In the nineteenth century, every young girl looked forward to the time when she would be considered old enough to create her first sampler. It was a measuring rod used by society that told the young they were growing up. It was also one of the first skills a girl learned to keep her hands busy and to one day beautify a household of her own.
Annie Mariah and Mary Jane, ages 6 and 8, had begged their mother for over a year to begin this training. But, as they began to rebuild their lives in Cedar Fort, Utah, they were left little time for s. . .