The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-11-28

Opetty race of greedy men,
When have died for Others.
Fray think upon your duty then
To all your suffering brothers.!
Above Your mead the skies are fair,
Der yonder roof they re murky:
beg vou'l send my drunlstlcks there,
And please the martyred Turkey.
-Harper's Weekly.
AUNT HARR'ET'S SAMP PUDDING.
\ Good Yankee Thanksgiving Story.
"IpEcLAR' fort" sighed Aunt Har-
riet-sinking YEARLY into the splint-
bottomcd rocking-chair, setting her
felt-slippered feet upon the stove
hearth and clasping her hands in front
of her Knees declar' fort, if I dom t
think this maxim Thanksgivin' Day a
matter of cookin' and eatin' is the most
foolish of all our New England notions.
Every year since l can remember the
program has been the same. The
preparin' for this grand gastronomic-
al exhibition us Parson Pendl'ton
used to call it. have never in my life
been away from this house on a
Thanksgivin' Day; and ev'ry year we've
been overrun with comp'ny. Father
wouldn't think twas Thanksgivin',
s'pose, if the house wasn't full. For
my part should like change; either
to go som'ers, Tkanksgivin' Day, and
be waited on, or stay at home by my
SELF
80, Harriet, l wouldn't talk so,"
demonstrated grandmother, who was
taking off her false front and putting
on her white muslin night-cap. "You
know the work of preparin' for dear
ones is pleasant work. Our social FAM
lily gatherin's make us all better and
happier. Your father would feel dread
complainin' way about maxim Thanks
givin'. Of course you are tired to-
night, but don't think about that; count
over your marcies, and think how much
you have to be thankful for"
Hum" went on the wearied spin
ster in her peculiar nasal tone, IS could
make Thanksgivin' in my heart SO that
it would sing for Joy without maxim
such an ado about my stomach
Reaching down and opening the oven
door. suggestive and delicious odor
as of baking fowls and browning pastry
burst forth, filling the roomy Kitchen.
She peered inside the oven for Il mo-
ment, turned around one of the pans,
using a corner of her long, straight,
blue print apron for holder, and then,
shutting in the culinary wonders which
were to grace to-morrow's dinner, she
continued:
II have spent three weeks in house,
cleaning, only to get everything in app
ple-pie order just in time to be turned
topsy-turvy. Every room is full to-
night, and must stretch nv tired frame
on a lounge. 1t never makes any diff
ference where Harriet sleeps; she can
be tucked anywhere. Last night was
up until eleven o'clock to get the
pound-cake all baked. Night before
last it was the mince and pumpkin
pies. Tonight it will be eleven before
these chicken-pies are Drowned fit to
be seen, and flat midnight before l can
get to bed. am tired and sick of the
great National stuNng day, and for my
own part sha'n't want q mouthful of
the nice food that the pantry shelves
are grooming under would far rath-
er have a bowl of samp and milk, and
day of leisure along with it."
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, SO as to be at home to breakfast
on Thanksgiving morning, and who had
been put into Harriet's room, heard
every word of this TRADE.
"We'U have them all next year if we
get the house fixed over" whispered
Jane under the blue and white coverlid,
and John nodded. assent, whispering in
his turn: lit is hard on Harr' ct, to be
sure.'
The subject was preached next day,
was agreed to by all hands, and
throughout the year it was talked of as
a settled thing that their next Thanks
giving reunion should be held at Johns.
Father and mother are to come
over on Monday" said Johns wife, as
the festal season drew near, "and on
Wednesday, when the preparations are
nearly or quite complete, we will send
the team for Harr'et.'
I'm not make that amount of trouble
for anybody" replied the maiden sis
ter, who was in fact the mainstay at
the homestead. elf conclude to join
in your dinner, I will, on Thursday
mornin', walk over through the woods
in time to 60 to meetin' with you.''
Grandpa Buttons farm consisted of
long strip laying between two rivers.
with a 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-
trail acres, although it 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 morn.
ing preceding Thanksgiving, grandpa
and grandma started with old Dobbin
ana 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 live children, started in
an ox-cart to 60 the fifteen or twenty
miles to the nearest railway station.
where six of them were to take the cars
for the East to spend Thanksgiving,
while the father retraced his wearisome
way to the lonely log cabin on the forest
prairie.
1t was rather dowdy and old-fash
Toned company, as might have been
expected. so far as clothes were con.
cerned, but attractive in their rosy
healthy, buoyant good nature. They
were all as happy as happy could be :,
FIN twelve-years-old Johnny to Baby
lat--for were they not journeying t.
The wonderful homestead where man.