What the Family Dorcas Can Do
TTBS return of the girl feminine lrl
the guise of the family Dorcas la
a physical expression of the men
tal tide which has set in for the
garment stamped "made for
you." The ready-made garment Is no
longer In vog-ue, hence the revival of Miss
Dorcas in all her former charm.
The family Dorcas has discovered that
the secret of tailored effects lies In the)
finish. She selects a reliable pattern, fits
the dress carefully and has the stitching
and pressing: done by the tailor on tha
next block. Eut the blouse more than any
one article of feminine dress Is responsible
for the Important position In the family
now occupied by Miss Dorcas. The ready-to-wear
blouse at a reasonable figure Is
not satisfying to the American girl's lovei
of daintiness. Many a young business
woman has stopped In front of a shop
window and gazed longingly, almost tear
fully, at a $25 blouse. In the realization that
If she only had the time she could do hand
work fully as fine herself. In fact, not only
would her hand-work be as dainty and
artistic, but the seams of the blouse would
be better sewn and the small final touches
such ns hooks and eyes and catches, would
be more secure.
The girl who Is bright, naturally artlstla
In designing and making color combina
tions and who has also a natural bent for
sewing, will really do well If she takes la
her family the position of general dress
maker. One young woman has made a
bargain with her two sisters, who work
downtown, and with her mother, who Is
actively engaged In club and social duties.
She has taken entire charge of the family
sewing for a consideration and sho goes
at It In ns businesslike fashion as any
rondisto who swings to the breeze her sign,
"Robes et Mantenux." She designs, buys
and makes every gown worn by the women
of her family, and sho makes just as good
n Incomo as either of her businesslike
sisters and has easier hours. At first this
happy condition did not prevail, because
she did not understand how to manage her
work. She allowed herself to become nerv
ous and for many weeks her hours werei
too long. She sat up late at night to finish
off bits of work that could very well wait
another day, and she acquired a case of
Indigestion.
Now she sews systematically and regu
larly. As a rule sho goes down town twice
a week, and Is at the shops when the doors
open. During what Is known as her rush
season she has a girl to help her with tha
stitching and finishing. So well has she
systematized her work that she Is able tot
attend an occasional afternoon function or
concert even In the busiest season. Her
Be wins; room Is on the top floor of their
old-fashioned house, and a skylight which
cost $50 was the father's gift to the enter
price, which, man-like, ho heartily approved.
The bare floor Is oiled and the wall la cov
ered with a soft green paper restful to the
eyes. In winter sho has a thick Jute rug
on the floor, but In summer she prefers no
covering at all.
The most Important article of furniture In
this room Is a discarded bookcase of the
old-fashioned sort, with glass doors. Ar
ranged on Its shelves are dressmaking sup
plies, linings of all sorts, bindings, feather
bone and different trifles that go to make
up a well-ordered dressmaker's stock of
supplies. On the top shelf, In compact rolls,
are kept pieces of the gowns made up, so
that If repairs are needed she can easily
lay her hands on a scrap of the goods. In
the two drawers on which the glass book
case stands are kept button boxes, threads
of all kinds, hooks and eyes and other
small articles.
Another useful article of furniture for
the family Dorcas la a circular coat and
"The Pumpkin Snow"
(Continued from Page Nine.)
learn the names of were new to me. But
of all that was nice and desirable, none re
mained in my mind's eye mure permanently
than a fine, shapely Jerusalem cherry tree
that was loaded with pretty white ilcweia
and fruit both ripe and green.
Many very fine Fox grapes grew wild on
tho lowlands, and summer and frost grapes
grew plentifully In the thick wood3, tut it
was generally supposed that tame grapes
could not be successfully grown In the
country, and yet this year there were fine
plates five varieties of beautiful, ripe,
tamo grapes on the fruit table that were
good enough for any country. There was
also a flno display of apples, In vaik-ty,
pears, peaches, etc., all fresh, but very
few canned as the process of putting up
fruits airtight was very llttla practiced,
In fact very few know how to do it but
there were fruit preserves, butters, Jams,
marmalades, jellies and pickles without
number; cucumber pickles, beet pickles,
mangoes and red cabbage pickled; and then
thcro were breads, cakes, plej and like
eatables that made one feel hungry to Just
walk alongsldo of tho display table. There
were fine cooks In those days, when most
cf the eatables were prepared at home.
The domestic manufactures were accordel
a prominent place and were si different
from those of the present day that I am
7 -r'."
"I
16 r;,
THE FAMTLY DORCAS WILL SAVE
MAKER'S BILL.
HER
suit rack with projecting arms, such as can
bo seen In any suit department In a big
store. From this she hangs Individual coat
racks carrying dresses under way or gowns
laid up for repair. It Is rather high, pre
venting the gowns from dragging and gath
ering dust. To further protect them she
has a balloon-shaped cloth of unbleached
muslin which fits over them, stand and all,
at night. Tl.ls does away with the practice
of laying a half-finished garment In mussy
condition on a table or bed.
A device which economizes Ftrength and
nervous force Is a drop-leaf attached to
the back of her sewing machine. This leaf
can be raised when she has a large, heavy
piece of stitching to do, and saves her the
effort of supporting ns well as guiding the
constrained to give them more than Just a
passing notice. Rolls of rag carpeting
Btriped or hlt-or-mls flannels in pliln
white, striped blue and white, or blue and
madder red; plaid blue and white, or bluo
and red; pressed flannels In bottle green,
brown or black; llnseys plain or sailed;
jeans In butternut color, bluo or she p's
grey, all of these were still used to s inie
extent for winter clothing. Keis?ys, plain
white or striped, for bod blankets aid
'flock" flyings from the carding mad l:ie
horse blanketing. All the above weie In
ten-yard pieces.
How we women folks did feast our eyes
on the many pieces of elaborate needle
work many kinds of which have been out
of date for a third of a century or more.
And then, what un array of quilts, log
cabln quilts and patch work quilts of every
conceivable design; and the fancy woven
coverlets that wire pretty to look upon and
serviceable withal, but most too heavy for
warmth and comfort, like the comfortable
of today.
Of course, a whole lot of things were
awarded premiums. But one beautiful
cambric quilt on which there were eighty
days' needle work, and was pronounced
.by the judges to be of the lini st work
of any quilt ever brought to their county
fair, failed to get the blue ribbon because
It did not meet tho required stipulations
"made this year by exhibitor." The date
of construction, a year or two previous to
this fair, was embroidered In cross-stitch
Ji
RELATIVES MANY a DRESS- .
goods. Every homo dressmaker knows the
strength required to hold a heavy dress
skirt In place during the stitching process.
Another attachment for the machine
which 13 comforting In hot weather Is a
small fan, designed after the fashion of
electric fan3. It Is operated by the
mechanism of the machine, and as the
wheel revolves, so does the fan, sending
grateful breezes toward the sewer.
Every woman who has knelt on the floor
to cut out garments or struggled to keep
her pattern straight on the soft founda
tion of a bed will appreciate the cutting
table which this family Dorcns has made
for a trlilo over $t. It Is merely a pair of
broad, planed boards riveted together and
set firmly on a pair of supporters or horses,
In the center of the quilt and could not be
ignored.
All manner of home knit goods were on
exhibition. Hand knit woolen stockings
for the women, girls and babies, made of
doublo and twisted, or cross-band yarns,
mostly of white, although some wero
of clouded blue or ph'in blue or
sheep's gray, also stockings knit in
open work or fancy switches from
linen shoe thread or cotton yarns. Socks
for the men folks were mostly of blue or
sheep's gray woolen yarns, although thero
wero a few tine white ones. Double yarn
mittens In blue and white, or blue and red,
for men and boys; and white mittens for
the women folks and babies; und gloves
for nil who wero old enough to wear
gloves; and there were "clouds," scarfs,
etc., too numerous to mention. Besides the
mittens, gloves, wristlets, "hnlfhanders"
gloves with or without short length fingers
scarfs, etc., knit with knitting needles;
there was quits a display of 'hooked"
(crocheted) cues. In those days not to be
a good knitter was a brand of ehlflless
ncss. Ilnml Work Inend of Mnrlalne,
The specimens of h?ind sewing were very
fine Indeed. Of course, there were some
nice machine stitching, too, but at that
time sewing machines were scarce and
not considered a household necessity ss
they are now. I still hold "o tho use .of
the needlo In preference to the sewing
machine for much of tny sewing.
In the art display wero many fine pic
such as paper hangers use. I.Ike thm
paper hanger's table, It built rather high.
Bo that Miss Dorcas does not stoop to tha
Injury of her figuro and her health wheu
Bho Is cutting a garment.
A cutting or basting tuhlo of smaller di
mensions, which sho uses when seated,
was tho gift of her two sisters last Christ
mas. Instead of tho ordinary folding;
sewing table with folding legs, tills pretty
mahogany rests on a brass stand and turns
up and down when not In use, Ilko the In
laid card tables. It Is a good Imitation of
mahogany and has the yard measura
marked off on it.
An adjustable skirt form for draping
and hanging skirts, and a bust form for
draping blouses, arranging trimmings, etc-,
are other essential features of her equip
me.t It Is amazing, the number of pretty llttla
gifts this fair Dorcas has received since
her hobby has become known among her
friends. An observing young man sent
her a pair of buttonhole, scissors with the
regulation adjustment screw and handles
of gold Inlaid with mother-of-pearl. She
has two gold thimbles, and ono of her girl
friends last Christmas sent her a little box
filled with glove threads. Iter sisters had
never known before that silk thread cuts
to match every fashionable color In gloves,
kid and that glove threads can bo bought
Miss Dorcas has brought to bear on her
work a degree of Intelligence which makes
It pleasant and easy. She never falls to
visit the notion counters regularly and tb
koep In touch with all the Innovations
which simplify the dressmaker's work.
She keeps In stock petticoat yokes which
fit the various women In her family. These
have three buttons and buttonholes In tho
back and are fully as good as anything?
which can be made at home. For wash
shirt waists she buys the regulation neck
bands, kept In stock by haberdashers for
men's shirts.
This particular Dorcas took a course of
lessons In cutting and fitting, for which her
father paid, saying that she had as much
right to a training for this work as her
Bister, who Is a stenographer, had to her
course at the business college Many
girls are "born dressmakers" and succeed
without a course of training, but tho latter
gives a sense of security.
Miss Dorcns has been urged by her
friends to enlarge the scopo of her work
and make frocks and furbelows for women,
outside the family circle, but for her
health's sake she clings to her original
purpose and eews for the family only.
She has no desire to succumb to the nerv
ous strain which comes with tho dress
maker's shop and Its score of apprentices.
Her sewing room Is a pleasuro as well as
business office. Flowers bloom at the win
dows. A few attractive prints are on the
wall. An easy couch on one side of tha
room, which, when raised, shows a deep
cavity for holding materials. It ts sup
plemented by several comfortable chairs,
for Miss Dorcas' friends have learned to
drop In for a social chat and do not pxpect
their busy hostess to stop her work beonus
of their coming. Few parents could with
stand the pleadings of a Dorcas for such
a room as this.
Aside from the excellent training It af
fords the girl, the family saves that Item
on tho dressmaker's bill which reads
"Findings. $-." For It Is on the" findings
that the dressmaker makes and her patron
loses.
Such a room Is a rnre Incentive to work,
and many a girl who struggles almtwit
tearfully with the family sewing In narrow
quarters called sewing rooms would do
better work and do It gladly and cheerfully
In harmonious surroundings.
ANNA 8. RICHARDSON.
tures, landscapes, portraits, etc.. In oil
painting, water colors, monochromatic.
Orientals and Grecians I have not seen,
a recently executed piece of monochro
matic. Oriental or Grecian painting In tha
last forty years or more; pen drawings and
Daguerreotypes; we had no photographs
or kodak pictures then, but If I am not
mistaken there wero tintypes.
About noon a sudden shower came up
which drove the crowd off tho grounds
into the "floral hail," and then and there
the Jam was so great that one to keep
their feet under them had to keep moving
along out" of the way of those that were
crowding them from the rear.
A tall and awkward looking youth, with
head and neck above tho heads of tha
crowd, seemed to be somewhat annoyed
by the cry: "Come down there, come down
there," that went up from many Juvenile
throats and soon disappeared from our
sight. MRS. E. C. LEWIS.
Nothing New
Recently a breech-loading bronze cannon,
which was reeovrod last summer from tho
wreck of the Spanish ship Florida, one of
the Ill-fated Armada, Jn u bay of the Isle
of Mull, was sold ut auction In Ixmdon.
The gun Is four feet six Inches in length
and was cast in 1503. Tho significance of
tills naval relic lies In tho fact that It
poKlllvely disproves tho popular opinion
tlint breech-loading firearms is a modem
Invention. San Francisco Chronicle.