The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-11-29
4 Memorable Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving week was always busy
week at the Gates homestead, but it
seemed to Dear that it was buster this
year than ever. She couldn't quite
understand it, either, for as they were
coming home from church on Sunday
she heard her mother say to Aunt Mar
:garet, with little break in her voice,
that she had "no heart for Thanksgiv-
ing this year" Dear knew why, and she
thought they would have a sorrowful
THANKSGIVING, or, perhaps, no Thanks.
giving at ALL a.. .,,...s. ss,
But Tuesday morning there could be
no doubt that they were to have Thanks
giving this year, for there was what
Tiptop called "bonfire" made in the
great brick oven in the kitchen, which
since Dear's remembrance, was opened
and heated only during THANKSGIVING
week. Tiptop mounted char so that
he could see into the oven, and shouled
"Fire!" and danced in ecstasy till, for
getting that he had on chair-bottom
Tor floor, he danced off, and bruised
his nose, and had to be comtorted by
Dear just when she was SO busy seeding
raisins.
Roundtop and Squaretop counted it a
great privilege to bring In the long sticks
of hickory wood to heat the oven, each
holding an end, tugging it along with
great gravity, and an occasional fall on
their toes, and if they were allowed to
thrust small stick into the oven,their
saistaction WAS complete. Dear paused,
ID her hurried trips through the kitchen,
to look into the blazing depths and think
of Shadrach. Meshach and Abednego.
Then they all stood around to see the
Goals drawn out and the oven swept; and
when their mother, holding her hand
far in to test the temperature, solemnly
declared it was 'tjust right" they
watched breathlessly while the loat-cake
and spice.cake and cookies were care
fully put in, and breathed deep sigh of
relief when the oven ,or closed upon
the good things committed to its keep
ing.
Wednesday morning the oven was
heated again, and filled with mince pies,
which came out so delightfully."- brown
and SO delicious!y fragrant that the
Gates children grew desperately hun
cry, and thought Thanksgiving would
never come. And then such pumpkin
pies, an apple pies, and tarts, and vt
last, as the evening drew on, great batch
es of brown bread and rye bread and
wheat bread filed the oven to the door.
When the chicken-pie and turkey
were ready for the next day, the tired
mother dropped into the low rocking
chair, and taking Tiptop on her lap
looked YEARLY into the fire." -
"Let me hold Tiptop, mamma" said:
Dear. thinking how. tired her mother
was; but rer mother made answer only
by holding Tiptop with close, arm.
The children gathered around as the
twilight came Cd, AMI sitting there wait
editor their father to come. Gradually
silence fell upon them all. broken only
by the subdued roaring OF the fire in
the stove, and the i 'ud ticking of the
clock on the mantel.shelf. FL + 4
As Dear listened, how wildly came
back that sorrowfu! night when she
stood and heard the clock ticking loud
er and louder, as Tiny gently 5rsathed
her lie away; and It seemed to Dear
That she wouid never again hear the
clock ticking in the night without think
ing of that scene. She glanced at her
mothe~, and did not wonder that she
had no hearufor THANKSGIVING this year.
Indeed, she thought they all had more
cause for complaint than Thanksgiving.
Half bin ed by tears, she started up,
and, going to the window, looked out.
ltswas frosty starlight night There
was snow on the ground, but here
andttheres pstchesof ice were forming
over the pools of still water left by the
heavy fail rains.
"W!ly don't papa come?' said Tiptop,
fretful!y -. .-....
He will come soon," said the mother,
habit, began absent mindejly humming
Greenville, the one tune she knew, and
by whose aid she had year after year
hummed the Gates babies to sleep.
els papa at the shop" asked Dear, in
the first lull in the humming.
mo; he went down to the cotton-mill
with a load Of bobbins, and he ought to
be here by this time" lin s..,.I !"
MAY I 60 little way and meet him?"
asked Dear. az
Yes" remembering that Dear had
been in the house all dav-"only, frat
light a candle ard make the tea, and put
more wood III the stove, and bring me
Tiptop's night-dre and unite the boys
shoes, and wear your hood and don't be
gone long," 81 + :. (. s..a.s. .5+
Dear had closed the outside door,
ready to start on run, when she heard
old Fans whinny in the direction Of the
barn. Papa has come, and is nnhar-
Messing Far, = thought she, feeling lit
tie disappointed that she could not meet
him and ride home. Instead she
turned to the barn; ! S., s. 3
AZ the stable door stood old Fam
steamine as fshe we're having 8 .vapor-.
sbath. |" Papa had 3 load bono. !. th ,ught
Dear as she went up to-. pat Fan. But
what Was that ahA atAnilAd aadn2 "a fhillYa