ON FANCY ARTICLES. 57 



tors, as well as of the Committee. Among these, the Com- 

 mittee desire to make honorable mention of two pieces by- 

 Miss Sarah S. Mugford of Salem, a lady who has been confin- 

 ed to her bed for a long series of years, by a disease which is 

 very painful and probably incurable. Her work was very 

 beautiful ; the pictures and scenes represented seemed to stand 

 out from the canvass, with life-like prominence, devoid 

 of that angular expression usual to such work. A set of 

 wrought chairs by Miss S. M. Skerry of Salem, also deserve 

 special notice. The style and execution of the work was in- 

 imitable, and the chairs themselves were splendid enough for 

 the parlor of a nabob. Other specimens of this kind of work 

 might be specially noticed, but the Committee content them- 

 selves with referring to the list of gratuities for further particu- 

 lars. 



Six boxes of Sea mosses, arranged and contributed by Miss 

 Watson, were, in the opinion of the Committee, deserving of 

 as much attention and praise as any articles in the exhibition. 

 Both as regards the beauty of the specimens, and the taste 

 displayed in their arrangement, they were fully equal to any- 

 thing of the kind ever seen by the Committee, whether im- 

 ported or not. Nothing could be more exquisitely beautiful, 

 than the delicate tracing of some of the finer specimens of 

 plants, and nothing more elegant than the Avhole effect pro- 

 duced by their arrangement. Two oil paintings, by Miss 

 Very, were noticed by the Committee as displaying much 

 skill and taste for art. It was understood that they were exe- 

 cuted by ladies who have received very slight instruction in oil 

 painting, and whose proficiency is very decidedly marked. 



The Committee were somewhat at a loss to understand how 

 they could be expected to pass judgement on such articles as 

 water pails, bed cords, and gun stocks, inasmuch as their own 

 opinion would be against styling such things as fancy articles. 

 They were relieved from their doubts upon seeing, in a former 

 Report, that they were considered a Committee "on articles not 

 included in the duties of other Committees," and in the latter 

 capacity they have awarded some of their gratuities. 



One suggestion the Committee would like to make for the 

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