Various

“ Seeing our friend’s grave face, we asked her what she was thinking of, and she replied, “I am thinking of the men who wove that silk to be trodden on, and the girls who sewed those beads to be smashed. Poor things! I would rather be the grimiest maid-of-all-work toiling for real human needs, or the roughest tailor or cobbler, working to cover honest human nakedness.”
Let all dress, therefore, always be as durable as can be, both in material and mode. As to “fashion,” even that has a root of necessity and common sense, because dress must change as social habits and customs change. ”

“ It seems to us that when a lady has once discovered the dress best suited to her age, appearance, and condition—the ideal robe in which she would wish to be painted for the eyes of unborn generations—her future study will be, not how much she can “follow the fashion,” but how little she need follow it to escape singularity. Fashion has nothing to do with a desire to be pleasant in the sight of others. ”

“ We have to make ourselves attractive to those whose love we desire, and to those from whose wisdom we wish approval. But we imagine that the desire to be loved and approved has a very small share in extravagance and fantasticalness in dress. Let us speak out plainly. We seldom befrill and bedeck ourselves, and waste time and money, to please our parents or friends, but rather to spite and outshine our “dearest enemies” among our female acquaintances. Suitability of style, dainty freshness, and tasteful variety will always satisfy love ”

“ That we pay them for it does not make it any better, any more than if we paid them for any other degrading and wasteful service. We insult them by taking their industry and trampling it under foot, as if they had no concern in their work, but only in their wages. ”

“ The pride of life is in their souls, and mainly for them. It is luxury that stands in the way of the civilised world, so that men cannot marry young and be happy. For the earth does not produce unbounded riches for a few while yet the many can have enough. Equality is a word without meaning or possibility; but notwithstanding, squalor and destitution might be things outside our experience, as should be luxury and waste.”
This brings us to the principle that should guide our expenditure, whether the sum at our command be large or small. ”

“ I think we all derived benefit from working together in that intimate and kindly manner; it made us strong and of one mind. Of course, I have grown quite accustomed to a much grander way of living; it is a sign of my prosperity and my usefulness, and I am thankful, but I am afraid if you came upon me unawares in my grand parlour you would find me with a sad sort of yearning for the early primitive simplicity and kindly feeling. ”

“ We have no right to keep people employed in weaving and making up useless and perishable shoddy articles. It is a dishonour to them to do such work, and if they are forced to do it that they may get bread to eat, we are keeping them in the worst kind of slavery. ”

“ Picture to yourselves my one room, with its directors, clerks, and secretaries each at his table or desk and ready for the special work allotted to him.
You want to know where I sat, I, the young and handsome girl. Well, I was everywhere, infusing life and energy and cheerfulness into all. ”

“ I have never been a great sinner; you know what I mean, ma’am. A gentleman comes here to preach on Sunday.”
She did not seem fully to apprehend her need of a Saviour, but acknowledged that we were all sinners. It was a strange, sad scene. She, seated on her bed of rags at one end of the small, dark, smoky, stifling tent; her husband also on the ground making skewers at the other, and apologising for untidiness; the infant apparently dying, the little girl affectionately stroking our garments. ”

“ Tight lacing, heavy flouncing, open bodices, high heels, and so forth, costly of health; dead birds’ wings, and everything else costly of suffering; complicated trimmings, costly of time and human energy in a world where there are thousands of little children growing up ill taught, thousands of sick people dying ill tended, thousands of industrious folk slaving to death for a paltry pittance. ”

“ But then “Isn’t it pretty for wearing in the parlour during those hours when we are doing nothing?” Let us reply with other questions: “Ought there to be hours when we are doing nothing?” And “In providing ourselves with clothes only fit for such occasions, are we not falling into the error we often smile at in working men who will buy stiff, uncomely Sunday garments of broadcloth and silk hats, instead of providing themselves with gala suits of the sensible tweed that will serve afterwards for work-a-day wear?” ”

“ On the other extreme there is the woman who does not care a bit for dress; who says she wishes we were born covered with black fur, or that we might cut holes in a sack for our feet and arms, and tie it up round our necks! She carries out her words so far as generally to appear in garments specially unsuitable to the occasion on which they are worn, and seems arrayed in remnants and oddments, chosen without any regard to her age, complexion, or circumstances ”

“ On Friday evening, when Jack and the other shearers came back earlier than usual, it was found that Charlie had forgotten to bring home a lamb that was ailing and required nursing, so, as John Shelley could not be spared from the supper, and Charlie by no means inclined to go, Jack, tired as he was, set off to fetch it. While he was gone, the last of the series of suppers went on in the tent, and was over and the singing begun before he returned. Fairy wandered out into the field to listen to the men’s voices as they sang their favourite song. ”

“ They hug their dolls as eagerly as English children do, and their dark eyes sparkle with pleasure. Whether or not it is a prize occasion, Mrs. Brander gives Christmas cards to the scholars that have attended for a month with regularity, and she likes to leave a packet with the schoolmaster as future rewards. One school had become almost empty for some reason, but on hearing of the Christmas cards the children all came back. These journeys of the inspectress last often three or four weeks, because there are many schools to visit. At the end of each tour she returns to Madras. ”

“ Anybody, therefore, is not well dressed whose attire unfits her for the performance of those actions which ought to be her duty. The tight-laced, be-flounced be-trained damsel proclaims to the world her utter unwomanliness. ”

“ I wish there weren’t such a thing, for if I had not been forced to leave my sheep to that boy for the sake of the shearing it would not have died, I am sure.”
“Poor little lamb. I am very sorry for you, Jack; but it is the first you have ever lost, isn’t it?”
“Yes, and if I had my way, I would give Charlie such a thrashing that he would take pretty good care it was the last. Lazy, careless young scamp!” said Jack.
“Never mind, Jack, he will always be lazy; it is his nature, just as it is yours to be always poring over books; but come home and have some supper; you look tired out ”

“ Nobody has any right to complain of anybody’s being well dressed. What they really mean is that these are unsuitably dressed. And there is a great deal of unsuitable dress in the world of the kind, more or less in degree, of that seen in the daughter of a parvenu millionaire of the Western States, who, when she went to a sensible New England seminary, where the young ladies were expected to wait on themselves, descended to the scullery in a velvet robe and diamond earrings! ”

“ Are you looking at the ferns? Joan sent them; she is very well and happy. I often hear from her.”
“I am glad of that; I only heard of her marriage by chance, about a fortnight after it took place. Well, I hope it is a happy ending to her many troubles.”
“Yes,” said Embrance, quietly, “I hope so.”
“You were in her confidence all along, of course, Miss Clemon?” ”

“ It is this Sunday working which is the cause of so much irreligion. Turn where you will, those employed have the same tale to tell. They all say that if only they could be ensured every other Sunday they would be satisfied, but to have no Day of Rest was bad both for body and soul. Indeed, one of them argued that the soul perished with the body, and that he could prove it from Scripture. Here and there we find men brave enough to refuse all Sunday work, and they say they have not lost by it. ”

“ Care must be taken to set the bows in front up well, and, if a soft material, a long bit of wire will form a support.
The flower of the day is the white chrysanthemum, and one sees it everywhere—on dinner tables, as button holes, and forming bouquets. ”

“ Those that have been deprived of reason are no longer responsible for their words or acts; those that retain their reason are fully responsible for rebellion against the calamity laid upon them, and for any consequent shipwreck of faith. ”

“ Let us say at once that it is the right of all to be well dressed, because that means to be dressed suitably to the climate and circumstances in which they live, and to their occupation, age, and appearance. A woman may be quite as well dressed in print and serge as in velvet and satin. ”

“ Nothing could be more unjust and unkind than to let a plain girl see that she is neglected or set aside on that account. But some plain girls are touchy, and see slights where none are intended, and show discontent and resentment, which are met with ill-feeling in return. ”

“ In the copy, the fronts are of velvet, fancy or plain plush, and the backs are of plain silk to match it in colour, the sleeves being also of silk. One of the new fancies is to make the dress-sleeves like the waistcoat or plastron, the bodice being of a different stuff, and having a small epaulette on the shoulder. I have been careful to give all these changes in detail, as they will, I know, be very valuable to the home dressmaker, and to those on whom the burden rests of “doing up” half-worn dresses, and making themselves look well and ladylike on small means. ”

“ The long cloaks are shown with two different styles of trimming, and a short jacket braided with thick cord—which is very girlish and graceful. So, also, is the short mantle trimmed with bands of fur. In the corner of the drawing-room—which serves as a warm and cosy refuge to two of our girls—we have our paper pattern of last month illustrated, with a plastron of soft silk added to it, for wearing in the house; while a waistcoat is used for the out-of-doors dress. The young girl in the armchair wears a “Norfolk,” or pleated jacket, like her dress, which has an air of simplicity and elegance. ”

“ The supply rarely answers the demand, for even from the tops of high houses in process of being built, we hear a shout of “Don’t forget us, please,” while the workmen on terra firma volunteer to distribute as many as we can spare. All seize with avidity on The Child’s Companion, for all, or most, have families at home, and “something for the little ones” is a boon. ”

“ When you hear people complaining that “nowadays everybody will go so well dressed,” you hear a misuse of language; and language loosely used is a dangerous thing; because it leads to looseness of idea. ”

“ At last a village is arrived at, where there is a school, and some of the native gentlemen of the place who are the managers, receive the inspectress. It is often located in a dark, close room, or, more pleasantly, in a verandah, under an overhanging roof. Mrs. Brander then examines the pupils in reading and writing, arithmetic and needlework. She is not hard upon them, for the teachers themselves have had little opportunity of learning. The children are generally bright and quick, very gentle and graceful, and with a winning but shy manner. ”

“ It is this great multitude of girls and women whom we would like to help by offering a few broad principles for their consideration; for principles underlie everything. And it is only by our grasp on principles that we can guide ourselves through the ever-varying details of duty. ”

“ Others are proud of the fact that their children will read to them whatever we are pleased to give them, and sometimes even beg for a book apiece for all the olive branches—“For fear one should be jealous of the other,” said a cabman. ”

“ Presents from England are particularly liked, not only because they are novel and different from Indian toys, but also because the school-children are glad to be thought of by friends at such a distance. Though their ideas of our country are very vague, they value these tangible expressions of sympathy in their good conduct and progress, which have come to them from the other side of the world. ”