The morning call., 1891-08-23
SaIliG Joy White Tells Of the Methods
That Are Employed
Prejudices and Objections That Had to Be
ket-The Progress the Children Have
Made Benefits Now Claimed.
written for THE SUNDAY CALL.

lnoIHers OF IamlIeS not only nau no IDEA
what to do with material that was put into
their hands to fashion into undergarments,
dresses and aprons, but when these articles
were given them ready made and they be-
came worn they did not know how TO repair
SO as to make them of further use Out of
this experience the women who belonged to
various benevolent societies at length
evolved this axiom. There is no extrava-
gance that equals that of ignorant and I'M
instructed poverty"
All work of permanent help and of physi-
cal uplifting would have come TO standstill
unless something was done. Societies
fopud themselves strained to the utmost ca
pacity To keep pace with the needs that ex-
listed. Plainly something had to be done,
and that something had to be in the line of
education.
Sewing classes were established in con-
nection with the various religious and chart
table societies, and women and girls were
urged TO come to them, coRxed by the prom
lSe OF the garments which they should make
But the shrewd women knew perfectly well
that the garments would come to them, even
II they did not set a stitch in them, and so,
while they would come occasionally to the
class, they were often absent, reappearing
at intervals with the ready excuses which
they knew so well how to coin, and with a
tale of deeper distress than any they had
before recited. And still the good women
OF Boston went on cutting and basting and
devotng time to women who didn't want to
be taught and who resented every attempt
TO make them sew their own clothing.
The only thing that cOuld be done was to
get hold OF the children, and compel them
to learn needewOrk, Just as they are COM
PEELED TO learn TO read and write, and recite
the multiplication table. This could only
be done through the public schools.
THE FIRST SUGGESTION.
When the first suggestion was made,
coming from committee of women repre-
sentng the wealth and education and phil
anthropy OF the city, 1t was received with
perfect howl OF indignant protest. The
school board, the teachers, the press, the
public, and even many of the parents of
tie children for whose benefit the move
ment was undertaken, all clamOred against
IL. The old class cry was raised, that the
rich wished to undermine the public school
system and prevent the poorer classes from
the mental development they would accord
their Own, by making labor the prominent
feature Ii WAS flouted, il was scoIned, it
was ridiculed, but IN face OF all opposition
the strength OF the movement increased.
The upholders OF this new scheme of in
duStTial training argued that the duty of
public schools was to prepare the pupils
for their life work; that what was
needed was an all round training,
which should educate the hand as we'll as
the head. 1t should be the duty Of the
school to elevate labor and to give it fine
dignity which Tightfully belongs to it. The
whole trend of the educational movement
lad heretofore been to degrade manual
nf5or and put it on a low plane, while ex-
aluDs the mental labor to a higher place.
This, no doubt, was conscientiously done,
but the mischief it worked was no less GER
tain and appalling. Boys and girls came
out from the school feeling that they must
take up some employment that should be
'genteel, and this usually meant something
In which the hands should not be involved.
Frankly, the mischief wrought greater
trouble with the girls than the boys. Hard
working mothers sacri ed themselves in
the hopes that their daughters futures
might be better anu easier than
their own had been. They insisted
that they should have every educational ad-
vantage which the schools afforded, and for
that too much honor cannot be given them,
but they made the great mistake when, in
stead Of making these daughters helpful at
home, and teaching them that a part
OF their duty was TO relieve the
mothers of portion OF their bur-
den. they shielded them from the hardships
of labor and left them untaught in the
womaulY arts which they needed to learn.
In time these girls married, the greater por-
ton OF them becoming the wives of work
lngmen, who had only their small salaries
Il support family Many of these women,
with the thrift inherited from line of New
England ancestry, rose to the situation and
mastered 1t. Others were overborne by
their own ignorance and int apaeity, and
found lite terrible. 1t was the women
Of this class that Mrs. Sohur, Mrs.
Hemenway, Mrs. James Freeman Clarke
and other noble women desired to help by
teaching them to help themselves.
PUBLIC OPINION.
By slow degrees public opinion began to
array, itself on the side of these devoted
women and their fellow workers. The press,
notably the Post, then under the efficient
management of the prince of editors, the
. late Mr.. Nathaniel Greene, and the Adver-
tiser, with Edward Everett Hale, arguing
aud luTsuading through its columns, came
Loyalty t. the support of the movement
Individual members of the committee were
convinced and some Of the teachers ceased
their opposition.
Through the whole of the controversy one
Of the principals, Mr.. Robert Swan, of the
famous Winthrop school, had stood firmly
by the women who had advocated the move
ment, and at length, when he saw that the
time was ripe, ne asked the committee to
allow him to try the experiment of intro
duciHg the teaching of sewing into mis-
school. This privilege was granted. al.
though it elected a storm of protest from
other principals. However convinced that
the movement was in the right directio on,
Mr.. Swan began the work, and il was very
soon followed in the other schools, in spite
OF the protest of the principals, as soon as
the committee found that the harmless
little needle did nothing in the way of under
mining the educational structure OF which it
was so proud.
1t is at least twenty ears since Mr.. Swan
made his first eXperime mt in sewing, and to-
day il is fully incorpOra ted as a part of the
educational system, and no one who be-
leveS in the efficacy Of the public-school
work would have it taken a way again. The
needle. in the hand of the little workers has
pushed its way through public pre- judice,
until every one accedes to this bran ch OF
industrial training the honor and respec
which ii deserves.
The art OF thanksgiving, which in these
days Of machines was getting TO be almos
a lost art, is taught in the schools of Boston
with as much system as any branch of men
tai study is taught. One teacher is en-
plOyed TO each grammar-SchOOl which is at
tended by girls, and her salary is that Of
the grammar teacher Of the second or third
grade, $50 or $500 a year. She is in at
tendance AT the school during all the school
hours OF the week, and has full charge of
tins department, planning and arranging
the work. cutting and, when the pupils de-
sire, procuring the materials to be used.
THE WORK.
Each class in the Grammar School has two
hours instruction each week and that is al
tile time allowed. Work must be kept at
school until it is finished aud don under
under the supervision of the teacher. The
child may select the article that il wishes to
make, and no second piece of work is begun
uHtlA 1i'o III - - Hn'oHOA. ~ al o' 'uo Viii
dren are taught hemming and Oyer-seam-
ing and make only the simplest things
They hem towels and handkerchiefs, make
sheets and pilIow-cases then they 20 on to
undergarments, and finally, the last year of
their school life, they are taught to cut and
fit dresses. AS a consequence, when a girl
leaves the public school she is fitted to take
place anywhere as seamstreSS.
But the most important part of the training
after all is that Of repairing and meHdng.
The girls are taught to darn stockings and
rents in the clothing. to set patches neatly
and with accuracy and to take out portions
Of garments and replace them with new. Al
the yearly exhibitions no part of the work
attracts more attention than the table de-
voted to the articles that have been darned
or re- uaired. Such exquisite stitches, such
a perfect matching Of designs. 1t is really
beautiful to see it.
Aud speaking of the exhibitions. These
q ..i ~ ,lI. in IN lalIs II ha schnnI