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


The Rag Carpet.
Susan Archer Weiss.
"We can't afford it," said grandma,
resignedly. "Why, carpet at sixty
cents a yard would come to-how much,
Tom?''
"Wouldn't it depend somewhat upon
the number yards, grandma?" sugges-
ted Tom, who was putting on his great
coat in the hall.
"Well, say five breadths of yard
wide, each five yards long," said grand
ma, in business tone.
GA carpet of five yards square
twenty-five yards, at sixty cents per
yard-fifteen dollars" announced Tom,
promptly.
Grandma looked upat him admiring-
ly through her glasses.
"It's good thing to have head for
figures. As for me, l never could put
two and two together. But we'll have
to ogive up the carpet, Pm afraid, though
it's a great bargain. Mrs. Hackett
gave full thirty dollars for it, and had it
only one year, shut up in her partor
where it was scarcely trod upon. I'd
like to get it for Johns wife's room ;
but we've too many otheruses for money
just now."
"What pity !" said Lizzie, who was
sitting on the window-sill, dangling one
neat little boot just above the floor.
"The room will look so bare and COM
FORTRESS without a carpet ; and John is
SO anxious to have every thing nice for
Alice"
"Wouldn't the parlor carpet .do?"
inquired Tom, demurely. 81 heard
you say it was getting too shabby for
the company room."
"No, it wouldn't do at ALL" answer
ed Lizzie sharply. elbow would the
parlor look with bare floor at Thanks
giving and Christmas?"
"And Sunday evenings" said I, in
dignantly.
"Oh," said Tom, brushing his hat,
81 had forgotten that. No, certainly.
Young Mr.. Smith mighn't find it COM
Portable nor the doctor, either. They
u'iSlIt bc afraid OF catching cold, and
go away early"
"I think l hear the stage, Tom," said
Lizzie, leaning a flushed face from the
open window.
Tom kissed us all around, and went
out with his valise to meet the stage.
He was drummer to the biggest manu-
featuring firm in the little town, and
was always coming and going.
He would be back in six weeks-in
time to meet John and his wife, on their
arrival at the homestead.
John was making a good match, and
he and his wife were to stay with us all
winter, while his own house was build
ing, about a mile distant, and we were
all anxious to have everything nice for
Alice.
Liz and I, waving Tom last adieu
from the porch, returned to the sitting
loom.
Cousin Armenia had laid aside her
knitting, and seated in low chair in
front of grandma, was leaning forward
and talking, with that keen light in her
gray eyes which always bespoke some
new idea or inspiration.
"You see, Aunt Dorothy, 'twould be
sheer extravaganza to give fifteen dol
lars for carpet for bed room. Now,
when 1 was a girl, l made two splendid
rag carpets; and though it's twenty
years ago, I've not forgotten how to do
it. Suppose just set to work and make
one for Johns wife's room?"
GA rag carpet ?" said Lizzie disdain-
fully.
eyes, child, rag-carpet. If twas
called by some high sounding name, |
suppose folks would like it better. If
Alice is the right sort, she won't turn up
her nose at rag-carpet, specially fits
new and bright. A rag-carpet can be
made to look handsome; and anyways,
it's better than none"
"But where will you find the mate
rial ?"
"Oh, I'll be bound to find rags
enough? There's plenty of old clothes
hanging in the garret, and the rag chest
and scrap-bags are full and neighbors
won't begrudge me what old scraps they
have no use for"
Grandma looked doubtful, and Lizzie
a little scornful but Cousin Armenia
seemed quite elated over her idea.
And being one of those active and de-
termined spirits who lose no time in
carrying out plan as soon as it is con-
ceived, we were not surprised to find
her next day set already set to work up
on her proposed carpet.
First she visited the attic, and over
hauled the big rag chest, and examined
all the half-worn and cast-off clothing
hanging about. Then she went over
the whole house, and ransacked every
box and closet for anything that could
be appropriated to her work.
The next few days were spent in wash
ing and fresheningup the various articles
and in ripping and tearing them into
shreds, which were then rolled into
great balls, according to their color.
All the rag-carpets that l had seen
were woven in mixed medley of colors,
without order or arrangement; but
Cousin Armenia showed herselfpossess-
ed of an artists eye and an aesthetic
soul.
"The browns and grays, and all the
other neuter tints," she said, winding
her strips about an old ironing-board
in the attic to illustrate her pattern,
care to make up the ground-color.
Then come red and blue stripes; be-
cause, you see, one always has most oi
those colors; and in the middle of each
narrow stripe of green and yellow,
which are skeerce colors to get. I'd
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