The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08


 grasp.
 There is a. lesson in sweeping and great deal about dust Ruskin is called in constantly, and, strange to say, the small pupils take in his ideas.
 In the dining room work each child has her small table and everything to set it, even to a tiny napkin and ring, and she learns why everything is done as it is, and how to wash dishes by washing her own small set in a little dishpan.
 lesson in clay modelling goes with the table lesson. It is keenly enjoyed by the children, who never knew how hard it was to make the dishes. After the modelling lesson they have much more respect for crockery and handle it just that much more carefully.
 In sewing the work is carefully and most ingeniously graded, from the be- ginners who run on Java canvas with bright yarns, and by following the course of the threads of the canvas learn to make a straight seam and small even stitches. The needle used is easy to thread and without a point to prick the small fingers, and uses thimble. In the next grade she makes the same stitches on samples which Miss Emery bastes carefully, intending by her example to teach them how im- portant is good basting. and when the time comes they unconSciOuSly follow.
 In the third grade comes fellirg and backstitching, the samples without any knots showing and all the stitches per fectly even.
 The fourth grade is hemming, and the pupil begins her own basting on a piece Of cotton representing sheet with its wide and narrow hem. After this is finished she hems a napkin. making the stitches invisible on the right side by having them set exactly x1ritI, tho tbra< ds nf the cloth
 In the next grade comes ruffiing and putting on a band, which must all be done by the pupil without more than verbal assistance from her teacher.
 The work of every grade must be done perfectly before the pupil is ad- vanced, and I wish you could see that sewing class of children from six. or seven to 13 years. They work as if life depended upon it. When Mrs. Watt went to the piano and said, Now girls, it's time to put away that work, there was a general "Oh," although they had been sewing for an hour and a half.
 While they were putting their work away Miss Emery said she would like to say just a, word.
 ''Now, girls, you know last week we had only two teachers and I asked you to put your work away just as care fully as when your teachers were here. We'll I want to tell you how proud 1 was or you when WdHleu to SlloN your work. It had never been put away quite so neatly before
 You may be sure that after those words the work was put away In neat CT piles than ever before.
 At first it took a good deal of pa tience to get the children to under stand why they were to make tneir work so perfect, but at last they caught the idea, and now they are anxious to learn to do each stitch per fectly and are willing to take the work out over and over again. They are pre- pairing for an exhibition soon to be held in connection with settlement work ana are most eager to have their work com pare fayorably with work from other classes. ,
 When they have learned to make all the stitches in plain sewing and can set on a band. baste hens wide or mar row and make button holes. they are promoted to the Sewing Club, Wnlch meets in it's own room. The clup mas a teacher who is competent to teacn them to measure themselves, cut, It. baste and make every garment glrl wears.
 If you could see that class of girls, nearly all under 14 years, at their cut ting tables and sewing machines ana the garments they have made them selves you would require no further proof that the work is thoroughly prac- ticaI. Very few of the same glris could more than thread needle when they began work about six months ago.
 I went to one home where the little housekeeper is Il years old. Her people are very poor and the mother ana father are both away all day The glri