Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-11-18
CHE Sturp Teller.
THE QUILTING PARTY.
Down East Story of Seventy Years Ago.


A few days after grandmother told me the
story of the junket at Squire Doolittle's
said to her, coaxingly. "Please tell me about
an old fashioned quilting. 1 have looked
at this quilt so much since have been sick
that have become very much interested IN
its welfare, past, present, and to come, as they
saw. "Did you have it before you were mar
ried, grandma p
eyes, dear, it was part of my setting
out and for that reason and because at that
very quilting-but no matter! When get
through my story you will see why have
always kept that quilt on the spare bed'' to
save it. Girls used to have stacks of quilts
and blankets, with live geese feather beds
instead of mattresses My father was well
to.do, and I had good setting out as any
girl need to have
"But the quilting. am anxious to know
why you have kept this quilt so nicely"
Eyes, child. Let me see. That was quilt
ed ABOUT LnTee Weeks ueioi0 1honno5A'AA0'
seventy years ago. I remember it we'll, be-
cause that very Thanksgiving following, was
married; though, at that time, had no more
idea of it than you have of marrying that
Young man who comes to see you so often
from Portland. What's his name?" said she,
teazingly.
81 declare, grandma, how you do ramble.
1t takes you as long to get at your subject as
it does popular lecturer"
She finished binding off the heel to her
stocking, then got up and put it away, and
seating herself, collected her thoughts, smooth
ing the folds of her black silk apron, and ad-
iusting her cap and dspectacles, meanwhile. l
watched her and wondered to myself that any
one could say that old age was not beautiful
To me there is something sweetly, solemnly
sacred about it. 1t has seen so many changes,
lived through so many years and is so soon to
solve the Great Mystery. 10 me grandmoth-
er was lovely; her hair was so silvery white
her face was so sweetly placid, that her smile
was like benediction, while the bright yet
peaceful glance of her eye seemed to warm
you with its loving radiance.
Uncousciously, while telling her old time
stories, she sometimes discarded her usual cor
rect speech, to take up the quaint phrases and
words of the time of which she was speaking.
She began at last, looking straight before her
as if the port lay within her range OF vision.
ut was three weeks before Thanksgiving.
as told you before, and the first cold snap we
had had. In the morning when father came
in from milking, I heard him tell Abel that
after this the COWS must be tied up in the sta
BILE of nights, it was getting too cold to leave
them in the yard. He WAS just asking where
'Rastus was, when he came down stairs
grumblng and went and stood with his back
to the fireplace, where there was rousing
fire. On the crane hung the potato kettle,
and before the blaze the biscuit were baking
in the tin baker.
"sWhat's the matter, sonny ?" said mother,
as she hustled about.
"'Matter enough! said 'Rastus, in fault
finding Tone I'm Almost froze-it's colder'n
a barn up in the Long Chamber, and there
amt half clothes enough on the bed
"I was warm enough said Abel.
"'Yes,' snapped 'Rastus. you just wrapped
the quilts around you and kept turning 'em
right off n me- got up and put fathers old
oyercoat over me, but it slid onto the floor,
and 'Rastus looked dscontentedly at the cat
that rubbed against his leg, coaxing to be
taken up.
"'Rastus was the youngest, and mothers
baby, she called him, and we thought she
petted him too much now, he was so old; ne
must have been fourteen then, for he was
three years younger than l. He was full of
fun, generally, and good boy, but he had
vein of fault6nding in his disposition that
gave him the airs of martyr, sometimes.
"Why, you don't think, do you?" said l
innocently, "that martyrs ever put on airs.
always thought, though, they must have
been uncomfortable people to live with"
She shook her head rep.ovingly. "Rastus
kept up his grumbling till mother said
"I'll see that you don't sleep cold to night.
Thankful and Keturah's getting married
has made me short out for bedding, and Je.
rusha and have to work so hard now they
are gone, we don't have no time for quilting
ourselves I don't see any other way but we
shall have to have quilting. I don't know
as we can get ready, though. I wish I'd a
thought of it yesterday, it needs such deal
of getting ready"
How my heart beat at that I was only
seventeen and didn't mind work if I could
only have good time, and cuttings were
considered the very best of good times. Blu:
didn't dare to seem eager, for fear mother
wouldn't decide to have it it took opposition
for that. She wasn't obstinate, only she al
ways saw more clearly the arguments on the
opposite side l have often thought that
reformers have the same characteristics
Mother was whig and a strong one she nev.
er believed in Might being Right; and any
poor outcast was sure Of an advocate in moth
er. Remembering this l said:
"'But, mother, how can we? There's thai
warn to double and twist
"'A day or two won't make no great diff