The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-02-10
LEGEND OF THE LACEMAKER.
How "A BruGes Maid Was Visited
with n Vision.

" I'm a.
Her jewels If great price were not the
only things bequeathed to her daughters
by the Empress of Austria. She left for
tune in collection of laces to the eldest
that has already proved a bone of conten
tion between the two ladies. These laces,
it is claimed by connoisseurs, are priceless
and should never be trusted beyond the
walls of a museum. Should they be seen,
however, a fresh impetus might be given
to the industry of lacemaking, now in
languishing condition. The queen of the
Belgians was the first to sound the trumpet
of alarm about this falling off in Flanders,
the cradle of the art of lacemaking.
As the legend runs, it was Jaqueltne,
countess of Flanders, who was deeply in
love with her noble husband, the hand
some Henelick, but who did not return
this tender feeling with the ardor it de-
served He had even made eyes at the
countess maid, Serena, who, for the sole
crime of being beautiful, was sent by her
mistress to a dark and noisome place of
concealment in corner of the palace. The
room where the poor girl was confined
| opened ON a small, damp garden, and
! there she would sadly sit and mourn for
her beloved, the equerry Luitpold.
One day her eyes filled with tears. She
! DIlYeu TO ln6 v lTBln 10 tOlut W utI It5Cub
by some miracle, and then, raising her
heavy eyelids, she beheld a million white
silky threads, SO tenuous and arranged in
such wonderful patterns that she was lost
in admiration before them
BY and by she began to wish she could
initiate the lovely patterns Of good Mary S
threads, for evidently they had been
placed there in answer TO her supplication.
At last, after month of patient and ardu-
GUS toll, she achieved piece of gossamer,
cobweblike work that rivaled the miracu-
lous threads arrayed by her holy patron.
The lace was sent to the countess, who
shed tears of delight at the sight Of so
much beauty. The next step was TO send
for the captive and marry her to the
equerry bestowing a sum of money on the
happy pair that would have kept them in
comfort ever after, but Independently of
tie countess they became rich, for the
young woman taught her art to seven
daughters, from whom descended all the
BPuges lacemakers.
This is a sweet romance, but from
whom did this pious Serena receive the
threads with which she initiated the heay-
enly cobwebsY 1t has been suggested that
she unrayeled her stockings and again
that she plucked the golden hairs from her
/ neuu, Dub why Will AolkH Bt 81 Alfttlhl vi
practical? 1t is sufficient that the hand
made lace Of Flanders is the most ex-
quisite thing wrought by human fingers
and the fatal looms have almost de-
stroyed its art with their new industry. II
was the elegant Marie Antoinette who
gave the first blow 10 lacemaking The
splendid lace worn in profusion at the
courts Of Louis XIV and XIV were re
placed by the gauzes and muslins OF the
queen, and, though the Empress Josephine
brought back the fashion, it has never
been the same as then The looms have
produced perfect-tOo perfect-imitationi
and cheapened the marvellous labor OF
years 1t is now proposed by the Belgian
queen and some other sovereign ladies tC
make a point Of wearing only handmade
lace and binding themselves by solemn
compact not TO allow an inch of machine
made lace on their petticoats and under
linen. We shall see what effect this will
have on the modern mondaine and how
her bills will increase Boston Herald.