Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1883-02-10

Christmas Dinner.
\ man sttired in suit of Kentucky
jeans-Quite curiosity in this latitude
sat in the office of the Sherman house
last night, with broad-brimmed plan
ter's hat on the back part of his head.
He had one of those honest, good-nat-
ured, come-and-see-me faces. He
seemed to be lonesome, as he made re-
peated efforts to hit the center Of big
spittoon about eight feet distant. A
Daily News reporter sat down by him
and made out that he was stranger, and
in few minutes bridge had been put
up between the two. The man from
Kentucky trld his story:
~ was one of the smartest boys about
Frankfort, reckon, that ever was raised.
There wasa good deal of doubt expressed
about my ever gettin' to manohod. Some
Of the people said l would get killed
prematurely, while some SAID that it
would be my luck and my parents mis-
ortune for me tc pe hung. | remem-
her that Christmas was great day at our
house. We always had two or three
preachers on hand and a sing;n- school
teacher, who used to travel around with a
lunin' fork, and stand i'll with the school
teacher. | remember one Christmas as
well as if it was last night. My father
mad some cider that was Y hite-I never
knew how it got the color-and he had
L still back on the farm. When the
Christmas Pm tellin' you about came
around, or the day before, my father
set up with me quite late the night be-
tore and told me how l was to act. He
said the white cider was for the preach
ers and the singin'-school- teacher, and
that was not to ask
!or any until all was through. had
friend, who lived down the creek, who
Was comm. over to spend the day with
me and 20 TO 4 candE-pullin' that night.
tfthere was ever anything went wrong
in that section, or a hens nest robbed,
that friend Of mine and me was blamed
for it. He was not half as mean as they
made him out. | went to bed that
night but not to sleep. If my father
hadn't said anything about the cider l
never would have wanted any Of it.
But to be told that l couldn't have any
seemed to make me IS dry as the garnet
in that house. The next day was up
early, and my friend came over sc On. !
told him about the cider, aud that he
stood no more chance of getting it than
me. He suggested the distillery as the
place for US, and fell in with the idea.
On the way down l suggested 2 scheme.
says to him, says 7: It's'up with US
it's plain VIC are to be froze out by these
pirates and that turnin' fork man, and
there's nothin' left for us to
do but to get even We got tin
bucketful of the new whisky from the
still and sneaked it back to the
house. We went down into the cellar
and pulled tie bung out Of the keg of ci-
der. Then we took out come cider and
filed up the key with the new whisky
made a stone fence, that you may have
heard Of. Then we went up stairs and
sat down in front of the fireplace az
mute as kittens. The company came III,
the three preachers, and the sing:n'-
school fiend. He bit his tunin' fork,
stuck it in his ear, and dora mied with
q shake of his head. He sung, and the
three preachers kept him oin' until he
got hoarse. By and by they all set down
to dinner except my Chum and me.
When they bad cleared up every platter
my father said very solemnly that,
as Christmas only came once year, he
had prepared treat for his company
lie spoke of the cider, and he did it with
such pride that it made my heart jump
into my throat, and then into my eyes.
If the doors of the church had been
thrown open then, [ wonld have gone
to the front. know I never was as near
the kingdom before or since. Then my
father told me and nay chum to
GO down and fetch up the cider.
When we got down there l suggested to
my chum that the time had come for ne
TO leave the country and become wan
derers on the face of the earth. He said
l was coward, and | weakened. We
took up the stone-fence and put it on the
table. 1t was poured out in glasses
they we're as big as cocoa-nut shells-and
ny father filled 'em to the brim. There
was nothing mean about the old man, I'll
say that for him. fla man ever asked
him to walk a mile with him he went
five, provided the place was that far off.
The singin'- school man got the first glass
didn't feel any way mean about him.
The others got theirs, and my father got
ais. He got up and said: "Allow me to
wish you a merry Christmas in the cup
that cheers but never inebriates." He
turned to my mother, pious old soul, and
my heart did sink when saw him hand
tier glass. [ pulled at her apron string.
and was goin' to tell her the secret, but
she turned on me. like wildcat, and
thought to myself, just for moment
We'll, go it: l don't care" Every glass
cmptied. My father evidently thought
something was wrong, but the size of
The scheme never struck him forcibly
just then. He filed up another rouxd
and down they went. The singin' school
fiend was the first to show the effect.
He struck one of his boots on the table,
hit his turnin'- fork on the plate, and run
it into the ear of the Methodist man on
the end. Says he to him; Sing, you son
Of Methodist, sing, or I'll bust you in
the ear The second preacher had evil
IDENTIFY caught the contagion, for he
reached over and pulled potato out OF
a dish with his hand and threw it at the
other preacher. He caught it and hit
mother. This raised the old man, and
he jumped on the table with his feet,
and if ever you saw bull in queens
ware store, he was one. I never saw
such circus in my life. They had
rec fight, and how it wound up never
knew. l got out of the way, and SO did
my chum, l came back the next day.
My father was sitting before the fire
with his head tied up in FELLOWSHIP,
and mother was in bed. l looked out OF
the window and saw one leg of
the pantaloons of one of the preach
ers dangling from the limb OF tree,
''My father called me over to him,
and asked in a husky voice: (Which key
did you get that cider out of" And |
told him. Then he looked in the fire
minute, and added: There want be
another revival in this section for ten
years. Did you have any fun?" he
asked.
81 told him I hadn't had great deal"
I thought not he said but you shall.
There is nothing mean about me- he
even with my own flesh and
blood. The Lord loveth those whom He
:hasteneth, and that's the kind of man
am. Shuck your linen"
I'VE rolled around in the cellar to-
:ether until he was tired out. went
way the next day, and was kept away
or year. When went back the snow
vas on the ground, and there was one
,lace in sight ofthe house which seemed
0 rise up little out of the earth. 1t
90, was white with snow. And when |