"You may have any one you choose; the one called 'Tree of Paradise,' another called 'Pineapple Design,' which was originally a border to 'Fleur de lis' quilt or 'Pine Tree,' and still another called 'Tree of Life,' and 'The Lost Rose in the Wilderness.'" "They are all so odd," said Mary, "I scarcely know which one I think prettiest." "All are old-fashioned quilts, which I prize highly," continued her Aunt. "Several I pieced together when a small girl, I think old-time patchwork too pretty and useful an accomplishment to have gone out of fashion. "You shall have a small stand cover like the one you admired so greatly, given me by Aunt Cornelia. It is very simple, the materials required being a square of yard-wide unbleached muslin. In the centre of this baste a large, blue-flowered handkerchief with cream-colored ground, to match the muslin. Turn up a deep hem all around outside edge; cut out quarter circles of the handkerchief at each of four corners; baste neatly upon the muslin, leaving a space of muslin the same width as the hem around each quarter circle; briarstitch all turned-in edges with dark-blue embroidery silk, being washable, these do nicely as covers for small tables or stands on the veranda in Summertime." "Aunt Sarah," ecstatically exclaimed Mary, "you are a wizard to plan so many useful things from a trunk of apparently useless rags. What a treasure Uncle has in you. I was fretting about having so little to make my home attractive, but I feel quite elated at the thought of having a carpet and rugs already planned, besides the numerous other things evolved from your fertile brain." Aunt Sarah loved a joke. She held up an old broadcloth cape. "Here is a fine patch for Ralph Jackson's breeches, should he ever become sedentary and need one." Mary reddened and looked almost offended and was at a loss for a reply. [Illustration: A-18 Fleur DeLys Quilt A-19 Oak Leaf Quilt A-20 One Block of Fleur DeLys Quilt A-21 Winding Way Quilt A-22 Tulip Quilt A-23 Flower Pot Quilt] Greatly amused, Aunt Sarah quoted ex-President Roosevelt: "'Tis time for the man with the patch to come forward and the man with the dollar to step back,'" and added, "Never mind, Mary, your Ralph is such an industrious, hustling young man that he will never need a patch to step forward, I prophesy that with such a helpmeet and 'Haus Frau' as you, Mary, he'll always be most prosperous and happy. Kiss me, dear." Mary did so, and her radiant smile at such praise from her honored relative was beautiful to behold. [Illustration: OLD RAG CARPET] CHAPTER IX. POETRY AND PIE. "Aunt Sarah," questioned Mary one day, "do you mind if I copy some of your recipes?" "Certainly not, my dear," replied her Aunt. "And I'd like to copy some of the poems, also, I never saw any one else have so much poetry in a book of cooking recipes."