The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-01-28
NEEDLE AND THREAD.

thought because she has been steadily
plying the needle. The family ex-
chequer was getting low, and Tom con-
sidered it ''too enormous to pay fifteen
dollars for nothing but getting two
dresses made" had never learned the
dress-making trade, and many a time I
exclaimed with the wise man, "All is
vanity and vexatiOn of spirit" but al
ways added, especially vexation of
spirit, !" for counted the vanity as moth
ing. Two whole days were spent in
looking over bazars, delineators, and
fashion-plates. Then came the cutting
and fitting, the basting, binding, press
ing, plating, hemming, and shirring,
till my "fingers were weary and worn,
and eyelids heavy and red," and be-
gan to wonder why,if it were such an
my clothes, that Tom didn't economize
by making his; and why I, being al
ready baker, laundress, and half-dozen
other things, must add dress making to
my numerous occupations, while Tom
is carpenter, and only a carpenter, and
doesn't know enough about tailoring to
sew on button. Tom says, and be be-
ing a man knows whereof he speaks,
and Tom says, with a good machine he
could do the sewing for large family
and never miss the time. What is a
machine for, he'd like to know? 1 tell
him that running the machine is not all
of the work, and ask him if he could
build house by running a saw-mill,
and also inquire why, if he can do the
sewing without missing the time, he
doesn't convert himself into a house
hold angel by doing it?
TO be expert with the needle, I con-
slider essential to comfort and tidiness,
and it puzzles me to understand why it
is beneath masculine dignity to know
how to sew on buttons and mend small
rents, without always having to tres
pass upon some wOman's time, as
though woman didn't have enough of
such things to do for herself. Why
shouldn't Tom spend part of his even
ings darning socks and let me read the
papers part of the time? Some such
suggestions aud inquiries as these l
made to Tom himself, but he stared at
me in such amazement, and thundered
out in such awful tones, "TVhat are you
tOrS 1t seems to me that woman's
rights has got mighty good grip on
you" that Immediately relapsed into
silence, though 1 continued for some
time in rather perturbed state of mind.
Finally, however, began to think of
all that had been done by needles since
needles were first invented. thought
of how much modern civilization is due
to their use, and wondered if we wouldn't
relapse into barbarism if they should
cease to be piled. 1 thought of all the
useful as well as useless things made
with the needle, and remembered how
old women, with wonderful patience
and skill, registered events and wrought
pictures and patterns of marvellous
beauty, not with pencil and brush, but
with nothing but needle and thread.
Then began to think that dress max
ing is an art akin to making pictures.
An ill-fitting and unbecoming dress
renders a worthy person unsightly and
otfends the eye and shocks the taste of
every beholder, while becoming dress
renders an attractive person still mere
irresistible. The desire to dress the fig
ure we'll is often termed vanity; but
when this desire does not lead to ex-
travagance, it is far more cOmmendable
than sinful. 1t is laudable to ornament
our homes with beautiful pictures, car
pets, frescoes and flowers; but as the in
mates are of more Importance than the
dwelling, it cannot be amiss to devote
just enough attention to their personal
appearance to make the dress an added
charm. The folles of fashion are to be
condemned; but that spirit that leads
many to array themselves with a stud
led neglect of all that makes dress a
pleasing feature of the person, should be
as harshIy reprehended. More than one
religion is founded upon the mere mat
ter of dress alone, and there is a sort of
superstition that everybody clings to,
that very plain, seedy garments are in
dicative of great piety, as though He
who created a world of beauty would
consider the one more pure of heart who
studies to be unsightly than the one who
studies to be attractive.
Long since the conclusion was reached
that great deal of this cant about van
ity is the direct result of certain in
herent principle of stinginess in mans
nature, for there is an unaccountable ST.
lence on the vanity of men, and the
whole burden of the woful sin is heaped
upon the shoulders of the "weaker ves-
sell" AS for example, when a minis
ter's wife dresses in good taste, no mat
ter how inexpensively, all his congrega-
tion are ready to cry out, "What a
dreadful example for the minister's wife
to set p' when the dear souls can't help
seeing that the minister himself is far
better dressed than the majority of his
charge, and that the clergy all over the
land dress like princes, and the pinch
Ing and saving is done by their econOm-