Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-03-13
Oortrtp y.
Domestic Mishaps
THE OF A THANKSGIVING WEEK.
WaitsfcId, n,

"WELL, there, | declare, it seems as if
everything I've taken hold of for a week has
gone wrong" exclaimed a little, fat, bust
ling woman as her outer door was opened
by a morning visitor.
"Why, what is the matter, Mrs. Smith 2"
was the lnterrogatory in response.
"La?i is that you, Miss Woodman? How
do you do? Come in and sit down, and
I'll tell you"
"WelI, let me help you pick these %raisins,
while you are talking"
$50 you may, so you may-throw off
your hood and shawl, and sit up here to the
table"
"There, I'm nicely fixed, Now, what's
gone wrong?"
"Well. to begin at the beginning, we
thought we wouldn't make any Thanksriv-
ing this year. You see there's nobody but
husband and me, and little Hannah-poor
chlld-and we tho't we'd take it fair and
easy, and not have anything out of the
common course. Let's see-this is Tues
day well, Friday night we got a letter
from Nabby, telling us She was coming
down to spend Thanksgiving, but she was
sorry she couldn't be here till Wednesday
night, so as to help me prepare; but Mr..
Johnson was so busy they couldn't come a
minute sooner. Well, we thought if Nabby
was coming we'd send for Isaac and his
wife, and Elihu and his wife Nabby's got
four children, %Isaac's got three, and Elihu's
got two-so there's quite a little army of
them, and, Of course, we must make ready
a little something.
$50 went to work Saturday, and boiled
a piece of meat, and ! and Hannah-poor
child got it chopped and seasoned
Well, Monday We washed, and when | look
ed at my long table-cloth | found twas SO
yaller Giant been used since last Thanksgiv-
ing day. that I'd got to wash it; and | told
Hannah to go and bring me the bottle of
washing fluid that Nabby sent, and I'd see
how nice 'twould make my table-cloth look.
So she brought it, and | put a generous
dose on, (twas after all the other washing
was done afore | thought of my table .cloth)
and Hannah washed it and hung it out
When she got it done, | told her the suds
looked so nice, I'd just wash out my new
calico gown SO | put it in and it turned
to a nasty spotted yaIler! Well says l.,
4 don't think much OF this washing fluid
(twas the first time I'd ever used any of
it)-ld rather have the old 'dumb-betty.'-
My gown was spoiled, but | thought I'd
~makeathe best of 1T, But says | to Han
ner, what is it that smells so much like
vinegarY
"Says she, that's the washing fluid
"Says !, Where did you get ibid you
take it of the shelf | told your
"'Yes,' says she.
"'And did you put it back where you got
it?'
eyes says she.
$50 | went and looked, and no wonder
my gown turned yaller. I'd washed it, not
in washing fluid, but in billed cider.
"Hannah, poor child, want to blame
the bottle of washing fluid wasn't there. -
I'd emptied that into my mince-meat =
Now, wasn't that a go? There was TWEEN
ty-eight, if there was one ounce, of good
mince-pie-meat gone to waste | darsn't
even give it to the hogs, with all that stuff
in it.
"Well, / thought it wouldn't do to fret
about it | hadn't time. But though I've
heard Nabby say again and again, that she
wouldn't give a cent for a Thanksgiving
without mlnce pies, she's got to do without
them this time. Sol charged little Hannah,
poor child, to say nothing about the wash
ing fluid and billed cider, and I'd try and
get something.
81 went to work and | stewed a pot of
pumpkin, and this morning l told little
Hannah that she might do the ironing, and
I'd fix the pies, SO beat TIE eggs and
put in the milk, and-come to look
hadn't a bit of cinnamint 1--WE always use
cinnamint for pumpkin pikes) in the house.
Then told Hannah to run to the store and
get some, and Id rub on the clothes till she
got back.
Well, pretty soon she come back, and
| was fixing the fire so | told her she
might spice the pies. Bimeby she came
to nae, and says she, | wish you'd taste of
this, for I've been eating some cloves, and
/ guess they've bit my tongue, for l can't
taste anything ofthe cinnamint.' So | tasted,
and | never-it beat all | can't tell you
what it was like, but H%annah-poor child,
she'd tasted of it two or three times, and
she said it made her dizzy and sick to her
stomach. | went and looked at the CHINA
ment, and what do you suppose it was? AS
true as you're alive, it was yader snuff
No wonder it made Hannah sick. YalIer
snuff Yes, there was a great mess of yal-
Ter snuff felt provoked enough. Itho't
it was a trick somebody had played upon
but Hannah said that old Mrs, Jones