THB COURIER
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her volume "Russian Laces and Lace
Makers" was untiring in her effort to
make her book an antbentic treatise
upon the subject. She toured Russia
collecting and photographing laces and
inspecting those marvelous rugs made
by the serfs before the emancipation.
She founded the Mary School of Lace
Making in St. Petersburg under the
patronage of the Empress Dowager
Marya Feodorovna. In this school
twenty little peasant girls who under
stand the rudiments of lace-making are
cared for and instructed for two years in
elementary branches, drawing and de
signing. At the expiration of two years
they are permitted to weave gold lace
sewn with seed pearls for empresses and
queens, and are then sent home with
the expectation that they will teach
others in their district what they have
learned, Mme. Davydoff also reviewed
the rug industry in Russia. She was
sent by the Government to France, Bok
hara and Central Asia on special mis
sions. In 1892, assisted by the Ministry
of Imperial Domains, she organized
systematized work for women in the dis
tricts most devastated by that fearful
famine, establishing schools fur weaving,
lace-making and embroidery.
The BaroneBS A. I. Budberg has done
great good in the impetus 6he has given
women for agricultural study. For a
number of years she has maintained an
agricultural school on her own estate.
Here two distinct courses are offered,
oae for the peasant class and another
for those who have received an educa
tion. The former receive elementary
instruction in the common branches,
besides all subjects that have a prac
tical connection with the house or farm.
The course offered the educated class
has many additions such as arboricul
ture, zoology, chemistry, mineralogy,
drawing, political economy, knowledge
of machinery and veterinary surgery.
Last summer the Government seeing
the good results of the school establish
ed a similar one near Moscow.
The reports of the D. A. R. gathering
this winter in Washington have doubt
less been greatly exaggerated as to dis
plays of jealousy and temper, but never
theless truth was the foundation for
these rumours and stories. The Gasper
Chapter, D. A. R. of Province, Rhode
Island, on bearing the report of their
delegates, protested "against the dis
play of personal ambition and party
aims which are making our national
congress a disgrace, together with an
urgent request to the state regents to
use their influence to secure an amend
ment to the national constitution that
shall reduce the representation to a suf
ficiently small number of delegates to
secure a business-like procedure." The
action of this chapter gives hope that a
more peaceful spirit may be the presid
ing genius of the next conference.
The annual convention of the Inter
national Kindergarten Union was held
in Chicago, April the tenth, eleventh
and twelfth, by invitation of the Chi
cago Kindergarten club. Miss Caroline
T. Haven of the New York City Ethical
schools, was in charge of the sessions
which were attended by nearly a thous
and delegates and visitors. Seventy
kindergarten clubs and associations in
this country and in Canada were represented.
The Federation as an Educator .
During the past two years music has
taken upward strides locally and na
tionally. New clubs have been formed,
and the established clubs are growing
in numbers and in musical strength.
There never was a time when the mu
sicians all over the country were so
thoroughly in earnest. Has musical
knowledge become more generally dif
fused? Are musicians explaining what
they know to those less fortunate, or
what is bringing about this musical re
vival? Surely the National Federation
of Music club3 has been one factor,
with its army of enthusiastic, conscien
tious musicians.
There is scarcely a town or village
that has not felt its stimulating effect
already. The Western clubs, being bo
far removed from all musical centres,
feel that belonging to the Federation
brings them in touch with those whose
aim is that of promoting musical cul
ture and the stimulation of musical in
terest. An exchange of ideas must give
encouragement and serve as an incen
tive to better work. The western sec
tion of N. F. M. C. sustained a heavy
loes in the resignatian of Mrs. Hardt, of
Topeka, Kansas, and Mrs. Farnswortb,
of Boulder, Coloardo, directors of this
section, by their removal east. For
several months we were without a di
rector Then Mrs. Thomas Grace of
Galveston, Texas, was elected to fill
Mrs. Hardt'a place. Mrs. J. W. Shan
non of Denver, was chosen to till Mrs.
Farnsworth's place. A month later
Mrs. Shannon resigned, as a year abroad
would seriously interfere with her work.
Mrs. Arthur Shaw, president of the
Matinee Musicale of Spokane, whb elect
ed to fill this vacancy in November 1900.
Mrs. Shaw and Mrs. Grace have brought
to this section enthusiasm, excellent ideas
and executive ability that will be felt
and appreciated by the hoard of man
agement. Fifteen new clubs have been
added to the section since the last bien
nial. In the west the clubs are beginning
to feel the true spirit of the federation
idea "that it is more blessed to give
than to receive" and seldom is a letter
received now saying, "We do not receive
any benefit from the federation," but,
"What can we do to assist you in for
warding this grand work, where it is so
much needed." There seems to be a
wave of enthusiasm and good feeling
that has spread all through this section,
as the club reports are unanimous in
Baying, "The club year has been most
successful," and "It has been quite an
expense and a great deal of work, but
we enjoy it so much we do not mind a
little trouble. "Mrs. David A
THE WEDDING PRESENT.
An Episode of Eastertide .
It was at the breakfast table one
morning that Sally first broached to me
the subject of a wedding present for
Corey Sands.
'The cards came yesterday, Jim," she
said, "and I've thought of nothing else
since. Stella's friends are all so rich
and Corey's no artistic that it is simply
hopeless to dream of vying with them."
"In another way that fact is rather
cheering," I said, "for whatever wo
choose for them is sure to sink into in
significant obscurity, and so it can't
matter much what we give." And I
stirred my coffee with the comfortable
smile of conscious mediocrity.
"It matters greatly to me," retorted
Sally, grandly. "I always see my own
present the moment 1 enter the room,
and it always looks the most conspic
uous thing there. It it's good, I'm ob
viously complacent; if it's bad, ray blush
is an immediate signal to everybody
about."
"As in the case of thoee you choose
alone?" I suggested, wickedly, but,
thinking it wiser not to await Sally's
reply, 1 went on: "Seriously, dear,
when can we meet to get something for
Corey?"
"Let me Bee, Jim," and she laid down
her egg spoon and made a calendar of
her hands, which, as I delight to tell
her, with scorn, are disgracefully white
and dimpled for a matron of her years.
"The wedding is the fifteenth, and we
are now at the second. I can't go with
you today nor tomorrow, nor Thursday
nor Friday. Saturday, possibly, if Ma
deline doesn't need me to chaperone her
and Bob Denny at the game."
I groaned. In these days the busi
ness men are the leisure class of society,
and the women Buffer from long hours
and overwork.
"Why don't you strike?" 1 asked; but
Sally did not look intelligent. "Well,
then," 1 went on, "perhaps I'd better
look round a bit alone. Would you try
pictures?"
"Oh, no, Jim, dear. Corey has all the
good carbons to be had, and he'll be
Camp- Bure Ket lt of water-colors. There's descending,
bell, in the "Concert-Goer.1
N. F. W. C Standing Committees.
ART.
Mrs. F. M. Hall, Lincoln.
" Elizabeth Langworthy, Seward.
" Anna R. Morey, Hastings.
HOUSEHOLD ECONOMICS.
Mrs. W. D. Baker, Norfolk.
" Sullivan, Columbus.
" Sarah Wella Phelps, Schuyler.
INDUSTRIAL.
Mrs. A. M. Edwards, Milford.
" Nellie Cady, St. Paul.
" Etta R. Holmes, Kearney.
LIDRARV.
Mr8.B.M.Stoutenborough,Piattemouth
" L. L, Ricketts, Lincoln.
" H. S. Towne, Omaha.
CONSTITUTION.
Mrs. A. K. Gault, Omaha.
" Draper Smith, Omaha.
" Stoutenborough, Plattsmoutb.
MUSIC.
Mrs. Lily R. Burton, Fremont.
" S. E. Sedgwick, York.
Miss Mary A. Smith, University Place
EDUCATIONAL.
Mrs. Anna L. Apperson, Tecumseh.
' G. M. Wheeler, Lincoln.
Miss Cory Berryman, Central City.
CREDENTIALS.
Mrs. John Erhardt, Stanton.
" Brainard Dearborn, Wakefield.
" E. M. Smith, Wayne.
TROGRAM.
C. S. Lobingier, Omaha.
Hainer, Aurora.
Stoutenborough, Plattsmoutb.
TRANSPORTATION.
H. D. Neely, Omaha.
E, V. Herford, Omaha.
RECIPROCITY.
Mrs. Archibald Scott, Lincoln.
Mrs
i
Mrs.
not much else you could do in
of pictures."
"Not unless I had a life-sized por
trait of you painted for him," I was base
enough to remark. Sally had once nar
rowly escaped being Mrs. Corey Sands.
She glared at me, and I gracefully
turned the discussion.
"Pottery, then a bit of Rookwood or
Doulton?"
"No, no; something unique, Jim.
Corey already has quite a collection of
breakables, you know."
"He baa a passion for Canton. I've
heard him say be could never have too
much of it. Only a really good piece is
so terribly expensive."
Sally sighed. "That's the worst of it!
Everything really good is expensive,
from china to cooks." And then the
last instance of Maria's depravity held
the floor until I went off down town.
Sally's engagements would not permit
her to meet me on Saturday, and the
business of choosing the Sands' present
was deferred to Tuesday of the uext
week. On Monday, as I went by Lyons'
auction rooms after luncheon, I noticed
that a sale was going on, and I wander
ed in. The room was dark and crowd
ed. People kept unusually quiet during
the tiresome preliminary sale of silver
mounted pocketbooks, tea strainers and
fruit knives. Even the outer fringe of
idlers felt that some exceptional skirm
ish was in the air.
Presently a set of china was announc
edantique Canton of great value, per
sonally imported by the father of the
present owner, who was now obliged to
sell at a great loss.
I watched the sale of the first dozen
the way KOing
pieces with hardly more than an idler'j
-interest. Then a bowl of unusual shape
and exquisite coloring those Canton
things are so different in color when you
come to examine them as negroes was
put up, and I had an inspiration. I
would get that for Corey Sands. He
would not dream how I came by it, and
doubtless it would go for a song. Hid
ding on the other pieces had been tnoro
or less apathetic.
But I was reckoning without my host.
Starting at a dollar, the auctioneer ran
it up easily, by bids of twenty-five cents,
to three dollars; then several bidders
propped out, and the few left grew
deadly earnest.
"Four-fifty, who gives five? Five dol
lars. Yes sir. Do I hear six? Six; do I
hear it? Five-fifty? Thank you. Five
seventy-five? Six?" And so on tip to
ten.
In my excitement I bad forgotten to
fir, mentally, a limit. I now paused for
a moment as the bids slackened, and
decided not to go above fifteen. From
this point on the bidding was confined
to one other man and myself. I could
not see my enemy, as he was apparently
on the other side of the room, nor did I
hear bis voice, for biB bidding was con
veyed by nods when the auctioneer look
ed his way and mentioneJ a figure that
appealed to him. This showed him to
be a more cautious bidder than I. In
fact, as the fight waxed dogged, and rose
nearer and nearer my limit, my one hope
was that I, being the more reckless,
might win through sheer bravado.
Thirteen and a half!" shouted the
impartial auctioneer. "Thirteen sever-ty-five."
"Fourteen," from mo, and for
a second I thought I had it. No; "four
teen ten" from the other. "Fourteen
twenty-five;' my blood was up. "Four
tween fifty. Fourteen fifty. Fourteen
fifty. Fifteen?" A nod evidently an
Bwered bim, for he turned to me ex
pectantly. I hesitated. Should I
stretch a point? Even for sixteen dol
lars the bowl was a prize, and n "bar
gain," as Sally would say as if any of
her transactions were anything else.
How I wished the even limit had fallen
to me!
Meanwhile, the hammer was slowly
"Going at fifteen, going,
going-
"Fif teen and a ha'f !' I shouted and
then listened, almost throbbingly, for
the antiphony. It did not come. The
auctioneer was evidently satisfied, and
after a look in the direction of my un
seen rival, knocked down the bowl to
me.
Sally was delighted with my success,
especially as it saved her a- morning in
town.
"I really couldn't have gone, you
know, after all," she confessed. "I bad
promised Mrs. Childs." But she was
so sweet about the bowl that I forgave
her duplicity.
Two days after we got the following
note:
"Dear Jim: The bowl is a stunner.
Stella and I are more than delighted,
and grateful to you and Mrs. Jim. It
rather adds to my satisfaction that I
know where you got it, and, incidentally
what you got it for. Congratulate you
on beating me, dear boy. I was the
other man.
Yours,
Corey".
Town Topice.
They do eay that people are just dy
ing to be buried in Logan Park ceme
tery since the company began to talk of
fixing it up. From William Reed Dun
roy's "Salad Dressing" in S. C. Tribune.
WANTED TRUSTWORTHY MEN AND Wo
men to travel and advertise for old established
house of ! solid nnancial standlmr. Salary iTW a
year and expenses, all payable !n cash. Noan
vasxlnif required. Give references and enclose
self-addressed stamped envelope. Address Man
ager, 335 Caxton UlJg ., Chicago.
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