The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1886-04-30
LACE-MAKERS.
Some Historical Philanthropists
and Artists in Their Line.

When we wander through the old
Flemish towns, such as Mechlin and
Pruges, we see in the streets where the
poorer families live (be it in Summer
nd nd sunshine), in the open doors, wom-
oril n and girls seated on the ground with
.cel lheir work on their knees, while their
NJ blmble fingers ply, with fairy-like swift
AMI hess, the bobbins, so named on account
breb y their form, slip and rattle, strike and
mai buzz On the pavement, between
oa4 4hose stones the grass often springs up,
tef fesound the wooden shoes of the
denf fustling townspeople and the boys and
ON kirls Through the clear air, from the
ron1 1teeple on the great square, sounds out
ahvery quarter-hour the soothing melody
su,E ,Ef the chime of bells. The Industrious
~ Eomen sitting there with the Spanish
~" tlces and the Low Dutch names are
ouH baking the beautiful mantillas, the
uarl liry walls, which, during the next Win
imI Ter, at dinner or ball, will fall over
es fmmering satin, cling around daz-
hei ling shoulders and rest on glossy hair.
pull hus we have often observed the lace
emit bakers in Belgium. The most lovely
dies ornaments for women are, however,
o$ot made here, but in Germany, and
tn Aot along the coast, but on the heights
IN the Hartz mountains, in Saxony
tlf Ind us is the place, so also is the man.
thai Her of work different from that in Bel
Iheiium.
hell ''Whoever for the first time" so reads
ette4 4he description which lies before us,
mdsteps into a room in which all the
verf fembers of the family, both boys and
tiofirls, and from the six-year-old child to
nofle gray-haired grandmother, are busy
teri With bobbins. is astonished at the sight.
ner4ne often finds in a little room from
and Pix to eight persons at this work. Be-
Phie1ond the rattle which the striking to-
k1ether of the wooden bobbins as the
th4 bread is interwined during the forma-
theHon of q half or whole pattern silence
ofigns. This is only broken when some
nd me races, counts or bets, that is to say,
brac4rges herself to greater activity by
hainf leasurlng her skill and speed against
helyInather's. The contest takes place be-
peo4 4een mother and her children, or be-
agesf fveen an expert and less dexterous lace
whitaker. Thus the mother gives to the
Ital{ {hild hundred pins already set up.
ol hen the echild says, after she gets pin:
ageA hundred and the mother says One
auxlnd so both number onward until the
most bother calls out the same number as
1entfle child, and has reached or over
audlkep her.
rpen} ''For even numbering itrequires lace
ID a4lakers of equal skill. After the pins
ld ORE set the first one cries Count one to
thi4e.' Whereupon the second having
h thd up her pins, answers, None to me-
york. 10 the two continue until the first per-
mostaps breaks her thread. The other
thforks on MEANWHILE saying at the same
kepvme: Count me one, count me two,
ne opunt me three, and so on until the first
tool gain overtakes the second. The work
n th4nd also the time of Its termination is
leasdSed by wager. The lace-maker who
er, 4st completes her task gets pin from
ours kch one she beats as her reward. Z"
br I'd This picture is of the winter life. In
/. Almmer the women gather together in
anbmpanies and go out into the open air
of al hder the shade of the trees to work
oner tmong the mountain people, the men
ormt Ike their p; rt with the women if there
NinA no other work to be had. In former
.nes one only saw the lace-makers at
Pc table, on which in the long winter
Jennings the light of single dim lamp
las heightened by being reflected
,rono Irough TASKS and glass globes, to make
shine upon as many lace cushions as
,,oor bssible.
ueon The Hartz mountain is a region of in
sun tlstry After it ceased to be rich it be-
FonesIme industrial. The mines were ex-
Hoped trusted, invention succeeded. The peo-
liyele looked upon the silver which they
!, ha 4orded as Gods gift, and as such CRATE
lily accepted it. As the rich store OF
PIE mine after another gave out the
lth 1iners began to apply themselves to the
Thtrous trades by which to-day they seek
thdeir support, no one of whichhas from
labo4e beginning been so universally sue
stineHSsful as lace-making.
TO th4 Already in their seventh year the chill
Thten begin to make easy patterns, All
varmI he time which is not spent in theNoIdi-
largfry day school is devoted to the schools
as learning lace-making, of which five
pporhd twenty are supported by the goT
pnth13 nment. In many of the same perhaps
ey-bef hundred diligent little creatures ST
1th unmovable gravity at work. IN
n tn be mornings from ten to twelve and %
u forI le afternoons from three until six, D
ii refen in winter often until ten. All th'
I'M urls learn without exception and thir'
W perf the boys, the latter, strangely enough
ortanF Ften showing more skill than the for
nc adRer And the skill of which they be
$500 bme possessed in the end is the resul
the constant drill of these schools
rom the eastern endof the Hartz noun
,.,al Inns up to the border of the Vosges
III ON the crest of the mountains dow
e.. "a. ...r the foot, to nearly all the women Q
be mountain people, thewood carvers
aminer, nail and spoon makers, lace
8nrk larvae az aYelusiye hnplovmenj