[Illustration: _Linen Draper_]
counter. Maria called the attention of Emily to a short fat coarse
looking woman, who was enquiring the price of some muslin which
the owner was shewing her. "Five shillings a yard!" said she, in a
shrill voice, at the same time enlarging her eyes and stretching out
her hand, "Why, I can buy as good as this at any shop for three.
Surely you must take me for a ninny, to ask so much money for your
muslin." So saying, away she walked highly offended, although the
article which she had rejected was offered to her at its fair price.
Mrs. Durnford desired to look at some Cambric, and while the man was
searching for it, she asked Caroline if she remembered from what
country the finest was imported. The little girl hesitated, and her
mamma requested Maria to give her the necessary information. "Cambric
is made in several parts of France and Flanders," said Miss Durnford.
"That from Cambray is, however, esteemed the best. We imitate it in
Scotland, but have not brought it to the perfection of the foreign
Cambric."
"Very well! Maria," said her father, "I am pleased to find that you
remember so well what you are told, and now Emily, can you inform me
what that fine cloth is made of, which your mother has just bought for
your brother's shirts?" "It is made of flax, papa, which in Latin is
_linum_, from whence the word linen and _linon_ is derived."
"You are a good girl," said Mr. Durnford, "and I mean to reward each
of you according to the knowledge which you display during our visit
to the Bazaar. Flax grows in many parts of England, and still more in
Scotland and Ireland. When fit to gather, it is taken by the flax
dressers, who pass it through water, strip the slender stalks of the
rind; and then it becomes fit to split, and again undergoes a process
to prepare it for the wheel. It is then spun into thread, more or
less fine according to the purpose it is intended for. The very
finest is as minute as the smallest hair, and is used by the lace
makers. That is, of course, a very fine sort of which the Cambric is
made. It is a singular thing that the Romans, who in consequence of
their extensive conquests, became the most luxurious people on earth,
never discovered the art of making linen from flax, or hemp, which is
a coarser plant of the same kind. Their cloathing, though extremely
magnificent, being embroidered with purple, and often with gold,
was woven only of wool, and Voltaire, a celebrated French writer,
makes Tullia, the beautiful and accomplished daughter of Cicero, the
greatest orator the world ever saw, admire the superior elegance of
the toilet of an English lady. They had neither stockings nor linen,
for which we should think the finery of their sandals attached with
gold cords, or their embroidered vests fastened with diamond lockets,
made but a poor compensation."
"Oh! what a beautiful shawl, papa," cried Caroline, "I wish my sisters
had each one."
"That is very expensive, my sweet girl," said her father, "it is made
of the fine wool of the Angora goat, a native of the warm regions of
the earth, and is manufactured in India. We vainly attempt to imitate
them here, but cannot succeed. But come, let us turn to the