Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-12-03
WAS Fancy WORK Day
Women's Club Enjoys a Novel
Afternoon Wednesday at
Clubs Parlors
NRs. cADy READS a PAPER
Fancy Work Found to Have an Ethi-
cal Value to All Glasses of Women
The Effects in the Home-Miss Blink
ley, Of pes Moines sinss-The Pro-
gram.


gram.
Yesterday was a fancy work day at
the Womens Club. The ladies. over
their needles. talked about fancy work,
recited poems on knitting and patch
work, and embroidered the program
with music, laughter and tears. In the
absence of Mrs. Merritt Greene, the
president, Mrs. f. S. Hynds presided
over the large gathering of club MEM
bers aud guests. Miss Binkley. of Dies
Moines. accompanied on the piano by
Miss Clara Grips, of Albion, sang mos.
pIeasingly two selections by Gaynor,
IF l But Knew" and Because She
Kissed It." as the first number on the
program. and responded to an encore,
which was followed by "A Fireside
Sermon tender little poem on the
lessons of lie learned from grandmas
In the paper prepared for the club
Mrs. l. L. Cady endeavored to prove
that If Mr.. Pecksniff could find that
cream, sugar, tea, toast, ham and eggs
even they have moral fancy work
certainly had an ethical value in life
Going back to the Hebrew women of
the Bible who spun, wove and embroi-
dered the sanctuary curtains, the COM
mand of Bezaleel:
Go. bring your cunning needlework.
tho small
Your gifts may seem, the Lord hath
need of ali"
was cited to prove that in olden times
embroidery was more than mere fancy
work. 1t was service; and In the mod
ern woman's rushing, busy life the
Lords need of her small gifts of
needlework is just as great today, for
all that refines woman's life, and lifts
II from weariness and monotony In
opening new fields for her interests and
new channels for services, has an ethi-
cal and spiritual value.
Mrs. Cady thought there was cer-
tainly something lacking In the woman
who does not love pretty work to pick
up at intervals and into which she
could stitch her fancies. dreams and
sometimes her heartaches. The effects
Of fancy work in the home. and dainty
personal belongings to the character,
were illustrated by stories told from
experiences In charity work, and facts
CLEANED from the lives of soldiers and
lonely women in frontier life.
An ethical value was found even In
poor work. and the claim made tina.
thru blue roses embroidered on useless
slippers the mind might be carried for
ward In search OF something more true
and into a recognition OF higher Ideals
nf perfection. The worker OF blue
roses Is made the nohler by trying 10
create rose. for II is better to strive
for our best on lower level than no;
at all. The benefits In teaching young
girls fine needlework was thoroughly
discussed. The cultivating Of patience.
perseverance. selfcontroi. neatness
and love for beauty were only few OF
the many benefits accruing from fancy
work training Knitting and needle
work were recommended to nervous
members of the club as the best OF
soothing tonics. and a pathetic story
was told OF the comfort and strength a
crochet needle brought into the broken
life Of woman disappointed in love-
Women of Scotland and their knit
ting needles. and the Irish woman with
her crochet hook. knitted and crocheted
themselves into the recognition of the
listening audience. Out of respect for
differences of opinion as to the value of
fancy work, women were urged to COM
bine course of study with 1t, and to
cover their mats with mosiacs of Spen
Ger and Chaucer gems, to thread the
wit and wisdom OF Shakespeare In
their crochet work, to embroider the
stateliness Of Millions thought on their
sofa pillows, and into their Christmas
gifts to weave the Christ spirit of love
and peace.
Mrs. MARS again read In her hap
piest manner. an amusing but pathetic
tribute to 1.-The Patchwork Quilt" see
ing In the faded blocks picture of old
friends and ne!ghbors coming back in
memory thru the patchwork door"
Mrs. M. e. Whitehead. In the discus
sion following the paper, interested ami
amused the ladies'. telling of the In
fiuence OF faded, eoiled bits OF fancy
work in the organized charity work.
Mrs Whitehead laughingly calls her
self the flower. feather, ribbon mis-
sionary'' because she had been able to
inculcate deeper lessons in self respect
aud lodgings for a better life thru
prettily trimmed hat and a handker-
chief with lace on 1t, than with all her
talks on religion and good books. Mrs.
Joseph Holmes, who had lately made
a visit to the girls reform school, at
Mitchellville, longed for the days of
good old fashioned fancy work. that
kept girls off the street and in the safe
~ of the home and toll da sweet little
story of child of poverty in Marshall-
town, who longed for nightgowns trim
med with embroidery. Just like other
girls had" and Of the habits>of neat
ness and the greater respect the child
had for herself when this wish was
gratified and she went to bed looking
Just like other girls
The ladies fingered long over their
needles and the club adjourned with
greater respect for many of the
seeming little frivolous things that