The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-06-27

MRS. PAXTON's QUILTING.
"The quilt itself was a double nine
patch, and l had it quilted in feather
and herrin'-bone pattern" said Mrs.
Paxton, when she told me the story that
| now tell to you in her own words.
at 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 seton 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 in j'inin
the pieces together and cuttin' them all
out true and even, and that quilt took
the premium six times hand runnin' to
our country fair.
"I wanted it quilted well, so didn I
make reg lar 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 month 10 do it. Them
feathers is such slow work.
"Melissy Grant was the best and fast
est quilter in the country, and her
tongue was as fast and as sharp as her
needle. But she was splendid comp'ny
and real good natured, spite of her sharp
tongue hut once riled she stayed riled 3,
and she never said to ones back what
she would not say to their faces.
Then there was Mahaly Hicks She
was most as good quilter as Melissy.
She was er'ry might and grain as good
on straight lines, but Melissy was leetle
mite better on herrin' bones, though |
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, nohow.
"Lucindy Marks came in about third
best among the good quilters, and she
could quilt jest as fast as any Of EN-,
but when abe 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 80 full of her fun, and sharp
as tacks, and felt dreadful sorry when
she sent word that she couldn' come, on
account of having house full of COM
p'ny.
MANDY Martins rheumatism broke
out the day before and crippled her right
arm 80 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. Melissy, says Ma
haly's got a little ahead of you, but l
guess you can ketch up with her.
Neither of 'em said word, although
didn't hardly notice Them at the time.
but Melssv laid off her bonnet and shawl
and sat down ana went to work, making
her needles fly.
Il didn't keen any helm then. and. of
course wh.n a woman had a nuiItin =
sbe was mighty ner,ickIar 'hont her din
nor and I was so busv in INV Kitchen
tbat I went rigbt out there soon az IA
got % Mehssv thread and needle and I
didn,t 90 into the se,tin,. room again
wbore tSo mill was mill CaIistv Hoff
came. Then I left INV ME making and
hurried in
.I noticed that CaIistv IoolaI hind of
ouear when she az W Mabalv and MeIissv
Sot,in, 70 tho nnilt but sbe didn't sa =
anv thing m them although she laughed
an1 ;nted with me- ali the tima I was
gett,ng her thread and needle and Law
mo ~ a nIace for her m mill
SWbiIa was do;ng thai Iuc,ndv
MorLs cama ~
80 Conno riobt in Iuc;ndy - soysT
the others ali Got a little ahead of Won
bnt ri trnst vou To nniIt as many blocks q
oo 49,, nf ,on, b, No. W., sot ri(,L ;
Jo,rn Loro he IoI;sty
"Rnt 7 noticed sbe took her chair and
,ro,t cIton to Tho other end or tbe oniIt +
a,d so, do,yn nth bar n,o,,.I chr, hard
and ber black ewes snanninm smslt
aon,o,h;no, hnrning on, In tho kitchon
iust then and rnS ont IN see II. some
thing eIse kent me busv for sonoe t;n,e
and when cot time to think of il at ali
thinks tn me We'll them women's
mighty Gueer in there for women .spesh-
Iv sich women as Malissv Grant and
Galisty Hoff, whose tongues gin rally
seemed fastened in the middle and loose
a, bo,h an6e when tbev oct togatberi
"T'd sten near the settin room door.
hut not a sound could | hear but the
needless cutting through the stiff mus
lin of the nuilt. or the scissors cutting
off W threads | listened again and again
and an not a word could hear Finally 7
steppnT snT ' int" 9th" the room room and saws % saws
SiI S,Paor Ip,u 70 % mo Won re dreadfnI nne, in
bere' W ~ " f'' "
Not one of ,em said word
"-'Yon,d ort to he more sociable 7
savs bnt thew lest set there. with their
eyss fastened on their work
81 tool a needle and sat down and
or;i,ed hair an bo"r with ,em bnt not
one ] of them smoke a word 'centin, to me
Then had to 90 ont and mt NV turkey
in to roast and while 7 was tsnding IN
il some NJ one rode nm 70 the gate and and
called out Hello : and I went Iont old
tbaro was nPeter Rinlev gossinv
faIIow who lived down 10 the SiIIsge
where oil NV nniIters lived -
"'Hsvan't time to come IN ,said Peter
.ond th,s critter n, nina won;t star6 M
how Nv wife wants TO know II Won
oor br;no har ,hraa nounds n, huItar
Saturday,
II told nim l was sorry, but couldn't
snare much cause had comp'nv.
"'What comp'ny ?" asked Peter.
''Oh,' SAYS /, I'm having a little