OLD ART.REVIVED

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3048, 9 April 1917, Page 2

OLD ART.REVIVED

HAND-WOVEN FABRICS. •s . A few years ago a New York young woman prowling through the attio of a summer boardinghouse \ in Maine stumbled on a dusty wooden frame which she first conjectured was n, sfiaall private gnllows or a new kind of bear trap (states a writer in the "Outlook"). "No, ma'am," tho keeper of the boardinghouse assured her, "it ain't nothing so fearsome as that; it's juet an old hand loom that's sot hero for years." Thio led tho young woman to investigate the reasons why handweaving had become almost a lost art in the United States. Tho reasons did not seem good ones to her. ■ She persuaded several of her friends to her point of ..view, and the resnlt was that several looms were ordered built, on the lines of the dust-covered framework in the Maine farmhouse garret. A few old weavers were found who had stubbornly refused to bow to the new gods of machinery and_ who had been , making a precarious living peddling their own hand products in competition with the power looms of the great textile mills. These old weavers' were made happy by offers ?Vsteady employment at the *>"t. they loved and by as' '• "^'♦f | ' ,lat there would be a revivt' '-.ii'ouo'apprecia- | tion ,of that art. "'' T.iien they made these promises, the young women had only hopes to base them on. But' these hopes are being fulfilled. An old stable within half a. block of New York City's fashionable shopping district, which has been chosen for the home of the Flambeau Weavers, as these artists have chosen, to call tnem^elves/has becomoY centre for American hand-woven- fabrics of all kinds. ■ • > Old grandmothers' of the Kentucky mountains and of the New England hills have been encouraged to begin again the reproduction of the beautiful homespuns which clothed the American pioneers. The few Americans left alive who remember how to make the ; old woven rugs, bedspreads, • aad counterpanes have been heartened to new activity by' the , knowledge that there arc young American artists who have found as much beauty in' these_ products of old Yankeeland and' Dixieland as in the fabrics of Russia.; Italy or France. Concerning counterpanes alone there is a deal of lore, and the initiated can tell at a glance a counterpane is from West 1 Virginia or. Vermont.. ■ ' '

While this refitted old stable has thus becoDi'o the show-room for old American arts which • were at their, height when the site of the building was a pasture, the main efforts of the young artists concerned.' are' centred on the production of a. hand-woven silk with wild silk fibre used as the warp, which gives tho fabric a peculiar luster. In the language of laymen, it is difficult to explain the artistio' superiority of hand-woven fabrics to thoso.made by the power loom. The machinewoven goods are evener and can bo produced much more rapidly. But the hand-woven article carries always tfts personality of the weaver. To some degree tho: difference between the product of the hand loom and the product of the power loom is the difference between a painting and a photograptr. 'America, which has boen leading the worTd In the application of 'machinery to industry, cannot afford to neglect those homely arts—such as the production of fine hand textiles—in which the present-day Americans did so well. ■'.'".-

BAPTIST UNION CENTRAL 'AUXILIARY ' MEETING, . At the Vivian Street Baptist Church on Thursday and Friday the Central Auxiliary of the Baptiet Union of New Zealand held its annual meeting. On. Thursday afternoon Mr. G. J. D.Hercus, M.A., gave an address on "Christ's Approach, to the Cross," the meeting then being led by Pastor Matthews, of Wanganui. On Thursday evening the Rev. F. H. Radford, retiring president, addressed the meeting,his subject being. "Communion, in Christ." The Rev. P. Menzies presided on Friday morning, and. Paetor Nicholls addressed the gathering on tho subject "At the Cross." - The annual business meeting was held atfer the devotional meeting, tho Rev. Mr. Radford presiding. Delegates representing the various churches in the auxiliary district were welcomed by the Rev. E. Rollings, on behalf of the Wellington churohes. Tho Rev. Mr. Edridge, of Hastings, responded. ■■'■'„ The secretary (the Rov. Forde Carlisle) read the annual report, and Mr. J. Nicol submitted the treasurer's report and balance-sheet, showing an income of £135 6s! 10d., and an expenditure of £127 7s. 8d;, leaving a balance of £7 19s. 2d. ■ ■ A special committee was set up to deal with all matters relating to camp affairs. ' . ■•'''■' The cleotion of officors resulted as follows:—President, , Mr. J. Niohol; vice-president, Rov. Mr. Edridge; secretary, Rev. Mr. Evans; treasurer f Mr. J. Nicol; auditor, Mr. C. Collins. It was decided to hold the noxt annual meeting at Wanganui. ■' . ' After tho' business was concluded; the Rev. Mr. Rollings gave a.stirring address on "The Resurrection of Jesus —tho Citadel of Our Faith." In the evening tho Rev. Forde Carlisle spoke on "Tlie Commission of tho Risen Christ." ■■■.■■•:;'■■■. All tho delegates'and friends .attending the meetings" were entertained at tea by the Vivian Street Church. '• A. woman's face puzzles a woman' her- , ' self. WhoV advice is ehe to take? She hears this: "Mrs. Blank has a complexion like ft peach, and she says she owea it to bathing her face in lemon juice every night and sleeping on' a let pillow." Then she is told: So-and-so eays sleep with the windows open, take more exercise and cold baths, and he's got a skin like a nutmeg grater and a nose like a beet." It is easy to guess neither advice will be followed." flies Milsom knows what ad-, vice to give because ebe alqno. has had the experience. Tho two great Cultene remedies—the Skin Food (35.) for night and Balm (3s. ( 6d.) for daily neonate highly recommended, besides other' very necessary nnd delightful accessories too numerous to mention. All hair work, hair creams, tonics, and lotions. Call or write. All questions replied to promptly and confidentially. Miss Mil6om, Barnett's Buildings, 91 .Willis- St.' 'Phone 811—Advt. ,

AMERICA AND THE WAR SUFFRAGISTS OFFER - .SERVIGES. AtAlbany (U.S.), on February 7, Mrs. Norman de R. Whitehouse, speaking for 500,000 women suffragists of the State, stood, soldier-like, before Governor Whitman' in the Executive Chamber, and offered" the services of the great organisation of women suffragists of the State for. any service he may ask of'.them in Hho 'event of war with Germany or in any other emergency, states an American exchange.... \ This is not an empty offer on the part of the suffrage party, Mrs'. Whitehouse' told the Governor.

."Other groups of women all over the country are; offering" to organise,' , she said. : "We are ' already organised. Other 1 women are making lists o); the things "that women can do. We are prepared to do anything that is needed. , '■• '■■•.'■•■.- .• ■ ' ■ ■

, "Wβ have the advantage of/being prepared for immediate action. For instance, ire can communicate with every member of our organisation ■within a few hours. We have the names and addresses of the 500,000 members of our organisation) covering the entire State. :

"These names and addresses are not only in our centra] headquarters, hut each election district captain and Assembly district leader; has a'list' of those in her 'own Assembly district."

■ .Miss Poole,-Art; Florist. 70 Mannere • i Street, for "Bon Voyage" Posies, Theatre i 'and Wedding"Bouquets, Wreaths' and ; Crosses,. Cut Flowers, etc. A plentifnl supply of beautiful Asters now on hand. Ring 'Phone 2409.—4dvt.

The girl with the delicately soft cheeks, coft supple fingers, and smooth white arms and hands; is tfie girl whose skin suffers most from the effects of hear-and

■ wind. But she need not be concerned ■'■ as to her beauty, being impaired. "Sy- ■', dal , '—a softening, soothing:, refreshing ; emollient—will quickly .restore her skw .to its original charm and beauty. Price, ; 25., at all chemists and stores.—Advt.