The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-11-28


hand: "How do you do, Aunt Sally?
You are going over to dinner, aren't
you? Mother is expecting you"
"Oh, yes; but here, want to intro
duce you to my nephew, John Gilmore.
John, this is Ruth Gray. 1t is to her
house we are going she explained to
him: "she will take care of you, and
make you acquainted with the other
young folks"
John, who was unaccustomed to the
society of Young ladies, instead of max
ing complimentary speeches about her
guardianship, bowed gravely, and
walked by her side across the road TO
the big gate which led into the
meadow. He opened it and let her
through, and found himself, with her.
following small procession, which
proved to be the "other young folks. J"
Ruth at first felt shy of him, as he
was city man, but soon concluded he
was bashful; and then, being naturally
kind-hearted, set herself to entertain
ing him by talking of the sermon, the
weather, and other commonplace top
les, untilthey reached the old-fashioned
farm house.
The dinner was brave affair. The
guests, some twenty or thirty, sat mt
one long table, graced with turkey, OF
course, cranberry sauce, potatoes,
white and light as snow-mound, half
a dozen kinds of vegetables, stands OF
plumy celery, luscious jelly, preserves
of every kind, and cakes; in fact, all
the prodigal profusion of a country
Thanksgiving dinner. To John the
browning glory was a goodly array of
pumpkin pies which graced the side
board. Ruth, with two of her young
friends, waited on them all, handing
the coffee, heaping the plates, and cut
ting the pie. This last operation John
watched with interest for pumpkin pie
cannot be cut properly by careless
hand. Ruth cut it with two quick
strokes, leaving clean edge of deli
cious custard and an unbroken crust.
After the repast John, whose reserve
had thawed under the inhu ence of the
good things of which he had partaken,
said to Mrs. Gray: You must let me
thank you for that delicious pumpkin
pie. 1t was as good as my mothers,
and that is the highest praise L could
bestow."
Mrs. Gray looked pleased and said
I'm glad you liked it. Ruth made it;
she was up at five o'clock so as TO have
them fresh. She says if there is any
thing detestable it is a pumpkin pie
with crust soaked till it is soggy"
The older folks had assembled in
the parlor, but the younger peo-
pie who had eaten remained in the
dining-room for the fun of waiting on
the walters" which John soon dis
covered, and thought he would like to
try. He found his way back, and was
soon busy filling the plate of Ruth,
whom he had elected to serve, so full
that she laughed and said: "Mlr. Gil
more, you must have great opinion
of my powers of digestion. He looked
a little leased as he contemplated the
pyramid he had just constructed, took
the vacant seat at her side and said to
her: 81 thought you might have an
appetite; making pies at six o'clock In
the morning is hungry work"
odd mother tell you that?" she
asked:
"No; 1 asked her, in a manner"
81 had my breakfast afterwards, 1"
said Ruth, "but you may bring me a
piece OF pie now, if you please"
He went to the sideboard TO do her
bidding. As i'll luck would have it,
there was none cut, so he took the
knife in his unskillful hand and held
fast to the plate, but not to the pie,
which went slipping to the floor spat-
tering him well in its descent. Ruth,
who had been watching him, saw the
mishap, which none of the others had
noticed came quickly TO the rescue,
and soon had the pie deity cleaned up
and in the kitchen, where she INDUCED
in the laugh, which her politeness and
sympathy for his discontinue for
babe, and no one the wiser.
You may be good lawyer, but you
are n poor butler, remarked Ruth.
The rest of the afternoon was spent
in walking about the fields, eating nuts
and drinking cider around the fire.
But the best part of the day was the
evening, for it was the custom of these
good people to stay till ten o'clock.
The long kitchen was cleared, and
every one, old and young, played
games in the Corner" blind
Mans Buff" and such like. Ruth was
blindfolded. Such scampering and
giggling, as she dashed wildly around
the rooml With arms uplifted, she
brought them down on the shoulders
of John, who, to tell the truth, made
no great effort to escape. With one
hand she clasped his neck affectionate-
ly, while the other slid down his nose
till it struck his mustache This set
tied the question of his identity, as he
was the only person present so adorned.
With her hand still unconsciously
about his neck, she took the bandage
off her eyes, while he, with an audacity
new to him, said, softly, "A delightful
situation, if it could only last longer. I"
Ruth, becoming conscious of it.,
blushed brightly and withdrew her
hand.
Turn around you are eau ght; have
to be it," quoth Ruth.
"Yes, and by you" he softly answer
ed, as he turned to have the handker-
chief bound over his eyes, enjoying the
sensation of making a pretty girl blush,
and his own newly acquired boldness.
The next day, as in duty bound,
4