Morning journal and courier., 1884-06-20


 quirements for an artist in pottery. To paint delicate flowers in ever new devices to form out of thousand minute pieces the graceful ininity of raised patterns, each of which must be different from those made before t1 touch each little leaAet, each dot OF line with color, and to blend the colors so skillfully as to procure 8 harmonious tout ensemble or day after day to grind, mix, and prepare colors, is by no means work that can be done without infinite patience. To be eligible for admittance girl must have passed the ele- mentary examinations in an art school and be at least thirteen years old. The payment is at first very low, beginning at 3s to ts. per week, and rising according to merit. The average weekly earnings of 8 good, steady worker-the work is paid by the piece-are POS. to 25s., but there are cases where women earn up to four to five guineas 8 week. This, however, is quite an exception, and the heads of the firm express with regret their convic- tion that the sex is devoid of ambition. Up to certain point they do as well as men, but before they are able to do the highest class of work their energies seem to flag, and they are satisfied to remain second class workers. Every possible encouragement to continue their art studies is given by Messrs. Doulton; the payment is raised by shilling week for every South Kensington examina- ton passed; the hours of work, which are generally from nine to five are shortened for students; and lectures on art are held regular ly in the lecture rooms on the premises. Be- sides this there is @ valuable collection of reference books in the suite of rooms set apart for dining-rooms and museums, and figures and parts of the human body are kept for students of anatomy. This lack of ambition, however, is almost the only fault which Messrs. Doulton find with their women workers. They are loud in their praise of the unequalIed delicacy of touch displayed by the women, their patience, nestness, and ao- Aa far pnnpo1l a3 things are equally satisfactory. Quarrels never come to the ears of the manager, little dlsagreements being generally settled by committee formed among the girls who have also 8 sick fund which they manage themselves, and for which number of shares may be bought at penny each, according to the pay
 msnt received. Two dismissals have been made in the female department during the last thirteen years; 8 few have married or left for private reasons; but the bulk remain, and they are wise in doing so, for there is many 8 worse place than the bright, airy workrooms at the Lambeth Pottery.
 Any one who opens out 8 new remunerative employment for ladies deserves, indeed, the gratitude of her sex; for while modern civi- liZed life affords to women of wealth very paradise, it presses with relentless force on those who are obliged to earn their own liv- ing. In every grade of society women are now constantly exclaiming-
 What is 1t that turn to- lighting upon days like these?
 Every door is barred with gold. and opens but to In having set countless fair fingers to work in ! glass painting, Mrs. McClelland may perhaps be said rather to have revived an old art than ! to have discovered new one. But as far as the ladies are concerned, the result is the same, and although it may be true that there ! is nothing new under the sun" she has cer- tainly centrived to apply the old art in a very l charming manner to all infinite variety of ! novel nineteenth century devices. A visit to ! the studios in which the young artists are | busily at work from "morn to dewy evs'' is 8 privilege rarely granted, for obvious reasons. l The business is too vast and orders have to I be executed too promptly, to admit of such | interruptions; but a fortunate chance enabled I the writer to gain admission behind the ! scenes recently, and thus to see the work in it's various stages before 1t is exhibited in the
 rooms of ''The Society of Artists,'' at 102 New Bond street, where it can be inspected ! and purchased by the general public. And not only is there employment given in the l London studios, but numerous artists are l sent out to decorate the homes of those who | care to be surrounded by pleasant artistic ! things for the eye to light on. Space will 1 not admit of any detailed account of the door \ panels, overmantels, and mirrors, on which
 are painted the most lovely flowers, butter | fies and birds; water scenes, with reeds and ' l conceit of all-placid pools with exquisite I water-lilies, and banks of ferns and towering l thyme, and fragrant meadowsweet. These paintings are applied to an infinite variety of | objects; from summer frescreens to pipe racks-the latter in the form of dog kennel, I out of which peeps such pugnacious little l Skye terrier, one almost expects to be greeted ] with the familiar sharp bark on venturing to l approach it. The ordinary oil colors are used | with 'ta medium"-one of the secrets of the l prison house, 1t may be presumed-Whieh dries the colors and preserves their brillisncy The work is as durable as it is delicate and I transparent, and it seems impossible to sup ply the demand which has increased rapidly ! during the four years Mrs. McClelland has ! been developing the business, it promises tc ! afford employment in many directions, but il ! must be entered on in no amateur spirit | The trouble with women's work may be often 1 traced to the fact that they take it up for g time only-there is always possible husband l looming in the distance, who will deliver the toiler from labor simply undertaken ''as g 1 means whereby to live." Consequently the 1 work done often falls short of the perfection | required by the great law of supply and de- | mand. There is no chance for the women \ who do not put brain and heart into their ] work, and no permanent pay except for the 1 most thoroughly finished performances Those l who are concerKed in the great problem l which has to be solved in the interests oi
 ladies entering on professional or business
 careers will certainly feel that Mrs. McClel
 land and her staff of lady artists entitled | to great credit, not only for the perfection tC
 which they have already brought art but fol
 the thoroughly businesslike promptitude witl 1 which orders are executed. Practical worl
 is better than a hundred lectures or essays and every woman who succeeds in what sh I undertakes is beacon light to her strugglin; sisters.