The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-05-24

the Iris pattern.
She appeared struck with this idea.
"To be sure, there's my old purple
merino, which l had an idea of making
over for Sunday-school dress for lit
tie Kitty Leary. But dare say new
calico would do just as well. Calico is
only six or eight cents yard and any
way, charity ought to begin at home" !"
That evening she came down covered
with dust and bits of thread, just in
time to tidy herself for supper.
Deacon Hutchings had come in to
see grandpa on some little business
matter and at table grandma apologized
for the absence of hot-cakes, on plea
of Cousin Amenia's pre-occupation
with her carpet.
ga rag-carpet, eh7" said the deacon
with interest. "Well, my mother used
to be great hand on rag-carpets; but
sence her day they seem pretty nigh to
ha' died out. Seems to me wimmen
amt as keerful and saving nowadays as
they used to be. Now, if I ever get
married." he added, with his dry smile,
"I'll expect Mrs. Deacon Hutchings to
make a rag-carpet the first thing
Almost"
''Then don't ask Susie or me, please,
Deacon" said Lizzie, archly; "for we
both hate rag-carpets-they're so ugly"
"You won't think so when you've
seen mine" said Cousin Armenia, with
confident nod; "and anyway it'll
save fifteen dollars out O. nothing, and
that's consideration"
The deacon looked approvingly at
the woman who could make fifteen dol
lars out of nothing. He was a good
man, generally liked and respected /;
but bore the character of being rather
"closer" than there was any necessity
for, seeing that he was well off, and
with no family to support-for the dea-
con was bachelor.
When Cousin Armenia had used up
all her "meterial," she discovered to her
disaaay that at least er,e-third more was
required. So she went again over the
house, collecting everything before re-
jected that could be made available.
Colored hose and corsets were pressed
into service-bits formerly considered
too small were carefully collected and
stitched together. The very rag. bag
itself, when emptied, was seized upon;
and even grandma's red flannel busting
rag did not escape. Therag carpet be-
came standing joke with us.
s'There's pair of leather shoestrings
for your carpet, Armeny," grandpa
would observe, drily, "and some raveled
rope ends in the barn, if you are mind
to 'em."
But Cousin Armenia's soul was not to
be put down by sarcasm, any more than
it had been dismayed by difficulties.
The carpet progressed, and about the
same time Lizzie and began to diScov-
er various articles of our clothes missing,
which upon rigid investigation were
found reduced to strips in Cousin Arme-
MAS carpet-rag balls. Among other
things were the green lining of a cash
mere skirt-green being one of the
"skeerce" colors a Turkey red curtain,
which was to have been mended and
done duty in TOMS room, and pair
of grandpa's "trowsers, which though
not yet condemned to the attic, Cousin
Armenia had pronounced entirely too
shabby for further wear, and so utiliz-
ed in her omnivorous carpet.
Grandpa said little, but, as grandma
informed US in confidence, became very
particular in putting away his clothes,
and instead of leaving his coat behind
the entry door or over chair at night,
always carefully deposited it behind
his bed or under his pillow.
One day the deacon "happened in"
when Cousin Armenia was piecing to-
gether a quantity of very small scraps
wherewith to exc out her carpet.
"You make pretty close work of them
leetle rag-tags, Miss Armeny," he re-
marked, in his own slow way.
eyes; 1 make pint Of never throw
in away anything that can be put to
use," she returned complacently. "But
I'm dreadfully scrimped for rags enough
to finish offmy carpet in time. Mebbe,
deacon, you haven't any old vest or
such that you'd be glad to get rid of,
eh2"
The deacon said he'd look, and next
day he sent over some well-worn silk
neckties and pocket-handkerchiefs, for
which certainly no other use could have
been found, save that which he him.
self suggested, of "putting 'em on
pole to scare the crows with"
We laughed at the idea of silk car
pet ;but Cousin Armenia, without word,
carefully incorporated them in her
work.
After this she canvassed the village,
her friends for old clothes
and the tailors and dressmakers for "sel-
veges."
And so in time, to the relief ofevery-
body concerned, a sufficient quantity of
"meterial" had been provided, and the
crapet was sent to be woven at neigh
boring farmhouse.
Meantime, we had been busted in
other preparations for John and his
bride, and when these were all COM
pleted, nothing remained save to put
down Cousin Armenia's new carpet.
Lizzie and l rode with her to the
farmhouse to get it, and on seeing it,
had to acknowledge that it was as near
pretty as rag-carpet could be. Still
it was ugly-for how can a carpet
be made to look anything but coarse
and common?
We spent that night at friends in
the country; the next morning return
ing home, Cousin Armenia triumphant
ly ordered her carpet to be carried up
to John's wife's room."
Lizzie and followed. l opened the
door, and stopped short at sight of a
pretty, ht-colored, three-ply carpet
lying in the middle of the floor.
"Why, it's Mrs. Hacket's carpet I"
Lizzie exclaimed, "the very one we
wanted to buy when she broke up house
keeping"
eyes," said grandma, little dubi-
o,,cly coming nm behind us Gsit seemed