CHICKEN POX

It was very cold and there was deep snow on the ground the year Jenny was 8 and came down with the chicken pox. It must have been late in January. She would need to be home for a week as her skin had to be completely clear before she could go back to school. She didn’t feel very sick, but she was almost completely covered with the scabby looking pox and it was hard to keep from scratching.

Mother had been planning to teach Jenny and Margaret how to embroider, and last summer had ordered a package of easy transfers from Capper’s Weekly’s pattern section. She decided that now would be a good time for Jenny to learn to embroider and that it might keep her hands so busy that she wouldn’t think about scratching. She got out two soft unbleached muslin tea towels and ironed on the blue transfers. Jenny’s pattern was of six drinking tumblers with rows of decorative cross stitches and lazy daisies underneath. Jenny had done basting before, so she knew how to handle a needle and thread. Armed with scissors, an embroidery needle, an embroidery hoop and several skeins of embroidery floss in different colors from which to choose, Jenny was ready to begin. First Mother showed her how to do the outline stitch on a scrap of cloth. Jenny outlined the tumblers in bright red. Inside the tumblers were broken diagonal lines. These required a running stitch and this was easy, as it was like basting. Mother showed her how to do the cross stitches and these were Jenny’s favorite. She chose black for them at Mother’s suggestion. The lazy daisies were the hardest. She made these yellow. The centers were yellow orange and these were done in French knots, which required a little practice on the piece of scrap cloth. The daisies had green leaves and stems and were done in green outline stitches. Mother was surprised that Jenny learned the stitches so quickly and at how neatly she made them, for a beginner.

Margaret would learn to do this a few days later when she was sure to get the chicken pox too. Her pattern was bunches of grapes and somewhat more difficult.

Jenny liked working with the colors and pretty designs. It was so much more fun than basting. She sat on a chair in the kitchen embroidering her tea towel, while mother did her housework. It was pleasant and made the time pass more quickly. She hoped she could make the whole set. It wasn’t so bad to have the chicken pox when you had something interesting to do.