The morning times., 1895-12-22
With Thread
And Needle
WONDERFUL DEVELOPMENT IN
THE ART OF SEWING.
City Missionaries Are Teaching
Morality by the Proper Sewing
of Seam, Gusset and Band.

These mission workers trace q large
proportion of the horror and squalor
OF the East Side to the lack OF manual
training among the women. They simply
do not know how to use their hands,
and SO they sit in their dirty houses and
! idly gossip by the hour. In fact the ex-
| tent OF their sheer idleness is something
| appalling. Give them a good garment that
| Deeds some little alteration, and to the
| pawDbroker 1t goes, and its place supplied
| by cheap, ready-made clothing, always so
| badly made, and all for the lack OF the
| very training OF hand and eye which their
| children are getting today, and which is
4 bound to make the next generation
different order OF beings.
There is now q marked difference In the
| houses OF the poorer class of Germans on
| the East Side. and that of other nationali-
| ties, simply because manual training has
| existed longer IN Germany than here. At
teDtion, observation, accuracy, neatness,
patience and perseverance can be much
more ably taught these children through
manual training than through any text
book as In the latter instance it is diff
cult for both teacher and pupil to know
anything of the degree OF attention given.
But IL told to do something accurately,
the attention must be perfect, and the
result tells both teacher and pupil where
it was at fault, thereby cuitivating crit
ical observation as well. And in no in
stance does the teacher show them how
to do the work, but stands at blackboard
or a canvas in tall frame and explains with
greatest accuracy how it Is TO be done,
which requires special discipline in the
art of expression, and ii rarely happens
when she goes around to inspect the work
that any child has failed to produce some
thing. They are all very earnest in try
inc Pa fittrn 20 do tns. of
power.
THE NEW SYSTEM.
There are six grades in this Systematic
Sewing and the whole course requires
six years One teacher teaches only one
stitch, and when 4 child does this per-
fectiy she is graduated into the next class
The first stitch in the course is running, |
and the children are carefully taught just |
where it is proper to use the running |
stitch. Canvas with colored wool is first !
used, as IL gives the direction, length, and |
distance OF stitches. Their first work on |
muslin must be on very coarse quality, so
that they can count tile threads. Just as
far as possible each pupil must cut and
prepare her own work, as doing so gives
her lesson in economy, judgment. and In
venton. They are taught to always thread
a needle with the end from the spool, as
it works more smoothly and is less likely
10 snarl. They are always shown perfect
models. so that they viii have high ideal,
and The standard must never be lowered
No imperfect stitches are allowed to remain
In their work, and perfect cleanliness Is
insisted upon.
As a reward OF merit a funny figure or
their initials may be drawn in their work,
which they can do in this same running
stitch. The children are most happy and
Interested in this work. A great point is
nade of having them comfortably seated,
md each has a little box with all necessary
Implements. thimble, needles. cotton, emery,
,tc., and a little bag for scraps, and the
elling OF these scraps keeps them in needles.
TRAINING THE MIND.
AS the brain is particularly receptive
when the hands are employed, while the