The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-12-03
h..ckory nuts out in this pesky country
OF sage brush and pasture land. The
walnuts are hard and it's all we can

goes dancin' over the floor or flies into
the pan Helen is squeezin' pumpkin in
to through the colnder. Helen
says we're shif'less an good
for nothin but frivclin'; but moth
er tells us how to crack the
walnuts SOS not to let 'em fly all over
the room, an SOS not to be all jam
med to pieces like the w;tlnuts WAS
down at the party at the Peasleys'
last winter. An now here comes Try
phena Foster, with her gingham gown
an muslin apron on; her folks have
gone up to Amhurst for thanksgivin', !
an Tryphena has come over to help |
our folks get dinner. She thinks
great deal OF mother cause mother
says Tryphena oughter marry
missionary. There is hustle every
where, the rattle OF pans an the clat-
ter OF dishes, an the new kitch II stove
begins to warm up an git red till Hell
en- loses her wits an is hustered, an
sez she never could git hehang 20 that
stoves hampers.
can now," murmured Ezra, gently,
rs a tone of deeper reverence crept
| into his voice, II can see father sittln'
all by himself in the parlor. Fathers
hair lis very gray and there are wrinkles
on his honest old face. He is lookin'
| through the winder at the Holyoke
hills over yonder, and | can guess he's
thinlsin' OF the time when hewuz a boy
like me an Amos, an useter climb
over them hills an kill rattlesnakes
an hunt partridges. Or doesn't his
eyes quite reach the Holyoke hills?
DO they iall kind o. lovingly but sad
ly on the little buryin' ground jest
beyond the village-ah father knows
that spot, an he loves it,. too, for
there are treasures there whose mem
ory he wouldn't swap for all the
world could give. So, while there is
a kind O. mist in father's eyes, can
see he is dreamin'-ike OF sweet an
tender things, and communln' with
memory-hea,in voices never heard,
an feelin' the tech OF hands | never
pressed-an' SEEM fathers peaceful
face find it hard to think OF a thanks
givin' sweeter than fathers is.
The pictur' in the freight changes
now," said Ezra, "an' seems as if
,Nuz in the old frame meetin' house.
The meetin' house is on the hill, and
meetin' begins at hall pas 10. Our
pew is well up in front-seems rs If
could see it now. 1t has a long
red cushion on the seat, and in
the hym-book rack there is a
bible an a couple OF psalmo-
dys. We walk up the isle slow, and
mother goes in fl st, then comes Mary,
then ME, then Helen, then Amos, and
then father. Father thinks it is jest
us well to have one O. the girls set in
between me AN Amos. This meetin'
house is full, for every body goes to
meetin thanksgivin day. The minis
ter reads the proclamation an makes
a prayer, an then he gives out a psalm
an we all stan up an turn round an
: join the choir. Sam Merritt has come
up from Palmer to spend thanksgivin'
with the OF folks, an he is singin ten
or to-day in his Old placein the choir.
Some folks say he sings wonderful
well, but l don't like SANS voice.
Laura sings soprano in the choir, and
Sam stands next TO her an holds the
, book.
! "Seems as if could hear the minis,
ter s voice, full of earnestncss an mel
! ody, comm from away up in his little
round pulpit. He is tellin' us why we
| should be thankful an, as he quotes
| scriptur' an DR. Watts, we boys Won
: der how anybody can remember sc
much OF the bible Then get nervous
' and worried. Seems to me the minis
ter was never comm to lastly, and
! find myself wonderin whether Laura
5 is llstcnn' to what the preachin' is
5 about, or is writin, notes to Sam Mer
| ritt ina ha horl. rf ha f,r, honl,
: get thirsty, too, and fidget about Til
; father looks at me and mother nudges
c Helen and Helen passes it along te
me with interest.
e "An' then" continues Ezra in his
4 revelry, "when the last hymn is giver
X out an' we stan up agin an join tht
V choir, am glad to see that Laura i.
e singin' outer the book with Miss Hub
h bard. the alto. An goin' out O. meet
t in | kind OF edge up to Laura and asl
) her if kin have the pleasure OF seen
5, her home.
e "An' now we boys all 90 out on tn
o common to play ball. The Enfield
" boys have come over. and, as all th
l Hampshire county folks know, the.
k are tough fellers to beat. Gorhan
W Polly keeps tally, because he has go
4 the newest jack -knife-oh, how slick i
lie whittles the old om-handie Gorhan
E. picked up in Packards store ar
IS brought along Jest to keep tally or
z It's is great game OF ball; the bat
4 are broad and light and the ball
= small and soft. But the Enfield boy
ell beat us at last, leastwise they max
IS 70 tallies to our SO, when Hema
le Fits knocks the ball over into Aun
m Dorkas Eastman's yard and Aun
ts Dorkas comes out an picks up tn
ct ball an takes it into the house ar
e, wehave to stopplayin'. Then Phinea
if Owens allows he can flop any boy j
i'd Belchertown, an Moses Baker take
w him up an they wrassle like two tal
le tars, till at last Moses tucker
r. Phineas out an downs him as slic
st as a whistle.
r. 'Then we all go home. for thank
es givin' dinner is ready. Two long table
III have been made into one and one OF tt
he big tabecloths gran ma had when 81
he set up housekeepin'is spread over en-
ut both. We all set round-iather, mot
Us er, Aunt Lydia Holbrook, Uncle j.
is son, Mary, Helen, Tryphena Foste
us Amos, and me. How big an brow
vn the turkey is. and how good it smell
it There are bounteous dishes ofmasht
VS. potato, turnip, an squash, and tt
we celery is very white and cold, the bi
il cult are light an hot, and the steve
er cranberries are red as Laura
o cheeks. Amos and | get the drul
to sticks; Mary wants the wish-bone
Is put over the door for Hiram, but HI
'd en- gets it. Poor Mary, she alwa
to did have to give up to 'rushin' Hele'
we as we call her. The pies-oh, VIII
lrnn.