The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-09-10

not suit her r-r-rip 1t goes, and she commences the task all over again. In the art book studio of her Ameri- can teacher, where her work is done are some remarkable samples of her handicraft. One of these, bound in green levant leather. contained the writings of Marcus Aurelius. The page opposite the cover on the inside was lined with dark blue moire silk, the smooth surface and edges finished to a line. The sides were decorated in gilt linear design, straight and curved The box in which the Marcus Aurelius volume reposes matches the book cov- CT itself in color and material. Miss Lahey took a pasteboard and molded 1t into the right shape then covered it with the same green 1evant leather as that on the sides of the book.
 And what Is the price of that book, box and all?' said I, asking the nat ural Yankee question.
 Fifty dollars" was the answer.
 We'll, 1t was a 1t dress for the golden thoughts of the great stoic emperor. Among other sumptuously bound vol tunes finished by Miss Lahey are Ten nyson's 'Tn Memoriam" and the play of Antony and Cleopatra" Marguerite Lahey, who has thus hap oily found herself early, is a Brooklyn born girl. She was obliged to leave school at 16 on account of ill-health. Two unhappy years she spent then. for her mind Is of the intensely active kind | that must express itself by working at something. Then one day she read in a newspaper something about art bookbinding for women. The thing gave her her cue. Here was some thing in which she could indulge in the joy of work without inturing her health. Forthwith she found a teach CT and began. This was seven years ago, and from that day she has devoted herself to her art, caring neither for society nor vacations And as to health
 Notice the muscles of her arms. She's like piece of iron" says MT. Schleun- ing, the teacher from whom she has mainly learned her art Seven hours a day, rain or shine. year after year, this fair, bright faced girl spends working in the shop studio In other ways. too, she Is accomplished. She speaks studying Italian. She plays the mando- lin and violin, also rides horseback and l can swim. She looks no more than 1S this blond girl who has done such steady. serious work and SO much of it. Not much time has gone to waste in her life.
 Marguerite Lahey is one of the few ! <AhoTICdH BlTlS WnO nave COmprenenQeC and grasped the opportunities oui country offers to their sex.
 There is at present in America nc extremely broad field for women in art bookbinding, because hitherto the de Tnand for volumes sumptuously covered by hand processes has not been great Now. howeevr. the taste in that direc tion is developing. There is no doubt that a considerable number of women those, that is--who have devoted them selves to art bookbinding as Miss Lahe, has done. could earn therein a goo( living.
 Tn several American cities are stu dios, so called, where the trade fl taught In New York Miss Florenc, Foote and Miss Tmily Preston, in Chi cago Miss Starr, in San Francisco Mis- Octavia Holden have art bookbinderies Boston also has one or two In New York Miss Ellen Mahan. daughter O Captain MahaD, the naval officer ant author, has adopted this industry a her profession and her life work
 A number of society women in vari ous cities are amateur bookbinders O no mean attainments. They And 1t
 relief from the weariness occasione
 by the constant tax of trivialities o
 their time and strength. One of tn women who bind books for their ow
 pleasure is Mrs. James Roosevelt.
 relative of the President Mrs. Hard
 ing, daughter of the late John Bige low. is another bookbInder for pleasur,
 Hand bookbinding, besides the gratl \ hcatIon 1t affords to the artistic sens