Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-03-04

| have always taken pride and pleasure
in my patchwork quilts, and think Of buy.
ing some Of the pretty, delicate prints, 50
plenty now, and so cheap, and setting about
a quilt at once, although have seven on
hand now.
When was a little girl carried patch
work to school, and learned to sew there,
which was the custom in those days. |
have the work now, and it is a valued keep
sake for it contains pieces Of the dresses
of all my schcol.niates, my relatives, and
my teachers too. What a row Of bright
eyes were ranged before the lady teacher
as she unrolled lot Of pieces Of prints,
cambrics, etc, all left Of her own dresses,
to be given to thelitte girls for patchwork.
The teacher long since passed through the
gate Of the unseen world, and many Of the
littls girls are with her, and few are
scattered far and wide; but bere are the
pieces of dresses, bright as new.
Some little folks now might laugh at the
tips!-lookiug stitches-my very frst--but
they are very dear to me- Prints were
considered plenty good enough to wear
to church in those days, and cost from
tweIty to forty cents per yard When
| appeared in fine glazed pink gingham,
my school-mates said | was awfully stuck
up and rather think | was.
L the mothers of to-day would only set
the title girls to sewing patchwork, instead
Of the everlasting piano practice, the fu-
tur, generation would rise and bless them,
As is, the coming woman will be more
useless than the ones already here--weak
nerTes, pale faces, and no back bones at all
Dc believe that sitting so many hours at
the piano. with the back unsupported aud
arms held out from the body, has caused
moie weak backs, and female weaknesses
in general, than all the heavy skirts and
tight lacing together.
was recently told of woman who is
ambitious to have her little daughter, but
five years old, do fancy work for fairs
She has mad. tides, bead cushions, embroid.
cred slippers, etc. That call worse than
the piano practice | once knew two little
sisters of nine and eleven years, .ye9 QCep
snces. They were also quite proficient in
Latin and French. At twenty years of
age, the eldest was 10 an insane asylum, and
the other in a consumption.
Sewing machines have not proved the
blessing they ought, for fashion has decreed
so much stitching and trimming, for sim
gle garment, that women do not have the
coveted leisure yet.
Every woman should be able to do her
own sewing, and in nice and workmanlike
manner and here let me say that women
have not yet outdone men in this one pecu.
liarly feminine ocomplishment, for a skilled
tailor will do nicer work with the needle
than any woman ever saw, to say the least.
Women do seem to lack thoroughness in
many things, and for this reason alone |
would set girl to learn plain sewing, thor
oughly, at an early age and would con.
slider every art or accomplishment thor
oughy learned, as great gain, Show me
a piece of even and pains-taking sewing,
done on an ordinary garment, and | will
warrant you the one who did it is thor.
ough and skilled house-keeper or will be-
pity the woman who cannot take basket
of garments for herself or family, newly
cut out, and her shining needles, and nice
clean spools Of cotton, her tbimble, and
sewing cushion, and low easy chair, ant
spend day by herself, in perfect conten
} and happiness.