Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-12-04
AUNT HARR'ET'S SAMP PUDDING
A Good Yankee Thanksgiving story.
BY MRS. ANNIE A PRESTON.

CHAIR. setting her teIt-S1ppeTed feet upon the
stove hearth and claSping her hands i'm front
of her kEeeS.-"I declar fort. III 1 don't think
this maxim Thanksgivin' day a matter of
eookin' and eatin is the most foolish of all our
New England notions. Every year since can
remember the program has been the same.
The whole month of November spent i'm pre-
paTin foT this grand astronomical exhibit
ton as ParSOn PendltOn used to call il. |
have never in my life been away from this
house on IhankSgivin' day: and ev'ry year
we've been oyerrun with eomp'ny. Father
wouldn't think twas ThankSgfvin'. / S'pose.
NJ the house wasn't full For my part |
should like a change. either To 60 som'crs
IhankSgiyin day; and be waited on, or stay ut
home by myself
%. Harriet, I wouldn't talk So remon-
stIated grandmother, who was taking OFF her
false front and putting on her white muslin
night-Cap. You know the work of pTeparin
for dear ones is pleasant work. Our social
family gatherin's make us all better and hap
pier. Your father would feel dreadfully cut up
To hear YOU run on in this cOmplainin way
about maxim ThanESgiyin'. of course you are
tired tonight. but don't think about that.
count over your MARCHES, and think how much
You have To be thankful for.
Hum. went on the weaTied SpinSter in her
peculiar nasal tone, 4" could make Thanks
givin in my heart So that it would sing for joy
without maxim such an ado about my stOm
ach."
Reaching down and opening the oven door.
a suggestive and delicious OdOr, a Of baking
fowls and browning pastry, burst forth, filling
the rOOmy Kitchen She peered inside the oven
for a moment, turned around one of the pans
using corner of her long, straight. blue print
apron for holder, and then. shutting in the
culinary wonders which We're To grace tO-mor-
rows dinner. she continued
Il have spent three weeks in house clean
ing. only TO get everything in apple pie order.
just in time To I've turned tOpSy turyy. Every
room II full tonight, and must stretch my tired
frame ON a lounge. IL never makes any differ
eBee where Harriet sleeps: she can be tucked
away anywhere. Last night was up until IL
O'Clock. To get the pound cake all baked. Night
before last il was the mince and pumpkin
pies. Tonight il will BE- III before these chicken
pies are Drowned fit tn be seen, and fat mid
night before can get to bed. / am tired and
sick of the great national SttltfRg day, and for
my own part shant want a mOuthful of the
nice food that the pantry shelves are groaning
under. i would lar rather have bowl of
samP and milk, and day of leisure along
with il.
The bedroom door just behind the speaker
was Unattached, and John and his wife, who
had- late in the evening, driven in from the
west part of the town. ~ as To be at home to
breakfast on Thanksgiving morning. and who
had been put into Harriet room, heard every
word Of this TRADE.
" Wen have them all next year if we get the
house fixed over, whispered Jane under the
blue and white cOverld. and John nodded as
sent. whispering In his turn: 1T IS hard Oh
Harriet, To be- sure"
The project was preached next day, was
agreed To by all hands and throughout the
year il was talked of as a settled thing that
their next Thanksgiving reunion should
Father and mother are to come over on
Monday" said Johns wife. as the feStal sea
son drew near ana on wednesday. when The
preparations are nearly or quite complete, we
will send the team for Harriet"
u not make that amount of trouble for any
bcdy. replied the maiden sister. who was in
fact the main stay at the hOmestead-"I |
conclude To join in your dinner. | will on
Thursday mOrnin' walk over through the
woods in time TO 20 to meetn' with YOU
Grandpa Buttons farm consisted of a long
strip laying between two rivers. with wooded
hill about midway of its length. Grandpa
lived in the old farm house in the eastern
meadow and John had fitted up an elegant
new residence on the bank of the west river.
So the old couple were not To- leave the ances-
trial acres. although il was four miles from one
house to the other around the point of the hill.
and Two miles by the foot and bride path
across the woods.
On the sunny. smoky Monday morning pre-
eeding Thanksgiving. grandpa and grandma
started with old Dobbin and the chaise to Jog
around the mountain road to Johns. And on
that same Monday morning in the far west a
pretty plump little woman, with her husband
and five children, started in an ox-cart TO go
the Is or - miles To the nearest railway sta
ton. where SIX of them were To take the ears
Tor the east TO spend Thanksgiving, while the
father retraced his wearisome way to the lonely
log cabin on the forest prairie.
VI was rather dOwdy and Old-faShiOned
company. as might have been expected 50 far
As clothes were concerned, but attractive in
their rosy. healthy, buoyant good mature
from 12-yearS-old Johnny to baby Hat for
were they not journeying TO the wonderful
homestead where the scenes Of mammals
which We're better than any fairy stories or
any stories. printed in books or papers
On. on they whirled. and ii was "Wednesday
afternoon Yet these children, who had never
in their lives been five miles from their own
clearing, were not cross, or sour, or out of pa
thence, although they were dreadfuly tired,
and oh. so hungry. for the SiZeable lunch
basket, We'll filed when they started from
home. had quite given out. and the reinforce
ments bought in haste at the wayside restau-
rants not very Milling.
"Only fifty miles from grandpa's now" and
The plump little woman marshalled her brood
about her "a they made the last change of ears.
only two hours of precious time" But, alas
Tor human calculations, there was cOnnec-
ton To he made at an out-Of-theway junction
on The line The eastern train was late Trains
always are late the night before Thanksgiving,
fhere are so many happy souls going home
These trains are mail trains, they must
meet: and our train must wait"
said Charlie
Il should think it was supper time now"
cried Mary. pOking around in the bottom Of
Il suppose there Is some place near by where
j can get lunch for the children" said the
pleasant mamma 10 affabe Conductor Carroll,
who came through the ear just then.
I'm sorry To tell YOU, madam. that the res
taurant has been discontinued. and the hotel
The ruins o inst over t the brook there ID" sec
glance at the ashes and embers Of what
Was once hotel was not very satisfying to
i've hungry Juveniles, and mamma, for the
first time since she babe her husband good by,
with almost "A cloud on her brow said
We will play We have got To grandpa's, and
see how nearly our real getting there will be
like our play. i will begin.-now-' What
would i like for supper, Sister Harriet? oh,
cup Of tea for me, and plenty of milk and
bread for the Children Wall, declar' fort,
sister Susan, guess these children won't eat
bread and milk at grandpa's, Thanksgivin,'
alter trayelin three mortal days and nights
And the plump little mamma changed her
voice in the last clause i'm a drOll nasal imi-
tation OF her sister, which made the children
laugh
..What would you like, my dears -
81 can smell all sorts Of goodies - said Mary
SHINING until her little pert nose grew red
land L should like pumpkin pie, il it's agree
able"
Chicken Tor me, put i'm Johnny promptly
"Mince pie" said quiet Jane.
Pudding cake, Cookies, apples, nuts pop
corn balls, roast beef, roast pork spare ribs
quail, ham, ducks most anything you have i'm
the house," cried Charlie Notwithstanding
they all laughed, and little Hat shouted. Z" Goo
goo and made her little fat hands fly in
"patty-cake, patty cake, bakers man"
The three four passengers in the far end