who glorifies her husband, and merges all she is of woman into that
condition--and still it is only a strip of linen worked in crewels. All
the triumphs of the great Conqueror are written upon it, but none of the
disappointments. The needlework story does not relate (how could it when
Matilda's active, trained and industrious fingers had been stilled by
death?) the sorrows which overcame even her fortunate hero--that his
body was robbed of its clothing, and lay naked and dishonored beside a
disputed grave, where even the solemn claim of death to burial was
resisted until an old wrong "done in the body" was righted. And though
his son reigned after him, and he founded a royal line, perhaps one of
the greatest enjoyments of his successful life consisted in watching the
fingers of his well-beloved Matilda as they worked this linen record.

Of course it is the great events it portrays and the human interest it
holds which make this tapestry exceedingly valuable, for, artistically,
it is of no more value than a child's sampler. But, simple as it is,
volumes have been written about it. Scholars and historians have pored
over its pictured history, money without stint has been spent in paper
reproductions of it, and, finally, the whole important embroidery
society of Leeds, England, spent two industrious years in copying it,
and earned fame and envy thereby.

The wonderful remains of the work of skilled fingers serve to dignify
the art of which it is capable, and to sing a varied song in the ears of
the modern embroiderer, who follows her own will in spite of
time-hallowed examples. The women of today, 1920, have been called to
work that is widely different from that of the ages when embroidery was
a natural recourse and almost universal practice, but it is an art which
has done too much for the progress of the world, in all its different
phases, to die, or to cease to progress. There will always be quiet
souls, whose lives have been made so by circumstances, who will find
solace in the practice of needlework, so we may safely leave with them
an art which has done so much for mankind.

THE END

* * * * *

Transcriber's note:

The following corrections have been applied to the text:

Porcupine quill work seems to have
been no longer practiced,
'no' is missing in the original text

which were novelties to the imported artisan.
corrected from 'novelites'

Miss