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

Chicago News.
Ezra had written a letter to the
home folks, and in it he had complain
ed that never beforehad he spent such
a weary, lonesome day as this thanks
giving day had been. Having finished
this letter, he sat for q long time gaz-
ing idly into the open fire that snap
ped cinders all over the hearthstone
and sent it's red forks dancing up the
chimney to join the winds that trolick-
ed and gamboled across the Kansas
prairies that raw November night.
It had rained hard all day and was
cold, and, although the open fire made
every honest effortto be cheerful, Ezra,
as he sat in front Of it in the wooden
rocker and looked down into the
glowing embers. experienced a dreadful
feeling OF loneliness and homesick-
ness.
111'm sick O. Kansas said Ezra to
himself. "Here I've been in this plaguey
country for goin' on a. year, and
yes, I'm sick of it, powerful sick of it.
What a mlser'ble thanksgivin' this
has been! They don't know what
thanksgivin' is out this way. I wish
I was back in OF Mass chusetts-that'
the country for me, and they hev the
kind O. thansgivin' I like!"
hTrc;vo <1,ic 1,,b;1o 49, -,
went patter-patter on the window
panes, Ezra saw a strange sight in the
fire-place-yes, right among theembers
and the cracking flames Ezra saw
strange, beautiful picture unfold and
spread itself out like panorama.
GLOW very wonderful!" murnured
the young man. Yet he did not take
his eyes away, for the picture soothed
him and he loved to look upon it.
cit is pictur' of long ago." said
Ezra, softly. ri had like to forget it,
but now it comes back to me as nat
raj as an OF friend. An l seem to be
a part of it, an the feelin' of that time
comes back with the pictur'. too"
Ezra did not stir. His head rested
upon his hand, and his eyes were fixed
upon the shadows in the freight.
''It is pictur' of the OF home, said
Ezra to himself II am back there in
Belchertown, with the Holyoke hills
up north an the Berkshire mountains
a loomin' up gray an misty like in
the western horizon. Seems as if it
wuz early mornin'; everything is
still, and it is SO cold when we
boys crawl out o. bed. that, if
it wuzn't thanksgivin' mornin', we'd
crawl back again an wait for mother
to call us. But it is thanksgivin'
mornin', an we're goin' skatin' down
on the pond. The squealin' o. the
pigs has told us it is o'clock and we
must hurry; we're going to call by for
the Dickerson boys an Hiram Pea
body, an we've got to hyper! Brother
Amos;gets on about half O. my clo'es
and l get on bout half o. his, but it's
all the same; they are stout, warm
clo'es and there big enough to fit any
OF us boys-mother looked out for
that when she made 'em When we go
downstairs we find the girls there,
all bundled up nice an warm
Mary an Helen an Cousin
Irene. They're. goin' with us an
we all start out tiptoe and
quiet-like SOS not to wake up the OF
folks. The. grounds frozen hard; we
Stub our toes on the frozen ruts in
the road. When we come to the min
ister's house, Laura is, standin' on
the front stoop, a-waitin' forus. Lau-
"a IS the minister's daughter. She's a
friend o. Sister Helen's-pretty as a
dagarr' otype, and gentle-like and ten
der. Laura let's me carry her skates,
an I'm glad of it, although have my
hands full already with the lantern,
the hockies, and the rest. Hiram
Peabody keeps us waitin', for he has
oversight himself, an when he comes
trottin' out at last the girls make fun
OF him-all except Sister Mary, an
she sort o. sticks up for Hiram, an
we're all so' cute we kind o. calc'late
we know the reason Why.
"And now" said Ezra, softly, :sthe
pictur' changes; seems as if could
see the pond. The ice is like black
lookin' glass, and Hiram Peabody
slips up the first thing an down he
SOAAoo AtShooy opAAo, ceAa VIC etAl Ae1uSu
except Sister Mary, an she says it
is very imp'liteto laugh at other folks
misfortunes. Ough! how cold it is,
and how my fingers ache with the
frost when I take off my mittens to
strap on Laura s skates-but oh, how
my cheeks burn! And how careful
am not to hurt Laura, an how ask
her if that's tight enough an how
she tells me .jist little tighter an
how we two keep foolin' along till the
Others hev gone an we are left alone.
An how quick get my own skates
strapped on-none o. your new.fang-
led skates with springs an plates an
clamps an such, but honest, oP-
fashioned wooden ones with steel
runners that curl up over my toes
an have q bright brass button on the
end! How l strap 'em and lash 'em
and buckle 'em on! An Laura waits
for me an tells me to be sure to get
EN- on tight enough-why, bless me,
after / once got EN- strapped on if
them skates he'd come off, the feet wud
ha' come with 'em! An now away
we un-T,ol1ro on, mn Aro,,r1 +bo