The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-11-20
Copyright. 1871

Last winter, III you pelonBeu l"
class OF any kind. you discovered that IL
was fashionable to be industrious.
When the richest girl In town came IN
she took off her coat and gloves, pro-
duced small bag and from 1t took
half knitted golf stocking, and all dur-
ing the lecture or reading those needles
worked as industriously as If they had
been managed by German fraulein,
while the stocking grew under yo"r
very eyes. This seemed queer, but 20
ward the last of the season the climax
was reached when one afternoon at the
opera a well known girl sat listening 70
the delightful music and working away
at a piece of tapestry, done in old iash-
toned cross stitch. Now 1t is predicted
that the locker on and the listener VIII
be equally Industrious, and the predic-
ton Is reached by the oldest way Not
that some one says so. not tnat any
fashionable girl predicts or advises H.
but i'm the most expensive shops there
are displayed wonderful cases and bas-
kets for holding the necessary utensils.
Knitting bags, with ivory needles hav-
ing "A scmprecious gem set In each
knob; tiny baskets, holding all the uten-
sils for embroidery in silver gilt, While
thImbles of the most wonderful designs
and invariably of gold are offered 10
protect the busy fingers. The little scis-
sors have their tiny silver gilt handles
and many Of the sewing utensils are
suspended from a chatelaine. When
this is the case, there rs silver Eeedle
book. n silver egg that opens and shows
the gold thmble inside H. pair OF sill
yer mounted scissors kept from doing
damage by being i'm a silver sheath. the
silver stiletto and the long silver book
intended to mold embroidery silks Hon
estIy. one must confess that the opera
is hardly the place to exhibit ones abil-
ity with the needle, but IL looks rather
well at a morning lecture to see our
Young women busy as possible on some
thing intended either TO decorate the
home or be used i'm some athletic game.
She who does not embroider or knit
stockings uses coarse bright woods and
forms either a sllmber rug or Tam hat
for the man of her choice. How very
seldom one sees a woman utilizing her
time and her wit III making something
for another woman! This does happen
though i'm these days of knowing how,
for it is the fashionable girl who is not
only the adept but the artist, as far as
needleworlS- concerned. When very
young. either her German or English
governess taught her to sew, and as the
years have progressed she grows proud
OF her ability not cnly of welding the
needle in the ordinary way but i'm pro-
ducing wonderful effects in silks and
tinsels, effects that are really to out
4 ~. f1
broiders. as did her great t-grandmother,
'n quaint cross stitch, covering for
chair. She works out on gorgeous veil
vets, with gold and silver thread and
gay spangles, the hangings for a room,
for she always undertakes 10 do one
piece of work that is TO be very fine and
which is to be either in her mothers or
her own home for future generations to
admire.
Another fad which has overtaken the
fashionable girl is the selling of her old
gold. and by this / mean all the old
gold mountings. heavy bracelets. big.
crude brooches and inartistic pieces Of
jewelry, that have accumulated within
the last so years. OF course the best
jeweler gives her absolute value for the
gold, and then for it she may take
either a modern piece or select some bit
of silver or gold in the way of n toilet
utensil that will last her for long time
and stand as a representative Of her
economy. The only daughter in an en6r-
nous family, who managed to collect
many bits of the precious metal is more
than delighted because I'm exchange forlt
she got six beautiful gold thimbles. and
these she will offer as prizes for the
dantiest work done i'm her sewing class
This work will be- not embroidery, moi
cross stitch or knitting, but exquisite
fine sewing done on linen camhric. and
with such needle as only a fairy car
manipulate. 1t is fine to know thai
our girls are appreciating the delights
of needlework, and Il is good 10 know
that among our very wealthy people
such industry Is encouraged, since ther,
is no woman in the world who can az
ford to be ignorant OF this strictly fcm,
nine art. Who does not know how many
a sorrow has been lessened while on,
set regular stitches. and how many
JOY has been increased as the hopes
grew with each flying visit that tn,
needle made the cloth?
one naturally connects needles ant
pins. for. according 20 Mother Goose
through needles and pins the averag,
trouble in the world is sure To begin
But, apropos Of pins. II would seem AZ
II the husband OF today would be force,
To give his wife absolute pin money. al
ne did i'm the days OF Queen Elizabeth
when pins were sold, not by the dozei
papers, not by a single paper, but b!
tho half dozen. and she thought her
self fortunate who possessed a roun,
dozen OF good pins, but today Co hol,
up the fancy neck dressing. TO catcl
the veil in place. Co arrange the lac
cravat. there are very small gold pins
each with n my gem just at the tol
OF course these are mere chips, but th.
are sufficiently good TO make a piu cos
from 20 cents 10 81 Apiece For her WI
wears much purple there are pins se
with small amethysts. for her Who