Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-12-26
An Eccentric Needle.

One day at an old-fashioned country
quilting in East Tennessee the mountain
boys and girls We're playing some game
like snap" Miss Maria Peelers was
being chased around the room by Ja1kin
Soby, her ardent admirer. She gave q
scream suddenly, and began to examine
the sole of her foot, which-as is the
custom in that region-was shod with
natures own morocco It was found
that she had stepped on needle that
had fallen by accident upon the floor
As there were seven or eight inches of
black patent thread hanging from the
eye of the needle Jarkin insisted upon
pulling it out, but Maria screamed with
fright at the bare mention of the thing.
She would not suffer any one to touch
the string. So Jarkin took her up be-
hind him on his horse and took her home
to the old folks, intending, by the assist
ance of the old man, to prevail upon her
to let the needle be pulled out. Lo!
when they had made the trip there was
no thread visible, and it was thought
that, as Maria's feet had dangled along.
it had caught on bush and pulled
out. All parties we're in despair. Ma
ria was considerably frightened, butonly
complained of dreadful stitch in her
leg. Jarkin went home, after vainly
training his own eyes to find that of the
needle, leaving Maria, as she said, to let
the thing heal and work out The next
day Jarkin called on Maria to see if the
place had begun to tester, but the hole,
where the needle had entered, was scarcely
visible, and Maria was complaining of
only little stitch in her knee, and was
in such good spirits as to place Jarkin
in ecstasies. From day to day the visits
continued, and Maria and Jarkin had
forgotten all about the needle. Maria
now and then complained to her mother
of q peculiar stitch in different localities,
but went cheerfully about her work.
When Jarkin called in the long even
ings it was evident that he sat very close
to Maria, and while that silent ecstasy
spoken of in novels would steal over
them they would forget everything but
their own little heaven, until a secular
snore from one of the old people in the
back part of the room would cause them
to stir. This thing continued until one
night, after they had been together
longer and closer than usual, Jarkin re-
moved his arm and sighed that he must
go. AS he went to rise he gasped from
a sharp stitch in his side next to Maria
Maria edged spasmodically toward Jar
kin, catching short breath and hold
ing to him convulsively Jarkin felt an
indescribable pain In the effort to part
Maria hung to him with CALCULATIONS no
more tender than Indicative of great
physical pain. Finally they chung to
each other in wild alarm. Each ex-
claimed: "What's the matter! o! Martial
O! -Jar-kinr The old folks
awoke and struck light in great
trepidation. Seeing the couple clinging
to each other, the old gentleman insisted
upon immediate separation, but Maria
screamed, 'sHe can't; Oh, he I'll"
Jarkin was in too much mysticism to
solve the question, and all the old folks
did IN their vain efforts to separate them
was to elicit great cries of agony. After
many Intellectual attempts the thing was
given up. As both parties seemed to be
in the EXTREMIST mental and physical
anguish, a doctor was sent for, and after
many weary hours arrived. Upon in
FSouiSoUeAOu IC IOuaiu pdU-
ent thread running from Maria's side to
:Jarkin's side. A new light broke over
Maria's face at the revelation, while all
the others were thrown into the deepest
conjecture. Upon signifying that she
could at last solve the riddle, the parties
waited breathlessly to hear. ''It's that
needle" ''What needle, Maria ?" :'Why,
hits been workin' all this time, that nee
die [ tramped on at the quiltin'.'
The mystery was solved; the thread
had not pulled out on the way home,
but as the needle had worked in out of
sight the thread had followed 1t had
continued its course about Maria's mem
bers, and now all those inexplicable
pains, which had for six months dis
turbed her, were accounted for and
Jarkin had been so persistent and so
close in his attentions that the needle
had, imperceptibly, in a protracted sit
ting Of the two, worked out of Maria
into him, and, as it were, stitched them
together