Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-12-17
AN ARTIST OF THE REVOLU-
TION.

NbW tuut thO uioueih ehNi'le "
stabbing her white fingers with tbt
point OF crewel needle and setting
The estbetic bulrusb in faithful Ken
sington colors on screens and panels
it is interesting to recall the achieve
ments of our grandmoihers in this
direction. In the quiet old days be
fore the sewing. g.machine, noisy and
aggressive, drove dainty and womanly
hnndicrafts from the field, they did
some work that was greatly to tbeiI
credit, and one Of them at last has been
embalmed in the amber Of history by
means of her needlework. She was
the genius OF the scissors, and with
that good blade, Excalibur, she cut her
way TO fame and fortune. Gen. Wash
ington, himself, was reused TO enthnsi
asm by the deitness with which Mrs.
Beisey Ross, of Philadelphia, folded
and cut, at one fell stroke, a white
satin stai. For fiity.six years she
made flags for the army and navy. AT
the request OF DR.. Franklin, Mr. George
Morris and Col. George Ross she made
the first flag Of the United States, and
Thomas Paine, who seems to have had
finger in every pie in those good old
colony times, showed her how TO set
the stars on the flag. 1t was at one
time proposed to omit the eagle from
the navy flag, but against this Paul
Jones protested. Besides being flag
maker extraordinary to the General
Government, she was an artistic up
holster, and furnished parlors, theatres
and hotels. She not only worked her
sell, but gave employment to all her
relatives and friends. She upholstered
the ocean steamers that piled between
the New England and the old. For
all these purposes she herself imported
the richest fabrics, and nothing, says
the sketch OF her lie which has come
down TO us, could be moro bright and
beautiful than the draperies which she
designed. Probably Mrs. Ross did not
say "designed" She would have been
much moro likely, in the sensible
phrascology Of the day, to say that she
"cut them out, and made them up"
She would look with scant admiration
on the dubious colors and half and
quarter shades of modern panels. For
herself she liked something bright and
decided, and always combined the pri.
mary colors. Her proudest victories
were won by that solid phalanx OF
the seven uncompromising shades.
Mrs, Ross was poet also, and, al.
though Quaker great singer But
Tor her, IL is said, that there would
never have been any Marseillaise
lynn, for il was the refrain Of ring.
ing war song, written and sung by her
sell, which gave Rougct do Lille the
keynote Of that wonderful chant. In
those times that tried mems souls, she
was wont 10 walk about the streets
when troops were departing, giving
away flags and singing with immense
enthusiasm such sentiments as that "a
soldier is a gentleman, his honor is bis
life, and he that wont stand by bis
flag will neer stand by bis wifel" 1t
was the ringing refrain Of her song,
AWAY Away Away to Arms !"
that first caught the ear and kindled
the Imagination of the young Lieuten-
ant OF Artillery, who quickly com.
posed st hant do Guerre d'l'Armee,"
which later was named the "Hymne
dc Marseillaise"
Being Friend, she bad conscientious
objections to sitting for her portrait,
but some artist, who had killed his
conscience, stole crayon miniature OF
her, ard the reproductions OF it show
q woman Of "comely countenance,
which tradition says was radiant with
life and health and energy. She pos
sessed great magnetism there was
healing III the laying on OF her hands,
and when the yellow fever ragged in
1893, she nursed the sufferers with q
success which won for her, from DIR.
Benjamin Rush, the namc of the "Magi.
cal Quakeress." She was, in fact, a
healing medium. But il was as an artist
ic decorator that she won n great repu-
tation, so that no public hall or building
was considered complete without some
Of her hangings. On the whole, a re-
markable woman in her day and gen.
Grafton was Mrs. Betscy Ross, Miss
Elizabeth Griscom "that was Il.