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offer sufficient premiums to draw out the extensive competition 

 which we had this year. It is a branch worthy of encouragement, 

 and that it has been given is shown by the increase in the number of 

 well constructed articles entered, and the usefulness and good 

 results is proved by the raising of the standard of excellence. If 

 there has been a continued improvement in the annual exhibit on 

 the grounds, that in the hall has kept pace with it. We are glad 

 to be able to report the largest exhibition ever made in this 

 department, which ever full, was filled almost to overflowing with 

 articles of utility and ornamentation representing beauty, excellence 

 and ingenuity. Only the committee could really appreciate the 

 merits on account of the limited space available for then display, 

 but marked progress is very apparent. In neither crochet work. 

 knit work, nor tatting can the imagination or poetic feelings of the 

 worker interpret themselves as in the fine arts, but the humblest 

 article may bespeak substantial traits of character ; in the fine taste, 

 neatness and painstaking accuracy manifest in its preparation. What 

 the result of this increase may be, cannot be foreseen. There may 

 be a tendency to extravagance, as the materials used for fancy work 

 are expensive, but we think our ladies will not go beyond what their 

 purses' will easily permit and the effect promised is refinement of 

 taste and the intensifying of the desire to execute simple work in a 

 neat and artistic manner. But in this special department there is 

 not necessity for extravagant expenditure, but the result of effort 

 depends upon the arrangement, choice of patterns, proper quality 

 of materials and efficiency in execution. The relations between 

 beauty and serviceableness are being learned and that because an 

 article is designed for use it does not serve a better purpose by 

 being made displeasing to the eye, but on the contrary when the two 

 are combined the results may be two fold. 



A definite description of the work cannot be given conveniently 

 even if it were desirable, but not a poorly made article competed for 

 premiums. Tatting seems to have lost favor, in consequence of its 

 lack of durabilit}^ ; the thread is so much worn by being worked 

 that it does not wear well. There were only three specimens, and 

 these were very evenly and smoothly made. The forty-two entries 

 of crochet work and thirty-five of knit work presented a charming, 

 and in the way of selecting the best, a very formidable array. There 

 were soft fleecy shawls and filmy laces, and heavy garments, warm 

 scarfs, mittens and stockings, reminding of the approach of cold 

 winter, delicate, web-like articles bringing mental pictures of the 

 cosy home made bright, attractive and home-like, by the bits of fan- 

 cy work, tastefully distributed and the pretty articles which com- 

 plete the attire of the occupants, and all these little matters have 

 more weight of influence in developing these lives than we should 

 dream of, and in strengthening that home love which is one of the 

 American supports. 



Your committee considered that articles worked in thread, wool, 

 silk, and macreme cord could not justly be compared with each oth- 



