Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-17
THANKSGIVING WITHOUT MOTHER.


i Eben (. Rexford,
THANKSGIVING WITHOUT MOTHER.
az must go, children. Pm sorry to leave
you to get the dinner alone, but sister is
sick, and it can't be helped. She needs
me most. I'm very sorry papa didn't get
home"
MAY we have pie, mother whole
mince-p ie-for our dinner"
eyes, certainly. A mince-pie and
pumpkin-pie, too. But eat your turkey
and potatoes first. Keep the oven as hot
as it is now, and the turkey will be done
at l O'Clock Thicker the gravy in the
pan. You know how to do that don't you?
You'll have to give up having any pudding.
| don't believe you could make it if |
stopped to tell YOU how And | can't do
that. There's my train coming now. Be
as happy and as thankful as you can.
Goodbye"
"Good-bye. Goodbye! Good by-e-e-ew
called the little girls running after her TO
the top of the hill. From there they
could see the cars stop at the station, and
their mother getting in, and, as little Nell
said, "hear 'em sniff" as they started
again.
When she was really gone they ran
back to the house to see to things. Mamie
and Serena felt rather doleful at the idea
of Thanksgiving day without mother.
They lounged on the sofa and lamented.
But little Nellie got the broom and began
to sweep the kitchen.
"Tum, dirls," said she, bravely and
cheerily, "don't be lazy to it, l dess we
tan dit Fanksdivin dinner if we try~
Nellie was backward about talking, but
she was wise little maid for all that,
Mamie and Serena laughed and reused
themselves.
81 believe can make plum-pudding.
Come, Serena, let's try. Mother won't care.
It's only Just to,roll lot. of cracker and
and stir 'em into milk with sweetening
and spice and-saleratus, | guess. You roll
the crackers and FL pick over the raisins."
| must beat up some eggs, too" said
Serena Mother puts in eggs, | know"
$50 she does Put plenty Of sugar in.
We like it sweet"
" | will :" and Serena scooped the sugar
in with liberal hands.
How much saleratus" she asked.
don't know. | guess about a teaspoonful,"
said Mamie. SO the teaspOonful of sale
ratuS went in. The plums were ready
now. They were liberal with those, you
may be sure.
"Therel l believe it's all ready. A lit
tie nutmeg on top. So"
at won't go in the oven," said Mamie,
in dismay, having carefully borne the
trimming dish to the stove. What's to
be done, now?"
It'll go upon the CRATE, | guess" sug-
gested Serena. They put the CRATE in
place and found it would go on it.
awe ought to get the potatoes next, |
suppose" said Serena.
80, hate getting potatoes. | want to
play little while now" said Mamie.
Let's 90 out in the barn and have game
of hide-and-seek.
But we must take care of the turkey
and the pudding
"We'll stuff the stove full of wood, and
then it'll keep right on cooking" said
Mamie.
Serena thought that would do, so they
filled the stove full of wood and left it.
There is something about hide-and
seek" and some other games, that makes
two hours seem only as long as one, so the
children stayed out longer than they
thought
When they came in the fire was out.
90 dear! our turkey There isn't a
spark of fire"
Its done, anyhow said Serena, who
was at the oven door.
$50 tbs p said Mamie, ioyfuIly But
the pudding's burned all to death Look
at it p And she drew it forward.
Il ,,-oc bIaoI- arn,,frl ~, La +o,,
" Perhaps it'll be all right under that
black crust. We can take that off, sug
gested Serena.
al must build up the fire again to boil
potatoes and thicken the gravy" But
when the fire was built and the turkey was
taken from the oven there was no gravy to
thicken. 1t had all dried away.
g don't care for potatoes if | can't have
gravy Let's not wait for them. I'm
awful hungry
Nellie was there with her little basket
of potatoes all ready, for she had gone di-
rectly to the cellar for them when they
came in.
Mother said eat potatoes and turkey
first" she pleaded Nellie was conscien-
tious, and always obeyed her mother to
the very letter If she could.
"She wouldn't care, if she knew how it
is, I guess Pm half starved | can't
wait," said Mamie. And she put the tur-
key in platter and carried it to the
table.
But Nellie tugged out the little pot, and
put it on the stove, and washed some po-
tatoes, and put them into it, and waited.
Mamie and Serena ate a wing apiece
and slice off the breast. But somehow
the turkey didn't taste half so good as
usual. 1t seemed dry.
" | don't want any more, Let's try the
pudding.
So they cut away the hard black crust,
and underneath was soft and full Of plums.
q / guess it's all right said Serena. But
when she tasted, she made a wry face.
"What's the matter? And why does 1t
look so queer and greenish, wonder?
"Pshawm said Mamie, at must be
good. put in sugar and plums enough,
Pm sure"
We'll, taste it, said Serena.
Mamie tasted. She made a wry face,
a don't know what ais ii, I'm sure !
guess the saleratus was too strong, or tea
spoonful is too much. But We can pick
ont the plums."
So they picked plums from out the pud
ding, and ate pie for dessert.
They were all done before Nellie had
her pototoes ready to eat. But she was re-
warded for waiting, for just as she was
ready to sit down footstep was heard on
the piazza, and a glad, hearty voice say
ing
@Well little girls! Father did get
home to eat Thanksgiving dinner with you
after all ~
How glad they were to see him. And he
was very hungry, and couldn't have en-
loved his dinner half so much without the
potatoes. And he looked into the dripping
pan, and said the gravy wasn't spoiled: 1t
only needed some hot water to make 1t all
right. 50 he and Nellie ate together, and
had very nice dinner.
III