Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-01-21
treasures

Dear Household: II has been a long long
time since have spoken out in meeting; but i
have been here all the time. silent listener.
Old as | am I learn something every time ana
sometimes from those much younger than my
self. | have beci~ away so long some OF you
have come very near appropriating NY name.
there has been more than one letter WIN
Martha used as n portion, at least, OF me
nen name. ! can't afford, however TO give up
INV claim to the name, for IL has been my
MON" for more years than / can remember.
and in several other publications. SO III still
sign my name Martha and you must all Know
II Is only me.
have been rummaging today. and, o! what
sweet and sad memories died the various O m'r
garments and so stir in the depths OF my
heart There wss the tiny shoes my flrst
baby wore. He had such little feet we couidn
find any small enough we got the smahest
we found and how the little dear did enjoy
pulling them off even while tied, and throwing
them away. The little feet have grown large
and have wandered away from the old home,
and now my son buys shoes for another baby
and thinks of it, as ! did Of him, that II is
worlds wonder.
There were the first little shoes worn by my
oldest daughter. and now she Is much larger
than her mother and wears larger snoe Sne
is young and still thinks there is no place Ike
"S There is the little white dress than belonged
TO one the only one that never grew up. Sne
is still my baby. for ] can only think OF her
as such and Oh! how the ''old sorrow wakes
There is the second little girls first slippers:
and l remember how she lost one of them or
Der foot the first time she ever went TO the
city, and the dismay of the big brother who
hsd her in charge.
Then I found garment worked with the
drawnwork that is popular now, only this was
done more than 20 years ago. by dear aunt
that was a voung and beautiful girl at mat
time, and the delicate tucking was done Dy
hand the tiny stitches were put there by the
industrious hands OF my darling mother those
dear beautiful hands. / can see them now, al
though they have long since passed away In the
silent grave.
There was a pair OF my fathers socks. with
toes half worn away. they were very nice
pair snd he priced them very much, they were
hand knit with open work tops. Mother gave
them to me after his death. so they, too. find a
resting place in my sacred relics by the side of
my youngest boys first little socks. He out
grew them before they were worn any, so
they good as new.
In this chest Is an old "rislng sun" quilt
that my mother made and quilted. near 60
years ago. The white squares in the corners
and the three-cornered pieces on each side of
the suns have flower or some such design
Quilted with white thread while the colors In
ti-e quilted each with thread TO match.
What beautiful work IN is and how many bright.
youthful dreams worked into that dear
piece OF bandiwork / never tell
There is also white linen apron trimmed
with the beautiful croCreted trimming fash
ionable about a third OF a century ago. and
Oh! how dressed up / did feel with my pretty
trimmed bib apron.
There Is my first boys first short dress. the
skirt is about five or six inches long. 1t is a
beautiful little dress and I almost fancy
myself a pToud young mother again I look
az II and forget the long weary years that In
tervene between now and when I fashioned that
dainty garment.
7 have mentioned only few OF the dear old
relics. I know many another of you have just
such things stored away and what a melan-
choly pleasure II is to take them out and think