The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-04

The dress Is generally dark cotton
skirt with loose sacque waist OF light
or color, and bright handkerchief for
neck and head. The feet are ordinarily
bare, and the long black cloth cloak,
with whalebone-St iffencd hood standing
out. hallooL-like, arcnnd the head. is
the. .avorie garment of (. Fayal woman.
and she will work hard and save long
to purchase one. 1t forms q perfect
disguise. covers all deficiencies OF dress.
and Is apparently suited to all seasons
and temperatures.
These women bring to a high degree
OF excellence the ordinary. feminine &C.
cuaatoEs of homework ard plain sew
Ing. As servants ther are painstaking
and ambitious. considering il slur
uroa their ability to Srnn in outside
help for extra work. What a coulr"
TO our domestics. who year by II,
demand higher wages nd.lighter ork
The total absence no. only of luxuries
bu; Of what seem to ussthe necessities
OF lie, would surprise oii:. more fortu-
nate laborinG class. Maa4!of the peas
ants taste meat only once . year. on
Whitsundag, when taolessare spread in
the streets OF Horta, and. the people
-NaSA ~ ~ pdblLS SAHS.lsss : .
was one day walking through the
principal street, when my attention was
attracted by an open carriage drawn,
rs usual, by mules. In thom!ddle of the
Rack seat. was an old peasant woman.
who, while she bowed ard to 'iisc
acqua!Etances most affabiH, was firmly
c.u'chins the sides of the carriage in
evident fear OF falling out. The eX-
preston OF mingled pride and terror
'vas SO amusing that | was moved 10
make inquiries. and heard that the old
woman had delivered some work to q
lady who. had just returned from drive
and who kindly invited her TO go home
in the empty carriage. This,w an ex-
t.aordinary honor. too tempting TO be
refused. yet fearful one; for the old
peasant had never before been In any
sort of 4 carriage and was so terrified
at Gathering rapidly over the paved
streets that her first and last drive was
not one of unmlXed pleasure. though
an event 10 look back upon with ever
increasing pride.
The women are very devout-far more
SO than the. men-and thu churches are
thronged with worshippers, On the oc-
casion of visitation ftom- the bishop
the holy week. ceremonies were so
crowded that it was found necessary TO
Issue admission tickets on Good Friday.
4 Kind mistress secured excellent seats
for .two Of her maids. but some ladies
or position, arriving at the. church with
out tickets, were ushered into them and
the servants hustled to the back of the
church. Their mistress, indignant at
ms injustice. exclaimed: /. Isl
DID you not protest?"
INC OF them oCGWrrpl.
This was the day upon, which our
Lord suffered insult and humiliation.
ana We felt, that this trial was little to
bear for His sake
BESIDES fulfilling the ordinary voca-
tlons OF wife. mother. and household
drudge. the peasant woman Is a bread
Wlhher-though the compensation for
ire amount of labor expended Is pill
aDIy small. She cxcels In various
nranches OF handiwork, among others
the crlVo. which somewhat resembles
our drawn work. 1t Is done on any cot
tontorlincn material. from the coarsest
sheetlnS to the finest handkerchiefs.
Inc threads are drawn with cxactItude
ana to make the operation easy. the
experts In this branch of work let the
nails OF the thumb and first finger of
the right hand grow very long. have
seen these hornlllie cxcrcsCences e.
tending fully an inch from the finger
Hos. The remaining threads are then
woven together so as to form square
MeShed canvas. upon which designs are
worked In thread. THis is effective on
towels made OF the native linen, but
When done on fine lawn or cambria. 1t
mas most delicate and lace-likc ap-
Fearance. 1t Is very strong, and will
outwcar ordinary dress matcrals-one
sci often lasting to trim two or three
successive gowns.
fayal linen Is purely feminine pro-
Guctlon. The fax fields, lying heavenly
blue on the hillsldcs, are cultivated by
women. who gather the plant, rot 1t,
ana spin 1t on their quaiyt distaffs Into
strong thread. which again Is woven on
me primitive nd-looms into the
hehvy linen for which the Island Is ia
nous, These distaffs deserve partlcu-
Jar notice. They are made Of the canes
which grow everywhere. especially along
me river banks. the straight stem
crowned with bunch 81 gray-grcen
caves, When dry, the stems are very
hafd. a lover, eager to please his
mistress, will present her with n distafr
carved In points ut the end. and decor
ated with bright ribbons, The women
are very picturesque. when seated In
lhelr doorways. twlrling the spindle
with great rapidly. But the weaving Is
dlHerent matter. The looms are large
ana awkward. nearly filling an ordinary
room In PEASANTS house. Here. hour
alter hour. Il woman stands, bending
nFcr The huge frame. In n small. III
Ventilated room. weaving the firm. dur
able linen. which brings high price In
nlnerlca. hut for which she Is sadly I'M
nerpald ] remember visiting one OF
these. houses and Watching sad-faccd
woman tollinG ,incOmplalnIngly In a
s'illlns atmosphere and semi darkness.
Whlic out OF doors the sun was flooding
sea ana mountain with radiance md
ane AR was filed with the canarles'
song. II seemed hard that In the
must OF such lncsfnblc beauty a life
should DO spent In drcary labor for n
mere plttnncc. barely enough to keep
oodyland soul together 3gy