Page:Once a Week Jul - Dec 1859.pdf/529

518 often surrounded  by  a circle  of  ladies  of  honour, whose occupation  was  alternate  reading,  and  working in  ornamental  embroidery; and  in  later  years, when death  had  robbed  her  of  those  for  whom  alone life had  been  valued,  her  favourite  resource  was the working  of  tapestry,  of  which  she  completed an almost  incredible  amount. Women are  all  the more in  need  of  some  resource  of  this  kind,  because of  the  fertility  of  their  own  fancies,  and sometimes of  the  many  feelings  which  they  have to beguile  or  keep  down  from  bursting  into  expression. It is  no  stretch  of  imagination  to  say that gushing  tears  have  often  been  checked  by  the assortment of  colours  necessary  for  the  weaving  of a group  of  flowers,  or  that  the  tinting  of  a rose-bud has  sometimes  soothed  the  beating  of  a troubled  heart. The old  Spanish  ballad  of  “The Bridal of  Andalla” is  at  once  true  to  nature,  and illustrative of  this  phase  of  woman's  life:

Rise up,  rise  up,  Xarifa! lay the  golden  cushion  down.

Whence comes  it,  then — for  this  brings  us  to the  gist  of  the  question — that,  with  all  this  work, and all  this  tendency  to  work,  the  productions  of the  fair  fingers  of  the  present  day  illustrate  so little  that  is  new, — so  little  that  is  beautiful  of their  own  inventing? No doubt  the  patterns from which  ladies  work  are  in  fault  wherever there is  an  absence  of  truth,  or  harmony,  or  grace in their  productions. But, then,  who  makes  the patterns? Who makes  the  patterns,  not  only  of ladies'  work,  but  of  all  the  beautiful  things  by which  we  are  surrounded? Who makes  the  patterns of  the  papering  of  our  walls,  of  our  silks,  our muslins, our  drapery,  our  ornaments  in  general? Does the  artisan,  the  tradesman,  the  mere  mechanic, make  these  patterns? Does the  handicraftsman weave  together,  first  in  idea,  those wreaths of  luxuriant  fruits  and  flowers  which hang around  our  rooms? Does it  devolve  upon him to  unfold  the  classic  scroll,  to  trace  the  light arabesque, or  to  blend  those  exquisite  harmonics of tone  and  colour  which  charm  the  eye  by  a visible  concord  of  sweet  influences? We should have thought  the  fairest  fingers,  and  the  most cultivated taste,  would  have  been  the  originating source of  these  inventions.

To whom,  in  fact,  should  we  look  for  inventions in this  department  but  to  ladies  themselves? Who would be  so  likely  to  originate  fresh  combinations of form  and  colour,  arranged  according  to  the highest order  of  conception  and  taste? Ladies now travel  to  every  part  of  the  habitable  globe, and thus  have  opportunities  of  observing  at  their leisure the  artistic  embellishments  of  all  countries. The curious  mosaic,  than  which  nothing  can  be more  appropriate  for  the  square  stitches  of  their worsted-work; the delicate  tracery  of  the  Moorish arch, now  brought  near  us  in  the  Crystal  Palace; every line  of  beauty,  every  harmony  of  colour, every trick  of  art,  from  ancient  to  modern  times, all the  different  adaptations  both  of  nature  and art, to  atmospheric,  to  geographical,  and  to  other influences, — all these,  in  their  endless  variety, come under  the  observation  of  our  travelled  ladies; and out  of  these,  it  would  naturally  be  supposed that fresh  combinations  and  improved  effects would be  continually  suggesting  themselves  to minds  whose  appropriate  study  is  the  beautiful under every  variety  of  aspect,  whether  presented by art  or  nature.

If half,  or  one-hundredth  portion  of  the  time bestowed by  ladies  upon  following,  with  monotonous labour,  those  lines  and  figures  which  may now be  bought  in  any  country  shop,  were  given  to invention,  instead  of  servile  imitation,  what  a new and glorious  era  would  dawn  upon  our  manufacturing world! So soon  as  figures  of  beauty become so  common  as  to  be  exhibited  in  the  windows of  every  shop,  they  ought  surely  to  be  left  to mere  mechanism  to  multiply  and  carry  out. The higher orders  of  taste  and  fancy  should  then invent others,  fresh  from  those  cultivated  and  expanded minds  which  have  enjoyed  the  advantage of observing  what  art  has  accomplished  at  different times, and  in  different  regions  of  the  globe,  as  well as  of  what  nature  exhibits  under  her  most  favourable aspects. So soon  as  machinery  is  able  to take  up  any  kind  of  work,  or  even  so  soon  as  the poor are  able  to  make  a trade  of  it,  the  hand  that is not  obliged  to  labour  should  lay  it  down,  and take up  something  new  and  better. So soon,  also, as science  has  invented  fresh  dyes,  or  new  materials, the  same  fair  hands  should  assume  the office of  assortment  into  fresh  patterns,  and  new combinations of  such  colours  and  materials,  keeping always  the  highest  agency  employed  upon  the noblest work,  and  thus  maintaining,  by  a just balance, the  true  economy  of  labour.

Ladies often  want  amusement; here  is  a wide field open  to  them — a field  of  intellectual  amusement, too; for,  while  the  fancy  is  busily  engaged with the  creative  process,  all  the  higher  principles of  art  must  be  called  in  to  aid  in  the  construction of  something  which  shall  afford  lasting pleasure and  improvement  to  the  beholder. And when we  think  of  all  the  delightful  associations, the pleasant  memories,  the  indelible  impressions, and the  images  of  beauty  which  might  be  enlisted in the  service  of  this  pursuit; as  well  as  the quickening of  the  eye  to  present  things,  and  the perpetual amusement  of  laying  up  stores  of  beauty and of  grace  for  future  work,  the  wonder  is  that all minds  delicately  constituted,  and  keenly  alive to impressions  of  beauty,  should  not  from  choice embrace such  occupations  as  amongst  the  greatest enjoyments of  a privileged  and  happy  life. The wonder is,  perhaps,  still  greater,  that  any  minds so constituted  should  remain  satisfied  with  work which consists  of  mere  imitation  of  things  never in themselves  worthy  of  being  repeated.

In suggesting  any  improvement  in  taste  or habit,  the  next  important  thing  is  to  propose  some plan  likely  to  accelerate  this  change. Might not the  Crystal  Palace  aid  us  in  this  respect? Exhibitions of various  kinds  are  successfully  conducted there. Prizes are  offered  for  excellence  in  various departments,  from  poetry  and  art,  to  floral  and  animal  life. Why not  prizes  for  the  work  of educated  women? Why not  have  a day,  or  two days,  appropriated  to  such  an  exhibition,  only allowing  ample  time  for  preparation? Tickets of merit  might  then  be  awarded  according  to  the higher  and  lower  ranges  both  of  design  and  execution, the  whole  to  be  divided  into  two  classes, original  and  copied; the  highest  award  being