Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-12-02

ernor's door, she knocked on the knocker,
and then, Strengthening herself up, she
waited to be let in. In a few moments an
Irish girl came to the door, and Mother
Pater informed her that she wished to sec
the Governor.
"And where's your card?' said the ser.
| want.
my card?" replied Mother Pater.
"How in the world you should have found
out had a card, don't know; but here
it is. What do you want with it?"
ITO take it to his honor, sure, and see
if he'll see you" said the girl; and leav-
ing the old lady in the hall, she went up
stairs with the card which Isham had
| given his mother. Before she reached the
Governors study, she looked at the card,
which was one of an old pack that Isham
and his mother used to play cribbage with
before eight of the hearts and six Of the
clubs'got lost
"Arrah" said the girl "The Queen
of Spades, is she? If I'd known that, I'd
taken better look at her 'Tisnt every
day that the Queen of Spades is 10 be
seen walkin' about with an umbrella"
When she handed the card to the Gov
Being profound man, he felt sure that
the card meant that game was about to
be played-in other words, tredson--and
that ii could r7pen IN twelve days! Hasten
ing down to meet the mysterious messcn-
ger, he found it was Mother Pater.
When he heard what she had to tell
him, though relieved, he was still very
much troubled, especially as he saw the
matter had got out and that the street
and green in front Of his house were filled
by an agitated crowd. What to say to
satisfy the old lady he knew not and he
asked her if she was sure her pumpkin
would not be ripe in time.
I'm as sure as sure can be-" she re-
piled, and so is my son Isham but if
you're notrsatisfied,.. or if any of these other
gentlemen are not satisfied (fOr the cabi.
net had now come down stairs), you are
perfectly welcome to come and look for
yourselves"
So the Governor thought it would be
better, perhaps, to go and see exactly how
the thing stood; and he therefore called
together committee composed of gentle
men from the Legislature, a couple of
clergymen, some merchants, and a presi-
dent of bank, and they all went out to
look at Mother Pater's pumpkin.
When they reached the garden, escorted
by lsham and his mother, they saw in
moment that the old ladys story was cor
rect, Even if laid in the sunniest part of
the sunniest shed in the village, II would
be utterly impossible for that pumpkin to
ripen by the following Thursday. With
ri a. !. IL.
dismay sat upon every countenance.
Then assuring Dame Pater that her case
should receive his earnest attention, the
Governor, followed by the committee, re-
turned to town.
When he got home, he found all the
citizens, together with all the country
people who had come to town, anXiously
awaiting his report When he told them
what he and the committee had seen, such
a commotion arose as never before was
known in the town. For a while the
Governor thought that there was danger
of a riot, and he had the militia bell
rung, As most of the disorderly persons
belonged to the militia, and had to 90 to
their halls to put on their uniform when
the bell rang, comparative quiet was soon
restored. Then t. the sensible people
who remained, the Governor said that, as
far as he was able 10 judge Of the matter,
/ he could not see how he could help put.
ting off Thanksgiving-day; but if any of
! them could think of any other expedient,
he should be happy to hear it, For
time silence reigned, and people looked
at each other with blank faces. At last a
/ happy thought struck a citizen and he
4 cried out:
Let somebody give her pumpkin ~
! Like flash of electricity, this idea ran
through the crowd, and all together they
set up great shout
"Give her a pumpkin"
/ The very lightning rods trembled, and
/ all the weathercocks turned round, so tire
/ mendouS was the burst of enthusiasm.
Then every man of the citizens rushed
home and got pumpkin, and hurried
away with it to Mother Pater. And every
man among the counCrymen mounted
/ his horse or his mule, or ran as fast as
he could, and got a good pumpkin from
/ his pile, and hurried with it to Mother
! Pater. About sunset they began to ar
1 rive, and in an hour Dame Pater garden,
her front yard, her hack yard, her cellar,
her parlor, her kitchen, her bedrooms, and
her garrett were all filled with shining vel.
low pumpkins, In the wood.shed Mother
and lsham had to eat their supper, and in
that shed, although the night was cool,
1 they had TO sleep.
The next day, these two arose to look at
their pumpkins. A fine large one was Sc
lected for the Thanksgiving pies, and the
rest Dam. Patcr determined to give to
the poor So she sent out Isham on
Mr., SCOTS horse and gave him the
nnerhorn, and he went all over town
and country for two days and invited
the poor TO come and eat pumpkin.pie on
Thanksgiyingd day. Hearing Of this, a
great many folks gave flour and sugar,
and butter (tor, you know, they were all
/ plenty and cheap in those days., and all
the women set to work and every one of
Mother Pater's pumpkins was baked into
pies