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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



over to the workman, who has no responsibility iu these matters. 

 *' The lace industry of Brussels is now divided into two branches, the 

 making of sprigs, either point or pillow, for application upon the net- 

 ground, and the modern point gaze. The first is the Brussels lace, 

 var excellence^ and more of it is produced than of any other kind. Of 

 late years it has been greatly improved by mixing point and pillow- 

 made flowers. 



Point gaze is so called from its gauze-like needle-ground, fond 

 gaze., comprised of very fine, round meshes, Avith needle-made flow- 

 ers, made simultaneously with the ground, by means of the same 

 thread, as in the old Brussels. It is made in small pieces, the joining 

 concealed by sprigs or leaves, like the old point, the same lace-worker 

 making the whole strip from beginning to end. Point gaze is now 

 brought to the highest perfection, and is remarkable for the precision 

 of the work, the variety and richness of the jours, and the clearness 

 of the ground. It somewhat resembles point d'Alengon, but the work 

 is less elaborate and less solid. Alengon lace, it is said, could not 

 compete with Brussels in its designs, which are not copied from Na- 

 ture, while the roses and honeysuckles of the Brussels lace are wor- 

 thy of a Dutch painter. When flowers of both pillow and needle- 

 lace are marked upon the ''' fond gaze it is erroneously called point de 

 Venice." 



Lace-making is at present the chief source of national wealth in 

 Belgium. It forms a part of female education, and one-foptieth of the 

 entire population (150,000 women) are said to be engaged upon it. 



But some of the pillow-laces have had immense popularity as well 

 as those of the needle. Fig. 1 is a beautiful example of the pillow- 

 lace made at Valenciennes in the eighteenth century. 



This kind of lace was first made in the city of Valenciennes, and 

 the manufacture reached its height in that town about 1780, when 

 there were some 4,000 lace-makers employed ujjOn it ; but fashion 

 changed, lighter laces came into vogue, and in 1790 the lace-workers 

 had diminished to 250, Napoleon made an unsuccessful attempt to 

 revive the manufacture, and in 1851 only two lace-makers remained, 

 and they were over eighty years old. At one time this manufacture was 

 so peculiar to the place that it was said, " if a piece of lace were be- 

 gun at Valenciennes and finished outside the walls, the part not made 

 at Valenciennes would be visibly less beautiful and less perfect than 

 the other, though done by the same lace-maker with the same thread 

 and pillow," The city-made lace was remarkable for its richness of 

 design, evenness, and solidity. It was known as the " beautiful and 

 everlasting Valenciennes," and was bequeathed from mother to daugh- 

 ter like jewels and furs. It was made by young girls in underground 

 rooms, and many of these workers are said to have become almost 

 blind before they were thirty years of age When the whole piece 

 was done by the same hand the lace was thought much more valuable. 



