The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1893-12-02
WILL SOON BE "a LOST ART.
CITY Woman Are Forgetting How {
Sew, Even on Machines.

Saving is rapidly becoming los
art. There are reasons for belieyini
that twenty-five years hence SEWN.
machines will be as rare if not as or
namentnl as the spinnins.wheels ar
to-day, A sewing chair, work-bas
ket and a "hussy" were among the es
sential articles OF every brides outfit
Now tho demand for these womani,S
belongings is so slight us to be calles
insignificant trade BY the managers o
| dry goods and household furnitun
firms. Thimbles of gold and silye,
used to be considered staple goods
Now only few are sold, and nearl,
all are OF Inexpensive pattern and chill
lren's sizes.
1t is the fault of the dry goods mer
chants that women have uuit sewing.
Ready-made suits. underwear, aprons,
sheets and pillow cases are offered 4
such reasonable prices that it does nd,
pay q woman to sew whose time ii
worth anything. Temptations are sci
forth in every line of goods. For in.
stance, beautiful honeycomb quilt.
are on sale to-day ut 81. The end.
are raw, it is true, but all the tirh
charges for hemming them is Is cents
The best quality of Marseillcs quiltl
are already hemmed. The same Il
true of linen tableclotlis. Cheap nap
kins come fringed; better goods nre
already hemmed; the finest linen
made for napkins come in pieces OF
from one to three dozen. Ii the Gus
toner wishes, the house will cut, hem
and laundry dozen napkins for 50
cents and deliver them in less than
t%o days. This work is beautifully
done. with an absolutely true hem,
stitched on the very edge with fine
thread and loose tension. Even the
dish toweling comes ready for use.
Unhemmed handkerchicfs are unheard
of now, although n few years ago fur
nishing goods as we'll us dry goods
dealers carried them hemmed and
@raw." Handkerchiefs for children
that sell at so cents and 81 dozen are
ready for use
Towels are either fringed or hem.
stitched; SO are sheets, tray-coths,
table and bureau coyers. Ready-made
pillow-cases, bolster covers and sIiams
are cheaper thar the raw material
could be bought for atrctail, and more
neatly made than the average house,
keeper could do them by hand or ma.
chine.
Formerly objection was raised 10
these shop goods on account of ths
tight chain stitch, which broke and
ripped i'll the laundry; now the very
perfection of notwithstanding is pntoa
the cheapest goods. More Than that,
ii an article is soiled it is launtcred by
the house. Some firms send out tie
fine qualities of bedroom and table
linen hemmcd, washed and ironed, and
ready for immediate use. Nice les
sons, Too, incidentally may be learned
from this practice. Aside from the
exquisite stitching, the linen is snow.
white and swcet-smelling, not from
sachct powder, but absolute cleanness,
and ironed with the finish peculiar to
the French mode.
1t is true that y pretense is made OF
teaching sewing in the public schools,
but the teachers know as little us the
pupils about the art. The average
woman in European society has
needle Of some sort in her hands after
and between the cares of the day;
this is Characteristic too, of the Amer
lean women who live on farms orin
country towns. In big cities women
don't sew. They rock and read. Even
darning is at discount since hosiery
dealers began tarning stockings pur-
chased at their houses free OF charge.