River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-12-27
Mrs. Daffydown's Dinner.

| look at pump, ifee 1ul NY a. way '7~
| store,
"To-morrow's Christmas day, to be
sure, but / reckon I'll hev to get along
with chicken this time, fur | must git
sugar an currants fur the mince pie, an
cranberries fur sauce. Thank goodness,
I've got potatoes and turnips, anyhow,
and thatll do fur me and Gilly."
| Gill was neighbours little girl, who
| STAYED with the widow to help co the
| chores, etc.
81 would ask Samantha Jane to din
ner" pursued Mrs. Dafydown, as she
trudged home with her purchases, con
J lv she'd sniff at hevin' chicken fur din
ner; but goodness knows, I'm thankful
to get that"
| The chicken was duly inspected by
| Gilly, who soon got over her disapolnt-
| nent at not having real turkey, and
the widow was busily seasoning her
| mince-meat, preparatory to making her
pies, when Farmer Mugford hitched his
| sorrel team at the front gate and came
/ in.
ssPye brung We letter, Mrs. Daily
down." he explained, fumbllng in the
rockets of his butternut overcoat.
"Thar! Mebbe it's from some O yer
folks in the city," and he strobe off.
| Mrs. Dafydown broke the seal IN sur
prise. , ..r.,.
from my Aunt Marian IN st. Louis. L
want YOU to come an spend Christmas
! with me- she saws. 'Sence the bank
busted I'D with my money in it, hain't
seen hide nor taller of my kin folks, an
I feel kind of lonesome like. l wunt
promise YOU turkey fur dinner; but eft
| YOU kin take pot luck, come along. I've
| asked Samantha Jane, too.
| "Will you go?" asked Gilly.
| "Coarse | will! An III take the roast
| chickin and mince pies along an, bone
| o. li,ht bread too. Goodness knows 1
don't want to be no expense to Aunt
| Marian. I'll borrow Mrs. Mugford's
] split basket to carry 'em in. Poor Aunt
| Mariarl reckon she does want to see
some of her own kin, an III go, II she
did pit mad as hops at me fur marryIn'
| Tom ms cad of Cousin Bartholomew Dill
| dock. I'll show her Pm willin' to let
bygones be bygones, end make up
| friends a'gin."
And while Gilly ran over to borrow
| the covered basket the widow thoughts
flew over the by-gone days.
81 might have married Cousin Bar
thoIomew, and been happier than
was with him, too, If hadn't made him
iealons lust for fun, an then got too
spunky to own dp. Well, well! what's
| done can't be helped noE," and the
widow sighed as she turned to baste the
browning chicken, and showed flaky-
| crusted pie into the oven.
She was good looking woman still,
| with plump, rosy cheeks, and eyes as
black as sioes. =,
II wonder, now, if Samantha Jane IL
co?" she soliloquized. Reckon III Jest
run over an take her that sage she
waited fur seasoning an lind out she's
a-goin'."
sin.
"Nop' she snapped, biting a raisin in
two as if she was conerrlng favor on
it. 81 amt goin a step. Aunt Marlar
never Ike, red to see her kin-ioiks when
abe was well off, and now It she's poor
thew don't keer to see her. An FUR my
part" added Samantha Jane, Il shan [
never forgive her, anyhow, fur maxim
trouble a-tween me an Cousin Barthol-
Jmew. If it hednt been fur her we
might a-married long ago"
The. widows cheeks grew redder than
Usual at this assertion, for she knew
Cousin Bartholomew had been her lover,
but when Samantha Jane took a notion
in her head, call the kings men" couldn't
get that idea out again.
| Samantha was undenlably an old
maid, but the widow had serious doubts
as to whether Aunt Maria had any hand
in shaping her adverse destiny.
| Christmas morning dawned bright
and clear, but as blue blazes,, as
Farmer Mugford said, as he hitched his
sorrels at the cottage gate once more,
and went in to warm his hands and wait
for the widow, who was TO ride to the
station with him.
"Want this here split basket tuck
along?" he asked, good na.uredly, while
Mrs. Dafydown settled her "beau catch
ers" and added little starch to her
fdce to hide the faint traces of crows
feet that lurked at the corners of her
eyes.
ia, yes!' returned the widow and
tripped out to the wagon, while her es-
cort followed with the basket,
| An old lady in neat and faded dress
sat looking eagerly from the window OF
a tenement house in st. Louis.
81 do wonder if tbev'll conner" she
muttered uneasily tc herself 81 think
Samantha will. She a!lus seemed fond
of me; but Felicia had temper OF hes
own, and as fur nephew Bartholomew,
of course he'll never forgive what said
to him when be was so contrary"
ooh, yes, he will, Aunt Maria" cried
hearty voice, as Bartholomew himself
burst in, goodnatured and manly, and
I quite youthful looking for his forty. odd
l g..
money, too, aunt; SO you shan't ever
know want again, if you have lost your
fortune. And here's my wi e, that is to
be-" he added, leading in plump
| checked, rosy women, in Mother
Hubbard cloak and poke bonnet, with
lilac ribbons.
sWhy, it's-its Feliclaw grasped
Aunt Maria, astonished, while the wild
owls black eyes danced with delight.
"Of course its Felicia" explained
Cousin Bartholomew. :" met her on
tile train, and she's got the Christmas
dinner along, already cooked. We are
all going to eat it right here, and then
have the wedding and 60 house hunt
ing afterward. For this house is rather
small. for two families" he added, with
a glance at the barely furnished room.
"But here is an need of house hunt
ing" smiled Aunt Maria. my carriage
will be here before long, and nv house
is big enough for us all"
1t was the yi0itors' turn to be aston
ished now.
"Your carriagep' they stamnered, ~
amt as poor as Jobs turkey yet, II l did
lose few thousand dollars when the
bank broke. And / mean to leave it all
10 you two when / die. L shan't leave
Samantha Jane a red cent, for not COM
ing to me when she thought ! was
poor" she added emphatically.
And instead of roast chicken for her
Christmas dinner, the Widow Daily
down partook of bountiful repast of
roast turkey stuffed with oysters, ana
the usual accom- animents of Christ
mas feast.
"Whv couldn't Aunt Marian hev said
she was a-goin' to invite Cousin Bar
tholomew?" grumbled Samantha Jane,
when she heard the story. "It she he'd,
/ would hev gone, too, and tuck some
vittles and other truck along, an mebbe
Ia heS got him. But it's just like Aunt
Mariar, an | believe Felicia knew 1t all
the time, too. | see her checks a-gettlng
red when | was talking about Cousin
Bart. Felicia alius was as artlul as fox,
anyhow"
But the newly-mada Mrs. Dildock was
TOO happy to care what Samantha Jane
said, or any body else.
Mortality in Forty-Eight Congress
The LIST of changes that nave already