Anthony Morse, who died March 22, 1805.

_Courtesy of Essex Institute, Salem, Mass._]

[Illustration: SAMPLER of Moravian embroidery, worked in 1806, by Sarah
Ann Smith, of Smithtown, L. I.]

Sampler making was a home rather than a school taught industry, going
down from mother to daughter along with darning and other processes
of the needle, and having no relation, except that of its dexterity, to
the distinct style of decorative embroidery called crewelwork, which
accompanied it, or even preceded it.

The collecting of samplers has become rather a fad in these days, and as
they are almost exclusively of New England origin, it gives an
opportunity of acquaintance with the little Puritan girl which is not
without its charm. As most of their samplers were signed with their
names, the acquaintance becomes quite intimate, and one feels that these
little Puritans were good as well as diligent. Here is Harmony
Twitchell's name upon a blue and white sampler. What child whose name
was Harmony could quarrel with other children, or how could this other,
whose long-suffering name was Patience, be resentful of the roughnesses
of small male Puritans? Hate-evil and Wait-still and Hope-still and
Thanks and Unity must have sat together like little doves and made
crooked A's and B's and C's and picked out the frayed sewing-silk
threads under the reproofs of the teacher of the Infant School, Miss
Mather or Miss Coffin or Miss Hooker, whose father was a
clergyman, or even Miss Bradford, whose uncle was the Governor?

All this is in the story of the sampler, and so the teaching and
practice of the canvas went constantly forward. The method was so
simple, quite within the capacity of an alphabet-studying child. To make
an A in cross-stitch was to create a link between the baby mind and the
letter represented. There was no choice, no judgment or experience
needed. The limit of every stitch was fixed by a cross thread, one
little open space to send the needle down and another through which to
bring it back, and the next one and the next, then to cross the threads
and the thing was done. Yes, the little slips could make a sampler,
every one of them, and when it was made, sometimes it was put in a frame
with a glass over it, and Patience's mother would show it to visitors,
and Patience would taste the sweets of superiority, than which there is
nothing to the childish heart, nor even to mature humanity, so sweet.

[Illustration: _Left_--