be sentimental and which is naturally liable to exaggeration, but any one whose experience in life is at all wide must have met many members of the class of women describable as genteel dependents. If we had here a familiar literature like the secondrate novels produced in such quantities in England, it would doubtless show, as those works do, that, owing to certain peculiarities of Anglo-Saxon society, we have a large class of "distressed gentlewomen," whose limits it would be difficult, of course, to fix, but within the limits of which is a good deal of real distress. The many women absolutely dependent upon the charity, willing or grudging, of relatives and friends, and the many others who have just enough to "keep them," and yet experience something more serious than discomfort for the want of "pin money," have found the Decorative Art Society a very benevolent institution. It gives them, by letter or directly, instruction which enables them, if they have any faculty for the work, not perhaps to support themselves, but to supply just the amount necessary to bridge the gulf between dependence and independence; and it sells their work for them after it is done. The number of letters expressing a grateful recognition of these services that has been received by the Society since its foundation is very large; and, properly edited, a selection from them would, we venture to suggest, make an instructive pamphlet. Additional phases

of the Society's work are to restore ornamental needle-work to the high place it formerly held among the decorative arts, and the instruction of professional needlewomen who might otherwise be obliged to enlist in the large army of "shop-girls," which, without implying any criticism of its members as a class, may be said to be, in the large cities at least, a peculiarly unfortunate body of working-women, owing to their long hours of work, their small pay, the hopelessness of bettering their condition, and other and different considerations. To

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ORCHARD.

widening, and "the diffusion of a knowledge of art-work among women and their training in artistic industries," which its circulars announce as one of its chief objects (the other being " to provide a place for the exhibition and sale of art-work "), is attained by indirect as well as by direct means. Probably in many cases the stream grows shallow as it gets away from the source, and the quality of the work approved by the Society deteriorates, to the disadvantage of the latter's reputation. Indeed, there is complaint of this at the rooms, where there is some sensitiveness in regard to the matter, the aims and accomplishment of the institution having failed to protect it against the criticism of irresponsible and disappointed persons who should certainly be rather co-workers with it. This trenches on gossip, and is mentioned here mainly because it is believed to proceed from the strict impartiality with which, in the preservation of a high standard, much work has been adjudged lacking. Nothing, one would say, could be of more importance than carefulness in this respect. The Society is in virtue. of its position an authority, and to tolerate slipshod performances of any kind must in the end prove fatal to its good influence. In accordance with the object just mentioned, the Society's rooms have from the first been a kind of exchange, bringing

PUSSY WILLOWS.

lessons and receive extra practice. Finally, being fully equipped, she is at the least a skilled artisan, whose work is always in demand. Often she becomes herself a

DRIFTING SNOW.

EMBROIDERIES BY MRS. OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES, JR.

teacher, and there are now in different parts of the country a large number of instructors in embroidery each of whom gained her own knowledge under Mrs. Pode at the Society's rooms; and in this way, it is clear, the Society's circle of influence is capable of indefinite

CUFF OF IRISH CROCHET LACE.

CROCHET IRISH LACE.

artists and buyers together and rendering possible the disposition of work, made in various homes from Maine to California, which might not, and in all probability would not, otherwise find a purchaser. To make of this exchange a curiosity-shop, or rather let us say a commonplace shop, receiving and attempting the sale of all sorts of women's handiwork, good, bad, and indifferent, would manifestly be for the

Society to enter into the business of brokerage. Such a place is in itself desirable, no doubt, and such a place "The Women's Exchange," in Twentieth street, is. But, of course, the stricter the standard of selection the Society can impose upon the "wares" it takes charge of, the better for the encouragement of excellence in such work. Every contribution that is sent here is examined by a committee of admission, who decide upon its merits without knowing the name of the author. To witness the impartiality of their decisions, it is related at the rooms-and the fact may be interesting to the hundreds of

contributors whose work has been rejectedthat a member of this committee recently felt obliged to resign, because she had grown familiar with the manner of certain regular contributors and so considered herself incapacitated from serving longer." There

are many regular contributors to the permanent though constantly changing exhibition at the rooms, and, indeed, the number of these is excellent evidence of the practical success of the institution in furnishing an occupation for women, or rather in rendering their turn for decorative art profitable.

Needle-work, though the chief, and of a great variety, is of course by no means the only branch of decorative work taught and executed by the Society. Next in importance comes china-painting, in which, as in embroidery, there are both pay classes and free. Hitherto modeling and wood-carving have not proved practicable, though there was a persistent attempt made, some