Read Ebook: The shoemaker A powerful picture of nature adapted from Hal Reid's famous drama of the same name by Harper Olive Reid Hal

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Ebook has 769 lines and 43034 words, and 16 pages

The preponderance of appliqu? work, and raised work in metal guimps on embroidered books, especially on velvet, is easily accounted for when the principles they illustrate are understood, the truth being that in both these operations the maximum of surface effect is produced with the minimum of under work.

If the piece appliqu? is not very large, a series of small stitches along all the edges is generally enough to keep it firm; such edge stitches are in most cases afterwards masked by a gold cord laid over them. If, however, the appliqu? piece is large it will be necessary to fix it as well with some supplementary stitches through the central portions. These stitches will generally be so managed that they fit in with, or under, some of the ornamental work; at the same time, if necessary, they may be symmetrically arranged so as to become themselves of a decorative character.

The books illustrated are selected out of a large number, and I think it may fairly be considered that the most favourable typical specimens now left in England are shown. It may well be that a few finer instances than I have been able to find may still be discovered hidden away in private collections, but it is now so rarely that a really fine ancient embroidered book comes into the sale-room, that we may safely conclude the best of them are already safely housed in one or other of our great national collections. Where not otherwise stated, the specimens described are in the British Museum.

In the following detailed descriptions I have used the words 'sides' and 'boards' to mean the same thing, and the measurements refer to the size of the boards themselves, not including the back. These measurements must be taken as approximate only, as from wear and other causes the actual sizes would only be truly given by the use of small fractions of inches.

BOOKS BOUND IN CANVAS

English books bound in embroidered canvas range over a period of about two hundred and fifty years, the earliest known specimen dating from the fourteenth century, and instances of the work occurring with some frequency from this time until the middle of the seventeenth century. The majority of these bindings are worked in tapestry-stitch, or tent-stitch, in designs illustrating Scriptural subjects in differently coloured threads.

Very often the outlines of these designs are marked by gold threads and cords, of various kinds, and parts of the work are also frequently enriched with further work upon them in metal threads. Spangles are very rarely found on canvas-bound books. The backgrounds of several of the later specimens are worked in silver threads, sometimes in chain-stitch and sometimes in tapestry-stitch; others again have the groundwork of silver threads laid along the surface of the canvas and caught down at regular intervals by small stitches--this kind of work is called 'laid' or 'couched' work. Books bound with this metal ground have always strong work superimposed, usually executed in metal strips, cords, and thread. The silver is now generally oxidised and much darkened, but when new these bindings must have been very brilliant.

The figure of the Virgin Mary, on the upper side, is dressed in a pale red robe, with an upper garment or cloak of blue with a gold border. On her head is a white head-dress, and round it a yellow halo; just above is a white dove flying downwards, its head having a small red nimbus or cloud round it. The Virgin holds a red book in her hand. The figure of the angel is winged, and wears an under robe of blue with an upper garment of yellow; round his head he has a green and yellow nimbus, his wings are crimson and white.

Between these two figures is a large yellow vase, banded with blue and red; out of it grows a tall lily, with a crown of three red blossoms.

The drawing of both of the figures is good, the attitudes and the management of the folds of the drapery being excellently rendered, and the execution of the technical part is in no way inferior to the design.

On the lower side, on a groundwork of gold similar to that on the upper cover, is a design of the Crucifixion. Our Saviour wears a red garment round the loins, and round his head is a red and yellow nimbus, his feet being crossed in a manner often seen in illuminations in ancient manuscripts.

The cross is yellow with a green edge, the foot widening out into a triple arch, within which is a small angel kneeling in the attitude of prayer. On the right of the cross is a figure of the Virgin Mary, in robes of pale blue and yellow, with a white head-dress and green and yellow nimbus. On the left is another figure, probably representing St. John, dressed in robes of red and blue, and having a nimbus round his head of concentric rings of red and yellow. This figure is unfortunately in very bad condition. The edges of the leaves of the book are painted with heraldic bearings in diamond-shaped spaces, that of the Felbrigge family 'Gules, a lion rampant, or' alternately with another 'azure, a fleur-de-lys, or.' The embroidered sides have been badly damaged by time and probably more so by repair. The book has been rebound in leather, the old embroidered back quite done away with, and the worked sides pulled away from their original boards and ruinously flattened out on the new ones. After the Felbrigge Psalter no other embroidered binding has been preserved till we come to one dating about 1536, which is in satin, and will be described under that head.

"See here!" said John, brutally, "you are going too far, my lady. I have just about tired of your interference in this matter!"

"Then," replied Muriel, firmly, "you might as well sit down and take a good long rest, for I've only just begun. Don't you know that I am perfectly well aware of the reason that caused you to take this child, whose beauty and purity were so great that even God Almighty interfered, to save her from you? I'm no saint, but let me tell you here and now, that I'm going to stand by this child as if she were my own, and that neither you nor anyone else shall harm one hair of her head!"

"Well, then, come on," said John, in a tone so quiet that anyone who did not know him might have thought he was completely cowed; "and don't stand there brawling like a fishwife."

Saying this, John led the way to the saloon door, the only entrance to the hotel for guests. Dora looked up at the house and turned to Muriel, asking:

"Is that home, lady? Shall we find papa and Bennie in there?"

"You shall see papa and Bennie soon, dearie. Come on, come on."

"All right. I'll go, for I'm so tired and hungry, too."

John took the arm of Dora, while Muriel stood beside her, with Dopey in the rear, and they entered the saloon.

As the party entered, every one of the men who had been playing cards stood up, and it did not require a whispered command from Shoshone Pete to make them remove their hats.

They all stood in line with their hats in their hands and bowing low and respectfully as Snakes directed them to the stairway, following them himself obsequiously, for Muriel's commanding presence, and Dora's touching beauty, completely overpowered him. As they neared the stairs, Dora turned to the three men standing in a line, asking:

"Have you seen Bennie? He's been gone away so long. Have any of you seen him?"

John drew Dora along unresistingly, as she was gentle and obedient, and they went up the rickety stairs with Duffy.

"Poor little gal!" said Shoshone Pete, with a suspicious moisture in his eyes. "She is away off. Let's keep quiet, boys; for even the Indians hold such as she sacred."

This was a tense moment for the three men. They silently gathered up the cards, and were about to leave the place, when there was a well-known shout, outside, of: "Who-hoo! Hallo!"

"It's the Angel!" cried Shoshone, while the three began to dust their boots rapidly with their wide sombreros, and then they all awaited her arrival.

Helen Pierson it was, who now made her appearance with a lithe and active bound down from the rocks beyond. She wore a short corduroy skirt, leather leggings, a wide sombrero, and had around her waist a cartridge-belt with a pistol, and in her hand she carried a small, but deadly, repeating-rifle.

How different she was from the poor, besotted wretch whom Morris Goldberg had taught that it is never too late to mend, and had sent West to begin life over again. Now her eyes were bright, her cheeks red, and health spoke in every motion. All the boys stood at "attention," smiling broadly, and waiting for her to speak. This she did, saying, blithely:

"Well; here I am, safe and sound as a dollar. Hello, Shoshone! Howdy, Dan! Hello, Mike! My! that was a long trip in a short time."

"Here, here! No fair, Angel, no fair!" cried Snakes Duffy, who had returned just then.

"Why, what's wrong, Snakes?" asked Helen.

"You never said 'Hello' to me."

"Oh, excuse me. How are you, Mr. Snakes Duffy?" said Helen, with an elaborate bow, while all the rest laughed.

"I'm tip-top, Angel. How's Silver Bill's folks?"

"All right. Getting along fine," replied she, waiting a little maliciously for one of them to ask the question she knew they were aching to have answered.

"Boys," said Shoshone, gathering the three all in one group, and whispering something to them, whereat Dan shook his head, while Snakes and Mike turned their backs, and Mike said:

"It's up to you, Shoshone."

This gentleman then put his sombrero on his head, simply to call attention by a wide flourish of his arm to the fact that he took it off to the Angel, and then opened his mouth, to find that words would not come. Helen smiled at his embarrassment and asked, innocently:

"Well, what is it, Shoshone?"

With a hoarse croak, meant to be a persuasive accent, Shoshone asked, stammering sheepishly:

"Boy or gal, ma'am?"

"Both!" replied Helen, gravely, while Shoshone slapped his leg with the hat, shouting:

Helen turned to Snakes, saying:

"Snakes, may I have a bite to eat before I go to my shack? I'm too tired to do anything but go to sleep."

"She may. She may have all that's in the house if she likes, eh, boys?" said Shoshone, fervently.

"That's what!" said Dan, emphatically.

"Sure thing!" said Mike, with a clear determination written on every line of his rugged face, to frighten anyone or anything that might hinder Helen from having any and everything she wanted.

"I'm going to be waiter," said Shoshone, starting toward the dining-room.

"You are going to play hob, you are," said Mike, laughingly pushing Shoshone back, while Mike and Snakes engaged in mimic battle for the privilege of waiting upon "the Angel," and finally dodged out the bar-room door to reach the dining-room first. Helen stood for a moment looking up to the great mountains beyond, with misty eyes, as she thought, as she did every hour of her life:

"How I thank God that He let me live to find out it is never too late to mend."

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