Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-12-22

~e?ENAN with her hand and
vi &Il@S looked across the
$@sS18 strip of gray-blue
, sea that divided the
~ island from ''the
main" as if she
could already see
along the beach the life and gayety
that she loved. Spring came a tardy
and timid guest to Trull's Cove and
Hamor's Landing, on the northerly
side of the island, and all through
April cold gray skies had hung heav-
lily and bitter winds churned the sen.
Grandpa Trull repaired the fish
flakes, and calculated hopefully how
long it would be before the mackercl
came in.
Leah Trull glanced suddenly at her
mother, who was leaning ont at the
doorway, o worn and spare little r'om
an with crisply curling black hair and
faded blue eyes, with still spark in
thnm.
"Time to draw lots for the rug rags!
I really believe that's what mother has
been longing for spring for!" cried
Leah gayly.
Mrs. Trull smiled little shame
facedly, and the color deepened in her
thin cheek.
Mothers real ambitious" re-
marked Lean.ler Trull, her husband,
appearing from the woodshed where
he was hammering at n lobster pot
and gazing at ''mother" with tender
pride.
'There isn't anybody that can beat
her making rugs, that's one sure
thing" said Leah. "But she's oil
worn out waiting for the rags, amt
you, mother?"
'Caddy Hamor dou't want them,
nor Liza Trask," said Mrs. Trull re-
fectively. "There'll be only seven
teen to draw lots this time"
"Only one chance in seventeen!
Don't you go to thinkin' anything
about them rags, Clarissy! It's only
vain imasinations any way" said
Grandpa Trull.
"I'm afraid you will get all worked
up about them, mother, and then be
disappointed. said Leah.
"La, I amt a child" said little Mrs.
Trull.
"You do them so beautifully, it's no
wonder you feel SO; you make the COL
ors blend so they're altogether differ
eut from the patterns. You're artistic,
that's what the summer visitors say.
II you'd only had more of o chance" "
The girl looked with wistfulness at
the path atically toil-worn little Ssure.
"I do love to make them real well, "
said the little woman with a sigh.
"And though it's six years now since
we made up our minds here on the
island that, as long as nobody ever
had enough rags for herself, we might
as we'll put them. all together and take
turns having them, they haven't ever
once fell to me! If your Aunt Cynthy
and old Mrs. Atkins over to the main
hadn't sent me theirs, I don't know
when I should ever have hooked n
rug
II was thinking" said Leah refec-
lively, that if hadn't had to help
| father repair the boat, might have
taken some of my school money and
bought you some new cloth"
''Oh, my land, no! That wouldn't
be rug rags!" exclaimed her mother.
"'Twonldn't seem appropriate. I
couldn't cut into whole cloth any
! how-and when there's so many things
we need! But Leah" Mrs. Trull
drew closer to her daughter and
spoke in low rone,-'' Rachel Sauls-
bury has got a beautiful pink piece!
It's cashmere, just MS SOFT Her niece
Emerette had q waist made of it when
she was Mt home from the factory.
She showed me what nice lot of rags
she had, and that was among thom. u
i "Why didn't you ask her to give it
to you?" asked Leah.
"Why, Leah! Folks wouldn't
think it vas fair! There's more than
me that wants pink fo:: flowers; pink
woolea is SO uncommon. I heard
that Marcia Green IN q pink flannel
nightgown for her baby, and 1 got
father to row me over to the main,
one real bleak day, to see if she hadn':
got piece of it she'd give me, fol
they amt any hands at all for rugs
! over there, you know. Come to find
out, twas only cotton flannel and
would fade right out in the sun. But
can't help feeling just as if I should
get the rags, and then I shall have O
pink China aster! There hasn't ever
been pattern like it on the island.
That lady that sent it to me from
Boston-the one that bought lay tiger,
lily rug-she said twas an uncommon
pattern anyway. If could only just
get the China asters of every shade,
seems MS if I should feel satisfied fol
once! T got two shades of red out Of
your Aunt Cynthy's rags; and purple
! and white and yellow,-now it seems
most as if twas providence thai
Salisbury girl having pink waist: ;
Leah turned her face away to hide
the shadow upon it.
"Mother's always so sanguine!" she
was saying to herself. "I don't know
how she can be, after such q hard
life."
"And I think Heman Bracey's OLD
coat has got into the rags at last!'
continued Mrs. Trull eagerly. "It't
just the real, rich olive that I wan
for q background to my bunch O.
China asters. I don't know how long
I've had my eye on that coat!"
Leah went with her mother to th'
drawing of the rug rags at Viola
Bracey's, on the other side of the cove
It was made a festive occasion, ant
each visitor contributed some dainty
to the feast. There were man.
Cookies" with caraway seeds In then
and the tea was strong. Leah hat
made two cream pies after recip'
TINT she had learned when she taugh
school "on the main" She said t.
herself that, if her mother were disap
: no;nted abont the rug rags, it nigh