This simple sampler was probably worked by Mary Willis Ambler when she was a young schoolgirl, probably between five and ten years old. The design is plain, but the stitches are very neat and the design is fully reversible. Working samplers was a common part of a wealthy young woman’s education. Not only did the work prepare them to produce the more elaborate embroideries and other decorative items (known as "fancy work") considered appropriate pastimes for genteel young ladies, but it also had practical applications as well. Embroidered letters (like the ones in Mrs. Marshall’s sampler) were frequently used to mark the linens in large family to help keep track of them on laundry day.