The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-11-16
RUTH'S THANKSGIVING.

Give me = good medder lot, or = field uhrra
the yallcr pumpkins j. ashinin' out smony
beauty, Guess it would be pretty long
while aiore snybody raises g crop O. rye
out o. the Adirondack"
And, after all, there was IN inkling
common sense in tho deacou's view
things
Mrs. Elam Skinner lived in . brown farm
house upon whose shinSled roof the gold
and scarlet maple-leaves rained down in
ruStling drifts At every sough OF the mel.n-
choly wind. There were not two such ma
Ple-trees along the whole shores of Cham
plain ~ those Mrs Skinnrr's grandfather
had planted in the Revolutionary DAYS,
when he never knew, coming hrIne at night
with his over his shoulder whether he
should not find his home heap of smolder-
ing cinders, with the of the szva.e red
skin where his babies cooing voices had
sounded nt the morning-tidr, lie was in
his grave, dust snd ashes long ago, but the
naples renewed their youth with sVery
year.
Mrs Skinner herself, a wiry compact little
woman, in a green ginghsm dress aud ~iEk-
ing spectScleS, sat darning stockings by the
blszc; for she thrifty dame, and
while she begrudged the wasted moments
OF twilight, she had no idea OF lighting n
candle until it WAS fairly aud squarely
dark.
Obed Cary occupied the cushioned rock
or oppsite, tall znd brown and loose-jointed,
with here znd there silver thread in his
dark hair snd hands WHERE the veins stood
ont like cords. hard-workiny man. and
man who accepted his inheritance of toll
with u sort Of grim satisfaction, he would
have Afforded no inappropriate type OF the
New England farmer OF the past generation,
he SAT there, erect and thin aud uneoIn-
promising.
And while her elders talked, Ruth Skin
ner sat clase sSsinst the chimney jSmb, a
tin-pan full of apples in her lap, pairing dill
frL
her sunny brown hair.
Ruth was small and dimpled, and exqui-
sitely fresh, like the rosy peach which
hangs the south wall after the 6rst
fruS;s, and she had violet-gray eyes, dark
entny into blue around the y" OF the
iriscs, and dewy, scarlet lips, and n slender
throat circled with string of red wood
berries; and, rs she worked, there WAS an
unconscious grace in her motions that made
you like 10 look At her.
"N.s," said Ers. Elsm skinner answer
ing the deacon's remark; Il Sec lt
dreadful unfortunate dispensstiOn that Mrs
Carry should bc took away"
-Four years ago this very MONTH" said
nc deacon, mrditStiv.ly; "four-yoarS-
NO NO. 4 household Of boys is tryin' thing,
Ats;; skinner"
should think it must be-" said tho wi
dow.
"And it's remarkable orderin, of Provi-
G-nce that should have six boys and you
six gals"
i 60, SAID MTS. skinner, breaking OIL q
ncediriul 81 gray yarn; but my gals has
all done we'll. AAlindv, she's married, and
lives in Burlington, and Sophrouy is teach
IN school cross the lake, and Ssrlh's At the
factories n Lowell, and Alrthes'I lived 10
Squire !!aU.- these two years, and kztc's
doing we'll ~ the millinery business, and
Ruth, she kind o makes hrr--if generally
useful 70 hum Ruth amt like the others;
she aims good for much"
The d1aron hitched his chair, with o
grating noisr, across the hearth, 10 get
better view at the littlo figure bending over
the pan of EpP!es.
''Sh-s good TO look pretty anyhow" he
SAID, with u rumhrous attempt ~ joke.
''llUuPL." sSId Mrs skinner, whose
spect Tor the merely ornamental Sa- ex-
treaely limited.
Il syo,e sarah and Sophrony's comm
horae on Tkanksgivin':'' h.zsrded Dir. Csp
rcv.
Nrs. Skinner nodded briefly
"Nall, thsts sort o. providentisl TOO"
said ths deacon, somewhat eHihsrass-d-
"is"in' you've got 30 many gala, nebGe you'd
spare one"
Spare oncg"
Eve hain't no women folks 10 our house
since EepsIb=h Duckett stole the spoons
aud went 20 Cdnady; and set my foot down
not TO hsVe more hired hep, and il was
sort o Iorlorn last ThanksgiVIn' Day, and
the boys, way, they missed the turkey, snd
So kind o thought u Miss Ruth wouldn't
object Z, come over and giners,lly hcv an
nlod1tIon."
"Pm wiIlin', n Rgth IA sid Ma skin-
ne-. comPosedly.
s'Ws've got as fine Q turkey n ever
squawkad," /" went on the deacon, ''and Jared
he fetched in pumpkin off the side-hill
lot, Jig<er'n i half-barrcl and bought a
peek o cTanberries from Hubby SImons, 50
Ii.-re ssin't no lack . thIas' - 10 with
" sat q " So, Miss Ruth?"s
PUth hung her head, and blushed ike
the PinS-ckeekcd apple she had Just taken
up.
T-I have no Objsccon. II mother thinks
d proper"
Proper" echoed Mrs.. skinner. -why
On aIrlh shouldn't 1t be proper? OF course
"Wall.' said the deacon, rising to his
lsnSy tullnr>. of height I'm sure I'm very
much OBLIGED To you, Miss Ruth, and 10
you. too. uiIrtn-"
"poH't be Ia . hurry, aid MrA Skinner,
hoS-itsblv.
Il saxSs ia better be goin'" decided Mr..
Carey There amt no tellin' what ms
chief tbs boys may be xettIn into afoTe /
get bagk. Boys will be boys, md they need
drrtiul sight o Watchin'. There amt no
body hut iather knows vhAs tGIker's
tcIEiE IL. Alrs- Skinner"
And the deacon went out with . gron.-
The deacon don't seem to realize that
his boys il men growed," said Mrs. Skinner,
as she ross 10 Light . candle. "Ain't you
most through with them appleA Ruth ?"
Ana DclGnn pDcti, piOuulnx hOucNHu
through the deepening dusk. with Lhs dead
leaves rustiIng under his teet, aud the
AIR biting like the stinss of million inn
nitc1Imal gnat,, thought Of Ruth SSInner's
rosebud face. AID wondered how il would
- "A
s-em to have her at 40 Carey farmhouse
for Il perpetual blossomIng OF Brightness!
81 aint so very old, arter ALL" thought
Iescon Carey. "and thers amt no law
e-Hin~t Q nIap's nlarryin' again. as ever l
h-ercd on. But she's young aud sk-ery,
and ! must drive kind O. slow at first. 1t
was good idea, that o mine. borrnwIn' her
Tor ThsuSsyiyIn'. Ruth, Ruth it's the prrt-
test gal. / couldn't think o. uoihin' but
the ittle strawberry apples on the ynsrly
tire ny the well every timo looked at her
cheeks BESIDES. she il ssvin' creeter, /
know, for watched her parin' them ap-
pies. snd she never wasted a grain. and
sh-S worn that brown caliksr ever since
last March,"
Aud the deacon chuckled as these thrifty
nctlitatiOns passed through has brain.
II was Thanksgiving morning. chill and
raw, with the submits of the Adirondack
vailed in siowly-driftins snowGakes, and
lake Chrmplain shining up with steely
Tiimme- where the bend Of the valley re-
Scaled its far-away surface
Bat the Carey homestead was nIl alive
with warmth and checriulncss aud red fire.
E.lt. II WAS huge, old-fashioned house.
with great smoke-browned rlfrerS crossing
and rccros,ns overhead, and curious wool
Cr vSin~co;inss halfway up tho walls. and
GId littlc thrce-corucred cupbaarls built,
~ II ly uirlice prctcnsc, in the most incon-
vcuicnt pla~cN, and freplaces thar gave You
the idr1 o. the rooms being only alter
thoughts and apPendages.
Little Ruth Skinner stood st the kitchen
table, white apron tied over the brown
calico dress which had awakened Deacon
Carcv'S admiration, and the sleeves rolled
uP above her round, white arms, stirring
somc fragrant compound of splcc aud rsis-
ins Und grunge peel, while 1--WE OF the six
Carey boys stood around surveying her.
IL. I.-... 4 L.. l.. -.