Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-11-17
REGETTA'S THANKSGIVING.


81 just wish there wasn't any Thanks
giving day, just do
why do you wish that, Regetta?"
''Just because 1 do. Mean old rails
ms to pick, and things to chop and to
cut and to slice, and such time with
cooking and dishing up
sis that all?'' Dotty stopped slicing
citron for a moment and stood looking
off through the window toward the gray
clouds and the shivering trees, but was
not thinking of either of them.
''All? Deary me! that's enough; pies
and cakes and all sorts of things to
help make, and boiling and baking and
fussiDg to do, and as to the thanking part
don't see much to thank for! always
stewing at cook-stove, or scrubbing
up floor. Christmas is different from
Thanksgiving, when people getpresents
after the cooking is over; but Thanks
giving! goodness, gracious! Some peo-
pie might like it who have something
to be thankful, for, but I"-and she
tossed her saucy brown head on one
side, and threw the raisins she had been
picking, with jerk, into the bowl wait
ing to receive them, and also over the
table and the floor, for what could be
expected but that the raisins would fiv
about when they were pitched and
tossed in such a fashion?
'tDid you ever see the like of itp''
Regetta commenced again, s'even the
raisins just try to torment me; I'd like
to know what have to thank for?"
Mamma says we ought to be thank
full that we have the raisins to fix"
"Hear it! Listen to it! Does she
say Peggy Hopkins ought to be thank
full for the rheumatismp''
Mamma says Peggy Hopkins is con-
tented. but / don't see what that has
to do with the matterP''
"Stupid! Peggy Hopkins rheuma-
tism keeps her lame in the leg so she
cannot sport around and enjoy herself.
What's the difference if it's raisins.
pumpkin and citron, or if it's rheuma-
tism that keeps you squatted in a cor
ner hanging over firep''
"Regetta! We have the nice things
to eat after we have helped to max
them, but Peggy-oh! what pain she
has, and nothing to eat but what people
send her,"
"Well she don't have to boil herself
to death cooking it; somebody else does
it for her; and as to pain, guess she's
too old and tough to feel much of that, :"
and Regetta laughed at what she
thought a bit of pleasantly, chuckling
to herself as she tossed the raisins she
had been gathering up into the bowl.
4" shan't do much thanking, at any
rate"
"Oh. Regetta! the little girl turned
half around that the tears quivering in
her eyes might be unseen.
"Oh, Regetta? What has Regetta
got to be thankful for? What does she
do the week through but stew over the
pans, and there's nothing but misery
anyway, for fathers lost his work, and
Billy's spasms are getting worse, and
the brindle cows gone dry, and she
ought to be milking plenty"
But" begun Dotty. trying to say
some of the things that were half shaped
in her thoughts, ''but father isn't dead
like Anstice Bruen's, and we've got two
COWS yet to give quarts and quarts, and
don't you think it's nicer to help make
good things than never to have any to
eat? L know it's bad about Billy, but
mamma says that God knows
She stopped, flushed with the effort
she had made to tell her thoughts.
There was low rap at the door and the
call, Come inn from Regetta, brought
small figure, scantily clad, shiverno
in at the Kitchen door.
You've got fire hav' MT YOUR said
the little new conner nesting up close
to the red-hot stove, where the pots
were bubbling over, and the smell of
good things was very strong.
Fire? Well if 1 ever! Fire? When
the wind is blasting like that outside,
who wouldn't have fire?''
Everybody has it that can. I SUD-
pose, but you know it takes so much
wood to keep it burning all the time,
some people cannot Tim-that's nav
brother-and me got great, monstrons
lot yesterday, but nobody wants to burn
it all right up in a minute.''
Don't your father get the woodp''
said Regetta, looking up as she knelt on
one knee, giving the last poke to the
log with which she was refreshing the
fire.
There's nobody but us; father is
dead -
"Jim Stryker is good to cut and haul
wood. why don't your mother get him
to do it; are your woods nearp'
Judge Swift lets us go to his woods
for faggots and things; why, you know,
we've got no woods and as to mother
getting anybody, why mothers got us.
you know"
Gracious! Barbary Brennen-that' s
your name, isn't it? got youg''