Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-06-19

distinctly. Meantime, the pupil i
trained to make the stitches equa
in depth, and also at equal distances
The teacher is to be provided will
blank-boOk for each pupil, and OF
| the first page is to be inscribed
"Oversewing.n Beneath this wore
is to be fastened a specimen of the
stitch, as soon as the pupil has at
tanned the degree of excellence and
accuracy required.
The next lesson is HeInming. TIC
prepare for this, let the scholars first
cut, out of newspaper, pieces three
inches square, and fold 4 hem on
each side till it is even and smooth.
Then the unbIeached cotton is to be
| given to be cut and prepared in the
same way. Finally the hemming-
stitch is TO be taught, and the child
be required to practice till the
stitches are equal in size and regular
| in both slant and distances. When
this is well executed, the specimen
is to be fastened to another page OF
| the child's book, under the word
"Hemming. In the same way,
the variOusstitches used for running,
up seams, for telling, darning whip
ping, buttonholing, stitching and
gathering, should be taught on small
pieces of white or unbleached cot
ton, using colored thread.
The books in which are fastened
the finished specimens of sewing
should be preserved by the teacher
and exhibited at the school exam
nations, rs an encouragement to
excellence. In England, the ladies
of rank and wealth take pains to
establish and superintend. among
the poor, industrial schools in which
are taught other domestic work as
well as sewing; and, as the conse-
quence, their servants and depend
ents are well trained for the duties
of their station. 1t is hoped that
American ladies will make similar
efforts for the children of the poorer
classes, and employ all their. influ-
ence to promote industrial training
in our common schools; and also, to
see that instruction in these import
ant matters be given to their own
daughters, who may become mis-
tresses and directors of future homes,
or who, in the constantly changing
fortunes of our land, may need To
perform as we'll az to guide the doing
of these homely duties.
1T is a mistake to suppose that
sewing g-machineS lessen the import
ance of thanksgiving. All the mend
ing for a family, and much of the
altering of clothing and house fur
niture, must be done only by the
hand. In all poor families that own
no machine, and in all cases where
persons travel, the whole sewing
needed must be done by hand.
1t is especially for the benefit of
the poor who cannot have machines,
that all the children of our common
schools should be taught not to sew,
but to mend and to cut and fit
common garments. Hard-wOrking
mothers cannot teach this art, and
the school teacher is the proper per-
son to do it. Nor should this be
added to the ordinary severe and
wearing labor of teacher, but 9TH
er less important branches should
give place to this. 1t is the con-
slant complaint of all who are seek
ing to help the destitute, that wo-
men are not trained properly to do
any kind of domestic work, and
there is no way in which philan-
thropy can be more wisely exerted
than in urging the establishment of
industrial schools. 4
1t is the hope of the writer that q
day is coming when all women will
be made truly independent, by be-
ing trained in early life TO employ
ments by which they can secure a
home and income for themselves, if
they do not marry or if they be-
come widows. This is what is done
for daughters in European coun-
tries, and should be done in our
own.
Institutions for training women
to employlnents suitable for their
sex should be established and en-
doued, the same as agricultural and
other professional schools for men,
When this is done, there will be a
liberal profession for women of cul-
ture and refinement, securing to
widows and unmarried women such
as have hitherto been
enjoyed only by the more favored
sex.