The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-09-30
Modern Point Lace.

On a certain day VIC visited Belgian
gentleman nnd his wife, in whose posses.
sion were two Of the most remarkable
pieces of modern point lace needle point
that | have ever seen. The first was
three.cornored point or shawl, and was
made of creamy white diamond. shaped
silkon pieces joined together for ground,
upon which glowcd the forms, colors, and
shades Of from fifty to one hundred field
a1Ters and exotics, delicate wistasis, blue.
eyed lorgct-me nots, gorgeous dahlias and
and roses aud many floral gem Of name
unknown save to the practical botanist or
florist The web was as delicate as il
woven Of the SPIDERS most attenuated
thread, and as strong aud elastic as horse.
hair. 1t was, in fact, needle point in
both white and colored silk. The whole
piece was so Glmy fine it could be drawn
through Madame Esther's wedding.ring.
| burst into rapture Of delight when
NJ. Eugene held it up between us and the
light II have found it % | exclaimed,
Il have found it. This is the magic web
with colors gay, woven by the fairy Lady
Of Sh0lott | always suspected that won.
drous web to be lace, and now | am sure
Of it, Softly" said Madame Esther
smiling. II think this is modern joiut
he BrHgcllcs, and none but the deft fin
gers Of Belgisn girls could have perfect
cd these flowers The Lady Of Shalot,
was 10 doubt lace artist, and her wei
was doubtless colored basement M fts
can, but it was not equal to this. Beau
titul, beautiful, indeed 1t Is tho rarest
piece OF work OF the kind | have evel
seen, aud in my day have handled the
laces Of imperial and royal wardrobes
Here are flowers oi hundred tints and
forms and growing into beauty and ar
ranged and grouped by an artists hand
NJ Eugone, Tho hand Of D'IIuyghent
himself - gazing fondly at The marvel
ous n,ation, as he held it up in such q
maauor as to show to tho greatest advan
tagc the glowing hues that were impris.
onod in its delicate mesh. "D'Huygheni
designed the pattern, and then paintet
each fower, petal leaf and tendril separ
olcly for the parchment lace workers, ,anC
tho fingers Of no less than eighty expert
in needle point wero employed a whole
year in executing this wonderful triangle.
This chef 8'ourre Gt fcg an empress or
qleen O. American society, would hay,
found its place among the treasures oi
some crowned head Of Europe, along viii
the lace dress Of as marvellous beaut,
that WAS brought with it to this country
/ il IL lad not been for the late Franco
Prussian war. In fact, both pieces wer,
made with the expectation of finding
purchaser FOR them in the empress Eugc
ME. Bat the revolution in Europeal
affairs which banished Napoleon Ill an,
Eugenio from France seriously sflecte,
the lace industries of Belgium as well a
those Of France, and the lace artists 0
N, Eugone's manuiactory are to-day en-
gagged in selling oranges in the streets 0
Brussels or arc starving, and his heauti
ful lacrs are in the hands Of the Nev
York custom house officials Such piece
of work as the bankrupt lace msnuiac
turor brought over are not at present i
demand in Europe Political affair
there are too unsettled, the situation to
uncertain, for even queens and empires:
es to order $4,000 dresses or $500
.hawls.-H Harper's Maga.iue,