Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-02-28
Mlisfellanp.
Maggie Meals Album Quilt;
AND HOW IT WAS FINISHED.

Josiah !
No, ma am
Another baked applet
No, thank you, mother, I've finished my
dinner And the young man to prove his as
sertion, placed the handle of his knife and fork
side by side on his plate, and rose from the ta-1
BILE.
We'll, then, if you've finished, l want you
to make good fire in the front room. The
girls are coming this afternoon to quit, and it
won't do to have numb fingers. Get the room .
warmed up if you can, by one o'clock, Josiah. |
I declare it's half-past twelve now!' And
Grandma Neal piled up the plates and hurried
them into the sink, as if she feared she might
not be able to take quite as many stitches on
the quilt as the girls, who were to come at
on, o'clock precisely.
'Will they get it off this afternoon, mother =
'What the quilt! Oh no, to be sure not.
There's two full half days work, to be done
after to-day. But you know Deacon Bates
does not start for the West until Monday, so
we have plenty of time. Let me think And
Grandma Neal actually paused in wiping a
green edged platter to fix upon the days that
could best be devoted to the completion of tho
quilt: the everlasting quilt, as Josiah laugh
ingly termed it.
Let me see, tomorrow is Tuesday, and can
get the ironing done by noon easy enough, so
there's one afternoon for it. Wednesday is
sewing society, and on Friday there's temper
ance lecture. Saturday always brings hurry
ing work SO tomorrow and Thursday must be
the days And, Josiah, you may invite the
young fellows to come in Thursday evening, if
you like. The girls will be glad of little
play, and they've earned it, dear knows, on that
piece of fancy patchwork.
Josiah soon had bright Ere blazing on the
parlor hearth; and the good old lady after hur-
rying her dishes into the cupboard, and brush
ing up the crumbs, was in the act of tying on
q figured alpaca apron, when the street gate
was heard to open and shut with an unusual
cang. In moment hasty feet battered up the
walk, and the front door opening, admitted
whole avalanche of mirth and mischief, in the
shape of dozen blooming girls, of ages rang
ing from fourteen to twenty.
How they laughed and chartered How they
trooped to the spare bedroom throwing Oft
their bonnets and capes, and smoothing their
hair with incredible dispatch; and then walk
ing out to the quilt, how they scrutinized it all
about, declaring that here was long stitch.
and there was an end sticking up, and certainly
Grandma Neal had been at it in their absence,
for they never did such things, of course.
And Grandma Neal putting on her spectacles,
assured them that she had not touched the quilt
since they left it the Friday before. and more
over if she had, it was very impertinent in them
to charge their blunders upon an old woman,
who had quilted nineteen quilts and seven com
fortables before they were born And then
with much laughter and hunting for thimbles
and between need les, and with sly glances at
Josiah, who had come into the room ostensibly
to see if the fire burnt, they all sat down indus
triously to work.
: Now if our dear Maggie could only look in
upon US all SO comfortable sighed Grandma
Neal, and we'll she might say our dear Mag
gie for truly the absent one, for whose benefit
they had assembled, had been, ever since the
days of her orphaned childhood, the pride and
darling of the whole village. Adopted by her
grandparents when little more than an infant,
had she not also been adopted by the minister s
wife, the doctors wife, the squire's wife, and
particularly by whole host of farmers wives
who counted her as one of their own family in
sugar time, in cherry time, and best OF all
'nutting time! Had she not endeared hersel
expressly to the old people by her elastic spirits
and her miraculous knack of finding lost spec
taoes and knitting works and as she grew
older, did not the children all but adore her fo
her incxaustible fund of stories. especiall,
Chicken Little J. foolish chicken, who though
the sky was falling, because rose leaf fell OIL
her tail. As for the young men, they believed
her without exception, the most bewitchins
little compound of roundness and rosness, ant
sunshine and sparkle, that ever dispensed heart
aches at midnight promenade, Or ear-aches a
husking frolic.
Loud, therefore, were the lamentations, who
one fine May morning, a young man from tn
next village-wherc it CHANGED that Maggie ha
been teaching-a tall, sturdy youth, with
well-developcd head, strong, willing hands, an
hundred acres of uncleared land in Michigan
bore oft the maiden, an unreluctant prize
the matrimonial altar, and against her nam
was written that most common sentence in th
tablet of New England memories Marie
and gone West
In early May, it was just five months ago
that Maggie went from her grandfather roof
and the few letters received from her--few, be
cause at the time of which we write, commun
cation between the East and West was muc
more difficult than at present-had given tn
fullest assurance that she was, happy with tn
chosen one in her wilderness home; thouo
now and then an undertone Of sadness told the
the long beloved friends of her childhood we,
still dearly treasured.
But the Album quilt! All, that was IL
secret that was to make Maggies eyes gliste
and her heart leap with most exquisite, becau
unexpected pleasure.
The quilt was made of various colored sta
upon light blue ground, all pieced and dona
ed by Magsies most intimate girl-friends. Il
patches were chiefly taken from dresses al
garments which Maggie had often seen the
wearing, and in the centre of each, upon
white ground, was inscribed the givers nal