The free citizen. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-10-09
Women MT Fairs.

| The agricultural fair is abroad again,
and the annual reports and premium
lists will soon fill the papers. There is
nothing much drier intrinsically than a
premium list to non-exhibitor, but
nevertheless it has its value in the social
history of the time. We have been
struck in particular by the character OF
the articles in which women are en-
! Outraged to compete, and We think those
articles are peculiarly significant of the
toll cNactcd from the sex and the cul.
thrc commended to them. Although
these fairs are called agricultural. we
arc glad to see that they are also largely
domestic and becoming more and more
| SO. In no case do We value the compe-
| tltlon and rivalry aroused SO much as
| the direction and attention of the mind
toward Improvement.
| here are always premiums on butter
aRd cheese and usually on bread, and
perhaps on pickles and preserves and a
few other staples of housewifely produc-
| tibn. This is very proper, and our only
suggestion is that the competition is not
Carried faEenough and with proper dis
elimination. We noticed, the other day,
Mpremium granted for "the best one
hundred dipped candles" when in this
age of cheap kerosene and dear tallow.
Clipped candles" must be a toilsomc
aild expensive luxury. We can not but
entertain a feeling of indignation also at
the encouragement of elaborate bed
quilts and other products of the needle
inwhich the amount 6, G,riiiahor involved
seems quite dispropurtionate to the use
alH beauty extracted. The American
fatm-wifc is generally a hard-worked
pc1son. and we believe that there are
mqse restful diversions than in Shaving
hcfelf to trifles Of this sort. We do
nj mean to frown on the adornment of
il&&fiiouse anaE tile e. person, per M but taste @
ttaches simplicity. The competition
should be turned into other channels
also. The clothing of the family, and
pa:ticulary of the children, how much
may be learned and saved from a judi
ciOus comparison in this direction? In
short every branch of woman's effort in
the exhibition community should be re-
presented, but with IA view to the en-
conragement of the useful, the tasteful,
the labor-saving, the healthful, rather
than the merely curious, the prodigi-
ously toilsomc, or the sccmly impossi-
bic.
y suggestive field of exhibition is
that of female accomplishments" in
which are usually awarded cone dollar"
or two dollars" for a few Indifferent
paintings in oil or crayonings This is
Il relic OF the New ngland female cul-
lure, which flourished most violently
about twenty years ago, and which IL
fortunately is not yet extinct. We shn-
have to acknowledge our gratitude all
the chromos for this, among OF to
things, that they have aided in the ex-
tinctiOn of the passion for "painting,
five dollars extra" which used to be a
conspicuous feature of girls education.
The chromos are better pictures than
the girls can paint, can be had for less
than the cost of material, and don't
waste any time. OF course there are
some excuses for it; it was woman's
crude effort to adorn the bare old farm
houses, and she toiled religiously mt it,
heaven bless her, unconscious that she
was daubing. 1t was no worse than
multiplying wicked tucks nd infinitum
on the sewing machine, and the great
sin is that while they are painting and
tucking they arc growing up empty
headed, and without the knowledge
which would sustain life when it pressed
hard.
There are other accomplishments not
SO cxhibitable but better worth while.
A familiarity with English literature
Will adorn the house more even than
chromos and tides, though these have
their places. We have been struck by
the good sense of Vermont grange
which has offered and just awarded
premiums for the best flower gardens
Il wise encouragement to n healthy out
door art. The first prize was awarded
to a lady who had raised ninety varic-
ties of geraniums and some very choice
flowers, this in one of the remote hill
towns. From horticulture the step is
easy to botany, and 50 to whole cI:lss
ofaccomplishmcnts which are really en-.
larging to the soul, recrcativc and tonic
to- the whole being. OF course it almost
goes without saying that fairs, as con
Germs women, should be in the hands OF
women.-Sp Springfield Republican.