Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-12-19
THE QUILTING BEE,
A GEORGIA SKETCH, uY BETSY HAMILTON


One night in the Christmas old Miss Rnber'-
son she gin quilun,. 1: sOt INTO rainin' that
mornin', but l amt never seed no sort Of
weather that could back down this settlement
from gwine TO party.
Pap lowed If they knowed it won rain tad
poles and pennywinlles they d go to a frohc,
whether they was axcd or not But If any Of
EN- goes thar drunk, and gifts TO cuttin up, it
don't take long 10 AK EN- of, III peIticler If
Buddy and lay Robertson Is about. One teller
tried 1t thar that night. He was drunk, and
timber as a dish-raR, a-windin all over the
house, and tried TO set up to- Sissy Tucker.
She wheeled on her heel and left him. Then
he sot in to cussin', and he got tuck out by the
year-Buddy he mighty quick showed hun tine
big road. II made Mol Freshours monstrous
mad she lowed, SISSY Tucker sighted Sklmp
and when she sighted Skimp Wigginsoker she
sighted her betters.
We uns mought have walked over thar that
night, but we didn't want 10 git our Sunday
shoes ruint in the mud; so Buddy he taken US
in the OK Vaughn, and we had power Of fun,
for Jinsy Whetlock was along.
She came home with me from AtlAnty, Geor-
gia, when l went over thar 10 see Cousin
Calline Mason, and she never was at qultin'
in her life. When we fust got thar the house
and pi-a-zer was jam iull, and 1t looked like
they was all gethered at meetln' and waltin
for the preacher. You mought have hearE 3
pin dTAp, they was all so still, and settin' up
the benches outen the schOol-'ouse sOt around
agln the wall, and s-settin' on EN- thick AZ bis
cults in a oven, the gals all on one side Of the
room, and the boys on tOther. The gals had
thar heads combed slick rs ribbins, and thar
faces full OF skin powders.
II Bud Hamilton can't stir and mix @ crowd
together. nobody else needn't try. The old
folks was all in "tother house across the
PLACER a-quiltin', and left the young folks 10
thar selves. They was waitin' for the
fiddler, but the minute Buddy got in he sot EN-
all TO playin' kissin' games. He tied knot in
the cornder Of his Handkerchief, and let in 70
hittin ky Robertson over the head.
"Contented or discontented, Ike Say quick,
or III beat you till you tell me-"
"Discontented."
'What'u content you?n
"For ali hands TO play Johnny Brown"
Il don't want TO play that ITS got klssin' in
! it, and NAV don't low mt to kiss, says Mandy
Strong.
''Well. you uns ken start YOU up q game OF
thimble over thar in the cornder. AL them
that's in favor of playin johnny Brown Ill
| the fiddler comes, iine hands in the ring,
says Buddy.
I'm discontented agin," says Ky.
"WhRt II content you
"For Miss Armiuty to stop quiltin', and
come out t'other house in here and jine the
play"
That sot the whole gang TO ggglin', for They
/
! fun. Miss Arminty" is a sharp.nose. long.
neck old maid, that goes everwhsr, whether
she is wanted or no, and talks about ever thing
ard everybody. Ever body's bushes is hern
! she is too idlesOme and dO-less To have any OF
her own. Her tongue is the occasion Of a heap
of deyilment in the settlement. / never let,
her hear me say nOthin', if can help 1t. She
| is shore to tell it, and git it all twisted so bN
the time you hear it agin you are ready &c
| swar you never said it.
tuck Jinsy in ''t'other house TO see the
| quilt. The room was most full Of old women
and dim with terbacker smoke from thar cob
| pipes. Miss GoOden and NAV and Aunt Nancy
and old Miss Strong was dom some good hon
est quiltin', but t'Others was doin' more talkin
than work.
Old Miss Freshours had left the quilt bekazt
her feet WAS cold, and dTawed three-leggeC
stool up in the cornder, and slipped her tee
outen her shoes, and stuck EN- to the fire u
| warm She was tellin' dream she had abOu
the comet and the world a-comin 10 a eend
and it was so miracklus everybody held thai
breath and never bstted thar eyes. She had
big snuff mop in her mouth, and as she talked
she spit on the hath.
Old Miss Green sot right fernenst her OF
t'other side OF the fire, chin in her hand, anC
elbow on her knee, putin away at her pipe
She is monstrous fat, weighs over two hundred
She doctors the whole settlement on roots anC
banks and yerb-tea mixtries, and they say sh'
can't be beat maxim of pine-pitch plaster.
The fiddler had come, and dancin' was gwint
on in t'other house. We could hear ky Rober'
sons big mouth calm, balance all, "Swinl
corners" "Al promenade" Old Miss Fresh
ours is terrible old sinner, but she is agh
dancin'. Her feet is none Of the httlest. Sh
crossed her knees, and gin monstrous BIZ
spit of snuff over in the fire (most put it out
and lowed, in religious tone, "Wa'a, al