Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-12-26
ADVERTISER.
Madame in Search of a Turkey.
A STORY OF CHRISTMAS EVE.

Just eighty years ago Hannah More gave
us the adventures OF Cosleb5 in search of
wife, and more than halt century has
elapsed since Captain Maryatt painted that
finest of his characters, Japhet In bis search
for father the closing days of the ninth
decade of the glorious Nineteenth century
have given us a story, which If Inferior In
interest and appealing to the sensibiiities of
fewer people. has at least the superior merit
of being strictly true and of resembling
closely the experience of many an Alexsn
d,ia housewife The "uulties" would not be
difficult to preserve in drama, for the
whole action took place within three hours
aud there were but two places Tor It,, Alex
autria and Washington. But, to the story.
Paterfamilias had invited his whole family
connection to partake of Christmas cheer.
Four generations of the family were to be
represented and he was Of course,
anxious TO have everything right.
He came into dinner on Tuesday and asked
whether all things were ready. Madame
replied that they were that the milk and
eggs had been procured for the eggnog; that
the sugar barrel was full :the cakeshad been
baked and allthiDgs were nudoubtedlyready.
How about the turkeys?' queried peter
families, ~ heard down street just now
that they had advanced i've cents pound
this morning" "Oh they're all rig ht.'
responded Madame, Mr.. - promised to
Thursday" well you'd better send for
them at once" was the anxious reply, "for
he may not have been abla to comply with
his promise I've heard that the coun
try people have killed but fsw, fearing to
! lose by them this warm, murky weather"
Then the serVitor was despatched post haste,
to gst the turkeys, aud little of a certain
| fluid Indispensable to the making of the
Christmas exhiarant, the purchase Of which
patelfamiias had reserved to himself. He
soon returned with the latter, but brough,
the fearful intelligence that Mr.. - was
unable to comply with his contract, for the
| former as there bad been but forty turkeys
brought 10 town and ons dealer had COB
bled" them all up and sold them at high
prices. Here was % jolly CO." as our Eug
lish friends cay, and CONSERVATION seized
that dinner table, 1t was declared upon
all sides, that an orthodox Christmas din
ner without turkey was impossible, and as
the family is decidedly orthodox, no such
heresy as the substitution ofany other Il ,sh,
fish or fowl, was for morO ent TO be thought
of. why" cried patesfsmilias, "PVe eaten
sixty Christmas dinuers and never once
without turkey, and I'm not going to do 80
now, if a turkey Cen be had for love or
money"
The serytor, who had been quickly de.
spatched to MAYORS Hill, 10 intercept cup
plies from the Hunting Creek road now
once more returned. with the dismal intel
ligeuce that no relief was to be looked for
in that qnarter, and after hasty council oil
} boIA oo1 D;th fav
dollar note and tickets for boass and care,
started out 10 search of turkey, with more
resolue determination than even Coelebs in
earch of o wife or Jspbet in search of
father Sac sailed rapidly down Prince
street and as she neared the GAZETTE Office,
saw, to her no small delight, countrymau
with turkeys in wagon. Hurrying on
after him che overlook him near grocery,
only to learn that they were sold to the
| grocer, but Interviewing the latter, she was
able to accomplish half her errand, by Sc
curing one. That, however, was far from
enough, 80 down towards the wharf
che HE'D There she utterly failed to
| supply herself and Was, in addition,
| Informed that if she went to Washington
| though she might succeed, she would fad the
prices m,re suitable for the Vanderbilts and AS.
tors than for the depleted pockets of an Alexan-
|
trudgsd TO the Express office, to be informed that
mono had been received there Next the w. & o.
depot suggested, and the tireless madame
| made her way there, only to learn that no moro
| fr. ght would come until THURSDAY. Some kind
! friend suggested another visit to the wharf, and
that paid fruitlessly then the market was
visited and sundry melancholy bodies of Thanks
| giving birds inspected; but not even turkey
famine could lead to their purchase, and then the
stores in that vicinity were searched ia vain.
None were even expected. To the wharf again,
1 but still the same cry, mo turkey to be had here
and famine prices in Washington" Nothing
daunted, madame at last took the ferry boat arm
ed with letter to dealer Oh Louisiana avenue,
and as 'the shades of night falling fast" she
arrived at her domicile III hack with the Alex-
andra turkey and one procured in Washington
| Tor lovo and money, to find that Mr. - had Sc
| cured and sont down his promised contribution to
| tho TOAST, and that her pluck aud perseverance
had secured four turkeys, while the tables of
| many OF her neighbors had neither breast q
wing. THE END