The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-12-03
A Thanksgiving Out West
Chicago News.

nome IOlhS, ana init ne nad complain /
ed that never before had 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. mad rained hard all day and was
t''~'A '-nd, although che open fire made
every honest effort to be cheerful, Ezra,
rs ile sat in front OF it in the wooden
rocker and looked down into the
glowing embers. experienced adreadful
feeling OF loneliness and homesick-
nvsS.
"l'm sick O. Kansas" said Ezra to
himself Here I've been in this plaguey
country for goin' on ayear, and
yes, Pm 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. ! wish
was back in OF Mass 'chusetts-that's
the country for ME, and they hev the
kind O thansgivin' lille!"
Musing in this strain, while the rain
went patter-patter on the window
panes, Ezra saw strange sight in the
fire -place-yes, right among the embers
and the cracking flames Ezra saw q
strange. beautiful picture unfold and
spread itself out like a panorama.
GLOW very wonderful" murmured
the young man. Yet he did not take
his eyes away, for the picture soothed
him and he loved to look upon it.
"1t is n pictur' OF long ago." said
Ezra, softly. 81 had like TO forget it,
but now it comes back to me as nat
raj us an Oh friend. An | seem to be
part OF it, an the ieelin' ofthat time
comes back with the pctur'. too"
Ezra did not stir His head rested
upon his hand and his eyes were fixed
upon the shadows in the freight.
"1t is pictur' OF the OF home, said
Ezra to himself. 81 am back there in
Belchertown, with the Holyoke hills
up north an the Berkshire emountains
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 G. 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
l,,s, +Il1 ,,e, o'ol,nl- ,,1 ,,o
must hurry; we're going to call by for
the Dckerson boys an Hiram Pea
body, an we've got to hvperl Brother
Amos gets on about half o. my clo'es
and get on bout hall o his, but 1T 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 90
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 oil
folks. The ground is frozen hard; We
stub our toes on the frozen ruts il
the road. When we come to the min
ister's house, Laura is standin' or
the front stoop, a-waitin for us. Lau
ra is the minister's daughter. She's c
friend o. Sister Helen 's-pretty as {
dagarr' 'otype, and gentle-like and ten
der. Laura lets me carry her skates
an Pm glad OF it, although have my
hands full already with the lantern
the hockies, and the rest. Hiram
Peabody keeps us waitin', for lie ha.
oversight himself, an when he come:
trottin' out at last the girls make fun
of him--all except Sister Mary, an
she sort O sticks up tor Hiram, an
we're ell so cute we kind O. calc'lat
we know the reason Why.
"And now," said Ezra. softly, 18th
pictur' changes; seems as if coult
see the pond. The ice is like blacl
lookin' glass, and Hiram Peabod,
slips up the first thing an down h
comes iickety split, an we all lang
except Sister Mary, an she says
is very imp'liteto laugh at other olls
misfortunes. Ough! how cold it is
and how my fingers ache with til
frost when I take Off my mittens t
strap on Laura's skates-but oh, ho'
my cheeks burn! And how careful
am not to hurt Laura, an how as
her if that's tight enough an ho'
she tells me list n little tighter al
how we two keep foolin' along till tn
others hev gone an we are left alon'
An how quick get my own skate
strapped on-none O your new-fani
led skates with springs an plates nj
clamps an such, but honest, oil
fashioned wooden ones with ste
runners that curl up over my too
an have bright brass button on tt
end! How strap 'em and lash 'el
and buckle em on! An Laura wait
for me an tells me to be sure to g
EN- on tight enough-why, bless m
after I once got EN- strapped on
them skates he'd come off, the feet WI
ha' come with 'em! An now ava
we go-Laura an me. Around II
bend-near the medder where ST Ba
ker's dog killed woodchuck la
summer--we meet the rest. we TO
get all about the cold. We run rae
and play snap the whip, an cut 8
sorts O. didoes, an we never mind t!
pick rel weed that is froze in on Il
ice an trips us up every time we c.
the outside edge; an then we DO.
lump over the alr-holes, an the gil
stan by an scream an tell
they know we're agoin' to drov
ourselves. So the hours go, an
is sun-np at last, an Sister Helen sa
we must be eettin' home. When !
get our skates off, our feet feel as
they were wood. Laura has lost h
tippet; lend her mine and she kind
blushes. The old pond seems glad
have us CO. and the fire-hangbirt
nest in the willer tree waves us GOO
by. Laura promises to come over
our house In the evenin', and so