The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-11-28
TR0TTIPER'S TURKEY.
ny JOHN HABBERToN,
Author of "Helen's Babies" etc, etc.

ment' room which was the parlor, re-
ception-room and dining.room of the
family
True enough, Bess," said Ned, tax
ing his pipe from his mouth and throw
ing an arm around his wife's shoulders.
"Im ever so glad, too; it'll be an extra
holiday, beside Sunday, TO break the
week. One extra day with my wife and
Youngsters is so much clear gain"
Mrs. Trottiper raised a hand TO meet
one which was caressing her cheek.
Hers was pretty hand, in spite of some
years of close acquaintance with dish
pans and washtubs. Her husband seemed
to think so, for although he did not look
at it, he laid aside his pipe and brought
the soft, warm hand right over his lips.
How long he might have kept it there
nobody knows, for he was an old.fash
ioned fellow. But as he adored it, in a
manner which does not require detailed
explanation, his wife continued:
II wish we could have real Thanks
giving dinner. don't mean for my own
sake-I could be happy on bread and
water, when think of all the blessings
enjoy-but-but--"
(which 'but?' dear girl"
But the children, Ned they hear
other children, at school, talk about
Thanksgiving dinners, and they ask
questions, and don't know what to say.
just don't care l don't believe the
other children at school ever have any
thing good to eat except at Thanksgiving
and Christmas, else why do they talk SO
much about eating2"
Like enough you're right, dear girl.
! People who put on airs in one way are
sure to pinch themselves in another.
There's lots of humbug about most
| people who pretend TO be better off than
other people. I'm only poor type.
setter, but fellows down in the counting
room, who don't make as much money
a week as |, are wearing stylish clothes
and smoking cigars instead of pipes.
They're simply putting on airs"
I'm sure that is so, but | can't ex.
plain it to the children. Freddie talks
about roast turkey and cranberry sauce
and celery, and two or three kinds of pie
and champagne"
THE depraved young gourmand I"
"Yes, but he keeps on talking abou
them, and haven't the heart to tell hin
we can't afford them. He thinks hi
parents are as good as any other boys
and he can't see why he shouldn't expect
everything the others talk about"
"Confound the others 70 growled Ned
II feel the same way" said Mrs. Trot
tiper, 'but it is hard thing to explain
to children. ] know perfectly well tina
we can't afford it. I've helped ciphe
up our income and expenses often enougl
to know"
"That my pay has to be laid out almos
| 4 II nd q
of economizing; that's what you know
isn't it2'
"And that whenever we've indulged /
any luxury. no matter how small, SOM
one has suffered afterward."
'"If l could get an extra job some
where" said Ned, arising, pacing tn
floor, and resuming attention to his pipe
"Pd work long hours to make two o
three dollars extra"
"Don't try that" said the wife. "Yo
know how often you've done it, only {
be no better off in the end. You can
do good work more than 50 many hour
day"
Human nature-when it's man s.
is awfully weak stuff, isn't tr' groane
Ned after desperate pull at his pipt
He was so silent for the remainder of tn
evening, that his wife said, as she turne
, out the light:
, Don't think any more about it, dea
! If the youngsters get real full of Iris
stew on Thanksgiving Day, and hay
some apples afterward, and you tax
them out for walk, they won't con
plain"
Ned laid awake several hours tn
g night, 80 next day his proofs in the con
n posing-room were so "dirty," that l
lost dollars worth of time while co
recting them. All his thinking, hoy
: ever, did not make the desired Thank
= giving dinner more visible. He becam
so excitable as the day wore on that |
}. felt equal to any amount of extra worl
SO he haunted newspaper offices tn
night, awaiting a chance to replace SON
regular compositor who might want
n be absent, but, perhaps, all the reg
!, lars" were thinking of Thanksgivir
8 dinners themselves; certainly none
- them left their stands. Worse still--for b
pocket-he met an old friend out of wor
>, and he lent him q couple Of dollars.
" reached home in dismal frame Of min
# us he realized that the great nation
v feast was to be held only two days late
g He made another bad day in the col
posing room, which seemed to make Z
desired dinner more improbable than /
a fore. At night he roamed through Il
~ four rooms of his little house, hoping
~ find something which could be sold wit
~ out the family missing it, for enoul
money to buy the dinner the childrt
~ longed for. But there was nothing; fai
ilies who live in four rooms have
y superhuities; The only thing that he cou
ot see that was not in almost daily use, W
20 alg.tl ~. haI hsl