The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-06

had been described. "a quaint place exa-t-
ly 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-fve minutes for our stay
tEere
A woman scrubbing the floor rose at
once, pulled down her sleeves, and then
looked the real lady that she was. she
saw the urgency of our case and quick.
gentle and obliging. lost not a moment in
waiting on us. She showed the linen.
seven or eight kinds in the piece. and
then the embroideries-from small cushion
covers and table mats through tray cloths,
covers for stands, tables and bureaus and
orapery for pictures. up to bedspreads and
TortieIes. The prices of many were nigh
up in the pounds, but not too high for the
work upon them and, the main thing they
found ready sale at these prices among
the summer visitors.
There were oriental borders copied on
large SCALE from the little Oriental
-quares that we import, Persian patterns.
Ncnsingtou patterns and stitches, Greek
lrce. etc.-all kinds of stitches. all pat
terms in white and in colors. In all threads,
silk, linen. worsted and gold | remember
soice large pansies outlined with gold, pur-
pie and yellow alternately or checker
board ground. Another exquisite thing
had the linen checked of with drawn work
and the squares in the border embroidered
with pinks in Kensington stitch-white
flowers and green leaves. This was fin
ished with a silk fringe and the price was
three pounds.
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 cottage
wheels and looms, and was of different
shades OF grey or ecru. from the natural
color of the fax through various degrees
of bleaching down to almost white.
Mrs. Pepper, with quiet rapidity, emp
tied for US the drawers of a beautifully
carved old oak bureau-all the things diff
ferent and each drawing from us admirins
EXPLANATIONS. but while my young COM
panions were entirely absorbed in the
sight l kept darting away to the other
things in that delightful little room. In
the fireplace was a jar of wild flowers. oak
leaves, and red cornell berries, and on the
walls photograph of Mr.. Ruskin and a
certificate from his own hand of the puri-
" and honesty of the linen and his will
ingness to have it called the Ruskin lin
en-. A framed autograph also of Mr.. Rus
kin over the mantelpiece-a large sheet of
paper closely covered with writing but
in a hand sc rapid and contracted that 1t
it was about the dignity and happiness
coming from the venerable arts of spin
ming AID weaving.
The very photograph OF Giotto's ''Weav-
ing which had been the only guide for
repairing and putting together the old
loom 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
. I
ella. one of them. There was carved oak
furniture, black with age and very pre-
cious, and samples of the work of the pres
ent time, for wood carving is another re-
vived cottage art and for finishing en-
chantment Mr. Ruskin had often been in
that very room.
l didn't forget the sheeting: I coulI
.ook and admire though | couldn't nave
any. l asked for it-another drawer
opened and a piece taken out-about a
dozen yards. 1t was very coarse, very. but
after the instant's shock, / asked the
price; SIS but it was single width.
and 1 had had nothing but wide linen
in mind, though, as l reflected afterward.
no hand loom was ever made that would
weave wide sheeting. But put the next
question: Was it for sale?
Oh, yes. Why didn't l say instantly. II
will take so many yards and bring off
my prize exultingiy? Well. l couldn't col
lect my thoughts, my good fortune was so
unexpected; the price for two breadths
wsS the same as eleven shillings a yard,
$50. so far I could reckon. but l Couldn't
think how many yards l should need, nor
how much it would cost-ss for using the
English currency quick. l cannot DO il.
Besides. had been flying about that room,
watch in hand till now it was nearly time
to go out over an unknown road and meet
the coach which We must not keep waiting.
l had boiled up with delight at finding
that l could have the linen. still its I'M
deniable cOarseness had cooled me of a
little. and tnep what time was there to
have it measured off and how could We get
the great heavy bundle to the coach. Com
Lon sense said: Don't do in haste what
you msy regret at leisure
When my companion had lone chance