a, with, great earnestness, now, and going into the
next room, and opening a large cedar wood chest, returned, bearing in
her arms two large snow white blankets, which she deposited flat on the
table, just as Aunt Hitty was whisking off the table cloth.

"Mortal! mother, what are you going to do?" said Aunt Hitty.

"There," she said; "I spun those, every thread of 'em, when my name was
Mary Evans. Those were my wedding blankets, made of real nice wool, and
worked with roses in all the corners. I've got _them_ to give!" and
grandmamma stroked and smoothed the blankets, and patted them down, with
great pride and tenderness. It was evident she was giving something that
lay very near her heart; but she never faltered.

"La! mother, there's no need of that," said Aunt Hitty. "Use them on
your own bed, and send the blankets off from that; they are just as good
for the soldiers."

"No, I shan't!" said the old lady, waxing warm; "'tisn't a bit too good
for 'em. I'll send the very best I've got, before they shall suffer.
Send 'em the _best_!" and the old lady gestured oratorically.

They were interrupted by a rap at the door, and two men entered, and
announced themselves as commissioned by Congress to search out supplies
for the army. Now the plot thickens. Aunt Hitty flew in every
direction,--through entry passage, meal room, milk room, down cellar, up
chamber,--her cap border on end with patriotic zeal; and followed by
John, Dick, and Grace, who eagerly bore to the kitchen the supplies that
she turned out, while Mrs. Ward busied herself in quietly sorting and
arranging, in the best possible travelling order, the various
contributions that were precipitately launched on the kitchen floor.

Aunt Hitty soon appeared in the kitchen with an armful of stockings,
which, kneeling on the floor, she began counting and laying out.

"There," she said, laying down a large bundle on some blankets, "that
leaves just two pair apiece all round."

"La!" said John, "what's the use of saving two pair for me? I can do
with one pair, as well as father."

"Sure enough," said his mother; "besides, I can knit you another pair in
a day."

"And I can do with one pair," said Dick.

"Yours will be too small, young master, I guess," said one of the
commissioners.

"No," said Dick; "I've got a pretty good foot of my own, and Aunt Hitty
will always knit my stockings an inch too long, 'cause she says I grow
so. See here--these will do;" and the