Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-01-07
The Carver Thanksgiving.
BY THOMAS DUNN ENGLISH.

II was 1nhuhsBNluB lay CViho
were preparing TO enjoy it. Even in
the poorest household Of the nelghbor-
ing village of Scrabbleborough, and it
was a village Of poorhouse-holders, the
fat gobler was at that time lying trussed
in his warm bed in the family oven,
while close at hand the russell yellow
pumpkin pies were ranged on the shelf,
awaiting their coming fate in sober
silence. Eat, drink and be merry ,
was TO be the acting and acted proverb
Of the hour. In the old Caryer home.
stead the first part of the saying was to
be fulfilled to the letter, for such had
been the custom there ever since the
institution Of Thanksgiving had been
established in that neighborhood. II
was a fore ign thing, imported from New
England, but had taken root and floulsh'
cd. The Carvers had been originally Of
the Society of Friends. The father Of
Phneas had married out Of the meet
ing and had deepened the ofense by
suffering a hired priest as the breth'
rcn termed the Methodist circuit rider,
10 celebrate his nuptials. Having cast
his lot among the worlds people,
Jedediah Carver adopted their feasts, in
a modern way; and his son Phlneas
followed his example in that respect.
TAe Carver homestead had remained in
the family since the coming of its first
owner, nearly two centuries ago, with
William Penn. 1t had passed always
TO the eldest son. the other children be-
ing otherwise provided for; but now
was to pass out ofpossesson and be the
Carver farm no more.
Phineas Carver was nfty-fve years
old, tall, gaunt, angular of form, and
heavy of feature. He was a man
severely pious. Just, true and upright
in all his practices, and even liberal in
his dealings with bis farm hands and bis
poorer neighbors, he lacked charity.
lie found no excuse for the slightest
fault in another. He followed the prin-
ciples Of the Greek lawgiver, and con-
sidercd the smallest oflense worthy ol
the highest punishment known. lie
believed very much in himself. In res
gard TO The character Of others, he con-
sdercd his judgment to be lnfallible.
lie thought no man could deceive him,
and generally he was right; but his
! crceptlon had been lamentably a. fault
in one instance, and he was about to
pay the penalty. He had become one
OF tie sureties of Jacob Skinner, the
county treasurer. Jacob had gone Ia
unknown parts, and part Of the public
money had gone in his company. The
other bondsmen turned out TO be worth
so much Jess than fhev had heeu when
they signed the obligation that they
were almost worthless. Nearly all the
deficiency would have to be furnished
by Phlneas. Now. he had some per-
sonal property-perhaps ten thousand
dollars worth; but that was not
enough. The farm. would have to 60.
1t was true that it was desirable proper
ty and there would be competition al
the sale. There would be enough sur
plus TO enable Phineas to buy small
place in the neighborhood ; or, as he
determined to do. 60 West and begin
life over again. Friends offered to lend
him the money on bond and mortgage,
but he rejected these offers. The
place had never been mertgaged,' he
said, 'and 1t never should be while he
had it, Il truth, since he had to leave
the old homestead, Phiness Carver
would rather live elsewhere. 1t wa,
not so much the loss of property that
shamed him, but the sense Of humilis'
ton that he, so keen of PERCEPTION,
should have been deceived in regard Ia
the character of Jacob Skinner. in
whom, as fellow member OF the church,
he had such confidence.
Happily the troubles Of Phineas ant
bis wife fell on no others than them
selves. Their only son, Abner, was
dead. He had been brought up con
scientlously and strictly, but at eigh'
teen had grown wealy Of the rigid gov
ernment, and wanted to 90 West ant
set up for himself. Then his father told
him that he should remain where the
Caryers had always been born, lived, ,and
been buried, and if he did 20 the father
would never receive him back. There
upon Abner ran away. They heard
nothing Of him for two years, when
news came Of his death In fray with
some Comanches in Northwestern
Texas. That was twelve years before
this Thanksgiving. 1t was a severe
blow to both, but especially to the
mother. Time gradually softened the
sorrow, but the old couple often talked
of their dead and kept his memory
green. The chamber in which he slepI
had never been occepied by another
since bis departure ; his fishing roc
hung undisturbed In the hallway, ant
his gun rusted in quiet in Its old place
Just beneath the rod. His death made
no difference in the active life o
Phineas. He managed the farm thu
same, and laid by something. ever,
yeer; although it was not for son, bu
for distant kinsfolk, whom he ha'
never seen. But, having no son ant
no relations near at hand, and Thanks
giving being a gregarious institution
Phineas used to always invite any re
spectacle strangers who chanced. t.
be in the neighborhood at the time Il
-, H. coost For in that way