The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-01-08
THE RAG CARPET.

A rich gentleman said to me yesterdav
Il was taught good lesson by a remark
! read in early life, in piece entitled.
Clothes and old clothes, that zone per.
son makes two people happy bv giving
away his secondhand clothes. viz: the
person to whom he gives them, and the
tailor who has an opportunity to make him
some more in their place." But l find
taat my more thrifty friends make carpets
UI their rags and old clothes, and I found
tilat MRS. Hall had triumphantly nailed
uo"h fresh, nice, warm CARPET sbe had
se%eo and had woven in South street T
1ooked at it obviously. 1t was inst what
l., needed at home, and l wished had done
katherine, "said I, on entering nv own
domlclle, IL mean to make a warm roo
carpet for our kitchen this winter tt q
SO cold place, my feet almost freeze when
the thermometer is down to ,ero .nd
come down to get breakfast, and then the
scrubbings have given that floor are not
to be numbered. Decidedly, must have
a carpet. There is large roll of clothes
in the attic put by for our poor pension
ers; what fool / have been, always to
give away all our garments as soon as thew
are worn little; SO thriftless. Mrs. Hail
cuts them in strips, and sews them in great
balls, and sends them to be woven into
long breadths of carpeting."
Why, Maria, said Catherine, looking
sorry, "our men do no hard work, and
wear their clothes very lightly. 1t would
be shame to cut them up for carpets
when you have done so much good with
them, cutting and fitting them SO nicely
for poor children am astonished at your
new fancy. Don't you remember how
angry you are with those ladies who sell
their Old clothes for glassware and knick-
knacks for the what-nots, and how YOU
boast that not one of those little images
ever came into our house in that way?"
"Well, but" l replied fretfully, "our
income is so small and everything is so
high; can't afford to buy carpet, and
L must have one, my throat is so affected
with bronchitis. -
80 brought down the big roll of
clothes, and put it in my closet where |
Kept my work, and determined to com.
mence my new plan that very day. How
ever, some family cares delayed me. and
the next morning after breakfast the old
man who mends our fu' niture came round
with little table, and | unluckily asked
him how he was provided for the cold
weather.
VERY poorly, ma'am; Idont get much
work to DO, and our boys amt half clad
for winter"
- said [, quite enthusiastically,
have got the incest jacket for yonr
Ben, my son has just out-groun it. Send
him round for it,
In few moments, true enough, the boy
came, and looked delighted with his prize
Alas. my carpet, l forgot all about it till
it was over.
That day heard of colored boy who
was lame, about fifteen years of age. and
who wept bitterly at the thought of going
to the poor-hOuse this winter. Quick as
thought, the pants, vest and all followed.
and SO 1t was at the end of the week. nv
roll was diminished sadly. had no heart
to begin the carpet when found one wo-
man with no other dress but the one she
wore, and poor, newborn baby with
none at all All me! what suffering there
Is Ill ILLS beautiful world.
That night grandma came to make Us
call in her handsome carriage, and as she
sat In our little sitting-room, she said.
F" Maria, | have been taking up the Brus-
sells carpet in my back parlor and getting
a new one, and have cut the old one in
two pieces, one to cover a bedroom and
the other to lay down in your kitchen"
Dear me! / was astonished. She did
not know my thoughts, or how anxious /
had been, but Providence had sent me a
carpet. Now will not say that every
one who diligently gives away first of his
penury or of his abundance, will be re-
warded by Brussels carpet, but L feel
that God sees every self denial, even the
and looks after our minutest
concerns, end will bestow even in this life
a hundred-fold and in the world to come