Women Make the Homes"Make^the 
Woman And The Home. 
CURRENT DISCUSSION. 
T is with some Inward questioning that we give place 
to an article having the title which is almost a chal¬ 
lenge—“ Woman’s Suffrage.”—especially after the sarcas¬ 
tic intimation of the Interior that this topic is always 
available nowadays when others fail. We may assure our 
readers, however, that it is not by any means because 
other topics have failed, but because the correspondent 
who sends the article hinted that the negative side of this 
question is not given fair stow, that we give place to the 
present article. Mrs. Gifford’s recollections of the meet¬ 
ing at Atlanta come almost as if in answer to the other 
paper, and we purposely give them together. We may 
say that Mrs. Gifford knew nothing of the anti-suffrage 
article. * * * 
As if for the express purpose of fitting into the dis¬ 
cussion regarding the women who write, some pertinent 
facts have lately come to our knowledge, in connection 
with three prominent publications for which the matter is 
written almost exclusively by women. 
The Home-Maker finds itself so worried by would-b 
contributors and so burdened by matter already accepted 
that it announces that It is now refusing all matter sei 
to it; the editor of the Ladies’ Home Journal publishes! 
statement to the effect that 15,000 manuscripts were re¬ 
ceived in his office In 1890, of which 14,503 were rejected, 
while of the 497 accepted, 300 were solicited articles 1 The 
modest woman’s manuscript would have something like 
one chance in 1,000 of being one of the 197. It must 
have taken nearly $600 from the pockets of the writers to 
pay the postage on those returned articles, even at one 
stamp each way. Some one who was in some way fortu¬ 
nate enough to get a comment on Mr. Bok’s statement 
into print, says that statistics like these show how much 
utter trash is being written. A worse specimen of “utter 
trash ” than this statement we do not remember to have 
seen 1 Nothing is shown but that the periodical in ques¬ 
tion can use but a hopelessly small proportion of the 
matter sent it, no matter how good it may have been; 
and that it unquestionably prefers matter from peo¬ 
ple of the $10,000 class, and buys that which it prefers. So 
good an authority as Margaret E. Sangster, however, is 
quoted as saying that women’s manuscripts are increas¬ 
ing enormously in number, while improving but little in 
character. 
The third periodical referred to, Good Housekeeping, 
while not so definite in its statements, confesses to being 
so burdened with matter on hand as to be obliged to re¬ 
ject matter which it would otherwise be glad to accept. 
AH these give their whole space to women, while the dis¬ 
cussion referred primarily simply to the women’s depart¬ 
ment in general papers, yet that which Is true of the 
woman’s periodical is usually true, in different measure, 
perhaps, of the department. It certainly looks as though 
Rose Terry Cooke were right in so positively advising 
women never to embark in literature as a means of earn¬ 
ing a living.__ 
ORIGINAL DESIGNS IN RICK-RACK. 
HE most practical of all “ pick up work ” is rick-rack. 
It is the most convenient because it does not imply 
the counting of stitches. It is truly astonishing what the 
application of odd moments can accomplish. Just a few 
stitches may be added and the work dropped any second. 
This has reference to odd moments that could not be put 
to a better purpose. Reading is out of the question for 
moments of this character, for it is quite impossible to 
concentrate thought and to profit by good reading at in¬ 
terrupted intervals of but two to five moments in dura¬ 
tion. Every woman has some—it may be very few—just 
such moments of waiting. If she will apply none but 
these odd moments in making rick-rack, the reward of her 
efforts will exceed her highest expectations. 
Cheap lace or embroidery never looks nice; imitations 
are an offense to the cultivated eye; crocheted lace in¬ 
volves counting; to make real point lace is very slow and 
tedious work. Rick-rack answers fashion’s dictates inas¬ 
much as it is hand-made. Moreover, made of linen braid 
and unbleached linen thread, it exceeds all other trimming 
in point of durability. Just as all other old fashions are 
revived, so is that of this trimming. Besides, anything real 
is never out of fashion. Over and above these redeeming 
features in favor of rick-rack, the designs here illustrated 
and described are strictly original. 
One pattern is made by counting off 15 points; that is, 
double the braid in the middle of a point, and along the 
inner edge count 73^ points. The point which is folded in 
the middle gives the half point. The two lower points are 
sewed together, forming the outline for the wheel or scal¬ 
lop. The wheel work in the center is made very similar to 
that of the old pattern of 11 points—counting 5% down the 
inner edge. The old style called for a single buttonhole 
stitch, this original design requires a double buttonhole 
stitch. That is, the thread is thrown over the needle twice 
instead of once. After each point has been loosely button¬ 
holed in this manner, draw together by running the needle 
in and out, twice between each stitch. Draw up quite 
tight, thus forming the tiny ring in the center. It is very 
rapid work; much more so than the old pattern of same 
size (15 points) having a double wheel in the center. It is 
also far prettier and much more lacy in effect. It can be 
made any desired depth by starting with that number of 
wheels and working up or down. This style will be 
found especially pretty for trimming square-cut corset 
covers. For instance, have three to five rows in the low- 
cut neck and a single row across the shoulders. For trim¬ 
ming gingham gowns and childrens’ frocks, it is particu¬ 
larly beautiful worked with linen floss in red and the three 
shades of blue. 
An original combination of two old patterns is pic¬ 
tured in Fig. 163. Detailed description of this would be 
superfluous. Suffice it to say that it is the union of the 11 
and the 15 point wheel. The former has the single button¬ 
hole center, the latter the double concentric wheel. It 
likewise has sufficient fullness to make it ruffle prettily. 
It is a charming fancy for a prospective bride, that her 
lingerie be entirely her own handiwork. Make it of 
sheer linen (if possible) and trim it with hand-made lace or 
Fig. 1 62. 
rick-rack. Indeed, when made of the finer braids, rick- 
rack is as delicately beautiful as lace, and much more last¬ 
ing. It is already quite frail—in appearance only, not in 
durability—when made of No. 17 braid and No. 60 linen 
tL read. For ordinary wear the No. 21 braid sewed with 
No. 40 linen thread is quite fine enough. While working, 
various patterns and combination of designs will suggest 
themselves, so that half a dozen suits of underwear can 
Fig. 163. 
readily be trimmed without the slightest degree of same¬ 
ness. 
Another decidedly simple edge is shown in Fig. 162 It is 
made with magic speed and is abf ut as neat an edge as can 
be imagined. By various elaborations (See Fig. 164) It 
makes a desirable variety of “ antique ” trimming. 
Rick rack braid now comes in ecru, scarlet, a lovely 
shade of pale blue, and of course, the pure white. For 
aprons or pink dresses and also for white costumes, the 
ecru braid will be found most effective. The scarlet braid, 
sewed with black thread, or with red linen floss, is espe- 
Flg. 164. 
dally handsome on either a black or a red gown. The pale 
blue, sewed with unbleached thread or blue linen floss, is 
a strikingly beautiful garniture for a very deep navy or 
pale blue lawn. anna hinrichs. 
Missouri. 
REMINISCENCES OF THE NATIONAL W. C. T. U. 
WAS interested in the article concerning the two 
women’s meetings at Washington. I do not see how 
women can help feeling a special interest in those grand 
movements which are a peculiar feature of the times, a 
spontaneous uprising as it were of the best women of the 
land in the cause of purity and temperance, and equality 
before the law. 
It was my privilege last November to attend some of the 
sessions of the Annual Convention of the National W. C. 
T. U. held at Atlanta. The National Grange was in ses¬ 
sion there at the same time, and the fact of my being a 
delegate to that body precluded attendance on the meet¬ 
ings of the W. C. T. U. to any great extent, but I was per¬ 
mitted to attend.one of the most notable suffrage meetings 
held, and it is of this occasion that I wish to speak. 
Nearly all “ white-ribbon ” women wear the yellow rib¬ 
bon as well, for experience has brought them to realize 
that without the ballot most of their temperance work 
proves abortive. On the evening of which I write the city 
of Atlanta gave a public reception to the 1,000 visiting 
women, and the great Trinity M. E. Church, where the 
convention was held, was crowded to its utmost capacity 
with the W. C. T. U. and citizens of distinction, among 
whom were Gov. Northen and Ex Gov. Gordon, who a day 
or two later was elected United States Senator. Having 
arrived a few minutes late, I found the church filled to 
overflowing, and no available room even tor standing left, 
and was about to go away in disappointment when some 
one announced that there would be an overflow meeting 
in the lecture room. Thither I went and soon found my¬ 
self seated in a fine large room in the basement of the 
church, together with a large assemblage of intelligent 
people who, like myself, had not succeeded in gaining en¬ 
trance to the main room. 
Soon Mrs. Benjamin, the Superintendent of the Parlia¬ 
mentary Department of the N. W. C. T. U., Mrs. Zerelda 
G. Wallace and Dr. Anna Shaw, Superintendent of the 
Franchise Department, came upon the platform. After 
the singing of “ Rise, Temple, Rise,” and “ Saloons Must 
Go,” by a chorus of 50 or more children, Dr. Shaw came to 
the front and prefaced her remarks by saying that she did 
not want to come there that night; that she had been at 
work in South Dakota in the Interest of the suffrage 
amendment from August 4, to November 5, and was 
thoroughly tired out; that she had spoken twice every 
day during that time and frequently three times, and if 
she had not belonged to the weaker sex, she probably 
would have spoken more. Said she: “ I had the promise 
if I would come to Atlanta, that I need not open my 
mouth to speak in public until Sunday when I was to 
preach in one of your churches, and when our beloved 
President, Miss Willard said to me. ‘ You must go down 
and speak to the overflow meeting,’ for the first time in 
my life I rebelle 1 and said ‘I won’t.’ Ignoring my reply, 
she again said: ‘ But you must,’ and I, yielding with what 
grace I could, asked : ‘ What shall I talk about ? ’ ‘ Talk 
about your hobby 1 ’ So I have come to talk to you about 
my hobby. But, perhaps you would like to know how I 
came by my hobby. I will tell you. When the temper¬ 
ance movement known as the ‘ Crusade’ began in Ohio a 
dozen or m ore years ago, I was a student in a college in 
that State, and being strongly in sympathy with the work, 
obtained permission of the authorities to join in that de¬ 
termined effort of the women of the State for the overthrow 
of the saloon. 
“As jou know, we went into the saloons and prayed until 
they drove us out with the heat, and then we knelt upon 
the sidewalks and prayed until we were nearly frozen; but 
still we kept up courage, and at the end of the first week I 
was never so proud and happy in my life. I had 100 names 
of intemperate men who had given a pledge to drink no 
more. But, alasl at the end of two weeks all but one of 
those men had gone back to the saloon, and my work had 
come to naught. Now, I have no doubt that when those 
men signed the pledge, they did it in all sincerity—it was 
the strongest wish of their lives to become temperate men. 
But there was the appetite, and the weak will, and the open 
saloon, and what could they do? 
“ We kept on,and we prayed and worked, never doubting 
that when the spring election came everything would be 
right. When that day arrived we had the biggest kind of a 
prayer meeting, and we prayed, and we sang hymns of tri¬ 
umph, some of them we sang over five or six times. It was 
well we rejoiced when we did, or we would not have done it 
at all, for when the returns came in tne men had voted for 
the saloons, and then I saw that we had to help God 
answer our prayers, and that In order to do so we must 
have the ballot. Since that time my energies have been 
directed first and foremost to the accomplishment of that 
end. That is the way I came to have my ‘ hobby.’ ” 
Then followed an address of great power, which it would 
seem might convince tha most stubborn and prejudiced of 
the need of the ballot in the hands of women to aid good 
men in accomplishing that which they seem unable to do 
alone, the suppression of the drink traffic and the conse¬ 
quent curtailment of all the evils attendant upon it. 
Following this, there was a rambling talk by a young 
resident minister, which, although in sympathy with the 
cause, and consequently welcome as the exponent of that 
thought, seemed extremely tame in contrast with the 
burning words of the speaker who had preceded him. 
After he had sat down Mrs. Wallace rose, and with that 
peculiar earnestness which immediately commands the 
attention of her audience, began with: “ You have heard 
how one woman came by her hobby—and perhaps you will 
soon discover that another woman has a hobby very much 
like it. Perhaps you would like to know how 1 came by 
my hobby. I am the mother of six children; I have 
helped to raise three generations—two of them in my 
arms; I pay taxes without any representation ; I have to 
obey laws which I have no voice in making, and I have 
just as good right to vote as any man in the United 
States. That is how I came by my hobby.” 
In eloquence Mrs. Wallace is probably not surpassed by 
any woman in America, while her age and experience war¬ 
rant her in denouncing the evils of society in plain—though 
not by any means indelicate—terms, such as a younger 
woman might hesitate to use. 
She says that she knows that she has not much longer 
to work, and feels that she has a message to bring, and 
