Milford chronicle., 1930-04-18
HOME EDUCATION
THE LACE BOX
Candace F. Stevenson

Candace F. Stevenson
Sylvia came running to her moth
er with a piece of lace. MAY have
this to dress up with? want to be
queen"
Mercy no! Where did you find
my Venetian lace bertha"
''It was in a box on the closet
shelf, and you don't wear it any
more!" A Quiver was appearing in
' Sylvia's chin.
Mrs. Burnet was just putting on
her hat, but she took it off, and go
ing to the closet, carried the lace box
to the bed. A pang of memory shot
through her. She could remember
her own mother gently unwrapping
the blue tissue paper covers, taking
out a christening robe and saying:
Three Sylvias have been christened
in this dress. See the lovely little
puffs, and the lace it is trimmed with
! is real Valenciennes." Now fourth
Sylvia had been christened in that
same dress-her own little Sylvia
who was looking at her with tears
of disappointment. The laces in the
box were scrambled by hurried little
fingers, and on one wrapping was a
black smudge.
That's my fault" thought Mrs.
Burnet, "for not having taught her
about these beautiful things"
She unfolded the point lace we'd
ding veil that lay inside and began
to tell all she knew about the way it
was made: how the peasants gath
cred great bundles of fax and soaked
them in water until the thick jacket
of the stem rotted away leaving the
tiny tangle of white fibers beneath;
how it was combed and then spun
into threads, and how the patient
women sitting on their doorsteps in
the sun worked away day after day,
and sometimes year after year, on
the same pattern, putting in the
flowers and tendrils and dainty trac-
cries; how certain families had been
so noted for their lace-making that
they had come to make lace only for
the kings and queens and royal prin-
cesses.
"Do the Indians make lace, moth
err" Sylvia asked.
mot if you mean the American
Indians" her mother answered.
Some of the tribes make embroid-
cry, but they have never made lace,
at least, not until taught by white
people. Some civilized nations have
never made any of Importance, eth
er, but you and 1 would need to
travel a good many miles if we Wis
tied every country where the lace in |
this box was made. Here is a man
tie made by Spaniards in South |
America, and here is bit of Brus-
sells lace made in Belgium. This |
Venetian is made of a tiny braid. |
Doesn't the pattern make you think !
of the waves and bubbles in the wa |
ter in the wake of a gondola? 1t is |
very different from the leaves and
flowers of this Duchess or this Irish |
crochet"
Lets play a game" said Sylvia.
"See if can name each piece and
tell it's country as you put it back.
"You may handle them yourself,
said her mother, "Only - -
"Only 1 must get my hands very
clean first" and Sylvia skipped off
happily, coming back after few
minutes with a pair of pink, perfect
ly scrubbed hands. AS she helped
fold the laces and put them back in
their tissue paper covers she said,
Mother I'm glad you didn't let me
dress up. If you had 1 should only
have been thinking about me and not
that the lace was lovely at all"
For article of January Is.
"There can be no doubt that nab
it's formed during the kindergarten
wears are the foundation of the future
edifice of intellectual and moral life.
For that reason we must do all in our
mower to inculcate during the forma-
tive years excellent habits of body
mind and character. 1t is especially
important that regular habits OF in
dustry and application be instilled
which, in maturity, will ripen into
self discipline and control. fred
erick B. Robinson, President, College
of the City of New York.
If you are interested in getting a
kindergarten opened in your pubic
school. write to the National Kinder
garten Association, West Fortleth
Street, New York, for information
and literature.