New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-11-24

There are b0unteous dishes OF mashed
potato, turnip, an squash, and the
celery is very white and cold, the bis
cult are light an hot, and the stewed
cranberries are red as Laura's
cheeks. Amos and I get the drum
sticks; Mary wants the wish to
put over the door for Hiram, but Hell !
en- gets it. Poor Mary, she always
did have to give up to 'rushin' Helen
as We call her. The pies-oh, what
pies mother makes; no dyspepsia in
'ena, but good mature an good health
an hospitality! Pumpkin pies-mince
an apple too-an' then a big dish OF
pippins an russets an bellfowers, an
last of all. walnuts with cider from
the Zib1ina Dickerson farm. I tell you
there's q thanksgivin' dinner for ye!
That's what We get in old Belchertown,
an that's the kind OF livin' that
makes the Yankees SO ALFRED good
an smart!
"But the best OF ALL" said Ezra,
very softly to himself, ooh, yes, the
best scene in all tie pictur' is when
evenin' comes, when the lamps are lit
in the parlor. when the neighbors
come in, and when there is music an
singin' an games. An it's this part
o. the pictur' that makes me home
sick now and fills my heart with
l"ngin' never had before-an' yet it
sort o mellows an comforts me, too.
Miss Serena Caldwell whose beau was
killed in the war, plays on the melo-
deon, and we all sing-all on us; men,
womenfolks, an children. Sam Mer-
rift is there. an he sings tenor song
aboutlove. The women sort OF whisper
round that he's goin' to be married to
a Palmer lady mex spring, an l
think to myself never heard better
singin' than Sans. Then we play
games-proverbs, buzz, clap-in-clap-
out, copenhagen, fox-an' geese, button
buttonwho t-the-button, spin the
platter, go-to-Jerusalem, my-ship's-
come-in, and all the rest. The OF folks
play with the young folks just as nat
raj as can be, and we all laugh when
Deacon Hosea Cowles hez to measure
six yards OF love ribbon with Miss
Hepsy Newton, and cut each yard with
a kiss; for the deacon hez been sort O.
purrin' round Miss Hepsy for goin' on
two years. Then, aft'r while, when
Mary an Helen bring in the cookies,
nutcakes, cider, an apples, moth
er says: I don't b'lieve we're goin'
to hev enough apples to 60 round;
Ezry, guess I'll have to get you
to 60 down cellar for some more
Then l says: All right, mother, I'll go,
providin' some one'll go along an
hold the CANDLE An when say this
l look right at Laura an she bushes.
Then Helen jest for meanness says:
'Ezry, s'pose you amt willin' to
have your fav'rite sister go down cell
lar with you and catch her death of
cold?' But Mary, who hez been show
in Hiram Peabody the phot'gra
album for more'n an hour, comes to
the rescue an makes Laura take the
candle, an she shows Laura how to
hold it so 1t won't 60 out.
1.-THE cellar is warm an dark. There
are cobwehs all between the rafters,
an everywhere else, except on the
shelves where mother keeps the but
ter an eggs, an other things that
would freeze in the but'try up stairs.
The apples are in bar'ls up against
the wall, near the potater bin. How
fresh an sweet they smell! Laura
thinks she sees a mouse an she trem-
bles an wants to jump up on the pork
bar'l, but I tell her that there
shan't no mouse hurt her while I'm
'roond-an' l mean it too, for the
sight O. Laura a-tremblin' makes me
as strong as one of fathers steers.
What kind of apples do you like best
Ezry? asks Laura; 'russets or green
ms or crow eggs or bellAower or bald
wins or pippins? 4 like the bald
wins best, says I, 'coz they've
got red cheeks just like yours
"Why, Ezry Thompson! how you
talk! says Laura. You olghter be
ashamed of YOURSELF But when get
the dish filled up with apples there
amt baldwin in all the lot that can
compare with the bright red of Lau-
ra's cheeks. An Laura knows it, too,
an she sees the mouse agin, an
screams, and then the candle goes out
and we are in q dreadful stew. But /,
benz almost a man, contrive to bear
up under it, and KNOWN she is an or
phan, l comfort an encourage Laura
the best know how, and we are al
most upstairs when mother comes to
the door and wants to know what has
KEEP us so long. Just as if mother
doesn't know! OF course she does; an
when mother kisses Laura good-by
that night there is in the acta tender
ness that speaks more sweetly than
even mothers words.
''It is SO like mother" unused Ezra:
$50 like her with her gentleness an
clinging' love. Hers is the sweetest
picture of all, and hers the best love-"
Dream on, Ezra; dream of the old
home with its dear ones, it's holy in
funces and it's precious inspiration
mother Dream on in the far.away
freight, and as the angel hand Of
memory unfolds these sacred visions,
with thee and them shall abide, like a
divine comforter, the spirit of thanks
giving.
EUGENE FIELD.