The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1871-01-13
SeIetted gtorr.
HULDAH, THE HELP,
A THANKSGIVING LOVE STORY.

afternoon of Thanksgiving Day. I
do not feel sure that it will interest
everybody as it did ne. Indeed, 1
am afraid that it will not, and yet I
cannot help thinking that it is just
the sort of tri1e that will 90 well
with turkey, celery and mince pie.
1t was in the Judges own man
sion, on Thirty-fourth street, that 1
heard it. 1t does not matter to the
reader how I, a stranger, come to be
one of that family party. Since I
could not enjoy the society of my
own family, it was an act of Chris
tian charity, that permitted me to
share the joys of others. We had
eaten dinner and had adjourned to
the warm, bright parlOr. have no
ticed on such occasions that CONVEX
sation is apt to lag after dinner.
Whether it is that digestion absorbs
all of ones vitality, or for some other
reason, at least SO it generally falls
out that people may talk ever so
brilliantly at the table, but they will
hardly keep it up for the first half
hour afterward: And so it happen
ed that some Of the party fell to look
ing at the books, and some to turn
ing the leaves of the Photographic
album, while others were using the
stereOscOpe. For my part, 1 was
staring at an engraving in a dark
corner of the parlor, where I could
not have made out much of its pur-
pose if l had desired, but in reality
I>was thinking of the joyous com
pany of my own kith and kin, hun
dreds of miles away, and regretting
that l could not be with them.
"What are you thinking about
papa?" asked Irene, the Judges
second daughter.
She was a rather naughty looking
girl of sixteen, but as I had noticed
very much devoted to her parents.
At this moment she was running
her hand through her fathers hair,
while he was rousing himself from
his revery to answer her.
thinking Of the oldThanksgivings
which were so different from any
thing we have here. They were the
genuine thing; these are only coun-
terfeits.
"Come, tell us about them please"
This time it was Annie Balcom, the
older girl, who spoke. And we all
gathered round the Judge. For /
notice that when conversation does
revive after that period of silence
that follows dinners, it isvery attrac-
tive to the whole company. and in
place it breaks out, there
is soon knot Of interested listen
ers.
81 don't just now think fany par
ticular story of New England Thanks
givings that would interest you,"
said the Judge.
"Tell them about Huldah's mince
pie" said Mrs. Balcom, as she look
ed up from a copy of Whittier, she
had been reading.
I cannot pretend to give the story
which follows exactly in the Judges
words, for it is three years since /
heard it, but as nearly as 1 can re-
member 1t was as follows: a
There was a young lawyer by the
name Of John Harlow, practicing law
here in New York twenty odd years
ago. His father lived not very far
away from my father John had
graduated with honors, had studied
.aw, and had the good fortune to en-
5er Immediately into a partnership
with his preceptor, Ex-Gov. Blank.
So eagerly had he pursued his stu
lies, that for two years he had not
seen his country home. l think one
'eason why he had not cared to Wis
t il was that his mother was dead,
md his only sister was married and
living in Boston. Take the women
olks" out of house. and it never
jeems much like home to a young
nan.
But now, as Thanksgiving Day /
lrew near, he resolved to give him
elf brief release from the bondage
If books. He told his partner that
le wanted to 60 home for week.
lie said he wanted to see his father
md the boys, and his sister, who was
coming home at that time, but that
le specially wanted to ride old Bob
o the brook once more, and to milk |
cherry again, just to see how it felt
o be a farmers boy.
"John," said the old lawyer "beI
ure you fix up a match with some |
# those country girls, no man is fit
or anything till he is well married,
nd you are now able, with econO-
ny, to support a wife. Mind you
ret one of those country girls. The
,aste and powder people here aren't
it for young man who wants a
Toman."
Governor" said the young law
er, laying his books gracefully up
on the top of a pile of law books,
8 il to encourage reflection, by Civ
1g his head the advantage of the
1wer end of the inclined plane,
Governor, l don't know about the
iris. l have given myself to my
ooks. But 1 must have wife that
!, literary like myself,-One that can
Understand Emerson, for instance"
The old lawyer laughed, "John,"
g answered, "the worst mistake you
an make, is to malry a woman
lst like yourself in taste. You
ont want to marry woman's head
ut her heart"
John defended his theory, and the
Governor only remarked that he
-ould be cured of that sooner or
tier, and the sooner the better.
The next morning John had a let
sr from his sister. Part of it ran
bout thus
"Pve concluded, old fellow, if you
ont marry, you'll dry up and turn
} parchment. I'm going to bring
ONE with me the smartest girl 1
now. She reads Carlyle,and quotes
Ioethe and understands Emerson, :
# course she don't know what Pm
p to, but you must prepare to cap :
,ulate."
John did not like Amanda's as
1ming to pick wife for him, but
e did like the prospect Of meeting
smart girl; and he opened the let !
,r again to make sure that be had !