Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-11-27
THANKSGIVING DAY AT MIR.
BROWNLOW'S.
BY WILLIS BOYD ALLEN.

The short November day was drawing
to close, lights were beginning to
twinkle at the street corners and in shop
windows, particularly at the grocery and
provision stores, when short and rather
stout gentleman, with a beaming face
and immense market basket, paused be-
fore the western entrance of Faneueil
Hall Market, and looked about him with
great satisfaction.
''CIarisss," he said, turning to little
woman whose face was likewise round
and beaming, "Clarissa, shall we take a
whisk around the outside stalls before
we go in?"
"That's a good plan," replied Mrs.
Brownlow, not seeing anything in the
least degree comical in the idea of her
husband "whisking" anywhere; especial
ly with that basket. 1--WE can look at
the fruit and pick up a few vegetables,
perhaps. We'd better get the tongue
and poultry inside"
The unconscious tone of exultation
with which that small woman said
''poultry," it would have done your heart
good to hear. It was the evening be-
fore Thanksgiving. and after vast deal
of anticipation, and not a little pinching
and saving on the part of each member
of the family, Mr.. and Mrs. Brcwnlow
were fairly started on the marketing
trip. They could have gone earlier, I
suppose, but it seemed so much nicer to
get the things while everybody was in
the spirit of it; the markets and ada
cent sidewalks, being, as Mr.. Brownlow
said, quite as good as play at the
Museum.
They had stopped at large grocery
establishment on Scollay Square, and
purchased various snail but appetizing
packages of sage, crackers, jelly, nuts
and raisins, and the like, Mrs. Brownlow
keeping her memorandum before her on
the counter as they were dropped by
handfuls into the glistening BRASS scales,
poured into cracking brown paper bags
with their corners turned under) J, and
tied up with astonishing rapidity by the
smart clerk with pencil over his ear.
That had been delightful part of the
shopping. Things are SO cheap, when
you only get little bit at a time; it
takes such surprising amount of crack
ers, for instance, to make ten cents
worth. And then the spicy, boxy, rais
my odor of the whole place was so de-
icious and wholesome makes one
fairly hungry to think of it.
rUl,o ,,e,,lS - %Ro,o r,,lkl~
Was when the two emerged from the
door, and turned down toward Dock
Square they found they had consider
ably exceeded that portion of the funds
which thsy had allowed for this depart
ment Of the morrow's dinner.
ttNever mind" Mrs. Brownlow had
said, in her CHEEKY way "we can take q
pound of the turkey and chicken, and
skimp just little on the tongue, and
that will more than make up the differ
ence," she concluded triumphantly.
"Sure enough" assented her hus-
band, 81 never thought Of that. Seven
pounds was rather large for nice, ten
der turkey, now, wasn't it,"
There was no doubt about it whstever,
and congratulating themselves on their
own extravaganza, which had proved all
for the best, they had kept On down the
hill, trotting briskly over the crossings,
and pausing now and then at some par
tcularly abrasive window.
In due time, as we have seen, they
had reached the front porch of the mar
ket and were now busily engaged in
adding to their stock of provisions which
were slowed away, as fast as purchased,
either in Mr.. Brownlow's basket or in
large, old fashioned carpet bag, which
his wife carried. and which nearly touch
ed the ground as she walked by his side,
or made little skirmishes upon q neigh
boring stall to examine with critical eye
some specially fine lot Of sweet potato or
apples.