Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-08

thing amiss nowadays in the
education of girl who knows
nothing of the delicate and charm
ing handiwork which seems so ap-
propriately the work of feminine
fingers. Time was--and not so very long
ago-when for a very little while sthleti-
cism and intellectual training seemed to
comprise all that was thought necessary
in a girls education. For a short time
many young girls and 'ieir guardians and
instructors as well seemed to be content
that the womanly handicrafts should sink
into allegiance and TO cherish a feeling
something akin TO contempt for the frivol-
ous feminine occupations which resulted
in the manufacture of innumerable dainty
handmade trifes for the boudoir. the
drawing room. or for the personal adorn-
ment Of ones self or ones friends.
But now all this is changed and there
is as much rivalry among young girls in
the matter Of fine needlework, stitchery of
various sorts, knitting, crocheting and
the ingenious and original construction of
objects on which ones skill may be dis
played as in the days of our grandmothers.
The returning realization of what
manual traini- cans in the way of
general culture and discipline has done
something to bring about this revived de-
votion to the neee,e Even more has been
done by the persistent craze for hand work
for all sorts Of uses. Then, too, the max
ing of Il Q useful and charming articles
furnishes a very natural avenue through
which industrial taste, skill. fancy and
ingenuity may find expression. The fancy
work to-day must be genuinely beautiful
and wrought with finished art if it is TO
be acceptable Original ideas count here
as elsewhere. but perfect taste and per
ant, and these requirements give TO the
making of handwork of any sort to-day a
distinct disciplinary character which is
appreciated by all educators.
There are few things more attractive
among the modern girls special possess
sions than her fancy work outfit. The
tools of her various feminine trades,
whether these be leather work, sewing or
embroider are of the finest, engraved
with her monogram and kept in the most
fascinating of boxes, bags or tool chests,
designed or selected with regard to the
particular tastes of the girl owners.
There are few things more becoming to a
girl than a golden thimble, and, indeed,
all the accessories of the fancy work
trade are as pretty and charming as the
products of the industry. Even the girls
who do not much care about the work
itself needs must take it up nowadays for
the sake Of the attendant good times. The
very little girls who do not sew doll
clothes find often, when they are older,
that they have missed one Of the pleas
ATTEST features of being little girl. s. ae-
thing of the same sort of pleasure is
missed from the life of the school girl who
never does fancx work.
Just at present there seems to be
cessation of the craze for sewing fine
white materials, linens, batiste, &C., and
working upon these fabrics all sorts of
designs in embroidery and open work
There are always many girls who prefer
doing this sort of work to any other, and
until last season the devotion to it had
been almost universal, so that one saw
very little work being done in silk, bro