The morning times., 1895-10-06

crofter women, who are famous spin
ners. The wheels used by the crofter
folk are small affairs, and accompanied
by three legged stools, on which the
worker sits twirling the thread and
moisting her fingers in a tiny blue cup
affixed to the frame. English and Scotch
girls think it greatfun to Ike lessons OF these
people, and after spinning and weaving the
linen to carry it to the nea rest burne and
there bleach the flax to snowy whiteness
between two stones and the clear, running
water.
FASHIONABLE SPINN ERS.
Naturally, it is only the womanly wo-
man who is fascinated with the spindle
and the distaff-not the dodos of society.
In the morning room of John Rookie
feller's country mansion, there is a
charming corner, where stands spin
ming wheel which belonged to the mis-
tress of the house. When mere slip OF a
girl, she learned the art, which, of late,
at her daughters request she has been
imparung to them. When Miss Edith
tries her prentice hand at the wheel, her
fiance, handsome Harold McC ok,
declares that she makes such a charm
ing picture, he would like to summon an
artist to paint her as she stands He
further adds that when they take their
wedding trip abroad, If the Jewelled
hand wheel, once the property of Mary
Queen of Scots, can be found in the mu
scum at Edinburgh, copy posi-
shaIl be made for his bride.
AT CouNTRY PLAOIS.
Other maidens fair, " no are laying claim
to the spinning wheels of their ancestors
or ordering new ones made, beautiful
and elaborate with silver mountings, are
o coterie of girls at Lenox-tbe daughters
Of the Sloane and Phelps-Stokes fam
lies, and Miss Parsons and Miss Ives.
Their wheels are treasured with care
and placed to make the prettiest pictures,
not only when in use, but when serving
merely as ornaments. Ribbons OF heavenly
shade of blue, are bought by the quantity
for the purpose of adoruing the wheels
and adding TO the general effect.
The Arahellas of hundred years ago
were not less demure than is the maiden
of to-day when under the spell OF her
spinning wheel She seems then less coy,
uncertain and hard to please, and falls more
easily victim to cupid's darts.
A CoQUETTIsH COSTUME.
And the time she gives TO planning her
gowns.
The spinning gown has therefore become
rs much a necessity of the wardrobe as
the golfiTg gown or the riding habit and
its possibilities for picturesqueness are
practically unlimited.
To quote from Tennyson's Princess"
with due apologies
"a rosy blonde and in a spinning gown,
That clad her like an April daifodiny;
A single band of gold about her hair"
Let the frock be what it will, of rose
chiffon, of samiie hite. of silk, or wool
or serge, see TO 1t, fair spinsters, that the
drapery of the sleeve doth not so much
conceal as reveal the snowy wilderness
OF the arm, as the hand moves quickly to
and fro.
DISTAFF PARTIES.
But rose chiffon and bands of gold belong
70 the poetry of spinning. There is a prac-
teal side-that is the morning class. when
the group of maidens each with her
wheel beside her, receives Instruction from
q professor" of spinning, and when each
member of the class is at perfect liberty to
display all the ignorance at her command, or
to try to look as though she knew the diff
ference between q spindle and distaff, be-
tween hemp and tow, or flax and wool.
The instructor is lecturer as well. and the
class incidentally fmbibes much information
about the art under consideration.
For instance, that the spindle used by the
deft Hindu Ia slender stripe bamboo. not
much bigger than 4 earning neesile lightly
weighted with a pellet of clay, and. az the
slender thread cannot even -pfr
weight of SO slight spindle. the afastratus