Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-04-18
DEACON GIBBS THANKSGIVING.

AN so you've sold your farm, BeliI
dy?"
Yes. an | must say am glad or it. !
lone woman amt got 40 business a-tryin
to farm, no way. Though must say w
made out pretty well, this year. cleare
SIN hundred dollars on the wheat. over ar
above payin' fur the harvestin', threshiI
an the like. An I've sold the hay, Glove
and timothy mixed, for about three hun
dred more. But it's awful wearing on
woman, a-tendin' to things an watchiu
that the hands don't shirk nor nothin'. A
l was saying, lone woman amt got M
business with farm. Twas different be
fore Aaron die6," and Mrs Belinda Bios
som gave a regretful sigh to the memory o.
the dead and gone Aaron
"fou needn't be a lone woman no Ion
germ you want TO-" quietly observed her
sister, Mrs. Jerusha Hatch. There's Dea-
con Gibbs now, would give his ewes to"
Don't say Deacon Gibbs to me-" re-
torted the widow. Don't you know what
he's after? Don't he know as well as do.
that I've got eight thousand dollars put
away safe and snug in the Blueglass bank =?
| haven't a doubt he'd like to get the
handlin' oft but he never will kin tell
him that"
Sho, now. Belindy," demonstrated Mrs.
Hatch. What's the use O. making the
poor man out wuss'n he is? l don't know
rs he's any likelier to be after the money
than Lawyer Greene"
Lawyer Greene has got money him
self, and it stands TO reason faint so much
nT ar 10 I
Oh, no, you haint said, | know, but
body kin put two and two together
reckon. Well, all I've got to say, I'd ruther
nave Deacon Gibbs any day, if twas me,
than that smooth spoke, iley-lookin law
yer. But must be a-gettin home Biiah'll
want his supper, time it's ready and Mrs
Hatch rolled up her knitting, wrapped it
carefully in a cloth, and put on her black
srn-bonnet and blue yarn half hands"
= You might have stayed to supper Je-
nima, said the widow. reproachfully. II
was going to have cream cookies and some
OF them Lawton blackberry preserves you
are so fond Of
e Wal, I'd like mighty well TO stay, Be
Indy, but Bijah he'll be a-lookin' fur me
to hev supper ready when lie comes in from
the field He's allus as hungry as a beaver
at night, and amt left nothing cooked so
he could get himself bite l reckon
better go. You goin' to Miss Iarcom's
Quiltin next week."
Oh. suppose so. Miss Larcom would
get unified if didn't" and after another
i've or ten minutes conversation Mrs. !
Hatch got started home.
Mrs. Belinda Blossom was a typical |
widow, fair, fat and not quite forty. and |
was known as the best housekeeper in and |
around the neighborhood where she lived. |
good qualities than she possessed. she |
might have exchanged her widows weeds
for bridal attire long ago had she so de
sired However, for some reason best
known To herself, she had preferred to re-
main " lone woman" as She called it. so
Tar. Whether She would remain so much
longer was 4 question which puzzled herself
quite as much as it did some other
parties.
It was the day of Miss Larcom's quilt
ng, and supper was almost ready. The
quilt was already out, and by little pre-
manGuvre on the part of the
un-loving girls il had been thrown over
he widow head when taken out of the {
piece of mischief which afforded
10 little amusement, as according to tine {
IGNORED tradition, whoever the quilt is |
irst thrown over is soon 10 become a !
ride. I
Mrs. Blossom wore her honors blushing-
y, and her cheeks were still covered with |
when the gentlemen began TO /
rop in, just before supper.
Lawyer Greene, who was among the first v
arrive, was profuse in his attentions to
le blooming widow, much to the discom- !
ture OF his less fortunate rival, who could t
My SIT in corner and cast despairing 5
~ ha 90 = ~. J l.
Just look at Deacon Gibbs" whispered o
Iahala Williams to Dorcas Lamb. He b
'oks like hen on a hot gridde while o
awyer Greene is ACQUIRING the widow il
Dorcas Uttered out loud, whereupon the
eacon grew red in the face. as if aware 81
lat he was the object of their mirth. W
wal, reckon I'll be a-goin', Miss lar c,
IN he announced, approaching the C,
1stess a short time later. Il only Jest
'opped III to see how you was all a-gitting W
ong." it
ooh. you must stay to supper, deacon; it's d
most ready now, an | can't let you go CT
fore that declared the hostess, deter
inedly. But the deacon was equally de- in
rmined, and 20 he did. in
q Deacon Gibbs Deacon Gibbs! Stop a
mute, want 10 speak to you, cried airs
atch, rushing out to the porch where he
,od. looking little bewildered at the I'M vi
pected summons. IN
. | want to ask you to come over the day sa
er tomorrow Thanksgiving day, you co
ow-and eat dinner with us. Now don't D.
y no-there won't be anybody there only vi
Indy and our own folks. Say you'll Gu
mel" br
Z Wal. l dunno, Mrs. Hatch said the hs
aeon, uneasily. thank You kindly DIR
the invite, but I've been feeling kind
blue for good spell now, and l don't
ow as I'd be fittin' comp'ny tog and eat pa