Page 55 - 1933 Hartridge

Literary
The Alice Rosamond Pardee pri2,e was won last year by Martha Kingman. THE ELEMENTARY PRIZE ESSAY
THE SAMPLER
' I ’'HE rain was thumping on the roof in a rhythmic tapping and slowly trickling
down the window panes. Beside a cheery fire sat a little girl. She was reading. At her feet scampered two little pups in play. After a while an elderly woman entered carrying her knitting. She seated herself and proceeded to knit. For a full half hour silence reigned, except for the occasional yelping of the puppies.
It was the little girl who finally broke the almost oppressive quietness, saying ''Oh, grandmother, Fm so tired of reading, and it's raining too hard to go out. W on't you tell me a story?"
Her grandmother willingly assented and queried, “What shall it he this time, my dear?"
The little girl thought a minute and then replied, “Is there anything in this room that has a history?"
The elderly woman glanced around. Her eyes lighting on an old sampler of red and yellow flowers on time-worn linen, she said, “That sampler was made by your great'great^grandmother, Jean Fraser, when she was a little girl, It has quite a his tory, if you could call it that. I will tell it to you if you wish."
Virginia jumped out of her chair and clapped her hands in delight, Moving a stool close to her grandmother, she sat down.
One fine June day in the year 1776 your great^great^grandmother was sitting on the pleasant veranda of her Monmouth home, working on her sampler. Suddenly a horse came galloping up, sweat rolling down its flanks. A colored man hurriedly dismounted and ran past Jean into the hall. In a few minutes her mother and Mammy Li2;a came hurrying out. “Mammy" ordered Mrs. Fraser, “Go thee to the stable and tell Tom to have the coach ready."
“Jean," said her mother, “get thee thy bonnet and cloak and come straightway to the stable."
I*(jc/e Fifty-three