The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-01-26
Needle, Thread and ThimbIe. Toe

w ho does not look back with pride upon her
first accom- plishment with her naedle? WHO
does not ecall the stirring of tho woman in
the child as she smoothed and folded the beIov
ed garment upon her knee; the squeaking Of
the rusty needle, the breaking of tho knotted
thread, the wanderings of the truant thimble,
the wrong" stitches replaced with "proper''
ones. the pricked forefnger yielding its GRIM
son drop in the struggle-all forgotten in that
hour OF triumph and Of proud determination,
henceforth to hem all granapas handkerchiefs
make all mothers button holes, and supply all
fathers shirts
To all must come rejoicing that In GER
tain city is a certain sewing school where, on
Saturday afternoons, motherless, homeless or
unguided girls may be brought together, may
take in their hands the wondrons tiny mag
net which surely detects the underlying wom-
anhood, may catch glimpse of bright uplands
beyond the sloughs spreading out around them
and there take those first steps which shall
Lad Them Up into the purer air of a higher
life.
No one can estimate the good done by this
sewing school.
Big girls come who have never owned a
thimble, who must be taught to thread needle
bat who must first learn the requisites Of a
needle woman, neatnes5 and orderliness.
The child passes from needle threading,
knot tying and patch work to hemming, stitch
ing and button hole making, and is finally Civ
en- material from which to make garment for
herself-every stitch her own work.
This sewing school was formed in Portland
H-.A J.ls q
church; but in 1873 Mayor Butler gave to
the organization the rooms in the brick build
ing at the corner of Spring and South streets
to be permanent charity of the City of Port
land.
There is no question of church or creed.
a ny poor girl in the city is a welcomed men,
Der and ladies from various churches assist In
the instruction.
Last year IT'S girls, from five to eighteen years
of age, were in attendance. The sewing school
has no source of income except contributions
from those who are willing to aid in the work
with money or material. AS there is now.
great need of money to purchase material for
necessary garments during the many weeks Of
cold yet to come, the managers have arranged
for an exhibition OF embroideries, curiosites,
brie-A-brac, ETC., to be given next Thursday
and Friday, January 81 and February /, at
80 State street, from to 10 o. m. A charge of
twenty-five cents will be made for admission:
the proceeds to be devoted to furthering the
work of the sewing school.
The people OF Portland are cordially invited
TO visit the sewing school any Saturday after
noon. To see the rows of smiling faces, the
neat and orderly appearance of the children,
to listen to their singing and to observe that
anrobing pride with which the older girls
make garments for the little ones, will convince
all that this, at least is charity which cannot
be questioned. The question that is asked is,
why cannot all the poor girls of Portland re-
ceive this help? They could il the contribu-
tons were sufficient To provide needful sup
plies.
May they not be increased? ES.S.