Lessons From Long Ago

I am thankful for a warm opportunity to be involved in a Christmas Past. I am part of something that is entitled “Christmas by Candlelight” at Lang Pioneer Village in Keene Ontario. Last evening the sparkling eyes of hundred of kids together with their parents came to talk to me. In this setting I am the "Lace Maker" of the 1860s in rural Ontario…

It takes you far away. Far away from the real world of Christmas Bustle of 2008 for a few hours.
I was sitting at the table with the array of Lace Making artifacts that I have created and collected for the demonstration. Hundreds of people have joined the late Saturday evening event at the ancient village. A light snow was falling and cool breeze had been blowing. Their cheeks were rosy red as they came into the side room.

Throughout the village there are candles and lanterns that have been lit to show the pathways to and from the various old buildings. Along the streets of the small village are the distinct tracks of the huge sleigh pulled by a massive team of horses. The smell and the sound of steaming horse bodies mixed with the smell of hay propel everyone back to a time when things were very different – almost magical.

My demonstration was either the first on the list of events to see (because I was situated close to the starting point) or last on the list of things to see as they headed home.

As I told the story of how various kinds of Lace Making were part of the family fabric – with not just women doing lace making but also most men – people were enraptured.

To help you understand, Lace Making as we know it now was not always nice. It started as a cottage industry that would develop into a major item sought after by Lords and Ladies of the 1600 hundreds. The part that most people don’t know is that many of the children of poor families entered the Lace Making trades because they were sold into a legalized slavery of sorts. Their parents could not afford to keep them. The Lace Making master would buy the child to place him or her into the industry as a Lace Maker. There were no labor laws let alone child labor laws to protect anyone. All that mattered was the “Lord and Lady market” be satisfied and that lace be made (and money).

Moving to what we know of lace making today is vastly different from the very old days.

By the 1800s when Canada witnessed the influx of hard working people making a new life in this land, Lace Making was no longer a Lord and lady market item. It was entertainment on long winter nights. It was something you did as a family. It was upper end gift giving.

On my demonstration table I have an assortment of Tatting Shuttles from all over the world. In this large selection there are four shuttles that are priceless to me. Two were carved by my Great Grandfather Phillips in Illinois when my Grandma Lenore (Phillips) Lincoln was about 8 years old. He carved three shuttles for his three girls… then taught them how to do Tatting around the 1890s.

The other two shuttles are very special too. One belonged to my Grandma Emma Kirkpatrick and came into her possession from a box of washing soap – a freebee given to entice someone to buy the product around the 1940s. The other is a more modern. It was used by my Grandma Lenore Lincoln up until just before she passed away at 86 years of age. There it is in the show case with the ball of tatting thread still attached and the final piece she was doing… being attached to the fine handkerchief. My treasures… to say the least.

It was a warm and wonderful night.

Back to reality…
As different people came through the door funny comments were shared. It was a kind of Canadian thing to do.

Across from me sat “Father Christmas” – a local elected politician in our area playing the part of a mid 1800s Santa Claus. The man that walked through the door asked him if the Elves working in his workshop have formed a “coalition” yet. He continued and asked, “Have they taken over the North Pole yet?” To which the very sharp Father Christmas said, “No, not yet… but there will be some very naughty boys in Ottawa that won’t get something nice this year.” To which there was a healthy snickering among the adult population of the room.

We zoomed out of the mid 1880s demonstration to the reality of harsh Canadian Politics of uncertainty. Around my demonstration table stood men that work at the GM factory in the Oshawa area – who may soon lose their jobs. They were glum. Other young men stood by while their wives asked questions of Lace Making. These young fellows work in the Auto Industry supporting factories and if GM bottoms out and is gone – they too will suffer greatly. Some had already lost their jobs or received notice.

There was a glumness in the middle of the “Christmas by Candlelight”.

But zooming way back when the original Lang Village was at its beginnings… Canada was not a sure footed country either. In fact the 1850s saw the “coalition” of government forces formed to protest the then present leadership of the governing people… and through it all a new country was formed by 1867.

Now in 2008 – December – our country is not sure footed again. Yikes.

Tonight I will retreat back to the 1856 to 1890s again, to a quiet village along the strong Indian River in southeastern Ontario… a million miles from a place called Ottawa… and difficult times for politicians.

Down at the end of the main street of Lang Pioneer Village is the small white church. The doors are open wide and the lights inside beckon people to come inside to be refreshed in another way. Prayer was part of the Village in those early days. Candle Light services and prayer for a better year to come were part of the 1850s to 1890s… So should it be today.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
Note: If you have nothing to do tonight, live in the Peterborough/Trenton/Belleville/Cobourg and surrounding area I would love to talk with you about Lace Making… come to Lang Village tonight

Source:
Lace:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobbin_lace
Lang Pioneer Village
http://www.langpioneervillage.ca/specialevents.php?page=specialevents

Politics:
From The Globe and Mail
Liberals mobilizing to dump Dion
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081205.wliberal06/BNStory/National
Rae steps in as coalition's chief salesman
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081205.wparlliberals05/BNStory/politics
Threat of defections shifts sands beneath Dion's feet
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081204.wparlliberals04/BNStory/politics
The 'Yorkville Accord' - A chat over chicken gets Dion back to the table
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081202.wleadership02/BNStory/politics
Tories take to airwaves; Greens back coalition
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081202.wPOLcoalition1202/BNStory/politics
From The Star
Dion likely gone by Christmas
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/549787
Leadership AWOL as economy shudders
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/549790
Leadership AWOL as economy shudders
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/549788