The Sphinx, Vol. 14, No. 204

              December 29, 1906.
THE SPHINX.
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London is full and has been almost unpleasantly crowded for the Christmas shopping. Very dirty foggy weather followed the hard frost, which was a disagreeable change for the distracted crowd of present seekers who hurried from one wonderful display to another. I think the efforts made each year to draw the money out of one’s shallow pocket is really bewildering; the shops are arranged in such gorgeous fairyland style that it rather spoils the children who are taken round, and the modest home Christmas Tree is often considered by these spoilt young people to be a somewhat tame affairs.
But the crowds are thinning, many people are leaving Town to join the various house parties and are going to their country homes for the children’s Christmas holidays.
The King and Queen have gone to Sandringham and will entertain a few guests for Christmas. The Queen’s cold is nearly well and the accounts of the Princess Royal are good; this second operation (or is it not the third ?) must leave great weakness and the necessity for prolonged rest and quietness, but I notice that she was able to see both the King and Queen of Norway twice last week before they left for Berlin, and Queen Alexandra and Princess Victoria have been paying daily visits.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are at York Cottage, the Princess as usual came to Marlborough House foi the Christmas shopping. Like the Queen she does not go to the shops, but has the goods submitted for her choice taken by the tradesmen to Marlborough House and there displayed in quietness for her selection : books and pictures are very favorite presents. The Princess remembers the Edinburgh Children’s League of Pity Shelter and I hear she this year sent a lovely box of toys from the Royal nurseries. This is such a good example; children get far too many presents and if mothers would attend to this detail in their nurseries and each year, when new presents pour in, ask their little ones to spare something for those who have nothing pleasure would be given and charity taught.
These examples ef kindly womanly thoughtfulness and charity rank far higher than the clamour and noise of so-called woman’s rights and the practical good done by several leaders in Society is tar more likely to help the poor and struggling than all the noise of shrieking Sisterhood.
I have just heard a rumour that the Countess of Aberdeen is going to give an Irish Lace Ball to help the workers in Ireland in whom she has taken such a deep interest for many years. Long ago when a cousin was Lord Provost of Edin- I burgh and Queen Victoria was coming to a bazaar 1 in that lovely town the Countess of Aberdeen sent over a large quantity of Irish peasant work at which I helped to sell. The stall was always crowded and the lovely work disappeared so quickly that numerous repeat orders were given and great interest was aroused. The great ladies of our land can do so much for the industries of our country and it is splendid to think how so many of them are ready to work hard to help the helpless. At this ball all are to wear dresses trimmed with Irish lace or crochet, the men are to attend in Court Dress with Irish “jabots” and ruffles. It is also to be hoped that poplin and Irish embroidery will be used when this can be conveniently managed. “Madge,” says that the Lord Lieutenant will hold an afternoon At Home for the benefit of Irish tweed and frieze.
Now is not this practical work far better than disturbances bv suffragettes, who have again invaded the House of Commons ? I know that
“The man who must be obeyed” says I may not write politics or religion,but truly,Mr. Editor, this is neither; not politics, but a scream for notoriety, not religion, for a high authority commands woman “to ask their husbands at home” and “to keep silence in the churches”. I may be allowed to tell the joke, I am sure: someone fainted and someone called out “This is your John Burns— This is your Liberal Government.—Give us food for our children !” “I’m afraid you’ll get very little food here, missis” mildly observed a policeman “their in there talking their heads off about education.”
Many people are buying theirgifts at the Royal School of Art needlework in which Princess Christian takes so deep an interest, it has been quite a smart rendezvous the last few days. It is the custom of various influential ladies to hold “At Homes” to further the cause. Last week the Duchess of Somerset was hostess and was to have been helped by Mrs. Percy Wyndham but she was unfortunately prevented from being present. The Duchess wore a lovely gown of red purple cloth with a very feathery hat of the same color, Mrs. Gamble was in purple velvet and sables. Mrs. Herbert Gladstone was dressed quietly in black with a chinchilla toque. Lady Maitland wore black velvet with a touch of emerald green and there was an American girl who was very pretty but I do not know her name. The Americans buy quantities of the lovely work which is displayed at the School, one day just after I had been there I had tea with a friend who lives near and is much interested and she told me of an American girl friend who had been in with her who had spent f 100 in needlework. The school is entirely for the benefit of ladies who work for help to live and there is nothing of the the shop spirit displayed by the most courteous managers and her staff. They seem glad to give information and help to all who do needlework for a living. I was dining lately in the company of one of the commissioners of this department I will not tell his name,, but you know him in Cairo well. He kind of owns antiquities and stone circles and pyramids and stars and he is a man who knows things and criticises, and we were talking of South Kensington and the Royal School of Art needlework and he said that the addition of curios and furniture is a great mistake as it is a thing apart from the true purposes of the school. It may be so but perhaps it helps the funds ; I never dare to contradict authority.
A very lovely show of needlework was held the other day by Miss Garnet at the Lyceum Club. The headquarters of Miss Garnet’s work is in the Lake District where Ruskin left such deep interest in all arts and crafts. The Spinnery Fail-field Windermere is noted for its hand-woven fabrics and there would almost seem to be inspiration in the surrounding scenery as there is poetry in the beautiful work. There was a display ranging from coarse linen for household use and for dress purposes to a fairy fabric called “woven air,” which is used for motor veils and scarves and in other ways. Miss Garnet was showing a delicate striped piece of this material chosen by the Queen. And there was “white-samite” which made one think of Tennyson and the “Passing of Arthur”. “Gold and silver threads are woven into these fabrics giving a mystic sheen which rivals the colors of the East.” I thought how lovely a Court train would be in this white samite. The designs are all varied and original and cleverly true to natuae as well as conventional.
The craft of the needle is to me truly fascinating and I hold the view that the nerve specialist should preach it as a Gospel of healing. It is to woman what a pipe is to a man, restful, soothing and remedial—with this difference, it leaves beautiful results, which a pipe cannot be said to do. If my specialist would treat the prescrpi-
ticn in all seriousness and insist on a steady course of needle work he would help and cure many restless nervous moments because one must sit quietly down to sew and the mere mechanical action of placing the needle and drawing in and out the thread is regular and soothing to an extent no mere man can understand. And the mind becomes occupied with the design and the being quiet takes the place of restless fid gets and peace nervous irritation. I, who know, tell you this,and you will bless the advice when you follow it.
London, December 21st, 1906. Ellen. nnnnnnannnnnannnnnnnnnnnnnncinnnaan
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