1840.] SENATE— No. 36. 139 



its most justly a part of that brilliant eiiloginm, which the author 

 of the book of proverbs has pronounced upon a good woman. 

 I do not say that she has not just claims to the whole ; but it 

 is not within my province to adjust that account. " She layeth 

 her hands to the spindle ; her hands hold the distaff. She 

 maketh herself covering of tapestry ; and her clothing is silk 

 and purple."* Mrs. Brooks has produced and completed from 

 the egg three full gown patterns of silk ; and considerable 

 quantities of sewings. She surprised me by saying, that if her 

 silk cloth could be sold for one dollar per yard, taking in the 

 whole affair of production and manufacture, she could get one 

 dollar per day for her labor. My surprise, mingled with some 

 incredulity, has not wholly ceased. Her veracity is beyond 

 question ; but something must be allowed for the enthusiasm 

 with which success has insjiired her ; and if there be no error, 

 yet I fear there may be a little poetry in the calculation. It is 

 almost universal since the introduction and extraordinary im- 

 provements of manufacturing machinery, to mourn over the 

 decline of household industry properly so called ; to speak of 

 it as we are accustomed to speak of the existence of some 

 ancient cities, as a thing that was, but which has now be- 

 come purely matter of history ; what our grandtnothers per- 

 formed witii their own hands, as only suited to point the moral 

 of some story in a winter evening ; to consider it now not the 

 province of women to make the clothes but to wear the 

 clothes ; and like other beautiful flowers, referred to in the 

 sacred book, with which nature is adorned, thougli they may 

 array themselves in the gorgeousness of regal magnificence to 

 regard them as no longer doomed " to toil and to spin." The 

 eminent industry of Mrs. Brooks and ]\Iiss Rapp will do some- 

 thing towards redeeming the character of our own country- 

 women from a reproach but too often cast upon them by those 

 who seek to find an apology for tlieir own indolence, extrava- 

 gance, and want of enterprise in the imagined and magnified 

 deficiencies and fauls of others. 



* Prov. xxxi. vs. 19, 22. 



