River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-09-25
MRS. BATTERBY'SCRl QUILT.
BY AMELIA SULLIVAN.

Mrs. Batterby war model wife and mother
Please to remark, Gear reader, say was, be-
cause after careful observation and deep con-
siderafion of the subject, am convinced that
woman who allows herself to fail under the
baleful spell of crazy patchwork, becomes
surely and swiftly lost to every other influence
conscience Or her affections.
Well, Mrs. Batterby was a dear little roly-
poly of woman, with dark blue eyes, and a
soft gurgling laugh that was perfectly infec-
tious, and which had the added charm Of sud
denly bringing into view two rows of little
white teeth and some hitherto ansuspected
dimples. Her bright brown kair waved natur-
ally on either side of her smooth white fore
head, and Mr. Batterby who had the reputa-
ton of being quite q connoisseur in
female beauties, and given to admiring
snowy, brilliant women, thought there never
was anything in these days Of bangs and fri2-
yes, so exquisitely feminine and bewitching,
and suggestive Of home and happiness, as
that tiny white parting in his wifes bounteous
brown hair, and the little ripping waves on
her white brow. However, he simply re-
marked that he ''liked that way Of wearing her
hair, and let it so at that In his instantane-
GUS mental conceptions of her there was al
ways distinct in his mind, her bright loving
glance, hc- pretty brow and hair, her dark
dress and white apron, and plump, white
hands; and generally he thought of her with a
baby in her arms. They had been married
ten years, and there had been three children,
so that Mr. Batterby had good cause to re-
member his wife as holding babe.
Such woman it was who fell a victim TO that
''crazy quilt" mania, which is now insidiously
undermining the moral and intellectual charac-
ter of the females in all ranks of life through
out the whole country.
1t was Mime. Pumpernickel, who, being her
self demented, introduced the contagious mania,
into this hitherto happy household Who is
Mime. Pumpernickel? Everybody asked that
the moment they saw her With her gray hair
coiled like coronet on her well-poised, head,
and her air of good breeding, and her lively wit,
and her gracious manner, one almost expected
to hear she was a duchess. But in reality
she was only a woman of defeated possibilities.
She might have been world-renowned plan
ist if she had been born to poverty. She might
have been Senator's wife, if she had married
her first love. She would have been great
writer if she had been better talker, and she
would have been celebrated as wonderful
and in Boston, instead of spending her first
twenty years in learning and teaching music in
Western State
But despite her disadvantages Nine Pun
pernickel's consciousness of her own superior
ity to criticism never deserted her, and never
failed to impress, with more or less inten-
sity, those with whom she came in contact.
So when Nine. Pumpernickel opened her
valise, and from every part of it came tumbl-
ing out silk rags, snippings and clippings Of
every shade and shape, she said in her gay
way:
81 travel like an aesthetic ragman. It's my
crazy quilt You must have one They are
elegant" And Mrs. Battery Immediately de-
cided to have one.
That night, when Mr.. Batterby, who as one
Of Chicago's prominent men, had been re-
| quested to attend ga ratification meeting down
| town, arrived home at 1890 p. M, he looked
4 over the banisters into the dining room, and in
voluntarily exclaimed:
Cup yet? Why, what in the world are you
doing?n
Well might he exclaim.
/ The floor of the room into which he looked
vas strewn with rags; the dining table was
strewn with them; and bending over the table,
lrrayed in loose wrappers, their checks
| flushed and their hair dishevelled in theii
sagerness, were his wife and her guest pulling
about and tossing around the heap of silk
4 scraps.
sob, I'm making a crazy quiltl"' distracted.
| ly returned his wife, scarcely raising her eyes
! from her work. ''Mme Punpernickelis helping
me plan squares.
Mr. Batterby looked on moment, his habitua
! abiding sense of man's inability to comprehend
the mysterious workings of the feminine intel
lect enabling him 10 maintain becoming com
posture of manner.
tsWell good nightln he said with the air of one
who was giving up problem
But as he turned to go his eyes was caught by
the familiar pattern of one silken fragment He
| drew it from the heap.
ssMv old necktie! another of my scarfs!"
'sNow, Gustavei" cried Mrs. Batterby, snatch
ing it away; ''you gave up wearing that years
ago."
"Here is ono l bought in Paris" said Mr. Bat
terby, giving another pull at the pile, and bring
| ing out rich blue satin scarf
And she is so close and stingy with them
she won't cut one!n cried Mime, Pumpernickel
;.Iiere, Nine. Pumpernickel, I'll give you
this for your quilt, very gallantly responded
Mr. Batterby, handing over the bright silken
ribbon.
'sOh!" involuntarily gasped his wife. ''Why
Gustave! and I've been saving that to use III
some such way as this these five years."
ssOh, thaR you Mr.. Batterbyi Now l shall
always have something to remind me of you in
my quilt Now you see how your wife feels
about i'll But / shall not divide with her."
'sNo YOU keep it all! jocuosely advised Mr..
| Batterby, keeping up the joke; and he betook
himgef to bed, leaving the two women delyin9
! into the rags.
/ They finished their squares, though Mrs.
Batterby had to let the baby cry little while,
| till she pieced out corner; but there was not
! the same cordially between them as before Mr.;
Batterby's entrance. Mrs. Batterbys good
4 sence was all that restrained her from jealousy.
She knew what belle and fiirt Mime. Pun
/ pernickel used to be, and "really," she was
| mentally saying, 'tgray hairs and wrinkles
would not prevent her being coquette yet.
! viii she really take advantage of Gustave's
| fun and carry away that scarf she knows was
! boarding"
| But Nine Pumpernickel, who had a keen
sense of humor, and read Mrs. Batterbys mind
/ like book really did carry the scarf away to
her room and vallse, and poor little Mrs. Bat
/ terby (who lay awake that night planning
squares, and thought about that beautiful tie,
/ and Gustaves reckless generosity)never saw
| again the treasure of which her husband and
i her guest had so ruthlessly despolled her.
/ Immediately after breakfast the next morn
| ing the two women sat down TO their work.
/ sTm going to let Mary dress the baby and
pick up the house. I'll just let things go, and
/ devote myself to you.
eyes. and we'll see how many squares OF
your quilt we can finish while I'm here
''We must go to the opera matinee this after
noon, you know"
! 'Dear mel hardly feel as If we could take
the time cried Mime. Pumpernickel, who was
musician by nature and training, and adored
the opera. 49,
They worked on their respective squares till
the last minute, barely allowing themselves
time to dress and swallow a cup of tea each.
s'We shall be a little late,a said Mrs. Batter
| by when they were almost at their destination.
| The next moment she gave little cry of con-
sternation.
ooh, mercy! If didn't leave our tickets on
the mantelpleceI
'sHow long will it take fer Us to go for
them
Forty minutes, and forty back. Call it an
hour and half The opera will be nearly
over How stupid of mel"
! ssNever mind We can stop and buy that
pink satin for your quilt, and then go home
and plan two more squares before we go tc
/ bed.n
81 know you only say that to relieve me.
You must be dreadfully disappointed! Oh,
hey're well named crazy quilts!"
Yes; but you see must leave you Friday,
| so there is only one day more for us to work
on the quilt Dear child, y pleaded Nine. Pun
| pernickel, earnestly, and laying her hand on
Mrs Batterbyis arm, don't, don't stop until
your quilt is finishedn
ssNot even to eat and sleep?"
/ sob, suppose you'll be obliged to stop for
| those things,s returned Mime. Pumpernickel
half in lest half in earnest; shut you must not