The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-31

New York Evening Post.
The craze for samplers has assumed al
most as rabid aspects as the fever of blue
china or spindle-legged tables. The sampler
is truly a cultivated taste. The great world
that likes pretty things cannot appreciate
the decidedly subtle beautie Of the sampler
for that matter it does not care for the
Bayeux tapestry, although it won't admit
it-but the collectors would die for a rare
specimen of this curious fancy work, and
books have been brought out at great pains
and cost for no other purpose than to
praise and talk about and otherwise public
ly acknowledge the sampler as a work of
art. For example, a luxurious edition of
one such book is bound in a gray linen
cover, adorned with examples of cross
stitch and other stitcheries which occur in
the samplers that it describes. 1t is illus
trated with color prints. The frontispiece
depicts a tapestry embroidery, belonging to
the corporation of Maidstone, showing
Henry VIII seated, one foot on the down.
trOdden Pope, the other on his crown. His
queen holds the open Bible, which also APP
pears in the hand OF Edward VI, while
Queen Mary is seen with her rosary. On
the title page is a colored fac-simile of q
sampler, date 1851. Prefacing the first chap
ter is the print of the charming picture by
Morland in the Wallace collection, in which
a young girl is being greeted by her
mother, who, coming to. see her at school,
is shown a sampler which the child has
worked.
In the spring Of 1900 the Fine Arts Society
Of London attracted public attention to
these samplers by an exhibition which fur
nished examples of every kind worked dur
ing the last go years. and this volume is an
outcome of that exhibition. which brought
a store of hidden treasures to light, ac-
companied by a good deal of interesting in
formation. TIL show was not confined TO
samplers; it extended to pictures in imita-
tion of tapestry and to books, dresses.
coats, waistcoats, gloves, shoes, casket
cases. purses. etc, worked by those who
learnt their art from the samplers.
Tn sampler worker was often of an as
tonishingly tender age. Indeed, one of the
exhibition was the goldfnch sampler.
worked by Anna Maria Virgins, aged
seven years. The sampler collectors plant
lively bewail the fact that no samplers
older than $50 years can be found. They
think that the older ones were possibly
destroyed. like so many other things, dur
ing the commonwealth The samplers
were greatly valued in the sixteenth GEN.
tury, as is proved by being included in the
wills.
The sampler book has famous samplers
reproduced in colOrs. One of these. dated
1919. is in drawn work, covered with strips
of lace-like patterns, the upper panel re-
markable as representing Sarah, Abraham
and the Angel. One dated 1868 is a repre-
sentative link between the embroidery
picture and the sampler, and at the base
of 1t is a lady seated holding a squirrel. a
sampler worked by Elizabeth Baker illus
trates a curious range. of which many are
now in existence. with the tables of the
Commandments in the center, the border
Of foliage and flowers. Another interest
ing specimen. dated 1775. was worked by
Ruskin's grandmother, Catherine Tweed
all. In the center are some appropriate
lines, which urged the necessity of running
the race before the prize was won. A
heart-shaped sampler, worked by Mary
Ives, 1896. is signalized by flying cupids and
the lines:
Be unto me kind and true
AS l am unto you.
Only one is shown in which bead work
occurs, and this appertains to the nine
tenth century. The Bronte family are
represented by three. Charlotte and Emily
tation. and are confined to sacred verses
and quotations.