The Mineral argus., 1883-12-20
POTLUCK.
\ Thanksgiving story Dealing With
an Odd Train OF circumstances.

When Ortelia opened her eyes in the
morning she could look straight through
q the side of the house at the blue ShJ
and the tops of the waving pines. II
wasn't a red brick house with a layer oil
smooth white motar between every
brick; nor was it a painted wooden
honse with green blinds; neither did il
have a cupola on top, or a conservatory
at one end, or a piazzain front. Ortelia's
father and a few of the neighbors built
the house, and as there were no archi-
tects among them they simply rolled
the logs on top of ca III other and
didn't take time to fill in the spaces be-
tween. But the sun and the moon
came creeping through the chinks that
the builders had left and Ortelia was
more than satisfied.
One Thanksgiving morning Ortelia
took Maggie out in the woods and to-
gether they trampled the few dead
leaves that had fallen. Ortelia didl't
know it was Thanksgiving Day. She
knew when Christmas came, although
nc one had ever made her the smallest
present.
20, here's a heap O. dock!" said Or
tella, getting down on her knees and
digging u the roots with both fat brown
hands. We'll take some home t. gran
ny. She'll maze a power o. tea OF it.
Mebbe it will cure her rheumatiz. O,
loOk!" she cried, suddenly;F ''I've found
such a funny stone, with marks all over
it,"
Put it in my pockey," lisped chubby
Maggie.
Come yere, quickE' exclaimed Orte-
liza, who had begun to dig again for dock
loot, and before Maggie's uncertain
steps could reach her she had drawn
from the sand, where it lay half buried,
a small iron pot, covered with a thick
coat of rust,
Take home to Granny" said Maggie,
as she quickly threw the bright ber-
ries she gathered into the pot and tried
to drag it along by the handle,
Its a heap too heavy fur you," said
Ortelia. "Reckon you'll have to let me
carry it. You kin carry the berries and
veil fill the pot full O. dock root"
Granny was sitting in the doorway
when Ortelia and Maggie came in sight
of the house.
Pears though you done a heap o.
" AAaAN = NAAN u AGkGAAAA AAlGa /
Wherever did you git the pot?"
ut was in the sand behind a heap o.
bushes" said Ortelia. I'm goin' to git
some ashes and see if I can'tscour it up"
In half an hour the old kettle looked
as black as ink once more, and 0rtelia's
ached hard with rubbing. "Puti in
the dock root. Granny" she said,
"MeObe it wall GO your rheumatic a
power o good"
So Granny set the pan on the fire and
o the dock was simmering gently.
Maggie crept in to see the new pot boil
the dock. The pretty berries she had
gathered lay on the floor, and she picked
them up and dropped them one by one
in the pot. Her mother was out in the
field husking corr. Granny was fast
asleep in her splintbottom clair, and
Ortelia sat on the doorstep trying to get
the baby asleep.
81 don't feel right well" said Granny,
alter their THANKSGIVING dinner of pork
AID corn-bread, reckon I'll have a SIP
D the dock"
But she didn't feel any better when
came, although she Lad
AIKEN several sips of the dock, and Or
elias mother grew anxious.
DO you think you could git over to
he minister's?" she said to Ortelia.
Now the minister lived a long mile
way, and the path lay straight through
he woods.
1t was scarcely dark when OrteIia
anne to the minister's long frame house !
ut the minister himself bad gone TO
he shore, a mile further on, SO there !
vas nothing for her to do but to b Irrv :
Jack home again as fast as she could.
1t grew darker and darker. Sudden !
y she stumbled over a black object that I
ay in the path, and fell fiat on her face. g..
who is it?' asked a mans faint :
.
Me" answered Ortelia, almost too =
frightened to speak.
Il think | must have tainted" said
a Did you stumble over me a
agOf 1 Thought I felt some. n
II reckoned you was a bear" said i
r
well, I'm as hungry as one. but 7 Il
Iont eat you up. l haven't had anv o
thanksgiving dinner yet. I've hurt nv a
Dot and Pm afraid l can't walk. Do n
GU live far from here?" I
NO" said Ortelia, "not very fnr o 2.
lin you cIawl2" -
Not very far, Pm afraid. Has your to
ather got a cart of any kind9D 81
No." said Ortelia, fathers dead and al
never had no cart. But the minister en-
got a MULE" she added. "Mebbe ar
D better go back an git him.
Us 1t faT?" again.
Yes, said 0rtelia, "iPs a right smart a.
avs in the dark, but I'll 90 fur von . ~
started back through the woods 70
The old colored woman who Font in
'use for the minister let Ortelia nntie nj
e mule and lead him off up the road te
"HulloP' called N the man when he In
.ard the natter of the mnIoln LS n ~