject, Does it
pay" all this sewing By unprofessional
hanl>2
We could Mt have it done unless we did
it ourselves am again and a gain assured.
Well. lam not certain that would be such
dreadful misfortune after all. Once upon
a time | spent summer in neIghboring
city where Saturday was market day, and
all the country people for miles around
used to come in upon that day to dispose Of
their produce, do their shopping, exchange
greetings with one another, and have
general good time. Nice, bright people
they were, many Of them, and those whom
you would like to become acquainted with
and to visit in their homes but then you
must have known great deal about that
sort Of people, OF e able 10 give wings to
the Imagination in order to believe it, they
were dressed in such queer ways and
altogether looked 50 outlandish and odd.
Green dresses, red dresses, yellow dresses
and blue dresses. or green and red and
yellow and blue, all in one dress, and
with as many ruiiles, and plaits, and frii!s.
and bands as You could find in the worst
fashion book, put together in a way that
de'.es attempts at description.
&c Do not tell me, - said thoughtful lady,
upon one occasion, - Of the hard work of these
farming women, when they have time to
make up srcl desperate rigs for themselves.
Why, / suppose a girl would think herself
forever disgIaced if she came to town with
oat an oyer-skirt, and yet-look at them
| did look at thcm- a buff calico skirt
with plated hounce drabbled with mud.
a black oyerskirt with three rufiles gather
ed livery fall all around it, the whole caught
up in bitches here and there, cape OF
diferen, shade of black, elaborately braided
with something of a light yellow color.
Following close upon it a brown skirt with
eight rufles running at right angles with
another set, which went up and down the
front: an upper skirt Of some plaid stuff,
trimmed with black in a fantastic way, and
an Undesirable jacket Of gray, also trim
med-everything tortured TO agony with
trimming, and made up mostly Of cheap ma
trial and thread. and woman's health and
womau'S brains. 1t was really pathetic to
single out young woman any where and
notice the amount of stitches put INFO her
suit" and think Of the weary hours it
had cost her, and then see 1t look SO after
al, that it could not by an possible stretch
of fancy be considered pretty, stylish, or
anything les than ridiculous. Now !
do not mean to say that there l. not
lust. such ridiculous dressing in town, or
that there are not many country people who
dress in good taste. bat ! do mean to say
that on the whole, people who live away
from the emporiums of fashion, and who
cannot afford (lrom having something else
tc do, or from having too much sense), to
give tie main part Of their time and attcn-
ton to the art OF dressing, make a failure
of it; anu when they begin to trim and
fuss and make fancy suits, they do not IN
any degree accomplish the desired object.
Asa rule the simple calico or alpaca,
ma lie up in the most unpretend;ng manner,
looks better.
But what would you have Us do; wear
dresses like our grandmothers, and never try
to have anything pretty or in style?
Oh : no indeed. would have you wear
the prettiest dresses ia the world, if
they did rot cost too much-too much
time and health and brains, mean
las for money, it is the cheapest thing
on earth and We are careful enough
of it, Heaven knows), but TO use all
this time and thought and care TO no
purpose, tell you, girls, it, too bad Not
one in fifty Of you Is born dress-maker,
nor have you spent any time learning the
trade, and yet you Iwork at it as if life and
all its good things depended upon it. Take
my advice, put your dresses out at the
dressmakers and do something else that you
have a taste and fancy for, and some skill
at.
But what shall it be? We don't want to
90 away from home, and We will not be a
burden here. Money comes in slowly and
goes out rapidly.
Yes, know. Yankee girls, farmers
daughters, have a horror of begging or
stealing, and, according 10 some of our
trusted thinker, there is but one other way
Of getting living. | admire your indie
pendent and honorable spirit Trust me.
shall recommend neither Of the former to
you There are many things that girls
may do on the farm that are profitable, be-
sides the sewing pleasant and healthful too.
There l. the garden. to begin with: Won
know that half its possibilities are not de-
yeloped. Talk about the fresh vegetables
and fruits of the country why.you' III often
find in a city garden OF half a dozen rods
squa re more delicious things for the table
than in a country garden Of a whole acre
The wholesale farmer, il | NAV use the
expression, grucgeS the time he puts
on such a little spot Of ground
and if the girls had not imbibed the
notion that all outdoor work was mems
work, and if they were not tied TO the
sewing basket, what field they would find
here for the exercise Of their varied talents
Let Us think about it moment. Your
iathe looks out for the cabbsges, and corn.