River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-11-18
The Country Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Day in the country. as
it is observed upon the old homestead
farm. says a writer in the New York
Evening Mail, is a very different thing
from Thanksgiving in the city. The
observance OF it is different. the
preparation different and the dinner
widely different. A peep into Aunt
Esther's ''buttery" the day before the
feast would reveal shelves laden with
cakes of several kinds. each with its
distinctive name, all rich with the
homemade purity and freedom from
cooking butter, rows of pies, apple,
pumpkin, cranberry pies, golden and
fair to see, and mince pies filled with
mixture of unheard of-gOodness.
piles OF doughnuts, cream-cheese and a
ham that has long been saved to grace
this festive occasion. Jellies and pre-
serves of every kind stand round in
jars through whose crystal sizes the
fruit looks tempting and good, and
rosy apples stand below in baskets
ready 70 be eaten. while we know that
up in the garnet are stores of nuts
chestnuts hickorynuts, walults and
butternuts, which will be brought
down to be cracked and eaten around
the big fire in the evening.
These things are all ready, but the
browning glory of the table has not
yet been brought to sacrifice. nor is it
until the night before Thanksgiving,
Then Aunt Esther and Uncle John,
with much ceremony and tin lantern
90 to the barn where all the fowls
rOOst, and there she points out all the
victims doomed to slaughter. The big
white gobbler and the four latest
chickens are condemned, alid after
much squaWking are duly executed,
and taken aside, where they are at
Cnce picked and dressed. and hung in
the bu terry to cool. These are the
family dinner, but two pairs more of
chicken and two fat geese are also
slaughtered. for on the way to church,
where all the. young folks" and
''men folks of the family go in the
morning, are two very poor families
who have very little to give thanks
for.
When the morning of Thanksgiving
dawns all Aunt Esther household rise
early and hurry through their accus-
toned avOcations, and then breakfast
which is but a faint fOretaste of what
is 10 come-is eaten, and the geese and
chickens. flanked by pies and other
good .hings, packed in rOomy baskets
Uncle John and Maggie and their two
brothers, all scramble into the carry
all and 20 to church. which is some
three miles away. Aunt Esther dies
about her work as briskly as a girl, and
the big kitchen is a miracle of neatness,
and she softly sings to herself.
Welcome. delightful morning,
Thou day of sacred rest.
By and by when the big turkey has
been stuffed and put into bake. and
chicken pie beside him, as well as the
other two checkers, and the table laid
with a spotless Goth and quaint old
china (Which Uncle Marcy had brought
home from one of his voyages, nearly a
hundred years ago, and given to Aunt
Esther 5 mother as a wedding present.
Aunt Esther steps to the '-road window
and looks out. The table is set for
many persons more than has ridden
down hill to church. and just as the
chickens are golden brown and the tur-
key done. three wagons come tOiling
mp the hill. and the married sons and
and their little ones are all
at home to eat Thanksgiving dinner.
Another guest. a poor homeless old
man, is with them and made welcome
While the happy new arrivals are kiss
ing and talking. and taking off their
wraps full, of spicy cold pine breeze, we
will take a look at the table. In the
middle stands the pyramid cake"
around it a circle of pies OF all kinds.
On each side huge dishes of rosy
apples; below, other cakes with pies
around like planets and satellites. with
glass dishes of preserves aud jellieS
wherever there is room for nythiHg,
and here and there mountains OF
mashed potatoes, turnips and crimson
beets, sweet pickles and sour pickles,
and picked walnuts-until it /
seems a mystery where room IS to be 4
iOund for the boiled ham and chicken 4
lie, TO say nothing of the pair of roast /
owls and the mOnstrOus turkey.
But room there is. and surprisingly /
ioOn everybody is seated at the table. I
aud the father gives thanks in a hearty 1
one. as one who has much to be thank |
al for, and they all fall to and eat with |
lppctites sharpened by the ride-all !
lut the mother. who, with flushed /
,heeks and trimming eyes. and happy. /
remulOus smile, looks around on her
merry group of children and grand
Then follow hours Of romping play
md supper, then nuts and apples and
ider, and coffee with good rich cream,
prayers, and ali th happy family 90 TO
'ed to have more or less happy visions
turing the night, and in the morning /
II return to their usual labor, bright
nd gay as sound health and good d.
'estiou can make them.
Somehow Thanksgiving in city /
ever seems the same. 1t is q sort of
of a real country Tbanksgiy-
ng. in nothing 50 siiuple nor so touch
lg in its eaTBestness. and certainly
OF al the elabOrateness of d nlacnifi- /
ent dinner served in regulation I
curses, with French menu and polite
81 OF walters. could equal the solid sat
ifaction of Thanksgiving dinner in /
be country.