Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-11-29

would / like for my supper Sister Harr q?
Oh cup af toa for me- and plenty of milk
and bread for the children Wall, l declar'
fort, Sister Susan / guess these children
won't eat bread and milk ut grandpa.
Thauksgyin', after huyolin three mortal
days and nights.
And the plump little mamma changed her
voice ia the last clause in droil nasal imita-
ton OF her sister. which made The children
laugh.
"What would you like, my dears p
81 can smell all sorts OF goodies said Ma
~. snifiing until her pert little nose grew red,
"aud l should like pumpkin pie, if it's agree
able
Chicken for me, put in 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
in the house" cried Charlie uproariously,-
while they all laughed, and little Hat shouted,
"Goo. goo" and made her little fat hands
fly in "patty-cake, patty-cake, bakers
man"
The three or four passengers in the far end
OF the car looked up from their books and
papers and smiled at the merry little group.
Meanwhile Aunt Harriet in the great old
ark Of a farmhouse by herself, talked to the
dog and the cat. She had loaded the hired
man on ubllt 10 lis ldlltI D WIN u blB bln-
l.et packed full of Thanksgiving fixings. "Ill
sco.' she said as she put in the last mince-pie
and loaf of cake, If l can't have Just as
thankful heart as l could if the house was
full of goodies. | mean to try it for once,
and eat pudden and milk, as have so often
wished | could, and see if | don't enjoy it
just as well.
So she sifted great quantity Of corn-meal
of the kind that Southern people call hominy
and New England folks call samp, and put
ting on the big dinner-pot, proceeded to
make pudding 1t required good deal of
skimmipg and stirring. and kept her pretty
busy for two or three hours The meal
swelled and swolled until the kettle was near
ly full.
II declar fort" sad she 10 the cat, ~ don't
know What possessed me TO make such lot
of uudden' But if | don't want it myself
the hogs will 'twon't be wasted and fetch
ing a bowl Of milk from the pantry, she sat
down in the spliut- ut-hottumad rockIpg-chair,
pu' hcr fclt-sl!pr-red feet ON the fore-piece Of
TIE stove and proceeded to eat her supper.
Il declar' fort, said she to The dog, who
ay on the rug a.: nlr feet, Il feel exactly as
il -omebudy was dead, or rs If Cy'rybudy
was Il nd. and [ Wa l.tt on uirth alone to
keep tary,rn. / should like "a ittiG bite Of
sunihiu' 10 top OF with, but | wouldn't own
1t to auybuGy that could talk but you won't
tell mort tales. I'm u, ashamed as whipped
dog ai,l feel as cheap as dirt every time l
think what day il is, and how we've been
urosporad in ev,ry way through the year, and
yet here be, no comp'ny in the house and
none likely to come. and nothin' cooked up,
and no Thanksgivin smell about the house,
| and worst OF all, father n mother sent of out
from under their own ruff. Earr et,you're a
sour, selfish. grabbed old maid, nd I'm
! 81, r,t, TpEa tla Iitbln "a II Np
can't find sunthin' to git ye inter better
state o. mind"
So she strobe into mothers room afterthe
| family Bible. and, behold it was gone.
! They've taken it with 'em to Johns and all
/ the Thankscivin' feelin' along with it, She
/ took a look at the inadc-up bed with its
! pieced-up uniit and said again, lit seems a.
/ if eyry Ludy was dead and went out and
/ shut the door softly behind her.
"What if somebody should come she 30
| liloquized next, taking up the cat, "but there
won't There amt nobody to come only
what's invited to Johns, excepting Sister Su
san. poor, dear. precious child, away of ther,
IA the wiids; she'll never come home agin,
presume - and Hnrr ct laid her head on hol
knees and thought Of the day Susan was bonn
! and Of the day whom she was married, ant
cried a little, and then dropped off into nap
from which she was aroused by a subduet
hustle near the back door.
Getting up aud lifting corner of the cur
tain She p-eped out. and saw by the light o.
the full moon Il wagon driving out of thu
ward. a trunk-or basket-a tallish boy,
shortish girl. two more children coming ~
the walk. and plump, little woman, with
baby in her arms, just stepping upon tn
door-stune.
Susan, gaSped Harriet, quickly uubutton
ing and opening the door, and catching the sur
prised. rosy little woman in her arms. The.
both cried a little. but Harriet meanwhile pu
Susan into the splut- -bottomod chair, took OF
her bonnet, and sInoothed her hair. Then sh
wiped her eyes, and asked after the absen
husband, kissed the CHILDREN, took oil thei
things, making mental calculation OF hoy
she should get them all dressed before Sun
day.
IL knew We should find You up" said Su
san. looking around the familiar kitchen. .
remember how the baking used to drag tn
night before and she gave a little sniff
Smelling nothing suggestive of fancy cookery
she said she believed she had managed to tax
little cold in some way. At this the children
each in turn, shifted and looked curiously q
each other.
1--WE won't let any on" know that you hRv
come until morning. said Harriet in her de
cided way "and then We will have a generi
!
They are all well-father and mother
asked Susan, anXously.
''NeVer better Now what will you hay
for supper" That was just what had bee
said in their play, in the car, and the childrc
pricked up their ears,
"Oh, a cup of tea for me, and plenty
milk and bread for the children" said IL
plump and rosy mamma, carrying on her pa
of the play according to programme. Bt
/ Aunt Harriet, instead of asking them VIII
, they would like, seized upon the idea of mill
and exclaimed -
''Yes. YES, milk for the children, to be sure
of course it will be the very best thing (,
them after their journey. You used to
fond of samp, Susan"
, 81 should think So and have never sec
e any since | went away"
The children looked disappointed, but the
enjoyed their supper, and thought and sal
they had never tasted anything 80 deliciol
] as that first meal at grandpa's,
e 'You sse," said Aunt Harriet, as she WI
/ preceding them up to bed just as the clot
p struck II, lit is good appetite and than
y full heart that makes Il Thanksgivin' suppe
. after all"
yes" agreed Johnnie, that's SO bu
= after all, I'm glad we're going to have the tn
L key, goose, ducks and chicken txin's to-lno
= row."
j. beginning with stewed chicken and pun
, kin pic for breakfast, said Mary.
= ''You see l have told them all about it
n said Susan, apologetcally, as she carried Il
= baby up the stairs she had last come down
S a bride. ,''If you're crowded. Harriet, "
can make up n bed on the floor for the boys
" ''Ihere are two beds in this room; can "
r manage here ?" replied Harriet, opening 4
g door of one of the spick and span front chai
~ bers
a "Oh, certainly"
y Then go to bed and to sleep, and doi
IS hurry up until call you in the morning
e and bidding the little group loving goo
Is night she hurried down stairs, quickly DOM
5. walking shoes, shawl and hood, slipped q
the back-door, locked it securely after h'
" put the key under the door-sill and start
across lots for Johns
" Its lucky haven't been baking for TO
# night" she said and then she continued, .