The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-12-05
Six Pumpkins.

ITotty puDpkluS, Six III IOW, hll lieu
up with blue ribbonl
Three pairs of eyes stared up from the
hearth.rug into grandma's dreamy face.
The dinner was over-the wonderful
Thanksgiving dinner-and we sat around
the fire in the sittingroom we older
folks lolling lazily in our arm chairs, with
the children Nesting together, quito too
full, it seemed, for speech.
Grandma's voice was the first to break
the silence.
"Pretty pumpkins, six in a row, all
tied up with blue ribbons-how we'll I
remember tbeml" she added, looking
down at the as yet speechless group on
the hearth-rug.
"Pumpkius tied up with blue rib
bopsi" at last cried astonished Bob.
"R.al pumpkins, grandma 2" chimed
in B-th.
"Wath it suuthe upon time,' grand
ma ," lisped the story.loviDg baby, with
shining eyes.
"R-al pumpkins, indeed real blue
ribbons, and all, answered grandma, with
her merry laugh !; " and it was the unthe
upon time about which l meant to tell
you if you asked for story this after
noon only l did not expect to get into
the middle of my story before began to
tell it. We'll, now, of course you want to
hear it,"
"Of counsel" shouted Bob and Beth
and "Of courthe . chimed in the baby,
msdly; and OF course | - even the sober
elder people echoed, too, well pleased.
"Very we'll, then," said grandma, tax
ing of her spectacles, as she always did
when about to tell story, polishing them
with her apron, slowly putting them hack
I again, and then, clearing her voice, just
in the old way, began:
Once upon time, my dears, lived
with my Aunt Jane and my grandmother
in big old farmhouse in Vermont
was little orphan girl, without any
brothers or sisters, but had a-plenty OF
boy and girl cousins, and always in sum.
Der time, and at Thanksgiving and
Christmas, they came up to the home
stead, and we had jolly times indeed.
Never jollier than at Thanksgiving
time. Somehow Thanksgiving used to
seem the jolliest time of all to me. We
almost had snow.storm to set it off, and
the men and castles we built all seemed
SO wonderful, because they were the first.
Then such doings as there were within
such preparations for the dinner as went
= on in that old house 1t had ovens al
most large enough to keep house in, and
! early in the week Aunt Jane began tc
\ stow in. and roast, and bake, till every
nook and corner from garrett to cellar was
INST STEPPED in savory odors. | remem
Der lying awake half one night trying te
snuff myself to sleep.
Well, it was at one of these Jolly sea
sons, one morning about two weeks be
fore Thanksgiving, that went down into
the kitchen to fluid my grandma Just fold
ing up letter from Uucle John.
They are all coming next week." she
said "and here is line inclosed for you
my little DEAR"
opened the bit of paper she handed
me eagerly. 1t was from nv Cousin
Potiphsr, and how do you think it read |
NDEAR PoIL-Dont You begin too snuff till
com. II you dew lie never speak to You sgane.
"A PoTIPHAR
could spell mite better than Poti
phar in those days, and the first thing
did was to laugh at his little note. Blu
the next minute a great despair seizeo
me. To offend Potiphar, my favorit,
eousin, my boon companion of them all
$50 that he would never speak to mt
again What q dreadful thing tina
would be And yet-what could do
How could help snuffiug up all those de
lightful odors of turkey and pie and pud
ding, If he were not there in time? Had
! not determined to snuff, and to snuff
this year as | had never snuffed before
! How ever, eper could l help
was debating these great question:
Sver my breakfast, when suddenly Aun
B James crisp voice broke in
swell, joe" she said (Joe was on
|,Eired man, my dears)--" we'll, Joe, III
high time to be thinking OF Thanksgiv
ing now. And the very first things