Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-02-10
[FRoM HEARTH AND HOME.
MOTHER PATER'S PUMPKIN.
A THANKSGIVING STORY.
ny FRANK Il. STOCKTON.

,early everybody could buy flour, and but
er was not more than twelv & cents pound,
day approac ned.
On the outskirts of mall village, there
ived at that time an old woman named
Mother Pater. In her garden was pump
sin-vine, on which had grown quite num-
Der of pumpkins; but as the old lady only
iesired two Of these vegetables, she had
picked off all the rest when they were but
title green things.
'.Ono of these pumpkins" said sne, sis
or my Thanksgivin'- '-pies. The other is
bin king fund"
BY this she merely wished TO convey the
idea that If one Of these pumpkins failed at
the festal period, she would fall back upon
the other. do not know whether she al
ways made herself understood OH the sub
ject or not. At any rate, one of these pump
kins did fail-faied most decidedly, and
died so all her hopes were centered on the
other one. Her son Isham, fine boy of
fourteen, unusually old for his age, tended
this solitary vegetable Cor fruit, whichever
it was) with all possible care; hut when the
day, which was three days before Thanks
giving, arrived, it became evident to his
mind that that sinking-fund punkin"
would not be ripe in time Ut may be here
remarked that Thanksgiving day used to
come good deal earlier in the year than it
does now.) When Mother Pater came out
and looked at her pumpkin, it became evil
dent to her mind that her son Isham was
right: there was no hope Of tie pumpkin
ripening in three days. Mother and son
looked at each other. What was to be done?
They were both persons of resolution and
energy, never accustomed 10 giving way to
obstacles. Folding their arms as they stood
in the little garden, they busted themselves
in thought In few moments, they both
came to the same conclusion-t was
nothing to be done but to ask the Governor
to postpone Thanksgiving-da According
ly, Mother Pater went into the house, put
on her mob.cap, her spectacles, her Sunday
short-gown and petticoat, and with her UNI
brella in one hand, and her trusty staff In
the other, she set off for the Governors
house. As she went out of her little gate,
her son put into her hand a card on which
he had written inc earliest ua'e ~ WHICH, IL
bis opinion, the pumpkin could possibly RI
pen. The old lady put this into her pocket,
ana toid lsham 'ha' ~e'e sue )" ms p,ae''
she would gravel the front path and white
| wash the fence that morning.
| "ro be sure, sad she' 'hooouy "toy
come, but although the Governor VIII oe-
lieve me, OF course, when tell MIN aoou'
my punkin' stlil' 10 SATISFY 'he peop'e d. 'n'
otate HOUSE, hc may ia'e W o''h' "n' '0s
it himself. -.
o' on "0no 'Ae' ,,.7 .,,.s
the roau' ou' Us LUZ isnau'' no ou's ""el
until she was out OIL s'ght. anu ''icp' 'is'ea'
ot trying 10 nA up 'he o'u ho'neS.e"u' Nv
ran OH 10 tell all the village INA. ihanhs
gving-uay was 10 DC put Oh "hen Wv
people hearu that mother fa'er hau gone u
the Governor 10 nave this uohe' 'hey mourn
ed from the pottom OIL their hcar's' "i .he.
knew that she never uhuertook any'n.n'
that she did not carry ont Ana VIVA
would become OF 'hcin E'efS'h'ns p'o
pared or nearly 50; III some mouse
the pies even made' anu 'he ,uiheSs an
geese already killed anu hung upto 'cnuo,'
ana all arrangements 'naue u ceieoia'o VI
following Thursday. ii Ihanksg"ing-aa
was put OIL, gloom would se'tle over III
entire community. 90 from every hi'i'"l
bonfircs blazed and peiis were rung' ah
horns blown, ana men ihouh'eu III IL
J haste and rode hilher ana lh''her 10 arous
the populace, and bring them toge'uer
consider their Impending ia'e. EVcry'h'n
was shortly in an uproar all business wa
neglected, anu the roaus were crowoeu
the country people hurying into town.
In the mean time' Mother fa'cr wa'he
by the most direct roau 10 the towh' ah
marched up the man stree. 10 'ne "o'
ernors house. On the way she met goo
many persons whom sue Knew anu VINE
they asked her what brought her 10 towl
!, she told them right out II possloie' u
town folks were more exeited ABOUT u
:, rang their aiarm'peiis' anu hiea on oann'
on the green, ana smut UP their stores' al
the circulating library closeu' anu if'
r lunch was given at all inc taVerns' anu u
tiremen got out their apparatus Vor WI
KNEW mnat ms, "aprNA IT.,
schoois weio oio'ee. n'e. DaD''
= aiose ',i 'na. 'o"A' :" "'""' y
never nea,u. ~, ,.o. ...a,., ,,a n.
y hen Aio'n0' "'I' ,e
a ernor uoor' sue Ano.AeN VI ~ e"
anu theh s',asn''As " "p' .
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y ilisn sni oa'ue :. VIZ ao'' -, ,s
lis Ia'e, 'n'oiino' ne' '"a' '''
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no anu "n't' ''''
Mr. Van', N n.
ur my 'a," r ,,, g..
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