River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-11-29
1 Memorable THANKSGIVING.

Thank 1ivin. week was always busy
week 1T the Gates homestead, but it
seemed rs Dear that it was buster this
wear than ever. Sue couldn't quite
understand il, either, for as they were
coming home from church on sunday
she heard Ter mother say to Aunt Mar
Cufet, with a little break in her voice,
that she bad mo 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
But Tuesday morning there could be
70 doubt that they were to have Thanks
giving tbs year, FOR there was what
Tiptop called a "boniire" made in the
great brick oven in the kitchen, which
since Bears remembrance, was opened
and heated only during Thanksgiving
week. Tiptop mounted a char so that
he could see INTO the oven, anu shouted
Fire and danced in ecstasy till, for
Getting that lie had ony a chair-bottom
Tor floor, he danced off, and bruis {
his nose, and lad to be comlorted by
Dcat 9st vuen she was SO busy seeding
aislus
Bouudt)p and Squaretop counted it a
.seat privilege to bring in the long sticks
st hickory wood 10 heat the oven, each
holding an end, Juggling it along with
great gravity, and an occasional fall on
their toes, and if they were allowed to
thrust a small stick into the oven, their
satisfaction was complete. Dear paused,
IL her hurried trips through the kitchen,
10 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
lar in to test the temperature, solemnly
declared it was ''just right" they
watched breathIcssly while the loai-cake
and spice-cake and cookies were care
fully put in, and broathed Il deep sigh of
relief when the oven dlor closed upon
the good things committee to its keep
ing.
Wednesday morning the oven was
heated again, and filed with mince pies,
which came out so delightfully."- brown
ana so deiiViously fragrant that the
GGtes children grew desperately hun
CRY. and thought Thanksgiving would
never come. And then such pumpkin
pies, an apple pies, and tarts, and at
last, as the evening drew on great batch
cs or 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, aud taking Tiptop ON her lap
looked wearily into the fire.
LET me hold Tiptop, mamma, said
Dear. thinking how tired her mother
was; bur Ter mother made answer only
by holding Tiptoa with closer arm.
The childrel gathered around as the
twilight came on, ami sitting there wait
eli for their father to come Gradually
silence fell upon them all, broken only
by the subdued roaring Of the fire in
the stove, and the l2ud ticking of the
clock on the mautel-shef.
As Dear listened. how WILDLY came
back that sorrowful night when sue
stood ana heard the clock ticking loud
er aud louder, MS Tiny gently breathed
-. 80 /. ssa,,o.i - Daar
i.cl Il & away Nv II e''.e'' ~ 80 ~
that she Woutd never again near the
clock ticking in the night without think
;of,b,r ssaue She glanced nj her
''S az, ,,.,,,4,- ,b,t eba
mothe an" u" ~ ,''.''s' - -
had no hearpior IMAM N7S'N'it sA'9 Nt"t'
Indeed. she thought they all had more
cause for COMPLAINT than thanksgiving
u,rsI,I,, la., b,, tsars She started nm
IN, ,,..,l,,. 3,,t.a4 Az
ana, Go.uS % '''e NUN 49,, -. '''''
Ii was frosty START M niSht mere
was no snow on she ground. out here
and there patches OF Ice We're ioEml ne
.,,.o, tI,a r,ais Of still water left bv the
bravy fail rrins.
"yhv don't papa Gomez" said Tip.op,
rrettnIlv
.Hp will come soon, said the mother
sontblnrlv. and in obedience to an old
bsbft began ahsent-mindedly humming