ny and contrast in design.

Research into the mysteries and principles of design applies to woven
arabesques and patterns, and must include machine-made textile
ornament, and all decorative needlework. It is, in fact, the fabric
for the million which most especially needs the careful study of
guiding rules. When a plant sends forth hundreds of winged, wind-blown
seeds, like the thistle, it spreads itself over wide fields, and is
more mischievous than a more noxious growth, such as the deadly
nightshade, which only drops an occasional berry into the earth. So a
common cheap chintz or carpet, with a poor, gaudy, motiveless design,
carries a bad style into thousands of homes wherever our commerce
extends; disgracing us, while it corrupts the taste of other nations.

In addressing our young designers, I would remind them that in art the
race is not always to the strong. Prudence and educated powers,
thoughtfulness and study, often carry us where unassisted and
uncultivated genius has signally failed. Even such facilities as are
afforded by the acquirement of freehand drawing, as taught in our
schools of art, are not to be despised. The workman should thoroughly
master his tools, or they will hamper him. The first step towards
design is that you should learn to draw. After this, appreciation and
observation are necessary, and due balance in outline and colour
should be studied; and all this is as much needed in drawing a
pattern as in composing a picture. The difference lies in our art
being only decorative, wherein beauty and fitness are to be
remembered, and nothing else; whereas the picture may have to record
historical facts, or to inspire poetical thoughts--to awe or to touch
the beholder. A decorative design is only asked to delight him.
Intelligent delight, however, can only be evoked by intelligent art,
and to this, decoration must be subjected.

FOOTNOTES:

[73] The earliest art we know (the bone-scratching) is
naturalistic and imitative. We are unaware of any
attempt at a pattern of the prehistoric period. The lake
cities are of so vague a date that their ornaments on
pottery are puzzling rather than instructive. The
earliest Hellenic pottery was scratched or painted.
Cuttle-fish, repeated over and over again, are among the
earliest attempts at a pattern, by repetition of a
natural object. Naturalism soon fell into symbolism,
which appropriated it and all art, and the