The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-09-12
HRS. BATTERBYSCEAzY QUILT.
By AMELIA SULLIVAN
Chicago Tribune.

Chicago Tribune. -
Mrs. Batterby was 3 model wife and mother.
Please to remark, dear reader, / say WISE, be-
cause after careful observation and deep CON
slderation Of the subject, I am copvinced that
. woman who allows herself to fall under the
balcful spell of s'crazy'' patchwork, becomes
surely and swiftly lost to every other influence
and needless Of every appeal either to her
conscience Dr. her affections.
Well, Mrs. Batterby was . dear little roly-
poly Of . woman, with dark blue eyes, and a
soft gurgling laugh that was perfectly infec-
tous, and which hAd the added charm of sud
denly bringing into view two row. Of little
white teeth and some hitherto unsupported
dimples. Her bright brown hair waved natur-
ally on either side Of her smooth white fore
head, and Mr.. Batterby who had tho reputa-
ton Of being quite = connoisseur il
female beauties, and given to admiring
SNOWY, brilliant women, thought there never
was anything in these days of bangs and friz-
EOS, 30 exquisitely feminine, and bewitching,
and suggestive Of home aud happiness, as
that tiny white parting in his wife's bounteous
brown hair, and tho little ripping waves on
her white brow. However, he simply re-
marked that he '1iked that way of wearing her
hair" and let it go at that In his instantane-
GUS mental conceptions of her there was al
ways distinct in his mind, her bright, loving
glance, her pretty brow and hair, hor 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 MI. Batterby had good cause to re-
member his wife as holding q babe.
Such a woman it was who fell victim to that
Cray quilt" mania, which is now i~nsidiously
undermining the moral Int intellectual charac-
ter of the females in all ranks of life through
out the whole country.
1t was Nine. Pumpernickel, who, being her
self demented, introduced the contagious mania,
into this hitherto happy household. Who is
NINE. Pumpernickel? Everybody asked that
the moment they saw her. With her gray hair
colied like q coronet Oh 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 q world-ronowned plan
list il she had been born to poverty. She might
have been q Senator's wife, if she had married
her first love. She would have been a great
writer If she had been . better talker, and she
would have been celebrated as o wonderful
conversationalist il she had been born to wealth,
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 ont silk rags, %snippings and clippings OF
every shade and shape, she said in her gay
way:
II travel lik 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 IS 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
over the banisters into the dining room, and in
voluntarily exclaimed:
up YETI Why, what in the world are you
Well might he exclaim.
Tho floor of the room into which he looked
was strewn with rags; the dining table was
strewn with them; and bonding over the table,
arrayed in loose wrappers, their cheeks
A,1o1n1 r~l %hns. l-s- Ll:.l.-.11x T. MT.
eagerness, we're his wife and her guest, pulling
about aud tossing around the heap of silk
scraps.
"Oh, I'm making a crazy quilt!!" abstracred-
~ returned his wife, scarcely raising her eyes
from her work. sMme. Pumpernickel is helping
me plan squares"
Mr.. Batterby looked On q moment, his habitual
abiding sense Of a man g inability to comprehend
the mysterious workings Of the feminine intel
posure of manner.
ssWel, good night" he said. with the air Of one
who was giving up q problem.
But as Returned to go his eyes was caught by
the familiar pattern of one silken fragment. He
drew it from the heap.
"My old necktie! another of my s~carfs!" =
"Now, Gustave!" cried Mrs. Batterby, snatch
ing it away; 'syou gave up wearing that years
ago!"
Here is oneI boughtin Paris" said MI. Bat
leroy, giving another pull at the pile, INC bring
ing out a rich blue satin scarf.
And she is 30 close and stingy with them
she won't cut one!" cried Nine Pumpernickel
ga SHar. MN. pnmn.,n;cko, M oivo 80,
this for your quilt" very CALAMITY responded
Mr.: Batterby, handing over the bright silken
ribbon.
'Oh!"~ Involuntary gasped his wife. .tWhy
Gustave! and I've been saving that to use in
some such way as this these five years!'
ooh, thank you Mfr. Batterby! Now / shall
always have something to remind me Of you in
my quilt. Now you see how your wife feels
about it! But l shall not divide with her!"
enc, you keep it ALL" jocuosely advised Mr..
Batterby, keeping up the joke; and he betook
himgelf to bod, leaving the two women delving
into the rags.
Batterby had to let the baby cry . little while,
till she pieced out a corner; but there was not
the same cordially between them as before Mr..
Batterby's entrance. Mrs. Batterby'a good
sence was all that restrained her from jealousy.
She knew what Q belle and fiirt Mime. Pun
mentally saying, ''gray hairs and wrinkles
would not prevent her being a coquette yet.
Will she really take advantage of Gustave'a
fun and carry away that scarf she knows I was
boarding."
But Nine. Pumpernickel, who had a keen
sense Of hnmor, and read Mrs. Batterby's mind
like a book) really did carry the scarf away ia
her room and vallse. andpoor little Mrs. Bat
terby (who lay awake that night planning
squares, and thought about that beautiful tie,
and Gustave's reckless generosity)never saw
again the treasure Of which her husband and
her guest had 80 ruthlessly despOiled her.
Immediately after breakfast the next morn
ing the two women sat down 10 their work.
I'm going to let Mary dress the baby and
pick up the house. I'll just let things 60, and
devote myself to you
'sYes, and wen 500 how many squares Of
your quilt we can finish while I'm here
eve must go to the opera matinee this after
noon, you know"