The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-11-26


housekeeper, tor company not per-
mitted even so much as look ut the
dainties that had had a thought OF HIM
nodded into each and all of them; and
for the first time in her life the active
little housekeeper felt that getting ready
for THANKSGIVING was a task rather than
a pleasurable excitement whose fruits
were TO add new laurels to her own brow,
and there was weary drag to her step
as she sought the closet where her herbs
were stored; for, thanks to some grand
motherly instruction in her childish days,
she had never failed for years to lay in
stock each season OF herbs, both for
medicinal and cooking purposes, all
gathered, dried and labeled by her own
deft fingers, although the latter precau-
ton seemed almost unnecessary in view
of the fact that each kind had its own
separate compartment upon its own par
ticular shelf, and it was the boast of their
owner that she "could put her hand
upon the one she wanted in the darkest
night that ever was, which was the rea-
son, perhaps, that she did not consider
light necessary, although the evening
shadows made everything indistinct in
the windowless closet, and her eyes were
DINNER than usual as she fumbled among
the carefully secured and fragrant bun
dies forthe summer savory whose peculiar
flavor was to add the finishing touch to
the almost completed stufing.
"Here it is There, I've dropped the
label!' as a strip of paper fell to the
floor. "But it's no matter, anybody
can tell summer savory without even
looking at it," and mechanically rub
bling the stiff spikes between her fingers,
she retraced her steps to the kitchen,
and by the time her father came in
ready for his supper, the turkey
was comfortably established in a big
baking pan, his wings meekly folded
above his wonderfully distended breast,
and those stately legs, once the pride of
the barnyard, now helplessly fettered by
a bit of cotton yarn.
"All ready for tomorrow, Susy 2"
queried her father, with a sidelong
glance at the unusually grave face bent
over the tea that she was pouring for
him.
eyes, sir"
Nothing can do to help your"
"No, SIR"
This curtness was something unusual,
and the old mans fatherly heart gave a
throb of pain as he remembered the
look, half surprised, half reproachful,
with which his proposition of having the
Toothacres to dinner on this, tie great
feast day of the people, had been re-
ceived, and, disguise it as he might un.
der the names of girlish nonsense and
wilfulness, he could not help seeing the
repugnance with which Susy received
the awkward attentions of their rich,
but coarse minded neighbor, and the
unmistakable pain in look and tone that
always followed his sighting treatment
of her old playmate and would-be sutton,
young Oakman.
"Girls don't always know what is best
for EN-" he unused over his pipe that
evening, "but, with glance at the
trim, graceful figure opposite, 81 do
wish, myself, that Toothacre had little
more wit to go with his money"
The tall eight-day clock in Farmer
Harris kitchen was just on the stroke of
ten the following morning, when the
sound of steps on the piazza aud blum
dering knock at the front door announced
in welcoming and helping the old lady
remove her wrappings, Susy managed to
escape the disagreeably familiar saluta-
ton of the delighted Ben, who was in
high feather, evidently looking upon his
invitation to dinner as a decided hint
that his matrimonial projects would be
received with favor whenever he chose to
unfold them.
"Beniies been ready these two hours"
remarked Mrs. Toothacre with IL little
Introductory sniggle, as she shook nut
the folds of her best black dress, that
she had worn to do honor to the occa-
sion. But told i'm 'twan't best to
get here too early, before you'd got
your head combed and yer frock changed.
L 'aint forgot when l was young an had
beau, l should a. been as mad as wet
hen if he'd a caught me in my forenoon
rig"
Susy bridled angrily, and Ben giggled,
while Father Harris wisely essayed to
turn the conversation by opening n dis
cussion upon the subject of pigs, in
which his younger neighbor took even
more interest than farmers generally,
having, as his mother feelingly remarked,
ga soft side for all critters, pigs particu-
larly," and being, moreover, so well
posted in the peculiarities, habits and
tastes of that interesting animal that he
could carry on a conversation in that
line without any extra tax upon his very
limited supply of brain power, which
was quite consideration in his case.
Left to the tender mercies of Mrs.
Toothacre, Susy was obliged to listen,
with all the patience she could muster,
to heightened dissertation upon the
excellencies, social and domestic, of that
lady's incompatible son.
others one thing about Beniie," re-
marked the dame, lowering her voice to
a confidential undertone, and turning up
to Susy's face just about as expression
less as one of her own pie plates, "he's
an excellent provider, an anybody that's
KEEP house knows what comfort tits to
have enough to do with; but" with an
impressive uplifting of her skinny, toll
hardened hand, che don't want what he
brings into the house spoiled in the
cooking. Now, he's said to me, time
an agin, marin, / wouldn't marry the
handsomest and best woman in the
world if she didn't know how to cook
dinner to suit me. remember the first
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