The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-29
THE GIRLS OF DONEGAL.
HARD WORK AND SOME PLAY IN
yHE IRISH FOUNTAINS.
Embroidcrlng Not what IL Used to De.
Tbouxh the Pay Was Never High Knit
,inp, spinning and Even Field Work Done
I'll, MarrIag yes and Dowries.
Copvright 1900 By Ssumas MdeMdnus.

Copy,ioht 900 BY Ssumas MaeMdnus.
snricging, or emhroidering on fine muslin
and linen. and knitting. are characteristic
hom. industries In which our girls employ
their nimble fingers. The sprigging Is done
for tbe big Belfast houses which export the
work nil over the world. Since America began
imposing n heavy duty on manufactured I'M
ports, this industry has fallen of 80 per cent.
and the remuneration has fallen at least 50 l-S
DER cent. Formerly "a sklful girl, who did
embroidery for n living and sat at her work
nil day. which means ill 10 O'Clock at night,
could earn from IS TO 80 cents, and OCCASION
ally even IS cents; but from IL 10 20 cents a
day Is considered a big earning now
Only n small percentage Of our women do
embroidery for a living in present conditions;
only those who have no land and no other
way OF earning; and even they keep half a
score of laying hens 10 help them. Most OF
our girls uor they all dc embroidery take
IL up in the interim between household duties.
and after the days work Is over. The few
shillinss a week they earn keeps them in dress.
and furnishes the household with tea and sugar,
A skilled embroidercr may often be recog-
nized az tho fair and at mass by a good dress
and tasteful turnout. One Of these girls
lIhNtlS All W lItlt ~ tlitc w '''N' $3.50
miles to the village TO get so cents worth Of
work. and the same distance To return tho
finished pieces. The greater portion OF the
embroidery consists of hGndkerchleis, but
childrcn's robes, bedroom linens, tablecloihs.
cushion covers. &c. are also wrought.
Throughout the winter sprigging m
are the order. As night falls, and he days
work has concluded, all the sprigger- Of one
lItl IL ,,,I. oil, krtnniny Nti,h thau,
each her work and her stool, gather at the
house OF one and night after night they visit
the houses Of one another In rotation. Tho
cir! in whose house tho camp gathers sup
plies the light. In the middle OF the floor the
spriggers form a circle, with the light (which
used TO be candle. but Is oftener now
OLD In tho centre. The boys OF tbs district
follow the camp from house to eouse. They
sit around the walls. and pass the time merrily
for themselves and the girls, In Jest and Joke,
and In telling funny stories.
The fun is always great in the camp house,
and the greater part Of it consists In witty
badinage-"sconcing." we call II. A. thev
steadfastly on their work. the girls can cast
over their shoulders a Roland for every oliver
given them by the boys. And woe betide
the boy who. having had tho temerity 10 cross
weapons with one of the noted wits in the fem
intnc circle, comes on second best. The boys
wit IN these cases Is necessarily playful. yet
gets home some effective little thrusts. but the
girls has always a rasping edge that is GER
tain 10 tell. AT about II O'Clock tho camp
breaks IN, and tho boys. shoulderine the stools.
convoy the girls home.
and underwear. has grown in importance a.
spriEging declined. Its not nearly So Try ing an
occupation as spriCging, and girls can make
rather less money nj IT. The knitting IS done
for the local agents Of English houses chiefly.
A girl will knit two pairs of socks or two pairs
OF gloves in one day.
Spinning Is nov very far from being the
great home industry II was a generation ago,
when every girl had her task OF flax TO do daily,
over and above her household duties, and, after
completing her task, had for her own benefit
when the linen trade iiourished before the
introduction OF Tree trade ruined the Irish
linen industry The girls had then ,h"ir spin
their boys carried them to the camp HOUSES
nightly
In the busy days Of Ware cthe shrine timeD
the girls do their share In the planting Of the
~crops-being always asked Ia perform the
tasks that are not laborluuS At the hay har-
vest the girls do everything except NOV Many
OF them are expert with the hook l-.cklcl and
and grown brothers.
In those parts Of our country from which
the men migrate 10 win the Scotch harvest
o great share Of field work falls 10 the women
And there are a few parts Of the western county
Of MAYO from which. alas, the women, through
force of cirGumstanc"S. must take their sickle,
and their little bundles and tramp or To do
their share in winning The Yorkshire Eng
land harvest. And these brave women never
dream that they are h%"rO!ncs.
ts our Donegal Kris grow up there is need
OF doing something more for the family than
the SprIgglng needl. can be made to yield
So when they, reach 10 years Of age, they,
like their brothers have a little red bundle
tied up for them. with which N their hand
they step out from the HON" whose root has
protected them every nieht Of Their lives preNi-
ous they step out from This home on a May
morning followed by their poor mothers.
over you" in Gaelic. and travel on foot long
the hiring market IN Strabane or IN Derry.
or in Donegal village. and to engage with the
ineyitabl" Scotch-lrish mistress Of the Iiasan,
of TyrOn" or Of P"ttIyo, or -l-ew here.
The girls range themselves in rows in tho
hiring market. and stand there the day long
while the big farmers and wives pass along
the lines md view each girl at every angl"
10 Judge II she Is strong enough for the heavy
work their hired girl must do, and they q,lcs-
ton her as 10 her ability 70, make tabs for cat
lie. 10 lift and carry weighty tubs and pots,
Ia cook for the family. and 10 feed the pig,
and most important of allwha WAGES she
expect ah4lf year according 70. her sire
the idea Of "a light wee bt Of a Guilty Ike you"
asking so much oN"rs her far less than she
&c lss"{ back sR''a and d finally 4a iA Employ s0T her, o." after str
succeeding in BRINGING down her price.
Before closing the bargain, She, in turn,
inquiries how many mouths are in the house,
hold, how many, cattle how many pigs. how
far a Catholic chapel is from the PLACE. and
IA, her employer l. generally a Presbyterian
insists on being allowed 10 attend mass every
Sunday-or, IN some rare cases every alternate
Sunday. All this arranged, she mounts the
car with the farmer and his wife. ,tows her
lttlc bundle In the well 81 the ear and /, driven
of to her new home. And in this new home.
though she IL alone among a strange PEOPLE Of "A
strange faith, she is strong and self reliant
and unfearinG;, She has been taught how 10
lean upon Gods aid, and in spirit, night and
morning, she Joins her, prayers with the prayers
of the poor mother who, NJ home, is pleading
fervently for her: And the girl knows well
that at the end Of the rosary every night. the
whole household loin he mother in one Patar-
and Ave for little Mary. who is among the
black Il e, the ntterl stranger; that God and
the Virgin may watch over, guard, guide and
protect her. and fetch her back safe in soul
10 our hungry hearts"
combined with her work. But occasionally
she enjoys pleasure with relaxation from duty.
She attends a dance or other spree IN the
next townland, and enjoys herself 70 her hearts
ACKNOWLEDGMENT that never has a heart
ache next morning" overshadowing II. The
dance house is always packed, 30 for purposes
Of economy the jewellers SIT one upon an
others kneea-even there a limited space is left
vacant in the centre Of the floor only for dancing;
often only enough for one couple al a time
10 20 through the mazes of the reel or to hop
in the jig-which are the two favorits forms
OF dance.
on bright and sunny Sundays the boys and
girls gather on some beautiful hilltop, or in
gayly chatterins, laughing counting. And on
the very summit OF one of our most difficult
mountains. boys and girls within a radius of
ten miles come together on the first, Sunday