The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1879-12-19

SA@S WOoAGs
On the sunny, smoky Monday morn
ing preceding Thanksgiving, grandpa
and grandma started with old Dobbin
and the chaise to jog arouLd the noun
tain road to Johns. And on that
same Monday morning in the far west
a pretty, plump little woman, with
her husband and fiYe children started
in an ox-cart to go 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 loqyGabin- ON the
forest prairie.
Il was 3 rather dowdy and an old
fashioned company, as might have been
expected, SO far as clothes were concern
ed, but attractive in their rosy, healthy,
buoyalt good nature. They were all
as happy as happy could be-from IL
year old johnny to baby Hat-for
were they not journeying TO the wonder
ful homestead where mamma liyed when
she was little girl and where the
scenes of all malna's stories, which
were better than any fairy stories, or
any stories printed IN books or papers"
On, on they whirled, and it was
Wednesday afternoon yet these child
ren, who had never IN their lives been
FIVE miles from their own clearing, were
not cross, or sour, or out of patience,
although they were drealfully tired, ,
and oh, so hungry !! for the stable lunch
basket, well filled when they started
from home, had quite given out, and the
reintorcements bought in haste at way
side restaurants not very filing.
"only fifty miles from grandpa's
now" and the plump little woman
marshaled her brood about her as they
made the last change OF cars. "Only
two hours of precious time" But alas
for human calculations, there was a
connection to be made at an out-ofthe
way junction OH the line. The eastern
train was late. Trains are always late
tho night before Thanksgiving, :here
ars 50 many happy souls going home.
s'Ihese trains are mail trains, they must
meet and our train must wait.''
t''Twill make a pretty late supper
time,' said Charlie.
81 should think it was supper time
now,'' cried Mary, poklng around in the
bottom OF the empty hamper.
81 suppose there is some place near by
where can get lunch for tie Children"
said the pleasant mamma to affable Con-
dactor Carroll, who came through the
car just then.
"Im sorry to tell you, madam, that
the restaurant has been discontinued,
and the hotel burned down week ago
or so. You can see the ruins just over
the brook there.''
A glance at the ashes and en,bers of
what was once hotel was not very
satisfying to five hungry juveniles, and
mamma, tor the first time since she
bade her husband good by, without a
cloud on her brow said:
eve will play we have got to grand
pas and see how nearly our real getting
there will be ike our play. / will begin
now, What would / like for supper,
Sister Harriet Oh, cup of tea tor
me, and plenty Of milk and bread for
the children Wall, | declare fort
Sister susan,T guess these children won't
cat bread and milk at grandpa's Thanks
givin', after travelin' three mortal days
and nights
And the plump little mamma changed
her voice in the last clause in droll,
nasal imitation OF her sister, which made
the children laugh.
"What would you like, my dears ?''
81 can smell all sorts OF goodies
said Mary, shifting until her little pert
nose grew red, "and / should like
pumpkin pie. if it's agreeable
.Chicken for me-" put in Johnny,
promptly.
..Mince pie.' said quiet Jane
Pudding, cake, cookies, apples, nuts,
pop-corn-balls. roast beet, roast sspork,
spare ribs, quail, ham, ducks; most
anything yOn have in the house" cried
Charlie, nproariously, while they AL
laughed, and little Hat shoated 5000,
goo," and made her little tat hands fly
in patty cake, baker's-maD.
The three or four passengers In the
far end of the car looked up from theii
books and papers and smiled at the
merry little group
Meanwhile Aunt Harriet, IN the great