The Opelousas courier., 1893-09-30

MSSs:s&192z;SN side, as she
|@@mrWVNSsFIA stepped back and
gazed with admiration at the object
spread out on the bed. It wa a care
fully-piecee quilt, of a somewhat in
tricate pattern.
"Jimmy's bride can't help being
tickled with that" said Mrs. Dake, as
she smoothed out a fold ''and if she
knows anything about nice quitting,
she'll see that want quilted in a day.
Well, ! guess not! I quilted ev'ry last
stitch of it myself, and there's q good
half-day's work in some of them blocks
with the feather and herrin' bone pat
ternsand the shell border all round
the aidge. I had that quilt in the
frames five weeks and three days, and
[ put all the time I could geton it, and
there amt no slack work, tired as !
did get of seeing it round"
She smoothed out another crease.
'Lemme see," she went on. '"There's
2147 pieces in the quilt, and a good
many of 'em r pieces of Jimmy's lit
tie baby dresses. That'll please his
wife, I jest know. Here's a block made
of calico like a little pink dress he had
when his ma first put him into short
dresses. I remember it was made
with a low neck and short sleeves, like
they made baby dresses in them days,
and his little shoulders and arms was
almost as pink al the dress.
"And here's pieces like a little double
gown he had fore he went into short
dresses. And this piece of blue cham
berry is like q little sunbonnet he had,
all lined with fine white iaconet. And
here is a piece of fine muslin with a
little pink sprig in it like the first short
dress Jimmy ever had. He did look
80 cunnin' In it. with the sleeves loonad
back, and a tumble-curl on the top Of
his head!
."In show his wife-to-be all these
pieces, and if she amt tickled with the
quilt, she'll be a queer one"
Then Mrs. Dake went over to an
old-fashioned mahogany bureau with
brass knobs, and took from the upper
drawer a large, square cream-tinted
envelope, out of which she carefully
drew the f'invite" to Jimmy's wed.
ding.
"Mr. and Mrs. William p. Holbrooh
invite you to be present at the mar.
riage of their daughter Helen and
James Barclay Larkin, Wednesday
evening, September a.
Then followed the address Of the
BRIDES parents, in a city 400 miles
from Mrs. Dake's home.
"But I'm goin'" she said gleefully,
~ she slipped the invitation back into
its envelope. I'D go if it was twice
as far. I amt seen Jimmy for near on
to five years, and he always seemed
like my own boy to me cause Dnever
had none O my own, and I helped to
bring him up after his own ma died,
when he want but just in his first litt1e
trousies."
"I amt been SO far from home In
many a long year, and I reckoned my
travelin' days was done, but I've got
TO GO and see Jimmy married. | must
see Elyiry Hodge right away about
turning and making over my blacl
silk, and / must see Samantha Rose
about a new cap. ] guess I'll have tx
have something kind o. smart for
city weddin', where they'll all be ini
fed up SO. / don't want Jimmy to b,
ashamed of his old aunty; but lawsy
me! Jimmy wouldn't be ashamed o
me if / went in my plain calico hous'
dress. He want raised to set clothe
above his relations, and he amt go
nothing to be 'shamed of in any of hi
folks"
Then Jimmy's aunt, her face agloy
with loving thoughts of seeing Jimm.
again, folded up the quilt carefully il
m old sheet, and laid it away in
lower drawer of the bureau, saying:
81 s'pose they'll have lots of mic
presents, but I'll warrant you the,
won't have one tha~trepresents agmucl
Iovin' labor as that quilt. l had Il
cry a little when I quilted them block
with the pieces of his baby dresses il
'em. His wife ought to think tn
world and all of the quilt. ! hope t
the land she won't goto using it com
mon
Mrs. Dake, who vas o widow an
chiIdless, lived in q small, remot
country town in which her nephew
James Larkin, had been born, an
from which he had gone to become
successful young lawyer in the city
He had not been back to the home c
his childhood for five years. As hi
Aunt Susan sad, he want no han
to write letters" hut he often ser
brief notes and little gifts to his aun
10 assure her of his affection m
gratitude.
He had not announced his engagt
ment to her, and the invitation to b