Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-12-27
NO. 3O5
Gales aud Sketehes.
GRANDPAPA'S STORY.

They had just risen from dinner in the
old house at Eastwood. Dinah and Sal
lie were carrying oui the remnants of the
feast. With regreiful eyes the children
watched its disappearance. They had
tried all the traditional rules, had '.stood
up Jumped three jumps" ''walked
| four times around the table," and posi-
lively not another mouthful could they
swallow. And yet there was something
sad in letting those bOnnes bOuches--
those delightful halves. and quarters, and
triangles OF mnce and apple and pump
| kin-disappear and be lost forever. The
| Thanksgiving dinner for that year had be-
come part of the past; and | can tell
you Grandmama Aliens pie crust was not
thing of every day.
From the turkey stuffed with oysters,
which inaugurated the meal. to the tart
lets of ruby cranberry, which brought it
to close. everything had that dainty.
savory perfection of flavor which apper-
tanned to those fast vanishing days of wide
mouthed fire places, heaped with crack
| ling logs. and "back ovens" whose depths
| entombed whole regiments of loaves and
pasties, and returned them in the fullness
| of time. brown, and delicate and perfect
"a grand resurrection. Alas, the aroma
| of those old fashioned viaDds is almost
| tradtionary thing to these days of modern
Improvements. Here and there it fingers
in the far recesses OF New England, aud
at Grandma Aliens it would lingsr al
| ways. No range disfigured her kitchen.
"waterback" was thing unknown.
The simple fire place wore its ancient liv-
cry of cranes, pot-hooks and roasting
jacks, and over all King Hickory, jolliest
nf pnn ha lfu Ind
his sway what unimaginable feats came
to perfection What favoring roasts
What tempting baked beans What tooth
some hoe cakes What Indian puddings
| forbear. That was indeed the Golden
Age of cookery.
Four generations were represented in
the circle that drew around the cheerful
place in the ''keeping ROOM" from grand
pa with his slvery head, to baby May,
last asleep in the arms OF her fair young
mother, his eldest grandchild. There
were five sons and daughters, with then
| respective wives and husbands, and their
twenty-four children. to say nothing OF
baby May, and her proud young father,
OF little Nell on grandpa's knee-the or
phan child OF that youngest son whose
loss was the one heavy shadow OIL this
| happy home. But to. night no shadow
was visible. The Pickering freight fell
upon faces at their brightest, whether in
| the bloom of childhood or the comely Sc
renity OF middle life on bright eyes and
| lips, on kindly smiles and looks In the
shadow of the curtain, whittier Harry and
| Edith had betaken themselves, u little dra-
ma was going On--a fantasia, oorn OF the
season-which, if a guess might be haz
arded, would ripen, amid other anniver-
| sares, into the the earnest purpose of
lifetime.
"Dranpa, tell us a story" demanded
one of the little ones as night drew on.
Good for you, Tot y exclaimed her
brother.
"Oh yes, grandpa grandpa tells such
nice stories ~ chOrused the others.
Now this story OF grandpa's was one OF
the features OF the Eastwood Thanksgiv-
ing. 1t used to be Cinderella and
Jack the Giant Killer" formerly when The
| little people were less and nowadays it
was a stirring tale to please the boys and
girls, or some German legend adapted to
| the occasion.
Last year it was the adventures of u
drummer boy and his dog at Antietam.
And, now. as grandpa settled Nell 10
more comfortable position in his lap, and
ty, young and old, clustered little near
er, and prepared to be attentive.
There was sly twinkle in grandpas
eyes as he began:
This time, children, am going to tell
you love story"
Dear me - said the aunties TO each
other; while Hal in the window, possess
ing himself Of pretty Edith's hand, gave
it a pressure which brought the bright
blush to her fair young cheeks.
"Yes, love story. Once upon a time
say hundred years ago or thereabouts
there was young man whose name
was Tom and he lived in New York.
He was rather a lonely young man, for
he had no home and had lodgings which
were not very nice but he minded it less
because he had never known what a
home was and besides be was very busy
all the time"
What was he busy at ?" shouted Jack,
who was famous for asking questions.
"He was clerk in great wholesale
warehouse"
What did he sell P"
"Now, Jack, you mustn't keep interrupt
ing" cried the other children.
They sold machinery, Jack, and farm
ers' tools, ploughs and harrows, and such
like, and all sorts of inventions and pa
tents; what are known now-a DAYS as
Yankee notions"
why that's like Clarke & Amber
said Jack; but somebody hushed him up.
Grandpa only laughed. Clarke 4 Amber
| were the successors of the house in which
all his money had been made.
As said before. he was very busy; for
though business was on n smaller scale
than now. this was one OF the largest
houses in that line. and there was great
deal to do; and by working hard he had
laid up some money, and. what was bet
ter, earned the good will and confidence
of his employers. There was some talk
of his becoming a junior partner in
year or two; and altogether be felt that
the world was going smoothly with MIN.
"He hadn't many relations, this young
man. His parents were dead. and he had
No o,,n,a ,nr ,,nolaa Tbara xr.a . fret