Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-12-03


cracker crumbs to suit herseH, and explained
carefully TO Florence how she wished to have
the turkey basted, and with her own hands
put it into the pan and put the pan into the
oven, giving Florence strict directions how TO
tend 1t and watch over it till Phil returned.
Brave Phil Regain, the head OF that house
hold He was then just fourteen years old.
At the Eyetallians much such scene
transpired as at Mrs. Serz', Hepsy being
wholly ignorant Of any dialect of the Tuscan
tongue; and the Eyetallians, who had come
on from New York only ten days before,
equally ignorant Of English. But there was
no misunderstanding Miss Hepsy's kindness
Of intention; and, as she spoke very loud
here, 1t is to be hoped that the Eyetallians
understood the greater part Of her directions
to them. Anyway, The tive women, with
many "grazie," took the turkey as gently as
ough examination Of the attic, well-nigh
empty, was soon satisfied that no one had
been before her there. Nay, she even won
dered whether In the calendar of these poor
people the name Of Thanksgiving" had ever
come in before. But by mentioning it suf-
ficiently loud she felt sure that she should
fix 1t in their minds.
AS they went back toward Lucas street,
Larry following behind, carriage, driving
fast passed them.
"Miss Hepsy, Miss Hepsy!" cried Larry,
out of breath. "Sure as live, there's your
mother goin' to ride
Nonsense, Larry None OF your stuff"
"I say, Miss Hepsy, it was your mother,
sure as live and breathe"
Hold your tongue, Larry"
And he held II.
But when Hepsy had climbed the stairway
to her own home sure enough the bird had
flown. Mrs. Brown was not there. Nobody
was there.
Hepsy ran into the bedroom in fright.
No mother there. She came back to Larry
and questioned him. He was staunch in
saving that the old lady was in the kerridge.
Hepsy returned amazed to the room which
her mother had not left without her for five
years aud more.
As she entered it by one door the door to
the back passage opened also and two fresh,
pretty girls came out, one bearing Miss
Maria's turkey in state and the other follow
ing with a dredging-box and an armful of
other cooking tools.
too badp
And they all laughed heartily.
1t was Ruth Faxon and Fanny Melcher.
They had come round with Mrs. Granger, re-
solved to make Mrs Brown and Hepsy go off
TO meeting while they cooked the turkey.
Hepsy was to be free from care That day, IL IL
could be managed.
"And now, you provoking old thing, you
went and staid out till the bell had done toll
ing, and you have spoiled all. But we dressed
UP your dear old mother and Mrs. Granger
has carried her away; and don't you think,
Hepsy, now, that you had better go, too,
and tell US what the text is?
Fiddlesticks for the text" said Hepsy,
hangingup her go-to-meeting shawl and bon
net in her chamber, and coming out with her
sleeves rolled up, as If she too were going into
action.
" What do you mean by interfering with
other peoples work ~ said Fanny; and she
BOO IL y, faa AZ hxy lpt1 md Ghnd her
back into her mothers deep armchair.
"There, you provoking old thing, If you do
mean to stay and spy on us, sit there, and see
if we do not know how to do it right, You
are fine lady to-day, just recovering from
fit Of neuralgia, and you have just stepped into
your kitchen for minute to see If these two
girls that have just come down from Nova
Scotia and want place together know beans
or not. Oh, dear! i have not had such
lark since we were all at the Winthrop to-
gether"
The Winthrop, dear Matilda, was not hotel,
but school, where these three girls had
studied arithmetic, side by side, under Miss
Barry's eye, when they were all fourteen years
old.
And genuine lark they had Of it. Neatly
and deity these two girls prepared and baked
the turkey, boiled the squash, baked the pota-
toes, thickened the gravy, sweetened the cram
berries to Hepsy's taste, and in short, made
all things ready for the dinner. They asked
her for her orders sometimes; but when she
herself undertook to do anything one or other
of them pushed her back into the easy-chair.
Ruth gave her smelling bottle, which she
rakcd out from deep pocket, and folded
newspaper into a great fan, and made her hold
the fan in one hand and salts in the other.
Hepsy entered into the joke as much as they
did and took airs admirably we'll
By the time Mrs. Brown had come home the
dinner was cooked, the table was neatly set,
and everything was ready.
"Hepsy," said the old lady, "come here"
And she whispered to her daughter.
Hepsy laughed, and said openly to the girls
that her mother was so much pleased with the
festivity that she wanted to bring out her sill
yer spoons. And, sure enough, the six tea
spoons and the six tablespoons were produced
from the old ladys trunk-the one wreck
from old prosperity.
81 do not choose to use them every day."
said Hepsy, laughing; "we have such queer
people round us. But to-day nanny feels
grand"
And then the two girls went away, only
feeling little dashed, as pretty Ruth Faxon
confessed to me, that they left the two all
alone
The minute they were gone, before dinner
began, Hepsy dashed into the back entry and
seized turkey No. 9, which Fanny had left all
dressed and ready for the oven, put him in
pan, and slid it into the stove. "Fm not go
Ing to waste this good fire." said she. "And
/ like cold turkey about as welllas do
warm one. This will do for Sundays dinner"
The old lady said that, Of the two, she was
not sure but sometimes she liked cold tur-
key better than warm one. just now she
was glad they had q hot one. The opinion,
you see, was rather difficult one to form
and TO express. But Mrs. Brown had long
experience in contentedness. Turkey No.
being well slid into the oven, dinner began.
But scarcely had Hepzibah begun her carv-
Ing when steps were heard on the stairs. which
indicated party.
81 guess Miss Medium has company
said she.
No. 1t was not Miss Medium.
Knock at the door-double knock.
well, neverm said the old lady. "'Noth-
er turkey, HepsyT
For Mrs. Brown was up to joking mark
now. Hepsy opened the door
We'll. now" How do you dor "And |
how do yoa dor "Wellf What luck!n |
who'd thought itg" "And there's your
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