The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-06-04
Ellie started up and hurried to her

had been patent ana sweet tempered.
Surely she had done he: very best to
please Johns mother and to reconcile
her to the new condition of things!
And here, already, everything had
broken up in wrangling and discord.
Ellie threw herself down upon the bee.
and John might have been so happy
but for this. She wept hot, resentful
tears. Truly, it was best, as she had
always heard, for young married -1eo-
pie to have little home of their own.
with no third party near to SOW the
seeds of trouble. This was her first day
in her new home-and perhaps she had
years and years of life before her-and
she did love John so, and might have
made him so happy, if it had not been
for this
And if she loved John, did not his
! mother love him, too? And how she
must love him-that quiet, undemon-
strative woman, whose feelings ran
deep. And there was grandma, whose
life was torn UP by the roots in her old
age-and it is so hard for old roots to
set themselves in new soil. And-why.
that was what had happened to Johns
mother, too-her life had been torn up
by the roots!
When Ellie arose she had forgotten
herself and her griefs. She was think
ing of two lonely old women down.
stairs, the width of the dining room
between them, each breeding over her
own sorrow.
, Never mind about me-" Ellie was
saying to herself, as she bathed away
the tears from her eyes, 81 will try to
make them happy"
When she came down, after a little,
she was Juggling a large white sack,
stuffed to bursting.
"Look what found in the closet in
my room, grandma" she cried, cheer
lily. Cali this sack of ccraps!"
i "Those are for the rag-man," said
Johns mother, briefly. Perhaps she
had been thinking, too, for her voice
had lost little of its GOODNESS.
Grandma was already lingering the
scraps wistfully.
They'd make mighty pretty quilt,
she said. Il used to make quilts al
the time-scraps of the children's
clothes, from their baby-clothes on up
Ellie don't know anything about it
That was before her day, They've sor
O. gone out of fashion now"
She had spoken rather at than tt
Johns mother, as though with a timi(
/ 1jft1o fiociro tn oOnoi1iato hor
"How I'd like to have one of thos'
old quilts!" cried Ellie, with tender in
!. terest. Made with scraps of my OLE
dresses, grandma-and maybe some o
Johns baby dresses, 1nother-and
piece of my wedding dress right in tn
middle. That would be somethin!
,, John and could keep always"
"These 'ud make a mighty nice nine
piece" said grandma rehectively. Sh
was still regarding the odds and end
, of cloth that lay across her lap.
Johns mother had approached in
sensibly.
81 used to make quilts" she said
with something that was almost Xix
softness in her voice. ut was year
ago-I knew them all-Nine-Piece an
Irish Chain and Chariot Wheel an
Magnolia Bloom-and could fin
scraps of Johns little clothes. I'll sho'
you some of his little dresses, Elinor-
. you'd never think he was ever tina
small, looking at him now"
Ellies arms were around her-th
y pretty young face was laughing teal
y fully up at her. The very idea of see
:, ing Johns cunning little baby clothes
:, And it was Johns mother who ha
: kept them all these years!
: 1--WE could do the quilting in John
a old playroom mother was mel
, ing more and more-"I haven't ha
:, :, much time to sew. Maybe it'll hel
= me to sit down little"
I'D like to make quilts again" sa
. old Mrs. vedder, looking up wistful
over her glasses.
Mrs. Mayfield had arisen to go {
some Grand, but she sat down agai
ellie" she said, eff you'll look
n the machine drawers you'll fiji
needles and thimbles and things-al
Il bring the gold thimble for your gran
. ma. John gave that to me when
~ was - years old"
Ellies face was aglOw with deligf
1" IL am so glad that John loves b
II mother!" she cried from her heart.
"a And then Johns mother surrender
"a the last trace of the GOODNESS and har
r ness she had kept in store.
"a "John's always been q good son
- me, my DEAR" she said; "and b
that's done that can't help making
~ good husband. Hand ME that piece
h pasteboard, Ellie, and your grandr
can cut pattern for both of us to
10 BY"
%
John came home to lunch earlier tn
a usual that day, filled with apprehe
ID sion, and stole into the house almt
If on tiptoe. At the end Of the hall
paused and looked through the p'
20 there's in deep amazement. Ellie W
u, fitting gaily back and forth betwe
~ dining room and kitchen, getting
49, daintiest Of lunches on the table, wi,
,o over by the window sat two spectac
- old ladies, eagerly comparing colors
70 scraps they held in their hands.
~ ~ "This was little blue pique
- Johns when he was Two years oil
az said Johns mother, smiling at
~ memory. 81 made it myself. q
wv trimmed it with white braid-and
~ wanted to sleep in it THAT first mig
NJ This ought to go with something da