Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-12-02
aeiaer Pater's Pumpkin Thanks.
giving Story.
Ely FRANK r. STOCKTON.

Long ago, in a year when pumpkins
wrtc very cheap, and sugar cost but
htile, ana nearly every body could buy
aour, ana butter was not more than
p1ckwr cents q pound, Thanksgiving day
WnToached,
On the outskirts Of a small village,
lAcre lived at that time an old woman
Asmed Mother Pater In her garden was
pumpkin-yine on which had grown quite
n number of pumpkins; but as the old
sSay only desired two of these vegetables,
she had picked off all the rest when they
wuo bet little green things
~One of these punkins,' said she ais
asr my Thanksgiyin pies. The other is
asking fund"
Ey this she merely wished to convey
shs idea that If one of these pumpkins
azlhsl 1T the testal period, she would fall
back upon the other, | do not know
1helhcr She always made herself under
a&1nd on the subject or not At any rate,
.ne OF these pumpkins did fail--failed
mes decidedly and died so all her hopes
were conferred on the other one Her son
ssaam, fine boy of fourteen, unusually
Md for his age, tended this solitary vege-
taNlc Tor !rgit-whichcve il was) with all
ssstaAe care, but when the day, which
was thrge days before Thanksgiving, ar
lvcd, Il became evident to his mind that
ahht s.nkin' fund punkin" would not be
rpc IN time. (lt may be here remarked
tAai FhankSgiving.d used to come u
good deal earlier in the year than it does
sew When Mother Pater came out and
Gsoked al her pumpkin 1t became evident
as her mind that her son lsham was right,
sArre was no hope OF the pumpkin rpening
IA ihree days Mother and son looked mt
rSch other What was to be doneg They
xctc both persons of resolution and ener
sy, never accustomed to giving way TO OBJ
'n.cscS Folding their arms as they stood
nlhc little garden, they busted themselves
m thought. In few moments they both
nmso 70 the same conclusion there was
sothiag 10 be done but to ask the Gov
rrno to postpone Thanksgiving. day.
Accordingly, Mother Pater went into the
h"ase, but on her mobcap, her spectacles,
Aer Sunday short-gown and petticoat, and
with her umbrella in one hand, and her
SsuSiy staff in the other, she set off for
hAc Governors house. As she went out of
Acr little gate, her SOL put into her hand
ssSd tn which he had written the ear
hnA date az which, in his opinion, the
puinpkin could possibly ripen The old
assy put this in her pocket, and told
lsham that were she in his place, she
would gravel the front path, and white.
wash the fence that morning.
To be sure said she, "nohody ndg
.aSoe, but although the Governor will be-
sesc me, Of course, when tell him about
mi punkin, still, to satisfy the people at
nns state House, he may have - come
xad ST. Ii himself
M OF went she, trudging bravely along
ahc road, but as for lsham, he only waited
sn,al she was out of sight, and then in
Stesd 81 trying to fix up the old home
ste a. he ran of to tell all the village that
fhankSgiyiugday was to be put of.
When the people heard that Mother Pater
had gone 20 the Governor To have this
Acme. they mourned from the bottom of
Aacir hearts, for they knew that she never
undertook any thing that she did not carry
ON And what would become of them
Nrrry thing prepared or nearly SO in some
houses he pies even made, aud the turkeys
ANA gctse already killed and hung up TO
tender and all arrangements made to
eclrbra', the following Thursday. If
Thank -.y.ng.loy was put OIL a gloom
veuli settle over the entire community.
~. itom every hilltop, bontrcs bazed
and balls were rung, and horns blown,
ard men mounted in hot haste and rode
hlthcr and thither TO arouse the p0pu'ace,
AND bring them together to consider their
unpgndng fate Everything wa, shortly
w anuproa- all business was neglected
snd the roads were crowded by taa roau.
KY people aurrymg into town
In the meantime Mother Pater walked
~ Tia most direct road 70 the town. and
AafChed up the main street 10 the GOV.
einar hosse on the way, she met a
good Ilany persons whom She knew. and
ssen they asked her what brought her to
losN SIX Told them right out Ii posi-.
As. the {, wG-ulks were more excited
about the matter than the country people.
rAey rang their ahrm.bells, and fire. of
naaHon on the green, and shut up their
zcrcs, ana the circulating library closed