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Miss Vary Tomasi
63 Barre St.
Vontpelier, Vt.
A SPANISH STOMMTLVIS wmcw
She was a large, swarthrowfaoed women. Hor black hair
was drawn to a heavy, shiny coil low on her neck. her
fingers were red, pricked from years of fine hand sewing.
Today she was crocheting an edge on a linen tablecloth.
Conversation was no hindrance to her work. Fingers flew,
dark eyes flashed as she spoke of those emelilmairs when
she and her stoommitUr-lmsband lived in this some apart..
sent,
The small, square living-metheld three oak Chairs,
a davenport mediocre in design and quality, an oblong oak
stand, and a sewing =whine set close to the one window
where it would catch the last light of the afternoon wan.
The reamis aecessories mere a marvel of patient band work.
scalloped crocheted band edged the *bite net curtains.
ribs earn spots an the davenport,- the back rests and the
arms, were hladen by linen runners of delicately designed
drawnwork.
"I have crocheted for so long now that I con Woe
patterns to suit myself." Urs. Vials* held hermit: up
for inspection. 'Roo not this one. No, this ane I am
nAkt for a woman who lives on Barclay Hill. She dhow' me
the pattern from a book ant she es, Igo ahead ant make
this ane. I will par you what you thtnl, is a fair pries.'
Sba pays good. I have done work for her for twenty years.
In the first years, three I think, that my husband was cuts
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stone he work for her husband. I used to help her clean
house once a week. %r husband found work in another shed
nearer this house ant for the same pay, so he took it. IAA
after ny husband died, this lady did not forget me, I used
to take my crocheted work from house to house trying to sell
it. he bought pone
°She was good to me. I had three children. She said
it was too hard for no to go from house to house. Sometimes
would have to take the youngest baby with me. Lesides she
said I would melee more money if stayed home, ant if, people
wanted some crocheted work done they would come ant order it.
-he said people are will' to pay more when they can say, look,
It is this pattern I want, make it just like this.* She spoke
the truth. I have done well enough to raise the three children.
The two girls are married. Yee boy is work/ in the woods in
Fakcrsfield.
I have been in ..merica 27 years this August. 7.(ai ant
:Ay hnsband, we were both born in Liesca, pain. It is an the
:Ivo Liver. That is a pretty river for you. Uear our town
the river In narrow an' deep. It flows fast past sharp make
that are a little like granite, but not good enough to work.
7ou see in them big streaks of yellow, rod, and orange. At
a distance they look pretty. Bt when you get close you can
see that they are dirty from the years that water has run
over them. A.1 summer lonc small blue f1owrii grow between
the rocks. I have never seen anything like them in America.
Ahey arc shape' like daisies ant very, very blue, but in tile
center where the daisies are yellow, these are pure white.
"Vie lived just a three hours' carriage ride from -ara.
goose. That is where my husband learn' the ite cutting.
It is a large city with many beautiful buildings, it would
make ten or twelve of Barre. Us were married sixteen months
when we decide to come to America. Yes, straight to Barre.
There was another stonecutter ant his wife from our town
who come with us. ,e took the train to Bilao, an' irom
there the boat. No, no, Idid not like that beat an' I
did not like the trip. I was use' to ride only in a wagon
or carriage, an' that boat it cake ma sick all the time. I
was earey1 my first baby then. She vas born four months
after we get to harre. All that trip I was sick enough to
die want' to be alone, but even that I could not have.
The stonecutter an' his wife from our town share' our room,
an' besides them there are two other couples. I never again
want to travc1 that way.
"I was too sick to bother to look at Pew York. Iy
hunbanC use' to say it was a lot like aragossa. :ut, well,
ho was so busy to take care of no that he didn't see much
himself. Lesides, he was always say' that when you look
quick ant short at b, cities they all lee: the same. „e
round a room with a panish family. e stayed there three
weeks. 'Pair two weeks I was abed all the time, .,,fterwards
ve ricked out these rooms. TIvc, lived here ever since.
husband was a 7,-ooC artist, mcre for pictures than
for cut' stone, I ti1z. Lack in 7pain there is a picture
of our pretty river that he painted* an' a good picture of
his school teacher. ram we left Spain both of them were
bangt in the school house. Aany times I have winht that be
kept at his paint' instead of stonecut,.
"HO use' to earn extra money in the sheds. ',lien a
customer was not satisfy' with the designs the boss would
show* then be would ask my husband to draw some special
anon at hone at night. any tins he did this ant the boas
was very please' with him.
ftMlon my first baby was born he drew a picture of a
beautiful bedspread It was all in roses* a chain of roses.
ocother we figure' out how many an' what kind of stitches
would have to make to crochet it. I made it mnall for
the baby's bed. 1,very._ody who saw it liked it very much*
.1.r first cirl was married five years. ago. For a present
I rude her a big spread* just like the first one. MJ.t be-
fore I start' It I have to sit down ant figure otitehes
all over again. I lave kept that picture* I :Jive rut it
away with pictures he made of the three children.
H7o* he did not die from stonecutters' T. L. He died
from pneumonia at the tine of the influenza. rAit the
doctor said that if his 1unc were not already touch' with
dust* maybe he would have 7ot well. It was Id for me to
cet along after he died. lAit I have already tat you about
the woman on the Hill who bought m crocheted work. nie
help' i .o get a lot of customers. I do dreesTlaing ant
plain sewing, too.
5.
"I learned to crochet in the olt country. There was
a convent of white nuns just outside of Liosca. 7Vory
7,aturday they would give lessons free to any ody who
wanted to go. cing, croelcting, linen work. The work
they did W113 the best I have over seen. The linens were
sent to the cathocirals in the big cities. Altar linens
they wort. I always say it is very lucky for no that I
learnt to do this work. ?Tow else then could I support
ryself ant three Children, except that I scrub floors ant
do hard work all the time?
"Yoe, I have people loft in Spain. I think I have.
I have not hoard not' for two, three years. The people of
my husband, they atop' from writing ju.st as soon ac be
died, so thorn I do not count. fly own father ant mother
are a lonr time dead. There is only a brother over there,
ant I do not know if be is dead or alive. I Co not hear
from the letters I wrote, I do not get them back, I do
not know wbat to think. lie had two children, grown up
now. T do not bear from them eine, I think that country
has cone very crazy with war ant power. I am 7,lad to be
cafe right here.
o do not want to go back ever. Ant why should 1?
There is nothing there for me. As lone' as I haveiny eyes
ant my bands I can earn enoulll money here to nay ny rent
ant live pretty good