The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-02-12
UNCLE TOMS MINCE-PIE STORY.
EACH year about the time Uncle Tom
saw the first snow coming he placed this
card in his store window:
THIS DAY,
HOT AND COLD
MINCE PIES.
MINCE PIES.

And the sight of that card made the
pennies burn in the pockets of the boys
who went to the big school on the hill;
for Aunt Dolby, Uncle Toms wife,
made monstrous good minneapolis
plenty of goodies in the mince-meat,
understand, and the pies made an inch
or more thick.
Uncle Tom charged grown people
twenty-five cents a pie, but the school
boys could buy one whenever six of them
dubbed together, four cents each, MAX
ing twenty-four cents in all.
One morning after Christmas holidays,
when Rufus Edwards went over to the
depot to see his father off on the train,
he found a half-dollar on the platform
that some unknown person must have
dropped there in the night
"We'll have a mince- pie feast!" said
Rufus. "This fifty cents will buy two
pies, and two cents over; and for the
two cents Wen get Uncle Tom to sift
the powdered sugar over them double
extra thick. Two pies will cut up into
twelve pieces; there are only eleven of
as here, but come along, boys-we'H
pick up another fellow before we get to
Uncle TOMS"
They, however, reached the store
without seeing another school-boy; but
there, standing looking wishfully at the
sign in the window, was Teddy Barns,
who carried baggage from the depot and
ran errands to earn money to help his
poor mother. Every one liked Teddy;
and when Rufus saw him looking so hard
at the sign he said, "Come in, Teddy!
we're just looking for fellow of about
your SIZE"
Uncle Tom brought out two of the
finest of his pies, flourished his long pie
knife over them a moment, and, presto
he had cut them into twelve such equal
pieces that a carpenter couldn't have
done it better from measurement. 1t
made Uncle TOMS rosy face smile all
over when those dozen boys began to
eat.
"Uncle Tom, can't you tell us a
mince-pie storyP" asked Seth Craig.
"Hurrah! please do, Uncle Tom,''
they all urged, except Teddy, whose
mouth was too full.
"Well," said Uncle Tom, after he had
thought little time longer, "you have
all heard of that old woman:
the hill,
And if she has not moved away she lives there
STILL
"But some years ago she did move
away. She was in the match business,
you know, and she was also very wise
about making dried-apple pies, for Their
mince-pies had not been invented. One
day an organ-g grinder came along with
a smart monkey, which performed SC
many funny tricks that the old woman,
whose name was Hephzibah, laughed
more in ten minutes than before in ter
years. The moment that Hephzibah
could cease laughing, she offered tc
trade her house under the hill and the
match business to the organ-grinder fol
his monkey and his organ. The organ
man was glad enough to trade.
$50, Hephzibah started out with tn,
organ on her back, and the monkey OF
her shoulder, to go to the Allspice Isl
ands, where Nick, the monkey, cam,
from.
"Of course, she played the organ ant
exhibited the monkey in the differen
places as she went along. An old WON
an in great mob cap, horn spectacle
on her nose, and laughing so hard tina
she could scarce turn the organ handle
while the monkey did his drollest tricks
was one of the merriest sights that hat
ever been seen. Why, even the dog
running along the streets stopped to Sc
what it all meant; and as for the chill
dren! they laughed themselves so hap
py and well that for month afterwart
not one of them had to take dose o
medicine. When Hephzibah reached
the Allspice Islands her organ was al
worn out. She also found that the eli
mate was so warm that there was bu
little need of fires, and therefore no us
of her opening q match shop. So sh
started spice and fruit store, where sh
sold sugar, cinnamon, nutmegs, cloves
currants, raisins, citron, lemons
oranges, bananas, dried apples, and sh
also made dried-apple pies.