The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-04-10

chew on 1t. Both went rapidly down the
mountain side. Ttey 5000 came to the
house Of the "Ellery folks" Two little
mites, seeming to be all pink calico and big
sun-bonnets, were sitting IN the dirt out
side. A woman was busy washing with
big tub that stood In the doorway. Chill.
dren and country folks take up the thread
OF existence Just whore they have dropped
IL.
Mothers q goin' to have her ouiltin' to-
night, can you comet" snid Uncle Aaron,
without ceremony.
Mrs. Ellery rested her soapy hands on the
edge OF the tub and answered: "Mebbe.
Who's comin'l' N
''Most all the north side folks, reckon.
Sarah and Tom, and the babes, and Dun
ham and Susan-most everybody ~ said
Uncle Aaron, sweeping out his arm COM
prehensively.
eyes," said tho woman, "we'll come but
tell Sarah not TO expect much from me.
I'm tuckered out now, and hain't had no
time to do my own sewing"
THAT'S ell right" said Uncle Aaron;
"tell Tom TO bring his fiddle with him."
"Yes," nodded Mrs. Ellery, lifting her
head for moment, she'll fetch It,"
"Come OH, Jacob" said his father, but 40
hestrode of he stopped long enough todropa
lump Of sugar into tho laps Of the pink calico
mites, who received this gift from the clouds
without q CLEAN OF thankfulness. One Of
them, indeed, inspected hers very closely,
at which Uncle Aaron smiled and said:
"She's wise un, she Is"
The two trudged along, crossing the long
stretches Of distance that lay between the
various houses, with scarcely break in
their silence; and yet that walk was not o
lonely or void one, either to the father
or to the son. The man saw moro than the
boy, had lived more--had felt more--but
there was that in the lad of comprehension
BY sympathy that's the next best thing to ex-
perience and knowledge. And then tho man,
although great man, was half dumb him.
self, not having tho gift Of expression, SO he
did not speak words that went beyond the
boys understanding.
At last every body had been asked that
they wished to ask to come that night to
the "quiltin'." Finally they came back to
their original starting g-point-the old log
house upon the ledge Of the mountain.
"Wel, mother" said Uncle Aaron, ''they
be all comm, 80 do yer cleverest to-day.
How many plates and mugs have yerl'
"Count 'em," said Aunt Kate, pounding
into batch Of bread vigorously; "all Of
'em's on the shelves thar"
Kate went on kneading up the loaves, and
Uncle Aaron, with puckered-up brow and
much head-worlf, kept murmuring low:
That's thirteen, fourteen, fifteen-I tell
you, mother, there's fifteen all told, countin'
in them two ere tin ones you bought o. the
peddler. What'll we dol There bees more'n
that a. comm"
"They will have to wait their turn, them"
said Aunt Kate, cutting that knot of the
difficulty with single stroke 'That
makes no differ. We're not supposed to
keep chiney store"
The superior air Of wisdom with which
his wife said this was not without its ef-
feet upon Uncle Aaron. He felt sudden
humbling estimate Of himself that he had
often felt before in the presence Of his
wife's practical remedy for an embarrass-
ing situation. He stood big and awkward,
rubbing his cheek with one hand. "Reckon
I'll go and fetch in some Of Them ears Of
dried corn, we'll want 'em tonight" he
said, after vainly searching around for
something that he could do to help along
tho approaching celebration.
"You'd better fetch in some logs for the
big chimney" said his wife, 1--WE hain't got
any"
"All right" answered Uncle Aaron,
cheerfully, "that's more in my line-I'li
fetch 'em," and picking up his hat of the
floor, where he had thrown it, he went out.
Aunt Kate went on pounding the bread,
with a smile upon her face.
CHAPTER IL
by half-past three in the afternoon all
was in readiness to receive the company.
The "store stove" shone with a brightness
that did honor to Aunt Kate's muscle, and
still little later the children's rosy faces
were bright through the same cause.
Big logs burned and crackled in the great
chimney; the wooden shelves glittered
bright with polished tins; the box bed in
the corner had on its best sunfower
spread, and Aunt Kate herself, resplen-
dent in solferlno colored merino, stood In
the center Of her room, looking about her
with pride. A large quilting frame resting
upon four upright logs stood over at the
east side Of the room. The first to arrive
was Mother Bansom, noted for being the
'best quilter'' for miles around. Her well
come was cordial.
"Give me your bonnet. Cold weather for
spring Sittkar," said Aunt Kate.
Mother Bansoms wrinkled face looked
gray and old after her bonnet was of. Her
long, bony hands kept moving restlessly In
her lap for o moment, and then from the
depths Of o big calico bag she brought forth
quilting needle and her thimble.
"Oh, take yer time" said Aunt Kate,
generously.
"rd rather begin to once't," said her
guest, walking over toward the quilting
frame.
Aunt Kate smiled, well pleased, and
looked on with admiration as this acknowl-
edged expert turned over the calico spreads
: with nimtle fingers.
SHOW many have yera' she asked,
weighing the punches Of gray cotton wad-
ding.
'Thar's ten rolls down here, but thar's
more up thar (pointing to the loft over
head) II we need 'em. Aaron's good pro-
WIDER"
"Be thankful he's your man and no one
else's, them" said Mother Bansom.
~ be-" said Aunt Kate, noddinG her head
proudly.
Very shortly all the women folks began
to arrive. All went to work Immediately
upon coming In, and they sewed and tied
and worked ON the quilts until about seven
O'Clock Then. inst a9 the moro indus