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iron succeeded the bottle, and in its turn was superseded by a 

 machine made for the purpose, which resembled the drawing roll- 

 ers used by jewellers. 



The braiding of straw is a light work, requiring little muscular 

 strength. Its irksomeness results from the sitting position in 

 which it is performed. It was carried on in the family, and by 

 almost every member of it. The mistress of the household would 

 hurry through her domestic duties to take it up. Her elder 

 daughters, whose fingers were more supple, phed the straws from 

 early dawn to dewy eve. The younger children of both sexes, 

 above five years of age, were stinted to a certain number of yards 

 each day, sometimes trenching on play hours. Braiding was 

 carried to the school-room, and the leisure moments in the school 

 devoted to it. A large flimily was a pecuniary blessing in the 

 early days of straw braiding. Many of the comforts and most of 

 the luxuries that entered the working farmer's house Avere the re- 

 sults of the labors of his minor children. It was objected that 

 children Avere deprived of some of the benefits of schools ; that the 

 daughters lacked that instruction and practice in the arts of house- 

 keeping, requisite for the discharge of their duties as wives ; and 

 that the whole of the female and younger portions of the family 

 were deprived of the out-door exercise and recreation conducive 

 to health. But all labor is confining and irksome. It is the ex- 

 cess of it which is injurious to health. There were some advan- 

 tages in straw braiding over other employments since substituted 

 for it. It was perforuied at home ; and if home was what a home 

 ought to be, it could be robbed of much of its irksomeness by fre- 

 quent relaxation and pleasant conversation. After once learned, 

 it is so purel}' mechanical that the fingers seem to move success- 

 fully without any mental effi jrt ; and, in forming some braids, the 

 braider could read without difficulty. Mrs. Baker informed me 

 that she has read many a volume Avhile at her work ; and I have 

 learned from others, that they found no difficulty in reading and 

 braiding at the same time. It was entirely free from the many 

 dangers which environ a collection of young persons away from 

 their parents and their homes, at work under a superintendent 

 whose only object is to make the most money from their labors. 

 It has also been objected to straw braiding, that it led to undue 

 expenditure for dress, and an inordinate love for it. This is not 

 peculiar to this business. It is the tendency of all employment 

 that brings the means of such expenditures. But success in this, 

 required habits of neatness and industry, which arc great correc- 

 tives of the matters here objected to. Mrs. Baker, in a letter to 

 the author, says : 



" The beauty of straw bi-uiil is to have it clean and white. 

 (Mrs. Whijtplo was proverbial for neatness, ) hence the necessity 

 of saying to every braider, *• you must keep it clean, or you can- 



