Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-12-08

IlefCeS Dig turkey chased us Tor daring &c
wear them on his premises. Do you think
we can finish at two more sittings, Grandma
Neal?"
ooh yes; and besides you know the girl:
from the Corners who wouldn't come last
week, will be here the last day. 1 shall send
them word to come on Thursday, and well
end it off with nice little party"
There was general demon stration of sat.
istact5on at this arrangement, in the midst OF
which the girls suddenly became so still, as
loud knock sounded at the hall door.
Old Mrs. Neal went to open it, saying that
OF course Josiah must be off when he was
wanted. She was gone but few moments,
for the man seemed in great haste, but when
she returned to the room, what was the con,
sternation of the quilters to see that she was
agitated and weeping.
I" It's all over girls about sending the quilt
You've had your labor for nothing Deacon
Bates called to tell me that he had deter
mined to start for Michigan tomorrow morn
ing his friends from Maine have arrived,
and they wish to GO on together. He must
have Maggie's box at six o'clock in the morn
ing, and it must 90 without the quilt. Poor
Maggie !"
There was not dry eye in the circle
otis too bad ?" cried Hattie Bower, "he
ought to have notified you sooner. We
would have come here at daylight to quilt u
" You couldn't have finished it, dear, if
you he'd, so we must try and not fret about it.
though it does seem hard at first, considering
all the pains we have taken It's a thing
that can't be helped; don't cry any of you.
You've labored faithfully out of pure love to
your old friend, and you'll have your reward
The quilt can go in the spring, for I know
several families that are expecting to move
West as soon as navigation opens"
Yes in the spring, but what a while to
wait Besides she may need it this winter in
that cold place"
Grandma Neal smiled, and her face glowed
with honest pride, even through her lingering
tears. Ono, child, Pm thankful | can say
there's no fear of her needing it this winter,
nor for good MANY, if no accident happens.
Three feather beds and twelve first rate
quilts, she took with her, and would have
carried more, had there been room in the
wagon"
"Il tell you what we might do" said the
thoughtful little Abby Norman, awe might
rip the quilt from the frames and send it as
it is. We can roll up the patterns and some
strips for the binding, and Maggie can put it
in the frames and quilt it out"
Grandma Neal unused a moment, and the
young girls waited impatiently to learn with
what favor she regarded the proposition
Ono, Abby" she said at last, cit wouldn't
be best. Maggie has but one small room,
and it is a kitchen, parlor, bedroom, buItery,
cellar and all. How could she have "a quilt
about so long, and such a quilt? 1t would
be ruined with smoke and dust before she
could possibly quilt it out Besides she has
all that she can do with her house-work, and
her winter sewing, l dare say"
But she could invite her neighbors to as
sist her."
She has no neighbors, poor thing, within
three miles, and if she had they would have
work enough of their own, have no doubt.
No, candidly believe it is best to waio till
spring, and may be it will be just as accepta-
BILE to her then as now"
The girls acquesced in the old lady's de-
cision, but went on with their quilting, de-
termined to complete it all the same as if it
were to be sent as intended Their fingers
still flew briskly, but their hearts had grown
suddenly heavy, and few were the Jokes and
smiles that enlivened the hour that inter-
yened till tea time. Then Grandfather Neal
and Josiah were admitted to a share in the
disappointment, and the latter remained with
a laugh that was not very heartfelt, that cit
seemed the everlasting quilt was not done
with yet"
After tea was over the girls busted them
selves in assisting Grandma Neal to fill the
box designed for Maggie. A mammoth cheese
from her own dairy, well wrapped and pro-
tected, was in the bottom of the box, then a
large piece of flannel, dress pattern or two,
muslin for pair of shirts for the darling
young farmer who had won Maggie away
from them, piece of curtain calico, stock
ings, dried beef, dried peaches, and several
ears of pop corn. Enough, one would mag
inc, without the quilt; but these were the
prose Of the gift, that was to have been the
poetry; these were to minister to bodily
needs, that was to delight the heart And
so Grandma Meals tears dropped into the box
she thought of the album quilt that was
not there.
" do not know what to put in to fill the
space reserved for the quilt" she said, "but
there's pair of pillows that wanted her to
take with her, and she wasn't willing, saying
| would rob myself Dear soul she was
always thinking more of others interests
than her own, but can crowd them in here
just as well as not" So the pillows were
brought and crowded in, but the box was left
uncovered till morning, lest, as the old lady
said, she should think of some other little
notion.
All of sudden the girls were back to the
Quilt, and asked leave to light three candles.
Grandma Neal gave them permission to go
down cellar and get just as many as they
wished, saying, however, that she thought
they ought not to quilt shell work in the
evening, for it was very trying to the eyes,
and indeed they had all better crack hickory
nuts and let the quilt go till tomorrow.
However, they worked necessarily until
nine o'clock, and then Grandma Neal was
obliged to drive them from their chairs.
saying emphatically that it was too bad, that
they would be good for nothing tomorrow,
and that their mothers would never let them
come again.
Five of the girls lived within few rods of
Mrs. Meals, the remainder from one half a
mile to a mile distant As the former were
putting Oil their things to go home, little Fan
ny Grant, who was the old lady's special IA
vorite, and who lived farthest away, said,
coaxingly, I" wish, grandma, you had half
dozen spare beds. Then we who have so far
to walk would sleep here, and be ready with
a message for Maggie tomorrow morning,
when Deacon Bates makes his appearance
"Why, dear child" replied the old lady,
smoothing Fanny's auburn locks, "you can
stay as well as not, all of you. Pve beds
enough; there's the large back chamber. that
mas three beds in it, beside single bed
Then this bedroom"
On, no, no, said all at once, 1--WE won't
tumble this bed; but give US the back cham
per, and Wen lind sleeping room and fun too.
pll be bound" WV
So it was settled that seven should pass the
remainder of the night there; and Grandma
Neal, after covering the fires, and winding
the clock, and charging the girls to 60 to
sleep and not to dream of album quilts all
night retired to her own bedroom at the
farther end of the long kitchen, and before
ten all was still in the place.
l say all was still, yetit was true that lit