The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-05-30
OF I'M EREST TO LADIES'.

Dressmaking womanIy Employment.
Dressmaking is womanly employ
ment that has never been overcrowded.
There is scarcely a country village
where there is no. scarcity of skilled
dressmakers. We do not mean seam
stresses there are an abundance of
these This class includes the myriads
who are willing to earn the money, but
are too stupid or too indolent to do
their work properly before they attempt
it. OF skilled, in:elig mt w)nen, who
have learned their business thoroughly
and do their work coRscientiously and
skillfully, there is scarcity.
In this democratic country the snob-
bish feeling that It is more honorable
to starve in idieness than to accept a
workingman's place too often prevails.
Intelligent women who are compelled
to earn money feel that they will lose
caste if they undertake anything which
is not an intellectual or artistic calling.
They will spend infinite pains on some
hideous paintings which they offer for
sale at the village stationery shop or
somewhere else, but though all the vii
lage Is ready to give steady work at re-
munerative prices to capable dress
maker, they do not often enough turn
their attention toward devoting their
artistic taste to practical use in select
ing becoming colors and graceful styles
of costume for customers.
In London two women of the no.
bility have started an artistic dressmak-
ing establishment where thev make a
point of studying and understanding
every branch of their business. 1t is
thorough training ior the work that
makes their success assured. They
have not merely, as most dressmakers
who nave learned their trade of another
dressmaker have, as errand girls year
and afterwards called themselves ac-
complished dressmakers. They spent
time and money to receive instructions
in schools of cutting and perfecting
themselves in all the various essentials
of their work.
There should be in every village at
least one woman who makes specially
of chlldren's clothes. In small cities
number of workers could easily find
remunerative employment. The max
ing OF chldren's clothes should always
be special business, as it is beginning
to be in our large cities. The proper
fitting OF child is an art in itself quite
different from the fitting of grown
person. Such a GresSmaker should
study chilGren's styles and keep on
hand good plates Of children's dresses.
At present there are thousand helps
to perfect the dressmaker's art that
were unknown a couple of decades
ago. II woman is to be successful in
this work, she must keep abreast of the
times and know her trade thoroughly.
This is a calling which more intelli-
gent women ought to undertake in
order to dignity it. 1t is the narrow
minded, ignorant class of persons who
have too often taken up this work that
has made refined women avoid the
thought of it, and feel that they did
not wish to be classed with such as
were often too ignorant to write their
names. There Is only one motto for
each and every one: "Be brave u
do not fear bugaboos, which exist only
in the Imagination 60 bravely and
steadily Oh, and take up whichever en-
ployment comes to your hands, and
which you feel you can do well. 1t is
the character and knowledge OF the in
dividual that will tell in the end in
whatever work you undertake, and
make or mar your best efforts.