Isabella Kentish

“ Strange, that in this Christian nineteenth century the noisy note of preparation for war should rouse the echoes of the brave old Temple, even as the clang of the barbed war-horse, and the clash of mailed footsteps, awoke them in the chivalrous times of Richard the Lionhearted! ”

“ And here a word about crochet patterns. At Pettitoes', as well as at most firms, the designs are made by the workers, who are allowed the preference of working up the orders, if their patterns succeed. If they cannot obtain them in this way, they buy them of persons possessing the gift of designing, who are not actually working for daily bread, and therefore refuse to part with them without payment. Sometimes orders are sent to Paris for the latest novelty, which is copied, and soon in the market. ”

“ Then, from every part of the rumbling building is heard the rush of feet and clang of voices ; and down the break-neck narrow staircases, laughing, joking, chattering, chasing each other at full speed, we see the in-door hands rushing to their dinners. In five minutes all is so still that you wonder if the busy tide of happy humanity has really hurried past ”

“ I dare say you wonder that sailors don't stick to each other more than they do—go more voyages in company; but the fact is that, when you've a long voyage, you quarrel, for the sake of excite ment ; and then it must be a good fellow indeed who sticks to you. ”

“ It is still early, and the crocheters and crape-trim mers have not arrived ; so the manageress composes herself to sorting out fresh supplies of buttons, or making entries in her books. Outside, the hands are comparing notes, congratulating or condoling with one another according to circumstances. Almost invariably this class of workers consists of the wives and daughters of mechanics of the humbler kind ; and, rough as some of them un doubtedly are, there is far more kindly feeling and consideration shown one towards the other than we often see in more polished circles. ”

“ Under the head of “fancy trimmings” are classed an immense variety of goods, principally ornamental: fringes of all descriptions, plain, fancy, and beaded gimps and braids; crochet fastenings for mantles, do. headings for tassels, fringes; do. collarets for mantles, fancy tassels, girdles; fancy buttons of every conceivable variety; plain crape trimmings for ladies’ dresses; do. bugled; do. machine; crape collars, cuffs, &c.; bugled lace, finger gimp, ornaments for dresses, cloaks, &c. ”

“ To work from right to left is sometimes troublesome enough, but from left to right is more than the patience of the best constituted worker can bear. These round medallions are for the headings of tassels ; silk will be " knotted " through the loops, and the mantle Whattassel makes is complete. these headings so firm is, they have a metal ring for foundation, which ring must not be permitted to show through the silk, or gimp. Buttons and elastic will be sewn on those large leaves before "carding," and the cloakfastening is ready prepared for sale. ”

“ However, this Ned Saunders and I were fast friends enough, and we agreed not to sail one without the other : it's a sort of pro tection in a gang of such chaps as one sometimes meets with in a fo'castle, to be two together, standing up for each other, giving an eye to each other's chests, and so on—to say nothing of the comfort of having a chap to talk to about things you can't talk about to the common run of people. ”

“ They truly " do as they would be done by." To use their own words, their " Bills and Jims are perhaps raging and swearing for their dinners," but never for one moment do they think of depriving one another of their turns. ”

“ The wooden moulds are carefully covered with silk by machinery, guided by boys, and on this fine slight tissue the patterns are worked with a needle and silk, or twist, the hard under ground rendering strong hands indispensable to a first-rate buttoner. ”

“ And yet, no steel-clad Knight of the Cross, struggling for possession of the Holy Sepulchre, ever fought with truer courage, or more determined bravery, than these simply-clad Volunteers will strike for the holy sanctuaries of hearth and home ”

“ And whilst admiring the exquisite taste displayed in the design, we cannot but think that the present superiority of French fancy designers over our own is owing not to greater natural ability, but to the higher knowledge of art in respect to manufactures which for years they have undoubt* Gilt buttons, not strings, have fairly driven fancy buttons out of the market. ”

“ In-door hands are employed principally on fringes, braids, &c, and as finishers of out-door work, and are more certain of constant employ ment than the out-door ones—having the pre ference given them in the slack season. They are paid by the piece, so merit has its due reward ; and at Pettitoes', as well as several firms we could name, are well looked after and kindly treated. ”

“ At the first-named period, a first-class manufacturer employed, directly and indirectly, at least 500 men, women, boys, and girls, and an establishment of this kind was looked upon as a great boon to the inhabitants of the densely populated districts of the metropolis in which they abounded, absorbing their surplus labour. ”

“ We are bound to believe that the "old uns" are very ill-tempered and the " limbs " proportionally troublesome, not only from hearsay, but from the worn and jaded looks of too many of the married women. The spinsters appear upon good terms with themselves and all around them, joking each other unmerci fully respecting their " young man," who, at the first convenient opportunity, is to become their "old un," and till that blissful day arrives is bound to escort his lady-love to the "Wells," at least once a week. ”

“ They are principally the daughters of small traders, retired or otherwise, dotted here and there with those of whom the best description is given by saying " they have seen better days." As a rule, they are a far more comfortable-looking class of workers than the buttoners, and their work pays better for the time it lasts.
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A crape hand now thrusts her bag of trimming8 through the trap. This is the best paid work TM all, but it is necessary to serve an apprenticeship to it. The bugled crape is inferior to the crochet and buttons. ”

“ And woe be to the hands of those firms 'ho are out of stock when ships are due, for then ll the refuse bugles are given out to be worked p ; and the workers growl, and rage, and grumble -ithout ceasing, as it is impossible to make good 'ork with bad materials, and the smallness and iggedness of the refuse bugles causes them a srious loss of time, besides severe lectures from be master and forewoman on account of rough fork. ”

“ But fashion assists to depress the trade. Gilt, glass, and mother-of-pearl buttons have taken the place of "fancy" silk-embroidered ones ; and tas sels have bowed their heads to ribbons. In 18o—, the following prices were, on the average, paid to the out-door hands :—Plain crape hands, from 10s. ”

“ Young ladies, who wish to increase their tore of pocket-money ; others whose parents have ather littlestraitened at homeincomes, to goingandout whointo prefer the helping "cold rorld." All ladies whom time or sickness has deprived f their own natural head-dresses, may obtain rtilicial ouses ; ones and of all every knitted, description netted, atand thesecrochet wareroollen goods are to be found here in endless ariety. The net manufacture has been very .risk the last season or two. ”

“ ONCE A WEEK.
eedles. "Tommy gimp," as the hands designate lis, from the stick called a "Tommy" to which ie gimp is fastened, is much disliked by all orkers. leting Owingorders, to the as well necessity as forofeconomical immediately reasons, com3 much material as possible is made on the pre sses of all firms. The manufacture of gimp nploys a large number of boys ; and here, if we lease, we may see them walking up and down, t their monotonous tasks. ”