The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-05-24
Titles Lesson.

When my grandma was young little
girls were taught to do many useful
things. Little girls thought it no hard
ship to wash and dry the dishes, and
spread up the beds after a stronger
hand had shaken the great feather
mattresses; and all the doll clothes Of
those days must have been well made,
because the little mothers" were given
every day lesson in sewing, crochet
ing or knitting as soon as they were
old enough to learn.
One day, one summer, grandmas mo-
Their called her three little daughters to
her and said: Il am going to teach you
to knit. L will give a reward for the
first pair of socks; and how proud
papa will be to wear them!
Then she gave Lucinda, Aida and
little Tillie each a great ball of yarn
and a set of shining knitting needles
She patiently spent a great deal of
time in showing them how to set up
a SOCK on three needles and how to
hold it, and how to use the fourth
needle to really knit"
The maid, Dinah, was to show them
how to shape the heel and toe, and
narrow and bind off, as she herself
W 90 " NC away lOI SbillC hECho.
So every day, very soon, each little
went away TO her own favorite nook;
and for some time lively race went
on for the prize.
Then Aida began to weary. even
Lucinda's sock grew very slowly,
though the knitting always showed
even and smooth.
But how little Title did work! Her
small fingers fairly flew. Her little
white pet rabbits nibbled at the ball
of yarn, and wondered why Title did
not have word to say to them. Every
day she took her little stool out into
the grape arbor and diligently knitted
away, though the shouts of the chill
dren padding in the brook came to
her ears, the loudest among them the
voices of her two sisters.
Il will finish first" she said. Il will
win the prize! l know l cam"
After very long time to Title, and
surprisingly short time to the sis
tiers, Title announced-it was on the
day after mammals return home
that her socks were finished; and then
Aida wished she had not been having
such a good time and had more to
show than just one-half of a sock, not
very tidy looking. Lucinda had fin
ished one sock, and it was very prettily
and evenly knitted; but she, too, was
ashamed that little Tillie had outdone
her.
Tillie laid the pair of socks on
mammals lap with a triumphant little
smile.
The three little girls lowered near
while mamma slipped one of the socks
over her hand.
But what do you think?
There were about 100 little holes
where Title had dropped a stitch every
now and them Alas. and the other
sock was quite as bad.
Mamma smiled as she said: These
socks viii have to be darned before
they can be worm"
Aida laughed merrily, but Lucinda
put her arms around poor little Tillie,
whose tears were falling softly over
the careless work.
Never mind, Title" she said. you
will get the prize, for you did knit the
first pair!"
Well, grandmas mamma-grandma
was Tillie-gave them each a prize for
learning to knit-a little work box,
with needles, scissors thread and tiny
'Tnlie has learned something else,
too. / think said mamma, as she
stopped to kiss the tear-stained and
sorry little face. Then she gave Title
her work box, a pretty blue one, and
said in a whisper: Make haste slow
ly."
Grandma says it has been over fifty
years since she won that prize. and she
has forgotten how to knit, but the les
son she learned along with her knitting
she will never forget.-Little Folks.