48 
House & Garden 
8 jinn.. 
II Charles of London 
718 FIFTH AVENUE 
NEW YORK 
Carved and Gilt Eagle Console Table 
OBJECTS OF ART 
ENGLISH PERIOD FURNITURE 
OLD ENGLISH INTERIORS 
TAPESTRIES 
LONDON—27-29 Brook Street W. 
== = E 
I ^itiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiMinHiiiiHtitiitiiiiiiitiiiiiHiiniiiinitHiitiMuiiitiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiniirMiiuiiiiniiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiitMiiiniiiniMiiitttiiiiiiiMniiiiiiiuniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiitiiitiiniiiiiiiiiiiS 
yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii . hi.... 
Samples and Needlework of the American 
Colonial Days 
(Continued from page 23) 
ment of the 18th Century every imagin¬ 
able hue of silk was utilized. 
In the early half of the 18th Century 
it was customary to work out the Lord’s 
Prayer, the Ten Commandments and 
other lengthy manuscripts. Some of these 
samplers are still in existence. They 
commemorate religious festivals. At this 
period animals are often used as deco¬ 
rations and the floral and vegetable king¬ 
doms are represented. Chief among the 
former was the red and the white rose, 
the badge of the Tudor King. Until 
the century was well advanced there was 
a preference for mottoes, rather than 
rhymes. About this time we find the 
age of the worker inscribed in colors, but 
curiously few designate their birthplace. 
With the progression in art, maps were 
used, some of them marvelous speci¬ 
mens of patient proficiency worked in 
silk, and showing towns and rivers min¬ 
utely lettered. 
The Darned Sampler 
A type of sampler that does not ap¬ 
pear in the classification of the three 
different periods is the “darned” sam¬ 
pler. These probably originated in Ger¬ 
many showing that they were in use 
earlier than those found in England. 
They are dated as far back as 1725, and 
show all kinds of darning stitches used 
in the mending of linen. The upper half 
is generally devoted to lettering, showing 
both capital and small letters done in 
bright colors, as for instance, one in the 
possession of a Salem family has a black 
alphabet separated by red and blue pea¬ 
cock lines, figures in baby blue, name in 
black. Between each row there is gen¬ 
erally a pattern shown varying in design. 
The central feature has the name of the 
worker, date of birth, and period when 
the embroidery was completed. Below 
is a floral decoration, sometimes a vivid 
urn growing wonderfully unrealistic 
plants and flowers, standing on a grassy 
foundation, while over all flits the busy 
bee, gathering honey from the silken 
flowers. 
Some of these are remarkable for their 
beauty of workmanship or rarity of de¬ 
sign, as for instance, an exquisite pic¬ 
ture known as “petit point embroidery” 
that belonged to President John Adams 
shown in the sampler exhibition in Bos¬ 
ton in 1913. This is embroidered on 
cream satin and protected by a hand¬ 
some inlaid frame set on a standard. 
Samplers were not the only things 
used for firescreens, often decorative 
needlework took their place or, as it is 
generally known, tapestry embroidery, 
some of which were in imitation of the 
colored engravings so common in that 
period. While it has no specific date as 
do samplers, yet we know that there are 
no pieces in existence earlier than the 
time of Queen Elizabeth. 
Under the patronage of royalty needle¬ 
work became a hobby, taking its place 
by the side of the sampler. So fashion¬ 
able did this work become that in the 
early 19th Century and even before it 
was advertised in the daily papers as a 
part of school instruction and the pupils 
were informed that “They could be edu¬ 
cated in a genteel manner and with care 
taken to teach them proper behavior and 
needlework on reasonable terms.” 
The Memorial 
Very rarely do we find what is known 
as the memorial sampler. They are like 
the regular ones showing large and small 
letters with patterns interspersed and 
surrounded by a vine border. It is in 
the lower part that we find the sentiment 
worked out, it is shown by an urn with 
weeping willows in either corner, while 
the central feature is this motto, 
“Earthly cavern to thy keeping, 
We commit Eliza’s dust, 
Keep it safely softly sleeping, 
Till the Lord demands the trust.” 
This was worked in black and white. 
Memorials were introduced into pic¬ 
tures. One of these known as an em¬ 
broidered “mourning piece” was wrought 
by one Eliza Gould. The inserts were 
colored, “Doolittle,” engravings which 
are very valuable. They are of George 
and Martha Washington on the same 
urn, original glass and frame, the latter 
being of twisted rope. 
There is a second memorial differing 
in character which is equally interesting. 
It represents two tombs on each of which 
stands an urn, one with an insert of 
George and the other of Martha Wash¬ 
ington, both of which are painted instead 
of being embroidered. The needlework 
is very fine and it shows the original 
glass and frame. 
While embroidery reached its zenith 
in the 16th Century, yet it was a favor¬ 
ite occupation both in early Colony days 
and in the second and third period of 
our country’s history. The frequent se¬ 
lection of royal personages for illustra¬ 
tions is often found, and can be ac¬ 
counted for from the fact that many of 
the workers were in the high ranks of 
life. While many may be indoor scenes, 
yet the majority are in the open. 
Noted Sampler Collections 
One of the two most noted collections 
of samplers is to be found at the Essex 
Institute in Salem, Massachusetts. It 
was executed by Ann Glover, the first 
wife of Governor John Endicott. As 
they landed on the shores of Massachu¬ 
setts in 1628 and she died the following 
year, it is supposed to be the oldest on 
record in the country. The second is at 
Plymouth Hall, Plymouth, and was de¬ 
signed by Loara Standish, daughter of 
Miles Standish. 
To study a collection of samplers is 
much like strolling through an old-time 
garden. The colors are pleasant to the 
eye, even though faded by time, and like 
the antique tapestry many of the designs 
are unusual and charming. The atmos¬ 
phere of olden days pervades the air 
and one cannot fail to enjoy the quaint 
flavor of even the most solemn rhyme. 
The Uses, Choice and Planting of Evergreens 
(Continued from page 19) 
honeysuckle will help to blend them 
harmoniously with the rest of the plant¬ 
ing, and they are also excellent in com¬ 
bination with gray stucco buildings. 
These trees, though much admired as 
individuals, are somewhat stiff in ap¬ 
pearance and a planting of them looks 
too much like a collection of young 
Christmas trees to seem quite happy in 
the landscape. Their most successful 
use is in small groups around the more 
highly finished portions of the grounds. 
So much for the esthetic side of ever¬ 
green planting. Equally important are 
the practical aspects of the subject. With 
the exception of the Austrian and 
Mugho pines, evergreens do not thrive 
where poor soil, smoke, and dust-laden, 
drying winds prevail. However, it need 
not be inferred that they cannot be 
grown in the city. If given good soil 
and plenty of water they will survive for 
some time, though they do not flourish 
as they would under more favorable 
