church. Much drudgery was lightened by the joyful anticipation
of a neighbourhood quilting bee. The preparations for such an
important event were often quite elaborate. As a form of entertainment
quilting bees have stood the test of time, and from colonial days down
to the present have furnished much pleasure in country communities.

In a quaint little book published in 1872 by Mrs. P. G. Gibbons, under
the title, "Pennsylvania Dutch," is a detailed description of a
country quilting that Mrs. Gibbons attended. The exact date of this
social affair is not given, but judging from other closely related
incidents mentioned by the writer, it must have taken place about
1840, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The account reads as follows:

"Aunt Sally had her quilt up in her landlord's east room, for her own
was too small. However, at about eleven she called us over to dinner,
for people who have breakfasted at five or six have an appetite at
eleven.

"We found on the table beefsteaks, boiled pork, sweet potatoes,
'Kohl-slaw,' pickled cucumbers and red beets, apple butter and
preserved peaches, pumpkin and apple pie, sponge cake and coffee.
After dinner came our next neighbours, 'the maids,' Susy and Katy
Groff, who live in single blessedness and great neatness. They wore
pretty, clear-starched Mennonist caps, very plain. Katy is a
sweet-looking woman and, although she is more than sixty years old,
her forehead is almost unwrinkled, and her fine hair is still brown.
It was late when the farmer's wife came--three o'clock; for she had
been to Lancaster. She wore hoops and was of the 'world's people.'
These women all spoke 'Dutch,' for the maids, whose ancestors came
here probably one hundred and fifty years ago, do not speak English
with fluency yet.

"The first subject of conversation was the fall house-cleaning; and I
heard mention of 'die carpett hinaus an der fence' and 'die fenshter
und die porch,' and the exclamation, 'My goodness, es was schlimm.' I
quilted faster than Katy Groff, who showed me her hands, and said,
'You have not been corn husking, as I have.'

"So we quilted and rolled, talked and laughed, got one quilt done, and
put in another. The work was not fine; we laid it out by chalking
around a small plate. Aunt Sally's desire was rather to get her
quilting finished upon this great occasion than for us to put in a
quantity of fine needlework. About five o'clock we were called to
supper. I need not tell you