The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-14

So great was the misery in this Ill
rection, that the English public became
fully aroused, and help poured into the
localities from which sprang an indus
try which has never been excelled be
fore IN decorative art. To Mrs Arthur
Hanson, an English lady of high social
rank then a resident of Constantinople.
should credit alone be given, as the
first one to discover among these refu-
gees this wonderful talent. From the
very beginning of their trials she be-
came their deliverer, making this mag
niflcent embroidery their sole means IF
support. To prosper the work, she gave
her time, her energies and her money,
encouraging them at every step OF their
career, believing that eventually an in
dependence could be gained.
Mrs. Hanson, in arranging the work.
would have the workers come IN body
to her country house. and there in the
great hall they would stand side by
s1de-little children, young women,
mothers, aged grandmothers. 10 and 70
years of age-women OF all ranks, craV-
ing Cor worlz
With tender solicitude their good
friend would place them in a row. Civ
ing piece of work to every tenth. To
those who received it joy would beam
from their faces. while the rest would
sadly walk away, hoping for better luck
next time. One can hardly imagine
their gratitude as she announced The
| mail orders received in great numbers,
the women and children kissing her
skirts, and showering blessings on her
at every turn.
By nature these people are timid. md
their bearing gentle. In their domestic
relations they are patterns OF excel
lence; Vulgarity is a term unknown to
them; and it would fill an American
housewife with envy to see all these
poorly built houses such a charm of
cleanliness. AS one looks on these oX-
quisite embroideries it is difficult to
conceive that many of these pieces.
such as curtains, door tapestries and
table covers of ample size, are done in
one room, where the inmates daily Ii .,
children are born, and old people die.
Generally the work is stretched on
frame, before which they sit cross
legged working with diligence hour
after hour until the task is finished.
In case of fire the first thing thought
of are the frames, which are carried to
a place of safety. To them. they are
objects of reverence, which should oc-
cupy the first place, and remain ever
sDotless.
Ip this beautiful work, age makes
but little difference, women of all
ranks are alike skillful-sometimes a
whole family OF four generations will
be busy at one frame-and as there is
no right or wrong side to the embroid-
cry, one can readily perceive the labor
given to these splendid creations.
AS for the stories told of these
patient toilers, there are many, and
touching in the extreme.
One old woman had a stitch of which
she was the sole possessor. For years
she had guarded her secret most
tenderly, so, when dying, she gave it
as legacy to a friend nearly as old
as herself, who promised that in turn
she would keep it. and then when
| ready to pass away, would bestow it
on some one worthy of the sacred relic.
Another gentle creature, who had
been bedridden for years by disease,
had worked on enc piece of work and
refused to abandon it as long as she
! had the power to WELD a needle, re-
fusing all pay, but telling Mrs Hanson
| to make over the sum paid for it to
her little children when she herself had
passed away.
! On entering some houses, one would
! find a group of small children huddled
| together, each one equipped with a
| tiny frame, making gold and white
doiIevs.
At the time of the Worlds fair, Mrs.
/ Hanson resolved that the show of the
Turkish fund should speak for itself
| SO rigorous was that winter in Turkey
and the snow so deep that paths were
| literally dug out so that she could
reach these poor workers in their