The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1886-11-01
Ladies' Department.


pcrbaps. too much cannot be said III
praise of the ladies' who have been lhslru
mental in bringing together the fifteen oil
twenty thousand articles displayed in The
ladies' department, which consists of seven
or eight distinct apartments. and embraces
fifteen classes. Mrs. sydney smith. Is the
presiding genius over this vast collection
and magnificent display, Miss Katie Cabel
is the secretary. whose labor can only be
estimated by the magnitude of work per
formed. There are others who deserve
much praise, among them Mrs. j. Il
simpson, Mrs. r. +. Wallace, Mrs
Margaret Barry. Mrs. Thomas Field
Mrs. Lafayette Fitzhugh, Mrs. Ar
buckle, Mrs. Geo. ii. Atkins,
Sanger and many others, whose mares .'otli
reporter failed to procure. 1t was Mt rath-
err an early hour when your reporter called
at this department, but not too early for
Mrs. simpson. who was busy arranging
some fancy work in her particular depart
ment. She kindly consented to show us
over the exhibit, and give us an idea of its
contents. and it would afford the HERALD
great pleasure to give n full and complete
list of everything with brief description If
there were space in its columns; but in con-
sequence we give only Il brief outline Of this
great display Of needle and fancy work,
together with the other articles ladies'
skillful fingers have wrought.
THE OFFICE.
This neat and cosy place is where the Ia
dies transact their business. and receive
visitors. 1t Is bright and cheerful as sit
ting-room of fortunate and well-to-do fam
lily. There are number of paintings. here
all old-timers, and from "across the waters"
Mrs. Arbuckle contributed most of them,
three of which are painted on copper, done
many years ago. There is here little pic
ture made of cork. "Rheinstein on the
Rhine" 1t is really good.
THE OLD LADIES DEPARTMENT.
1t is with feeling of reverence we enter
this apartment, being told that every ar
ticle is made by ladies over GO years of age.
Every one who has an aged mother knows
ii is natural for her to be busy with her
needle. and that her thoughts naturally run
on her grandchildren, and in this depart
ment of needle work by the grand-mothers
of Texas will be found neutrality-suspicious.
of needle work for children, showing the
bent of mind of the old ladies. One particu-
lar suit of underwear of fine linen en-
bordeiry and lace, was pointed out to your
representative, which must have been the
work of months. II is pronounced superb.
Childrens' dresses, slippers, quilts, and 9TH
er work numerous and exquisite. This de-
partment is presided over by Mrs. j. f. Met
calf.
DECORATED ART WORK.
We next passed into Mrs. Y. +. Wallace's
department of elegance and beauty. The
first objects our eyes rested upon were two
sets of painted China ware in a glass case.
To attempt description OF this hand paint
ing by novice would be ridiculous. Its
beauty attracts without a knowledge Of its
artistic merits. The fair hands that traced
the delicate lines and cast the shadows,
achieved degree Of elegance in execution
hard to define. There are here, face, fire
and door screens done in the highest style
of art some of which would do credit to the
y
tracts attention. II is a garden scene with
a nobeman and his lady love on the eve,
perhaps, of parting. The walls of this de-
partment are literally covered with beauty,
md beautiful things. which would do cred
il to any city or land or earth.
CRAZY QUILTS.
Weak minded people had better stay out
Of Mrs. Margaret Barry's department, whose
walls are covered with dazzling crazy quilts
too numerous TO mention F." They are
made of the finest material and of all colors
md shades conceivable-their zigzag patch
IS with one bright color by the side of its
opposite. with especial pains of the "opera-
or" TO mystify and confuse, the quilt is
simply because it is a crazy
quilt. In this department is an infants
"How lovely is the expression
If every one, but that is the faintest praise
Imaginable. 1t Is simply superb. Ii is oil
appreciated by those who are best judges
IF such work.
EMBROIDERY DEPARTMENT.
If what we have seen in passing through
he other departments attracts attention,
his department of embroidery, etc, pre-
,ided over by Mrs. Thos. Field, will certain
V receive many encominums. "Do you see
hat;" Yes. we saw ii. Ii was "a white
parrot done i'm chenille. top-knot and all. IL
: an elegant piece OF work, and the young
adv whose delicate fingers placed on can
Ass this specimen of the talking bird, has
he genius of an artist. Embroidery every
where. and in almost everything concev-
bile: knitting and crocheting by the yards. |
rhe competition in this department is