The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-10

Philadelphia Inquirer.
How am ] ever to sew my way out of
that mountain of work?'' i looked at the
cutting table, literally grooming beneath
its weight of finery, then glanced at the
pale face Of the speaker.
Sewing my way OUT struck me as most
expressive. 1t is this thread and needle
slavedom that gives genteel society the
domestic sweat shop. We may talk as much
as we please Of the poor souls tied by pow
erty extreme to hand or sewing machine
slavery, but we who are blessed with more
means than our unfortunate sisters are
slaves of our own free will to sewing room
demands.
The demands are senselesS; they are fash
ions own, and we carter health and hap
piaeps to meet them. 1t is stitch. stitch for
self and children. The flying moments are
constantly prOdGing US to renewed efforts
We work with flushed faces, trembling
fingers and beating hearts. We are not
under the eye Of an overseer. We might as
well be. Consequences of our worry and
hurry are quite fatal.
We argue that we cannot afford to have
our stitches taken for US, and the fine
stitches must be taken. AT least we think
they must Domestic sweat shops? Why,
holds.
They arc presided over by women who
live at y time when no pains are spared
Eules, when the finest of self-improve-
ment seheEles are offered them.
Rules and schemes are alike ignored, not
from ignorance, but willfully, that an extra
frilt may futter from the summer gown /;
that an extra fifl may iutter from the
stsnrner underwear; that the smallest tot
~ the family may wear wardrobe as
elaborate in finish as her mother; that no
arts which the sewing basket can culti-
vate may be neglected.
There are hundreds of frail creatures to-
day Straining every nerve of their being
over the treadmill existence of the sewing
machine, over the combining stitchery tasks
of the needle. These women should be glad
70 dress in the simplest attire for health's
sake.
On the verge of a nervous breakdown they
are striving to sew their way out" AS
washed out as a bit Of old linnen are their
cofnplexions, while duh eyes and languid
movements show that the vim of life has
deserted their daily lives.
When the time arrives for these misguid-
Cd seamstresse3. these domestic sweaters,
TO put on their braided, plated befiounced
modes, they viii be in such condition of
physical ugliness that the rarest OF toilets
would only aceentuate their plainness of
face and figure.
F'retful mothers, peeVish wives fault
finding housekeepers are products of the do
nestle sweat shop. 1t is high time cry
was raised against this selfImposed mar
tyrdom, cry so long and loud that it can
not tall 70 arouse It's inmates
What IN heavens name can most of the
women be thinking about? Ali here is the
trouble. One is influenced by another.
There is a spirit of dress competition
among us that Is responsible for our in
sanity. 1t keeps our domestic sweat shops
with feminine wrecks; 1t is bringing misery
into the hapDiest home circles
Let us drop our fine stitches for the sake
Of heavens breeze; let us drop them for the
sake OF Gods beautiful sunshine. Then will
we find our physical projections atoning for
the DOMINIC OF the platnest garb.