Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-11-30
HULDAH, THE HELP.
A ThauksgIvIng story.

remember II story that Judge Bal
com told few years ago on the after
noon of Thanksgiving Day. | do not
feel sure that it will interest everybody
as it did me. Indeed, l am afraid that
it will not, and yet | cannot help think
ing that it is just the sort of a trifle
that will go well with turkey, celery
and mince-pie.
1t was in the Judges own mansion
on Thirty-fourth street that | heard it.
II does not matter to the reader how |,
a stranger, came to be one of that fam
lily party. Since l could not enjoy the
society of my own family, it was an
act of Christian charity that permitted
me to share the joys of others. We had
eaten dinner and had adjourned to the
warm, bright parlor. | have noticed
on such occasions that conversation is
apt to flag after dinner. Whether it is
that digestion absOrbs all of ones vi
tality, 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 hap
pened that some of the party fell to
looking at the books and some to turn
ing the leaves of the photograph album,
while others were using the stereoscope.
For my own part, | was staring at an
engraving in dark corner of the par
lor, where / could not have made out
much of its purpose if | had desired
but in reality | was thinking of the joy
Gus company of my own kith and kin
hundreds of miles away, and regretting
that l could not be with them.
"What are you thinking about,
papap" asked Irene, the Judges second
daughter.
She was rather naughty girl of six
teen, but, as | Had noticed, very much
devoted to her parents. At this mo-
ment she was running her hand through
her fathers hair, while he was rousing
himself from his revery to answer her
question.
thinking of the old Thanksgivings
which were SO different from anything
we have here. They were the genuine
thing; these are only counterfeits.n -
''Come, tell us about them, please"
This time it was Annie Balloon, the
elder girl, who spoke. And we all
gathered around the Judge. For | no.
tice that when conversation does revive
after that period of silence that follows
dinner it is very attractive to the whole
company, and in whatsoever place it
breaks out there is soon knot of in
terested listeners.
IS / don't just now think of any par
ticular story of New England Thanks
givings that would interest you," said
the Judge.
"Tell them about Huldah's S mince-
pie" said Mrs. Balcom, as she looked
up from a copy of Whittier she had been
reading.
| 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 l can remember it
was as follows:
There was a young lawyer by the
name of John Harlow practicing here
IN New York twenty years ago, His
father lived not very far away from my
father. John had graduated with hon
ors, had studied law, and had the good
fortune to enter Immediately into a
partnership with his law preceptor,
ex-Gov. Blank. So eagerly had he
pursued his studies that for two years
he had not seen his country home.
think the reason why he had not cared
TO visit it was that his mother was dead,
and his only sister was married and
living in Boston. Take the "women
folks out of house and il never
seems much like home TO young man.
But now, as Thanksgiving Day drew
near, he resolved to give himself brief
release from the bondage of books He
todd his partner that he wanted to 90
home for a week. He said he wanted
TO see his father and the boys, and his
Sister, who was coming home at. that
time, but that he specially wanted to
ride old Bob TO the brook once more,
and to milk Cherry again, just to see
how IL felt to,be farmers boy
John" said the old lawyer, "be
sure you fix up match with some of
those country girls; no man is tit for
ANYTHING till he is well married, and
YOU are now able with economy 10 sup
port wife. Mind youget one of those
country girls These paste-and-powder
people here aren't tit for young man
who wants a woman"
s"Goyernor," said the young lawyer,
laying his books gracefully up on top
a pile of law books, as If TO encour-
age reflection by giving his head the
advantage of the lower end of the in
cbned plane" Governor, don't know
anything about city girls, Ihaye given
myself 10 my books. But / must have
a wife that is literary, like myself
one that can understand Emerson, for
instance"
The old lawyer laughed. "John,"
he answered, the worst mistake you
can make is TO marry woman just
like yourself in taste. You don't want
q mary a woman's head, but her
John defended his theory, and the