The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-09-05
SOUTHERN QUILTING BEES.
They Were Decidedly the Social Feature
of the Long Ago.

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sessed. The family that owned dozen
was considered we'll to do, while one
whose calico bed coverings, of as many
hues as Joseph's coat, ran into the thir-
ties was thought to be quality" and
treated with the utmost Difference.
The making of the quilts was de-
cidedly the social feature of the long
ago 1t was common to see a half
grown negro boy ride up to the front
gate of a country home and hear
him shout; ''TIello!' His livery usu-
ally consisted of tight jeans trousers
geared up well under his arms by
means of cotton homemade "galluses,"
and rollednearly up to the knees; blue
and white plaid shirt, and n crownless
straw hat in summer, or felt with
broad, tapping brim at other seasons.
If the hello was not answered at once,
the lad would lazily flick the flies
away from his horse with peach tree
switch and finally call again without
dismounting. He would say to who
ever appeared: ''Mistess sont dis"
which usually proved to be an invita-
ton to quilting party worded thus:
Mrs. Mary Jane Smith and family are re-
quested to attend the quilting at Mrs. Susan
Browns on next Thursday"
Every family of the same rank and
station for miles around would receive
similar invitation and by ten
o'clock on the appointed day the home
of the hostess would be filled with
matrons maidens and children galore.
Two or three quilts would be framed
and lined off in straight lines or fancy
patterns ready for quilting The ma
irons would assemble around one, the
young women around another, and
those who were most expert in the art
would undertake to finish one of the
fancy designs.
The frames were generally of home
manufacture, ana consisted of four
boards, each aboat three inches wide
and one inch thick; two were from
eight to nine feet in length, and two
from three to five feet. All were
bound over with stout lasting cloth,
and the frame was either built to set
up or be suspended from the ceiling,
usually the latter. The quilt was
tackled upon the frame, and after all
four sides were quilted as far as the
quilters could reach, it was rolled as
far as quilted and work was resumed
on smaller square. 1t was customary
to line off the quilts with cord dyed in
pokeberry juice of a brilliant purplish
red.
The quilting would go on very brave
ly until the old men and SWANS of the
families invited began to drop in for
the midday dinner, which was no small
part of the occasion. The hostess
usually spent days preparing for the
feast, and the menu generally con-
sisted Of roast pig ans mutton, turkey,
fried chicken, chicken pie, vegetables
pickles of infinite variety, and as for
sweets, there were cakes, buildings,
pies, tarts, jellies, creams and pre-
serves innumerable, all served in
heterogeneous mass on long table.
Dinner over. the quilters would go
back to their work, but amid many
trials and tribulations, for the men de-
lighted in teasing them, and the young
men, in order to make the young wom-
strategic means as stealing spools of
thread, scissors and thimbles. The
girls enjoyed this and didn't try very
hard to stop it, because quilting to
them meant very little work and a great
deal Of play.
One quilt was always finished by
mid-afternoon and taken from the
frame. Then the fun began in earnest
Amid much merriment it was an
nounced that the fortunes of the young
women would be tried. They gath
cred together in the center of the hail.
and the young men threw the quilt up
1t was firmly believed that the for
tunate girl upon whose head it de-
scended would be the first of the party
to be married.
One of these parties given at the an
cestral home of a famous old southern
family ended with tragic event. A
young man rushed into where the
women were quilting, holding a snake
by its tail. He threw the reptile in the
middle of the quilt, and, of course, a
stampede among the quilters followed.
Each time as the snake crawled to the
edge the reckless fellow would seize it
by the tail and throw it back into the
middle. The women warned him of
the danger, and many of them pleaded
with him not to be SO foolish, but he
persisted until the snake bit him. The
hostess wanted to send for doctor,
and to give him whisky, but he de-
clined to let her do either. In an hour
he became violently i'll, and died be-
fore physician could get to him. For
many months after that the mere mem
ton of quilting would send cold
chills through the women who were
present.
No woman ever got too old to go to
quilting, and the older they were the
more they seemed to enjoy it. There
was one little woman, quite famous in
her state for her eccentricity in dress,
who boosted that size had been to one
thousand five hundred cuttings in her
time. She always wore short
wasted handsome black silk gown, a
long gold chain, and a watch on the
outside, and rings on both hands
knuckle deep and never went without
a black satin reticule hanging at her
side. Although eighty-fve years old
she refused to wear glasses, and when
some thoughtless young person re-