Morning journal and courier., 1892-02-06
THE FLEETING SHOW.

SOHc O1 1tS ACtS aAu r ahC1eSs Written for the JOURNAL AND CoURIER.1 SOME REFLECTIONS CONCERNING A DECLIN- ING ART.
 A vail is going up from some of the magazines devoted to women's works and ways anent the decline of plain sewing, which, it is feared, will soon be numbered among the lost arts. The vail is not causeless, the fear not without some reason Of fanciful sewing in all the fascinating forms of embroidery, there is enough and to spare, but of delicate hemming, even running, regular overhanding, backstitch- ing, and felling. and all the neat finish which beautifies the work of the expert seamstress, there is, unhappily, "a plenti- ful lack"
 For this the sewing machine is partly to blame, an invention that, while Tightening the labors of many women and assisting as many more te earn a livelihood, has almost altogether substituted the mechani- cal play of shuttle and needle-bar for the delft motions of brain controlled fingers. Another reason may be found in the scarcity of old fashioned grandmothers and maiden aunts. They, according to the I popular belief, were invariably exquisite
 
 religious and social duty to instruct small girls in this important branch of their ed ucation.
 Patchwork blocks of dullest coloring and l most hideous design were usually pro- ] vided at first, the little victim was ordered in from her play, seated on the most un- l comfortable chair, a thimble screwed upon | her reluctant finger, and then the daily misery began.
 The sun might be shining gloriously, the l songs of birds and the shouts of frolicsome play mates be borne in through the open | window upon the most enticing breeze that ever wooed child into the open air, the | squirrels be frisking along the fence, and | antic kittens be whirling and leaping be- l witchingly, while the small sufferer, push | ing sticky needle laboriously in and out, | her soul in ferment of rebellion against | untoward fate, half listened, half deadened | herself to the running accompaniment of | direction and approximations:
 "Sit up straighter!"
 | "Don't pucker it!"
 Don't turn in your toes!" l "Al those eats teeth must be picked l out!"
 l stDon't scowl!"
 l threaded"
 | ''Stop pouting,"
 70 what big ugly knotl" l "What, crying? Well, am ashamed of
 you! thought you were going to be a little lady" l After half an hour, possibly an hour, of
 this the patchwork block, damp with
 tears and f1ecked with little dots of gore
 from needle-pricked fingers, was laid claring that she hated sewing, and never
 wanted to be little lady, was free to go
 out into the sunshine, where Nature, sweet
 and sympathetic, would fold her in loving
 arms, coaxing, soothing, caressing, eonsol. ing, until she forgot her wrongs and grew
 light.hearted and happy again.
 After patchwork followed the homely
 dish towel, the unattractive pillow case
 the vast, expansive sheet, the interminable
 as to it's stitches, shirt. Small wonder
 that girls prefer crocheting with pretty
 wools, and "outlining" with gay silks, te
 the drear monotony of plain sewing, use full, essential, womanly accomplishment a,
 1t is.
 | That it should be taught is evident, that
 it should be made more attractive is equal
 1y evident. An aversion to sewing seeml
 bound up in the heart of the average girl
 child and she who would teacl
 it must possess more than tn,
 average share of patience ant
 tact. The cause for apprehension at pres
 ent seems to be that there will soon be n, l one left to teach it, the mothers, aunts
 and grand-mothers even, being no 1onge
 experts in the art, owing to the universa
 use of the sewing machine, the craze fo
 fancy-work, and the cheapnes of ready made garments. Let us hope that tn
 gentle art of hand sewing will never di
 out, even though it be not taught a home, as it may be made part of ever,
 school course, and the work of the sewinl
 teacher should be as honorable and remun erative as that of the music or drawin, teacher. : A wise mother, whose little daughte seemed particularly reluctant to learn tn
 use of thimble and needle, overcame thi distaste in very tactful and happy way Finding her greatly interested in a poo t little neighbor, she proposed to buy a dol , for the child, if she, the daughter, woul help to make it's clothes. Sewing wa robbed of it's terrors by the delightful ez : citement of preparing Christmas gift fo 8 8 child who, otherwise, she feared, woul
 have none, and the joy of bestowing it am
 ply compensated for lost play time an : pricked fingers. Afterward work for he
 own numerous fan1fty of dolls was take . up, and. an interesting object being d ways supplied, a very neat little seam r stress was in time evolved. . In this branch of child's education