Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-06-10
Mrs. PaXtOn's Quilting.

er and herrin' -bone PATTERN said
Mrs. Paxton, when she told me the
story that l now tell to you in her
own words.
sit was one of the prettiest quilts
you ever saw-all red and green and
yellow and purple and pink calico, set
together with white, with a set on
border, red vine with green leaves.
There were just three thousand nine
hundred and ninety-nine pieces In
that quilt.
"I'd taken uncommon pains j'nin'
the pieces together and cuttin' them
all out true and even, and that quit
took the premium six times hand
runnin' to our county fair.
81 wanted it quilted well, so / did
not make regular quiltin' over it, but
just invited in four or five of the best
quilters in the neighborhood one day,
and the rest quilted myself, and it
took me the better part of the month
to do it. Them feathers is such slow
work.
''Melissy Grant was the best and
fastest quilter in the country, and her
tongue was as fast and sharp as her
needle. But she was splendid COM
pany and real good natured, spite of
her sharp tongue; but once riled she
staid riled land she never said to ones
back what she would not say to her
face.
''Then there was Mahaly Hicks.
She was most as an agreeable a
quilter as Melissy. She was ev'ry
mite and grain as good on straight
lines, but Melissy was leetle mite
better on herrin' bones, though l
wouldn't have said so for the world,
for Mahaly was mighty techy on that
pint, and SO was Melissy, and there
want no love lost between them, no
how.
Lucinda Marks came in about
third best among the good quilters,
and she could quilt just as fast as any
of them, but when she got in hurry
some of her stitches would be leetle
bit long.
''Then there was Mandy Martin
and Calisty Hoff and Betty Mitchell,
all the best kind of quilters.
''Betty Mitchell was the life of all
the quiltin's and carpet-rag sewin's
and wool pickin's in that part of the
country she was always so full of
her fun, and sharp as tacks, and l
felt dreadful sorry when she sent
word that she couldn't come, on ac-
count of having house full of COM
p'ny.
'Mandy Martins rheumatism broke
out the day before and crippled her
right arm so she couldn't come, but
the other four came. Mahaly Hicks
got there first and had just set down
to the quilt when Melissy Grant came.
"'Come right in, Melilly,' says I,
'Mahaly has got little ahead of you,
but guess you can ketch up with
her.
''Neither of them said word, al.
though l didn't hardly notice them at
the time; but Melissy laid off her
bonnet and shawl and sat down and
went to work, making her needle fly.
EEI l;I->,L L.
of course, when a woman had quilt
in she was mighty pertickeler bout
the dinner, and l was so busy in my
kitchen that I went right out there
soon as I'd got Melissy thread and
needle, and I didn't go into the set
tin'-room again, where the quilt was,
until Calisty Hoff came. Then 1 left
my pie-making and hurried in.
81 noticed that Calisty looked kind
O queer when when she saw Mahaly
and Melissy settin' to the quilt, but
she didn't say anything to them, al
though she laughed and joked with
me all the time L was getting her
thread and needle and layin' off
place for her to quilt.
"While l was doing that Lucindy
Marks came.
"'Come right in, Lucindy,' says 1,
'the others got little ahead of you,
but 1 trust you to quilt as many
blocks as any of 'em by noon. You
set right down here by Calisty.'
':But L noticed that she took her
cheer and went clear to the other end
of the quilt and set down with her
mouth shet hard and her black eyes
snappin'. 1 smelt something burning
out in the kitchen just then, and I
run out to see it. Something else
kept me busy for some time, and
when ] got time to think of it at all,
thinks to me, well, them women's
mighty queer in there for women,
speshly SIGH women as Melissy Grant
and Calisty Hoff, whose tongues GIN
rally seem fastened in the middle
and loose at both ends when they git
together
''Pd step near the settin' room
door, but not sound could / hear
but the needles cutting through the
stiff muslin of the quilt, or the scis-
sors cutting off threads. L listened
again and again, and not a word
could 1 hear. Finally stepped into
the room and l says, says 1, ''Pears
to me you're dreadful quiet in here
mot one of 'em said word.
"'You'd ort to be more sociable,'
says, but they jest set there, with
their eyes fastened on their work