Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-09-23
DROPPING STITCHES.
A Difficult Matter tn Take Them Up Again
so That They Will Not Show.

Grandma Grayson sat by The library
fire knitting. Little Tcssa crcpt close
to her side to watch the cvcr-ncw, ever
old process. She loved to watch grand
mas nimblc fingers.
"Wlnt are you doing, grandma-
making all those funny-looking long
slits in your wOrk?'
I'm knitting what we call railroad
stitch. dcar-don't you see? When l
reach the last row, drop some stitches.
drop two, then knit five, drop two
more, then knit five, and so on. Scc9
Then, when thc dropped stitches have
all run down." aswc call it, 1t leaves
those long loose stitches you think so
funny"
Tcssa gazcd intcntly. Presently,
she heard Bobby's whistle in the hall.
Bobby was Tcssa's "big brother"
though but twelve years old, because
Tcssa was only six. She was devoted
to him, and always wanted him to
know all she knew. So now she callcd:
"Comc here. Bobby. and see grandma
drop stitches. and let 'cm run down."
Bobby, too, watched the process with
great interest for u few moments.
"Grandma," said Tessa, directly. "I
thought it spoiled work to drop
stiichcs?"
$50 1t does. dear, ordinarily. I'll
show you hoY to fake them up when
you drop them accidentally"
WELL" said Bobby, II guess I'll 20
on and get my boat. Boys don't drop
stitches, so they don't have to know
how to pick 'cm up;" and he prepared
to turn away to take up his whistling
whore he had left off,
"Arc you right sure, BobbyP' asked
Grandma Grayson. in n tone that made
Bobby pause. When Grandma spoke
in that way, Bobby was quite sure she
"mcant something"
Fright sure of what, grandma
Right sure that boys don't drop
stitches, and try to pick them up oc-
casionally."
"Why-ycs," in hcsitating way.
"At least, think am. ! don't know
Just what you mean. Boys don't knit
-lcastwisc. most boys don't-but you
kind o. look rs il you meant something
else"
Grandma smiled at the disjointed.
uncertain way in which Bobby spoke;
but M she knew what he meant, twas
all right.
81 do mean something else. There
are more ways of dropping stitches
than one, Bobby; and let me tell you
when any one drops stitch accident
ally il Is one of the hardest matters in
the world to take it up 50 that 1t does
not show. We may so back and try
over, and repair the wrong; but the
long fine line that shows tho path where
wc have been wrong always remains
where we can see 1t, II no one else
knows it." A light began to dawn on
Bobby's face.
"For instance. grandma?' he ques-
toned.
"Wcll, for instance. know Of n
boy who spoke hastily and disrcspect.
fully to his mother this morning, be-
cause she wanted him TO do per-
fcctly proper thing when he wanted
to do another. To be sure, that boy
very seldom does such thing, but he
did it. All! Bobby, that boy dropped
q big stitch then. To be sure, he
stopped it, and took 1t up, and re-
pented and apologized. and his moth
or forgave him; and no ono would ever
know he had done the wrong but his
mother and himself; but they will al'
ways bc able to tell where the stitch
was dropped and taken up again.
Bobby flushed crimson. and his lip
trcmblcd.
"And / know a little boy who
thoughtlessly left litter OF chips on
the front doorstep ut four o'clock In
the afternoon, after promising he
would clear 1t away. To be sure. he
did clear It away at five; but It was
after his mother had been gricved a,
his thoughtless disobedicnce. and after
his mothers visitors had received the
impression that the mother must be ar
exceedingly careless housekccpcr-
when it was all tho little boys fault
after all. That stitch ran way down
and clearing the dirt up ut five did mo-
clear away the impression that tho
strangers got Of the littlo boy
mother"