The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-03-09
LOOKING FORWARD.
A Pen Picture Of the Pos
sibilities the Future
May Have in
Store.
IF WOMEN UNDERTAKE,TOO MUCH.
And Neglect Their Homes and
Duties-The Girl Who Boasts
She Cannot Sew.

Mention was made in these columns
recently of the efficient WORK done by
! some estimable ladies IN this city, who
hold weekly classes and teach little girls
how to sew. AT one time it seemed as
though this art come naturally to the fair
sex, but ''times change and people
change" and many a man would open his
eyes in wonder il he knew how sadly
deficient some of his fair friends are in
this regard.
In spite of woman's suffrage and the
tendencies of the age for women to COM
pete with men in public life and the pro-
LESSONS, which, until of late years
seemed to belong entirely to the stronger
sex, | think certain accom- plishments and
duties peculiar to women will always be
expected of them. But we have grown
accustomed to hear of Miss Mary Brown.
attorney, the Rev, Anne Smith. or DIR.
Mary Walker. to some extent. On the
other hand, we ourselves patronize Mon
sieur B., Milliner, and Monsieur D.,
Modiste. And if woman will insist
on her alleged rights aud invade
offices and public places, she must not be
surprised and PERHAPS alarmed at no dis
tant day to find that man, driven out of
MS sphere, mas uSurpeu HeI q~ueeHuoHi
and governs it,; that he has become mis-
tress of it and learned the useful and
necessary art of needlework and the
science OF cooking. Some one had to do
it, he may, perhaps, have argued philo-
sophically with the result that he may be
photographed with a group of children at
his knee, a sewing table at his side, and a
dainty piece of needlework in his hand,
a sweet home picture for the tired mother
to behold when she returns from the
office. And perhaps these two will look
at each other and wonder why they
changed places and wish the lucky stone,
which we read OF in "Vice Versa" would
give them their true duties and positions
again.
DUTIES OF TO-DAY.
So perhaps after a forecast of what all
this vain striving might lead to, it Is just
as well for NJ TO do her best i'll her
own circle. limited though it may be, and
to learn to be thankful that she is not
called upon to perform duties for which
nature has not fitted her.
One of these duties undoubtedly Is to
learn how to keep house, both wisely and
economically. That question has been
here discussed already. Another, and
scarcely less important duty is to learn
how to sew. This subject was brought to
my mind by a conversation which | had
recently with a young lady we'll known
lOE uCl aOtlfO WIN IL ~ otN
poor. She asked a mutual friend to join
a society which had undertaken to supply
!, certain district of mission children wi h
clothes. Miss B. declared herself
willing to join. but feared thai she did
not know enough of sewing to accom-
plish much. The other told her not to
hesitate on that account, that i'll
spite of the fact that most of
lne members were girls over
twenty years old, many boosted
that they could not sew well, and handled
the utensils awkwardly. And l have
heard many a young woman acknowledge
that she mad learned lessons as she taught
them 10 the children in her sewing school.
In the mission of Grace Church, New
York, under Miss Martha Potter, the
sewing school is, run on as systematic a
basis as an every dav school. Books are
furnished the teachers with illustrations,
and the names of the various stitches,
and the teacher is often a scholar with
her class. or course she doesn't let them
know this. The children are taught pa
tiently, and If their work is at all careiess
they have to Try. Try. again." and
AIRY into practice the words of the
songs which they are taught.
They are thus taught patience
and neatness with their sewing and l
have no doubt that much of the simple
advice which the songs contain will run
in their ears and help them to become
good and thorough women. There is
nothing which we study in after life
which we remember better than the say
ings over which we learned to write,
ass
Example is better than Precept.
Count that day lost, whose low, descending sun,
Views from tiny hand no worthy action done.
And no doubt we ave u%nconsciously ap-
piled them many times.
THE GIRL WHO DRESSES wELL.
A Clergyman in addressing a Number of
young Indies recently advised them al
ways to dress well. He said that it was a
duty which they owed themselves, and
the only thing in regard to observing it
was not to let it GROVE out more essential
things. / am here reminded OF a young
man who last summer remarked of q GER
tain young woman whom he admired
very much tina he would be afraid to
propose to her, rs ne knew he could not
afford TO give her an allowance for
clothes equal to what she seemed Mt that
time to eujoy. She has so many fineries
and lovely little honnets and things" he
said. land they cost like everything"
knew the Young lady intimately, and
it was my pleasure to tell him That he
was laboring unaer a delusion; that she
had lots of pretty becoming things. but
they were chiefly the work of her own
def fingers and graceful fancy. The man
who gets such a girl is fortunate, She
mas taste enough to want pretty things
and skill enough to make them, and her
home is generally full of "ineries" which
beautity it and cost little in COMPARISON.
She will carry her fnncy for uice Things
into the otht I departments of her home,
ana the man h gets her will vote her u