make use of it. This sketch of Miss Ingelow should be read.

Children always enjoy making patchwork, and may more easily be taught to sew neatly, by saving brightcolored pieces, and arranging them with taste, than by the weary monotony of a long seam. Skill and neatness may be combined in this way; and this reminds us of a very beautiful idea of the highest form of this work, which we have received an account of from a young lady in Rhode Island.

THE AUTOGRAPH BEDQUILT.

This bedquilt is formed by a curious and valuable collection of autographs, in an original and very womanly way the design is to insert the names in the counterpane or bedquilt. Each autograph is written, with common black ink, on a diamond-shaped piece of white silk (placed over a diagram of white paper, and basted at the edges); each piece the centre of a group of colored diamonds, formed in many instances from "storied" fragments of dresses which were worn in the olden days of our country. For instance, there are pieces of a pink satin dress which flaunted at one of President Washington's dinner-parties, with other relics of those rich silks. and stiff brocades, so fashionable in the last century.

The whole number of pieces required is 2,780; of these, 556 are to contain autographs. The novel idea of the quilt has found such warm favor in the hearts of those

whom this ingenious needle-artiste has addressed, that, two years ago, she had obtained three hundred and fifty autographs (when we last heard from her), many of them from men highly distinguished in the literary, political, scientific, and military history of the present century.

We will name a few of these renowned contributors: Humboldt, Bunsen, Walter Savage Landor, Louis Blanc, Kossuth, Washington Irving, Prescott, Benton, Choate; six American presidents, viz., Van Buren, Tyler, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, Lincoln; while many have contributed upon the little white silk diagram characteristic sentiments or verses. To give a specimen, one poet has

written this comforting distich:

N. P. Willis.

In short, we think this autograph bedquilt may be called a very wonderful invention in the way of needlework. The mere mechanical part the number of small pieces, stitches neatly taken, and accurately ordered; the arranging properly, and joining nicely, 2,780 delicate bits of various beautiful and costly fabrics is a task that would require no small share of resolution, patience, firmness, and perseverance.

Then comes the intellectual part, the taste to assort colors, and to make the appearance what it ought to be, where so many hundreds of shades are to be matched and suited to each other. After that, we rise to the

moral, when human deeds are to live in names; the consideration of the celebrities, who are to be placed each the centre of his or her own circle. To do this well, requires a knowledge of books and life, and an instinctive sense of the fitness of things, so as to assign cach name its suitable place in this galaxy of stars or diamonds.

Notwithstanding the comprehensive design we are attempting to describe, we have no doubt of its successful termination. The letter of the young lady bears such internal evidence of her capability, that we feel certain she has the power to complete her work, if her life is spared.

And when we say that she has been nearly ten years engaged on this quilt, and seems to feel now all the enthusiasm of a poetical temperament working out a grand invention, that is to be a new pleasure and blessing to the world, we are sure all our readers will wish her Who knows but that, in future ages, her work may be looked at, like the Bayeux Tapestry, not only as a marvel of woman's ingenious and intellectual industry, but as affording an idea of the civilization of our times, and also giving a notion of the persons as estimated in history?

success.

In the days of Queen Matilda, the great men could not write even their names; and all that we can bring of these old warriors to our minds is the style of their armor and the shape of their lances. Now, when brain predominates, in the estimation of the world, over thrusts and

blows, a more fitting idea of carrying the illustrious to posterity is a specimen of their handwriting, particularly when this is used to perpetuate any of their thoughts, and devoted to the service of a lady.

We think our readers who have not time for such a great undertaking as this autograph counterpane might make some interesting collections in a smaller way. A young lady might, by limiting her plan to scores, instead of hundreds, of names, soon obtain enough of these lettered diamonds to make a sofa-cushion, a cover for a small table, or some other ornamental design. The size of the diamond is a little over two inches each way. We have not room on this page to give a diagram; but we trust that, with these directions, any lady who has a love for the needle and the pen may achieve success.

We cannot conclude without a few words on the importance of knitting and crochet work. Every little girl should be taught to knit, as a pastime and a pleasure; and she will thus make use of her knowledge when she has left the nursery far behind.

It would be difficult to compute the number of hours saved by keeping a piece of knitting or crochet on hand to fill up the odd minutes, otherwise wasted, throughout the day. If a lady makes it a rule to have something of this sort at hand, ready to take up when opportunity offers, she will be amazed to discover, in a short time, how much she has accomplished.

We know a lady of large means, and surrounded with

every luxury, who always kept a pair of woollen stockings on hand, knitting them whilst waiting for meals and at vacant moments, for poor pensioners. In this manner, she managed to give comfort to several poor old women who were entirely unable to supply themselves.

We all remember how much was done in this way, during the war, for our soldiers. The advantage of having learned to knit easily and rapidly in childhood was never more strikingly displayed than at that time.

The contrast between the facility with which those familiar with knitting made use of their knowledge, and the weary, blundering efforts of those who were striving to learn the art for the first time, anxious to do good, and to be useful, proved most conclusively the truth of our words.

If "the boy is father of the man," make the girl the mother of the woman in all useful arts and accomplishments, and she will thank you throughout her life.

IE real worth of a diamond is never known till it is

cut and polished. In a rough state, it seems hardly

worth being set in a kingly crown, or having the place of honor among bridal ornaments.

Thus with childhood, the diamond of humanity. The boy, especially, needs to be rightly trained and taught, if