public ought not to be encouraged to buy
such things—and shall not, as long as he
can prevent it.

I have said that all manufacturers were
not alike, and that there were honourable
exceptions who looked on the existing state of
things with very different eyes from those
just mentioned. Though comparatively a
young man—in fact a junior partner—I trust
I may be allowed to include myself among
the exceptions. I really do wish to see an
improvement in the taste of all designs for
the useful arts; and I believe the time is not
far distant when manufacturers will more
generally perceive the importance of
encouraging such designs by all the means in their
power. If nothing else will teach them, the
results of the forthcoming Great Exposition
will do so, as it will make them alive to their
own interests by demonstrations of the most
effectual kind. The public taste is likely
to undergo a rapid revolution in many articles
combining beauty of design with domestic
utility, that's my opinion; and then where
are the producers? and what will become of
all the bales, and piles, and stacks of the
perverse old stock?

I heard a great Manchester manufacturer
lamenting, only a few days ago, the want of
new and good designers in our own country.
I told him I had been informed that there
were two Schools of Design in London—a
male school, and a female school—where the
students continually produced first-rate
designs. He said he had never been there, nor
seen any of their designs, that he knew  of;
and again lamented the want of new patterns.
Another, a great ribbon manufacturer of my
acquaintance—in fact, he married my aunt—
expends at least a thousand a year in getting
foreign designs, and he has never once taken
a design from any of these Schools. When
I told him I had seen good things that
came from them, he looked incredulous and
vacant, and said that I was young in the
business. Not a word about going to see
them, or sending up for a few specimens.
Another great manufacturer, with whom our
firm often has large dealings, dined with us
last week. He knew of these Schools, and
showed us a beautiful design for a carpet
which he had obtained from one of them, in
which the colours were all finely harmonised.
"It will sell very well," said he, "after I
have altered it a little to my own taste."
"Why, what will you do to it?" I inquired.
"I must vulgarise it," said he, touching my
elbow; "where they have put grey, I shall put
scarlet; and where you see purple here, I
shall put green and yellow, or such like."
Another manufacturer, whose warehouse I
was visiting only the other day, showed me a
table cover of a most chaste and handsome
design—a broad, rich, gothic border, with a
dark centre quite plain, which of course made
the deep border look all the richer. "This is
very good," said he, "but we always like
something catching in the centre. I shall
have a good bunch of peony roses and tulips,
or something of that sort, for the middle."

These rebuffs, however, added to the
excellence of several designs I had seen,
which had come both from the male and female
schools, determined me to go to London
forthwith and visit them. It is only justice
to say that I did this with the full approval
and, indeed, the wish, of my senior partners.

During the journey by rail, I thought very
much about these Schools—and especially the
Female School, as it seemed to me to include
many questions of social interest, which one
now so often sees discussed in periodicals, and
even in newspapers. Many of these young
persons, thought I, are, no doubt, of highly
respectable families, well educated, and who
once had very different expectations; though
now, for the purpose of making designs, they
are learning drawing, perhaps, to sell them—
perhaps that they may become teachers—but
in all cases to help some scanty income at home.
Perhaps, also some of them are orphans. But
the Government takes charge of them. As
the manufacturers have not yet learnt the
importance of supporting these Schools, by
employing some of the students, or making
selections from their designs, a paternal
Government has kindly and wisely taken charge
of these industrious and praiseworthy young
women.

I therefore determined to make my first
visit to the Female School, and accordingly
betook myself straight to Somerset House.
I should premise that I have, myself, a good
general knowledge of drawing, and though
unfortunately, I have no original genius for
designing patterns for my own business, I
once had considerable practise in copying
both from prints and casts—the "flat," and
the "round," as artists call it.

Arrived at Somerset House, I was informed
that the Female School of Design was no
longer there. "Gone!" said I.

"Aye—removed to over the way."

I was staggered for a moment at this. I feared
that a paternal Government had withdrawn
the shadow of its fostering wings from those
most needing protection.

"But is it not still," said I, " a Government
Institution—is it not still under the
protection——"

"Yes—yes—all right—over the way;" and
the porter closed the door.

I breathed again; my fears for the poor
girls were allayed, and I accordingly began
to look up and down at the fronts of the
houses over the way—that is, opposite to
Somerset House. I thought I knew the
"Strand" pretty well; but I could not
recollect any house over the way of a kind, at all
resembling the house of a Government
Institution. Nor, strange to say, did looking
up and down, at all help me. The more I
looked, the less I could discover of any such
house—or one likely to be it. In fact, I