I had a rather different interpretation. They write the "modern edition is strictly limited to farming". I think the surprise is that an 1880 farmer version contains non-farming content.

Out of curiosity, I pulled up a copy of Dorcas from 1885 - https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hxitid&view=1up&s... .

I get the feeling it was a lifestyle hobby for middle class women in the 1880s as well.

Did you get a chance to read the article staring on page 38? It talks about the evils of idle reading.

No. Oh my! And with some casual classism and racism to boot:

> The love of exciting tales is characteristic of all uncultivated nations, and the only difference between our children and servants, and other people pouring over their stories, and the Indians on the plains, or the nomadic Arabs seated in the desert and listening with eyes and ears intent, is that the latter are compelled to satisfy this passion in moderation.

So damn casual about it. They don't intend for it to be offensive at all. Lower classes are unintelligent and frivolous and Arabs are noble savages. That's just the writer's reality. It's crazy how far we've come.

What an interesting link! I really enjoyed the story titled "Helps for Homely Women" about the dangers of mouth-breathing/breathing exercises for corset wearers and the blurb about the etymology of the word "doily". Although I can't seem to find anything to corroborate the doily tale...

I read that 'doily' reference too.

https://www.etymonline.com/word/doily says "supposedly from Doiley, surname of a noted late 17c.-early 18c. dry-goods dealer on London's Strand."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doily#Etymology gives a similar description

If I read https://apgalton.wordpress.com/2014/06/ correctly, both are indirectly sourcing the Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology.