Centennial Reminiscences

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23381, 24 June 1939, Page 6 (Supplement)

Centennial Reminiscences

By A. L. RUDDOCK

TX Victorian days the choice of a workbox was the subject oi as much delighted and serious consideration as that of the wireless cabinet is to-day. In these days the wireless set seems to form the centre of family lif»s nhilo in old-fashioned times pride of place was given to the workbox. Nowadays. on cold winter evenings we turn qn the wireless as we gather round the. fire, just as om-e workboxes were opened as the family gathered round the hearth—gathered very decorously, of course, the voting ladies sitting most elegantly on the sedate and. newly brocaded chairs. Xo comfortable lounging in an armchair then! Those workboxes were as precise and dainty as their owners. One that I saw, recently is still in as perfect condition a«< the day when its owner first opened it a century ago to take out gay silk with which "to work a cross-stitch hook-, marker for "dear papa to put in the family Bible." cross-stitch markers being just then all the vogue as very correct gifts for one's male lelations. One worked appropriate lines 011 them for brothers setting out into the wicked world, such as "Keep to the narrow way," or "Forsake not the path of thy fathers," while for papa one embroidered "And his children shall rise up and call him blessed." That occurred long years ago. Now the book-marker is sadly faded, and one of "dear papa's" great-great-grandchildren, recently looking at the large oil painting of that gentleman, merely remarked, "What a stern old bean! Thank Ood, he's not my. pop! The Days of Fine Stitchery The workbox has not changed in the least —it still remains an unspoilt link with those quaint old dayß when there was never any need to hurry or to bustle, when women could sit for houra making stitches so tiny that it almost took a microscope to see them. In fact, when one looked in the bottom of the workbox at a baby's bonnet lying there, one found it hard to believe that any being but a fairy could ever have made its stitches or its exquisite frills. Yet the maker was most truly human, and the bonnet belonged to one of her ten babies! The whole -workbox is of beautifully finished Tunbridge Wells work, made of hundreds and hundreds of wee pieces of inlaid wood, which on the lid form a complete picture of Windsor Castle and on tlie sides intricate flower and leaf designs. When the lid is lifted we see that it is lined with the most clever quilting in cheery-coloured satin, as fresh to-day as it was a hundred vears ago. Such was the quality of materials in those days! Inside are endless little "winders" for. different coloured silks, all beautifully inlaid. Xo wonder our great-, grandmothers did such wonderful stitchery when the materials they used were kept in such a charming manner. Xo one using strands off such delicate winders would ever have the heart to make a hasty careless stitch with them. Memories of Romance Rounded tops, with little inlaid pictures on each, were provided to place over the end of such ordinary things as cotton reels. Some of the original cotton reels are still in' the box and are of especial interest, as they are filled with "free labour cotton" and have embossed on the top a picture of a slave begging for freedom,! The little button box is so beautifully finished that even a black bootbutton taken out of it would seem as romantic as a lovely pearl. And the

History Through a Victorian Work-box

little silver scissors in their sheathdid they cut out endless patches lor some old patchwork quilt, each patch having some delightful association f Did the thimble dance in and out gaily as great-grandmother embroidered trees and birds on tapestry with as much ease .and dexterity as an artist painting them? As she stitched, most likely she sighed a little wistfully about the dashing young officer in a scarlet coat with whom she had danced the minuet and to whom she had managed to say shvlv. "Is not the music sweet?" "Not half as sweet as the music of your 'voice, Miss Elizabeth," he had replied. ' . . . . But papa had not approved—and the dashing young officer had died at th>' Crimea The needlebook has no needles lelt now within its- quaintly inlaid |backs. but ' once it simply bristled with all sorts and conditions of needles. There were snccial bendwork' needles, others for woolwork,' 1 some'for tapestry, very tine ones' for making beautiful point lace - and endless • needles which had come to rest after the strenuous sewing of "three dozen of each . -all well tucked and frilled, and all pure linen," for- great - grandmother's > trousseau, when in the end she married the rather .dull middlo-aged 'man of whom' papa did approve, whom, in fact, dear papa had l practically chosen, after having gone most thoroughly into the marriage-settlements, of course!