Art
Margaret Cassedy stitched this sampler in 1826 as part of her schooling. Samplers were both a teaching tool and a display of skill—proof that a girl had learned to sew, spell, and sit still. They hung in parlors as evidence of a proper upbringing.
Art · Full story
Your fingers are sore. You've been working the same alphabet for three days, pushing the needle through linen again and again, following the pattern your schoolmistress drew. The silk catches sometimes. You pull it loose and start the letter over. When it's finally perfect—straight rows of A through Z, a border of flowers, your name at the bottom—you'll show it to everyone who visits.
Reflect
What skill did you learn young that required patience and repetition? Do you still value it?