River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-11-28
Il WISH I'D REmAIgED AT HOME
4 rmANKsalylNa sroRY.

Mrs NettingieY was close-hsted and
calculating matron, who lived in Il house
IN a stylish neighhorho0d IN New York,
and was one of those who. OF her maid OF
all-work expressed ii, would skin Zee
10 save the hide and taliow." Mrs. Net
,Ingly liked to make a show, but she hnd
6leep-rooted aversion to spending
money. Aud entertaining company on
Thanksgiving day was one OF the things
that could not oe accomplished without
the latter concomltant.
Mr. Nettingley. little, weak minded
man VITO viewed his big v}r vii
spectfui admiration, looked obviously at
her. Bat my dear said he, Show are
you going 10 help ia They've sent word
they are coming
I'll 90 10 your sister Belinda's, up in
Sangatuck county"
M. Nettingley ielt Of bis chin.
'sThey haven't invited u.s. said he
'that is not especially"
"Oh. fiddlestick + sand Mrs. Netting
ley. "Beinda's always glad to see me
and the children. And as for staying at
nome 10 gorge Mrs Badgerey AMI her
six chill lren. and Mr. Btdgerley's tw, SIS
/ tiers, won't d iii Why. such turkey
as they would expect would cost So. Al
the yery least. Get me timetable
Nettjngley. Send word to Mrs Badger
lev that I've gone away 10 spend Tina ks
giving"
Dir Nettingley, who never dreamed of
opposing his wifes will in this or any
other matter, wrote the letter accordingly,
and putt in his co4t-tail pocket, where
it remained For he forgot ali about it.
Mrs. Nettingley packed up her own
things and the things of the four little
| Nrttingleys and took the afternoon train
70 Sa,rag Hollow. in Saugatuck county.
mamma. said theodore Nettingley
the Juvenile scions Of the house OF
| Nettinglev all had high sounding appel
lations-'it looks all shut up and lonely.
| don't believe any one IS at home
"Psbawl" said Mrs Nettingley, "peo-
Pile in the country always live in the
back of the house"
And carrying heavy carpet, bag IN her
hand she trudged around to the rear door,
followed bv Theodore, L4vinia, Evapge-
| line aud Gervase, each Juggling along a
smaller bag.
Nobody responded 10 her repeated vol
| lev of knocks, but presently little old
| woman, who had come from neighbor-
| inc cottage to the vel for water, was
made to understand what was wanted.
Mrs. P, ckficld2' said the little old
woman, in a high pitched, abrill voice
which 50 often accompanies deatoess.
. You's her cousin from the city, come
spend Thanksgiving Well, if that ain
100 bad! Mrs. Peckheld started ia
very afternoon for Ladd's depot; got som
relations as lives there"
''That's very strange" said Mrs. Net
| tingley. II teiegraphed to her that was
coming.
| 'Cou dn't got the telegraph, guess,
sail the little old woman.
| But Mrs. Nettingley knew better than
! that, for under the corner of the piazza
there Law torn envelope Of the Western
| Union Telegraph! And she knew that
Mrs. Peckfe!d had fled from her, just as
she, Mrs. Nettingley, had fed before the
Badgerley family.
| But I'll be even with her" said Mrs
Nettingley, grinding her false teeth, III
/ 90 to Ladds depot. What are the names
| Of her relations theref'
| The little old woman, after some med
| itation, said that it was Jones. at least
she thought it was Jones. She wasn't
quite certain. 1t might be Smith. Or il
might be Thompson. But she believed il
vas Jones. And she believed they lived
on Thorn street.
| 1t was a long walk back to the railroad
depot, and the four little Nettinglegs
were tired and cross, but they fortunately
succeeded in reaching it before the last
northward train started. But il was an
express, and didn't stop at small places
like Ladd's depot as Mrs. Nettingley
| found to her cost when she paid 50 for
hack to take her back to Ladd's depot.
On inquiry il was found that there
were about a ealf dozen families of the
name of Jones at Ladd's depot. The first
place to which they drove, ON Thorn
street, was a tenement house, where they
all mad the scarlet lever.
"Oh. nv !" said Mrs. Nettingiey. Drive
on. Quick. This isn't the placei"
The next was clergyman's house
where full-fedged prayer-mecting was
going briskly on
This isn't the place, either" said poor
Mrs Nettineley, waxing more and more
ia despair.
And the third was vinegar laced old
maid, who lived with her married sister.
and never had heard the name of Peck
field in her life.
WHAT shall doc" said Mrs. Netting
ley.
Better 90 to hotel, ma'am,H said the
hickman, who himself was beginning to
get out OF patience.
but it costs so much,H said Mrs. Net
tiagley. And tomorrow is Thanksgiving
day. Is there a train goes back to nightl
"To-nlyhtl said the hackman. why
its past IL a'readyl And my horses has
got the ep zootic, and couldn't keep EN-
out no longer, not for nobody. But !
s'spose I could take you to the II 30 night
express, for little extraN
/, And this moderate specimen of the
tribe of hackmen consented to be salts
/, fled with IS
Mar whispered Gervase, =, acre arr
sc goine2'
Home said Mrs. Netiingley, pro
nounciug the word "a if it were a pea nut
she'll she was cracking. There was one
! comfort, though the Badgerley family
would have been repulsed by that time
and, after att, cold beef was cheaper
way of supplying the table than turkey
at 30 cents eound.
Ii was / or . O'Clock the next dav when
she reached her own door, having aid
! in hack and car fare enough to buy hall
, dozen ten pound turkeys, and with iad-
ed and fretfui children, a violent head
ache on her own score, and one Of the
, travelling bags lostl
''Itl stay &C home after this" said Mrs
f Neiting,ey to herself. "Eal Parloi
: window blinds openi People talking
do believe Nettingley's got company tc
Thanksgiving, after all y
And her heart sank down into the soles
| Of her boots. 1t was quite true; the ser
: want maid. with red and Hurried face
opened the door
5 Abby y said Mrs. Nettingley, "whoi
t nere9"
B Lets of people, ma'am," said Abby
: looking guiltily over her shoulder.
5 Where are theya" demanded her mis-
{ tress.
e "Iu the dining room, ma'am.n
2 And Abby threw open the door, there
i by disclosing a long table with tire
z huge turkeys well Drowned and savory.
/ ehickep-pie that was small mountail
q in itself, and glass reservoir of cranber
e ~ sauce. that set Mrs. Netilngley calcu
e iaiing st once as to the probable amour
y Of dollars sunk in its crimson pillows
!. while, seated in hospitable array aroun.
4 III n t. ra.Z