LADIES’ COLUMN.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1692, 23 July 1879, Page 4

LADIES’ COLUMN.

NEEDLEWORK FOR BOYS. [From tho “ Queen. ”] Among tho many practical questions of life which seems to be constantly met by purely sentimental answers, occurs this one: “Why should not all little boys bo taught to sew!” The answer given is always, “Because sewing is unmanly,” and all sorts of allusions to Hercules and Omphale, and to the number of tailors that go to make a man—and so forth—arise to the lips and memories of everybody. Undaunted, by the chorus we again ask “ Why should not boys be taught to sow?” Is there any reason why, in the matter of needles and thread, the fingers of the vast majority of men should bo “all thumbs,” while in other matters the most delicate and accurate manipulation is daily required and obtained from them ? A little boy’s hands can be taught to hold and wield a needle just as well as a little girl’s can ; and there are a great number of occasions in life in which men would be very glad to have acquired, as boys, a slight knowledge of tho proper use of the needle and thread.

If all men, under all circumstances of life, could make sure of being constantly within the reach of women who could sew on buttons, put in patches, darn holes, and otherwise contribute to the wholeness and lastingness of garments, nothing more would have to be said. But tho very briefest reflection reminds us that there are thousands of men who, by the very nature of their occupations, are removed far from the sweet influences of the sewing sex. Soldiers on active service, miuers at work prospecting or digging for metals, explorers and travellers far from the haunts of civilised life —how useful to such as these would be some practical knowledge of sewing! Wo do not mention sailors, because, though many of these can sow very little, yet among sailors, and especially among tho men of tho navy, a considerable amount exists both of skill and knowledge as to the art of sewing. Not to go ao far afield as in the cases we have just mentioned, how often would the power to sow on a button, or to mend a little rent, or to darn a hole, to tribute to the comfort and peace of mind of a bachelor living in chambers, of a solitary lodger in the less expensive apartments, of a working man away on a “job,” of a “navvy” having to “do for himself ’’ ai far as possible. There need bs no display of needles and cotton—the whole sewing apparatus can be obtained in a very small compass ; the raccomodement can be made in the most secret manner, if it is desired that the possession of the accomplishment be still kept unknown ; but what comfort would be conferred by the possession of tho power of using the needle ! —and “can do is easily carried about.”

We will not dwell upon the usefulness of being able to knit, for that might lead us too far. Th»t many shepherds can and do knit, is proved by the experience both of southern Scotland and of Salisbury Plain ; but perhaps it would be too much to expect that men, as a rule, should take deliberately to knitting, however soothing the occupation may be. The usefulness and the desirableness of teaching boys to sew enough to meet their ordinary wants is, however, it seems to us, almost too obvious to need further enforcement.

We remember to have seen a tiny oldfashioned workbox, which belonged to one who in the early days of the present century went as a doctor to Madras, and prospered there, but who did not disdain the use of the needle for other than surgical purposes. All who have ever visited a nun-of-war must have had an opportunity of noticing the work which sailors can do —the views of ships in needlework which they delight in making, and the neatness with which they can finish off any work that they take in hand. It was but the other day that we heard a lady say, “So-and-so was an old man-of-war’s man, very active and handy; he could do anything—from putting in a pane of glass to doing a little needlework.” We have known several gentlemen who were able to sew well; and we have heard of a family in which there are many gentlemen, and where each male member of the family not always has a piece of needlework (generally woolwork) in hand, but whore, in a kind of cabinet set apart for work, each gentleman has a special drawer allotted to himself. It is not a family of milksops by any means, but a family well known for activity, energy, and manliness. It is very possible that the growing tendency of our times to teach children at an early age to use their fingers well, may lead to the teaching of the use of the needle to boys. A little boy might be as well taught to thread a needle as to thread beads, and he might as well be taught to sew a piece of calico as to stitch a piece of paper, ns is done in some of tho Kindergarten games. The whole weight of the sense of the thing would seem to be in favor of teaching the simpler process of needlework to boys, in order that they might help themselves, if need arose. We do not say let all boys become as proficient in needlework as those to whom we have referred—that is quite unnecessary. But at least let them bo taught something, so that bits of string and wire may not have to do duty for missing buttons, and that holes in stockings may be mended by a more orthodox process than merely sewing them up.