Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1860-06-07
MISCELLANEOUS,
From Godey's Lady's Book
DARNING STOCKINGS,

Don't scold so, Ellen said my grand
mother, mildly, as | very reluctantly COM
mcnced meuding a pair of hose What
would Fred Grahame say if he could see
your dimples lost under such cloud 2
| did not care what Fred Grahame would
say, or any one else. l was an exception
truly! [ had no doubt that every one of
the girls was glad that it rained, so we
could not go to the picnic, only that they
might stay at home to enjoy the exquisite
felicity Of darning old hose Oh, of
course. how delightful And began to
cry.
Ny grandmother looked quietly over the
rims of her spectacles, but said nothing.
[ avoided her gaze, and jerked the needle
Indignantly through the rent, and broke it.
This was too much, SO | tossed the offend
ing stocking aside, and walked toward the
window.
1t was dreary, rainy day, one of those
on which the rain descends with quiet
persistence, as if it never intended to leave
of, as if, in truth, it really enjoyed descend
ing. | stood watching the few passers-by
hurrying over theslippery pavements. Op-
posite was the residence of our stylish
neighbors, the Simpsons. At the window
facing mine was their seamstress, sewing
on a sewing-machine. | heartily wished
that some benelaetor Of the human race
would invent darning machine If
somebody only would what relief it
would be to mothers Of large families, for
instance, with limited means; not to men
tion weary maidens, on dreary days, when
it rains and they can't go to picnicsI o
dear! And there was Miss Simpson prac-
tising in the front drawing room. She
had no stockings to darn; not she.
Wealthy, and the only child, if she wished
she might put on new pair every morn
ing; silk ones, too. | absolutely envied
her such felicity.
| seated myself, and threaded my needle
in 4 worse humor than before [ knew
the alternative-that | must either darn
my stockings or 90 without hose-so |
darned away. Our little income was, like
the article in question, full of gaps and
rents that required to be kept together by
great economy. At last | finished, and
could not refrain from muttered 'Thank
Heaven.
Are you through?' said my grand
mother. Surely you must be exhausted
bv such severe labor l was tempted to
say I aoas, but the lurking smile that play
ed around her lips forbade. 'COme, then,
she said gayly, it is just lunch time, and I
think something to eat will revive your
spirits Take the keys, and afterwards [
have little story to tell you
A good luncheon is capital provocative
to good humor; and, according ly, when
finished, | took my seat on little stool,
with my head in grandmother's lap, and
smiled very complacently in her face.
aha! the dimples have come back
again. she said, as she saw them playing
hide-and-seek around the corners of my
mouth. And she stopped to kiss the one
on my chin, calling it the good little dim
pie that had never been away.
/ cannot think she began, why there
is SO universal dread of stocking darning
The stitch is easy the same as that used
for lace, which was fashionable employ
ment fifty years ago; it requires but little
skill, and gives unlimited range to the
thought and but little care to the fingers /;
vet not one in fifty can hear it mentioned
withou mentally recoiling at the idea. To
express fondness for it would be regarded
as the height of eccentricity. In my day,
it was Kind of recreation after our regu-
lar plain sewing; regularly, once week,
the mending-basket was placed on the ia
BILE, and my sisters and | chatted gayly, as
we drew the rents together; but now ID is