The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-29
MISUNDERSTANDING SCHOOL
The Writer'S Way Of Helping Tn
employed Weavers.
The Cottage Wheels and Looms Of n
Quaint English village That Pro-
duce Handmade Linen Almost
understandable and Fabulous In
Price - PriEed by Royalty Itself.

Mr.. Ruskin's death has sent my
thoughts back to a summer in England a
few years ago. during which made a Rus
Kin pilgrimage. writes an admirer Of the
author In oxford. Chelsea. aud Sheffield
| saw all that was accessible OF the great
teachers work in schools and museums,
but there were other sbrines In Lancashire
and Westmoreland. and toward them I
next turned my steps
In those counties the ancient cottage in
I dustries Of spinning and weaving fax BIZ
hand had long passed away. when Mr. RUS
/ kin conceived the idea Of reviving them in
/ his own neIghborhood to give work and
/ the means Of support to poor old men and
! women who were sitting by their firesides
in enforced idleness. their occupation taken
from them By the mills. With the help OF
I friends Inspired by zeal. the enterprise
was carried out so successfully that where
only linen for underwear and household
use had been planned. the product turned
out treasure for artistic neediework, and
was priced by royalty itself
In due time Ambleside was reached and
the region Of the handmade linen was
close by. for the spinning school. l knew.
was in a cottage named after St Martin
and dedicated to him. standing half way
between Mr.. Ruskin's home. in Coniston.
and Wadsworth's in Rydal Now. IL Mr.
Ruskin had taken such an interest aad
given so much personal attention 10 the
scheme that the product Of the cottage
wheels and looms was called by his name,
that was sufficient inducement for me 70
determine to see the Langdale linen and to
go home the proud pOssessOr Of some Rus
kin sheets
found st. Martins School just as it had
been described. "a quaint place exactly
fulfilling HOrace's injunction Near the
house let there be a spring Of water. and
a wood close by The date. 1892. was on
the front Of the cottage. We found that
We had thirty-f minutes for our stay
there
A woman scrubbing the floor rose at
once. pulled down her sleeves and then
looked the real lady that she was. Sha
saw the urgency Of our case and quick.
gentle, and obligng. lost not a moment in
waiting on US. She showed the linen.
seven or eight kinds in the piece. and then
the CmbrOidcries-frOm small cushion COW
ers and table mats through tray cloths.
covers for stands. tables. and bureaus and
drapcry for pictures up to bedspreads and
pOrtieres. The prices Of many we're high
up in the pounds. but not too high for the
NUIh upon Jnem- anu the main tuings
they found ready sale at these prices among
the summer visitors.
Much Of the work was done in the Lon
don schools OF embroidery under the pa
trOnage Of the Princess Louise but the
linen was the product OF the cottags
wheels and looms, and was OF different
shades of grey or ecru. from the natural
color or the fax through various degrees
of bleaching down 10 almost white
In the fireplace was a Jar Of wild flowers.
ak leaves and ed cornell berries and on the
walls a photograph Of Mr.. Ruskin and
certificate from his own hand OF the purity
and honesty Of the inen and his willing
ness 10 have IL called the Ruskin linen.
A framed autograph also OF Mr. Ruskin
over the mantelpiece-a large sheet OF
paper closely covered with writing. but
Ia a hand so rapid and contracted that il
would have taken long to puzzle &c out;
it was about the dignity and happiness
romng from the venerable arts of spin-
ming and weaving.
The very photograph Of GiOttO's "Weav-
ing which had been the only guide for
repairing and putting together the old
OCm brought out OF its fifty years decay
and oblivion in a Viendal cellar, was on
the wall and four pictures in a row Of
Penelope and other spinners and weavers
If history and pOetry-LOngfellDW S Pris-
lila. one OF them There was carved oak
furniture. black with age and very pre-
ious and samples Of the work Of the pres
lived cottage art; and for a finishing eD-