Show what our grandmothers did icis Is there anything whereof it may be said see this is new now recently our readers were interested in an alpaca dress sheared woven and made up the same day but there is no new now thing under the sun the thing or something like it was done one hundred years ago as this story told by hy an aged mother to her children shows late inthe in the afternoon ef of one of the last ina days of may 1776 when I 1 was a few months short of afif een years old notice came to townsend mass where my father used to live that fifteen soldiers were wanted the train band baud was instantly y called out and my brother the next older than my eif elf was one that was selected ore ohe did not r return ehe ere till late at night when all were in bed when I 1 aroe aroi aror e in the morning I 1 found my mother in jn tears who informed me that my brother john was te to march th the tho day after tomorrow to morrow at sunrise my father wag was at boston in the massachusetts chu assembly assemble mother sald eaid that though john was supplied with a ummer summer c lothes clothes he must be aw awny away beven seven or eight months and would woul suffer for want of winter gar garment garments mente ments there was at this time no store and no articles to be had bad ad except ept such as each family would inake wake itself the sight of a mother mothers tears always brought all the hidden strength of the mind to action I 1 immediately asked he what garments were needed she replied pantaloons 10 0 if bat hat bat is 19 all said I 1 we will spin and weave him a pair before he goes 22 atut tut said eald my mother the wool la Is on the cheeps back and the cheep are in the pasture I 1 immediately turned to a youn younger 9 brother and bade him take a salt dish and call them into the yard mother alother replied 11 poor child 1 there are no sheep shears within three miles and a half 1 I have some small shears at the loom I 1 said but we cant spin and weave in so short a time 1 iam lam I am certain wo we can mother how can you weave it there is a long web of linen in the loom IJ no matter I 1 can find an extra loom by this time the hound sound of the sheep made me quicken my steps towards toward the yard I 1 requested my sister to bring the wheel and cords while I 1 went for the wool I 1 went to the yard with my other brother bi and secured cured sie a white sheep from which I 1 sheared with my loom shears half enough for the web we then let her go gg with the rest of the flock I 1 sent the wool in with my sister luther ran off for a black sheep and held her while A I cut off wool for my filling and half the warp and then allowed her to go with the remaining part of her fleece the wool thus obtained was duly carded and spun washed sized and dried a loom was found a few doors on off the web got in in woven and prepared cut and made two or three hours before my brothers departure that is to say forty hours from frem the commencement the good old lady closed by saying 1 I felt no weariness I 1 wept not 1 I was serving my country I 1 was preparing a garment for my nay darling brother the garment finished I 1 retired and wept till my over charged and bursting heart was rell reli relieved eved ex |