My great attainment at present is colouring prints: If Lady —— wants any birds for her new Japan, I have some at her service. Mrs. —— is so inchanted with this new japanning, that she has abandon'd Mr. Baxter, and the Greek Fathers, and employes her time in sticking bears and monkies on all the wooden furniture she can find about the house.
Japanning was taught in most of the schools.
Mrs. Montagu, Queen of the Blue-Stockings, was indefatigable in her devotion to hand-work. Not only was she familiar with every kind of needlework, but she turned in wood and ivory, made shell grottoes, and designed shell frames, and she planned and executed feather hangings for a room. Mrs. Delany is the only lady whose recorded work exceeds that of Mrs. Montagu in amount and variety.
Domestic science was faintly foreshadowed in what were known as "Pastry Schools." The following illustrates the type:
To all young ladies at Edw. Kidder's Pastry School in little Lincoln's Inn Fields are taught all sorts of Pastry and Cookery, Dutch hollow works, and Butter works, on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturday, in the afternoon, and on the same days in the Morning, at his school in Norris Street in St. James's Market, and at his School in St. Martin's Le Grand, on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in the Afternoons. And at his School at St. Mary Overies Dock, Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesday Mornings from 9 to 12.[390]
An entertaining passage in Shadwell's The Scowrers (1690) indicates something of the character of a girl's education in the country:
Priscilla. Did she not bestow good breeding upon you there?
Eugenia. Breeding! what, to learn to feed Ducklings, and cram Chickens?
Clara. To see cows milk'd, learn to Churn, and make cheese?