Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-02-28
ARMENIA'S RAG-CARPET.
BY SUSAN ARCHER WEISS.

pet the Iris pattern
She appeared struck with this idea
"To be sure, there's my old purple
merino, which I'd had an idea of max
ing over for Sunday school dress for
little Kitty Leary. But l dare say
new calico would do as well. Calico is
only six or eight cents a yard; and,
anyway, charity ought to begin at
home"
That evening she came down, COW
cred with dust and bits of thread, just
in time to tidy herself for supper.
Deacon Hutchings had come in to
seee grandpa on some business matter,
and at table grandma apologized for
the absence of hot cakes, on the plea
of Cousin Armenia's pre-occupation
with her carpet.
"a rag-carpet, eh?" said the deacon,
with interest. "Well, my mother used
to be great hand on rag-carpets; but
sence her day they seem pretty nigh to
ha' died out. Seems to me wimmen
amt as keerful and saving nowadays
as they used to be. Now, if l ever get
married." he said, with his dry smile,
"I'll expect Mrs. Deacon to make the
g-carpet the first thing Almost"
Then don't ask Susie for me, please,
deacon" said Lizzie, archly; for we
both hate rag g-carpets-they're so ugly.
"You won't think so when you've
seen mine," said Cousin Armenia, with
a confident nod; "and anyway, it'll
save SIS out O. nothing, and that's a
consideration.
The deacon looked approvingly at
the woman who could make SIS out Of
nothing. He was a good man, general
ly liked and respected, but bore the
character of being rather "closer"
than there was any necessity for, see
ing that he was we'll of, and with no
family to support-for the deacon was
a bachelor.
When Cousin Armenia had used up
all her material she discovered to
her dismay that at least one-third
more was required. So she went again
over the house, collecting everything
before rejected that could be made
available. Colored hose and corsets
were pressed into service-bits form
erly considered tco small were care
fully collected and stitched together.
The very rag-bag itself, when emptied,
was seized upon; and even grandma's
old red flannel dusting-rag did not es-
cape. The rag-carpet became stand
ing joke with us.
There's pair of leather shoe
strings for your carpet, Armeny,"
grandpa would observe, dirty, "and
some raveled rope-ends in the barn, If
you're mind to have EN-"
But Cousin Armenia's soul was not
to be put down by sarcasm, any more
than 1t had been dismayed by difficult
ties. The carpet progressed. and about
the same time Lizzie and l began to
discover various articles of our cloth
ing missing, which upon rigid inves-
tigation were found reduced to strips
in Cousin Armenia's carpet bag balls.
Grandpa said little. but. as grand
ma informed us in confidence, became
very particular ir putting away his
clothes, and instead of leaving his coat
hanging behind the entry door or over
chair night. always carefully de-
posted it behind his bed or under his
pillow.
One day the deacon happened in"
when Cousin Armenia was piecing to-
gether a quantity of very small scraps
wherewith to eke out her carpet.
You make pretty close work Of
10 tao b<,
remarked in his slow way.
"Yes, l make pint of never throw
in away anything that can be put to a
use,' she returned, complacently. But
I'm dreadful scrimced for rags
enough to finish of my carpet in time
Mebbe. deacon. you haven't any old
vest or such that you'd be glad to get
nd Of. eh?"
The deacon said he'd look, and TIE
next day he sent over some well-wcrn
silk neckties and Observation-Disclosures
for which certainly no other use could
have been found, save that which he
himself suggested, of putting EN- on a
pole to scare the crows with
We laughed at the idea of silk car
pet; but Cousin Armenia, without a
word, carefully Incorporated them in
| her work.
| After this she canvassed the village,
| importuning her friends for "old
| Clothes" and the tailors and dress
makers for selvages.
| And so in time, to the relief of every
body concerned, sufficient quantity
of material had been provided, and
| the carpet was sent to be woven at a
neighboring farm house.
Meantime, we had been busted in
other preparations for John and his
bride, and when these were all COM
pleted, nothing remained save to put
down Cousin Armenia's new carpet.
Lizzie and l rode with her to the
farmhouse to get it. and on seeing it,
had to acknowledge that it was as
near pretty as a ag-carpet could be.
Still it was ugly, for how can a rag