The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1900-06-28
. Miss Peckitt, Our Dressmaker

NHISS PECKlTT used to come to our
house to sew. She sewed my
frocks and she sewed my pinafores, and
sat among her tapes and pins and yard
measures telling me old stories that no
one else cared about, for Miss Peckitt
had no relatives, and had always, as she
said, kept herself to herself.
And of all her stories the one l liked
best was the one about the pincushion.
1t was a large, heavy cushion, and l
wondered why Miss Peckitt always
brought it with her when she came for
the day.
sit has a brick inside to keep it steady
when / pin my work to it," she said;
land I carry it with me because it was
the last thing my young man made for
me-"
20, did you ever have a young man?
Do tell MI about him!"
At ten years old one is not discreet.
I suppose Miss Peckitt was not inclined
t. be hard on youthful indiscretion.
She threaded her needle and began:
1T was when l was a young girl"
She could not have been more than 30
at this time, but to me she seemed i'm
measurably old, as I said:
"It's a long time ago, then" as SYM
pathetically as 1 could.
YES" she said, "a long time. He was
the son Of a farmer, and we was court
ing ever since we was quite little things
and went ~to3Sunday school. But it was
not to be-"
.TaE-E.- e Hy&4- $50. Ura.a.. ID.
What happened?"
why, his father died, my dear, and
when it came to looking into things it
was found he'd borrowed money on
the land and the interest hadn't been
paid. So, then, my Willie said he'd pay
the interest and all, if they'd only wait.
But they wouldn't-and the old place
was sold up-houses and buildings and
the beasts, and the land with the stand
ing crops. They may say it's law, but
it amt justice"
She bit off her thread sharply, and 1
said it was a shame.
$50 it was-a black shame. My Willie
would a. paid them every penny if
they'd only a. waited. But no; they
sold the old place, and it fetched more
than they looked for, and there was
near $1,000 over, and hat they gave to
Willie, as wal onlyfair. And after the
sale was over I saw nothing of him for
two days, and then he came to me look
ing like a dog that the boys are after
with stones.
"'I'm off, says he; with this bit of
money I'll make a fortune over in Amer
lea, which is a free country, and I'll
come home for you, my girl, o r I'll write
and you'll come to me-"
"'If it was to the worlds end says l..
Then he gave me this pincushion; it
seemed a funny present, being quite
plain, as you see, and it had big stitches
but sewn strong, and I almost laughed
as I took it. I was glad after that /
hadn't laughed, for Willie he says:
blossom, my dear, do you know
what makes it SO heavy?'
$50 I said, no, I didn't
sits a brick out of the old south
wall at home,' says he, where the yell
low rose is, and where the apricots fruit
SO free, and it's covered with a bit Of silk
gown my mother was married in-it's
faded, but you a see the rose sprigs
on it yet. You'll keep it for my sake"
"Well?" / asked, for Miss Peckitt had
stopped abruptly.
"Well that's ALL she said, shortly;
she never come back, but 1 know he was
true-and he would a. come back if he's
been living, and the Lords will be
DONE" she added.
did you keep the piece of the old
dress?" I asked, "whcn it wore out and
you ripped it off? I should like to see
It."
II y ripped it off," she said. 81
covered it with a bit of damask, mean
ing to show it to him fresh and bright
when he come home; but I dare say it's
worn out now, underneath, with all
The needles and pins I've stuck in it
worn out"
Time did not stand still in our village.
a bicycle factory reared its gaunt ugli-
ness by the church, and the moss-grown
well was replaced by a galvanized iron
pump. The old families moved away,