Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-22

Superlntend the fnlShlng touches Oh Ine
morning meal. and took her seat at the head
of the breakfast table, around which her
husband and ten children were already
grouped. "Only week to prepare for 1t
and nothing done yet"
Her utterance of the word Thanks
giving brought 4 look of eagar expec-
fancy into the face of every Bigelow
present, from the twenty-year-old son,
'Bijah. to little Hannah, the eighteen
months-old baby of the household, who, as
though she had had the clearest possible
notion OF the significance of the occasion
and the host of good things indissolubly as
ISOLATED with it, laughed and crowed and
ciapped her hands as she sat on the lap OF
her sister Faith
That sister was a rare type of New Eng
land beauty. The eldest of the large Bige-
low family, she had been passing fair' at
sixteen. but now, at twenty-five, the doml-
nant radiance of early youth was crowned
by pensive sadness that mdae ii still more
beautiful. Like many another New Eng
land girl, Faith Biglow's life had known
the romance of sailor lover-a fine, manly
fellow, some seven years her senior, to
whom she had BEEN betrothed Al seventeen,
and whose ship had been lost With all on
board three months before the Thanks
giving day set for their wedding.
But notwithstanding that melanc holy as
sociation, Thanksgiving was always joy
Bigelow, an industrious and prosperous
New England farmer, residing wherever
the reader chooses to locate him within
the great region bounded by the shores of
the Connecticut river, the Green mountains,
Mount Hope and Moosehead lake.
''Well, now, mother said Nh. Bigelow,
in response to his wife's observation. Il
should think u week was time enough to get
up Thanksgiving dinner, and Thanks
giving supper good enough for King George
himself
$50 'twould be-" answered Mrs. Bige-
low, IF we had anything i'll the house to
get it with, but We hain't bit of flour, nor
no meat for minCc pies"
Never YOU mind, mother responded
Mr.. Bigelow, well have a Thanksgiving
fit for the governor in spite of all that.
Last Saturday put into bag as good a
bushel of wheat as ever was ground.
'Bijah can take Il horse and carry it to the
mill this morniu', and you'll have prime
-four in a brace of shakes. We've got
plenty Of butter aud lard, and 'Bijah can
order your raisins, spices and SIGH at Brent
with's store on his way home from the mill
Deacon Story'S ;I-goin' to kill Il peef crltter
this mornin'. an I've spoke for quarter.
] calkerlate hundredweight of beef will
make all the miuce pies you want. We've
got lots of milk and five carloads of yellow
punkins i'll the barn for punkin pies, and
you think necessary. Now, go ahead and
make as much Thanksgiving as you please
and as fast is possible
The Bigelow household was an unusually
busy one from that hour. and when the all
important day arrived there had been pre-
pared such Il profusion of food as seemed
impossible of consumption in any one week,
much less any one day, by any single family,
even though it numbered, including father,
mother, children and hired help, some six
teen persons. Nor was it intended that it
should be consumed b. so comparatively
small number. The Bigelows had invited
au extensive company of their neighbors to
eat a THANKSGIVING dinner with them, and
had also made arrangements for giving
Thanksgiving supper and frolic to still
larger company of young people in the even
ing.
In all these preparations Faith, the eldest
daughter and mainStay of the HOUSEHOLD, had
borne 4 prominent part, though she felt
that they could bring little of joy TO her.
During all the eight long years that had
passed since the shadow of her great sor-
row had fallen upon her life, she had been
true to the memory of her first and only
love, though she had had many suitors, of
whom the claims of more than one had
been strongly urged by both her
parents. But she was one of those who
can love but once, and to whom
marriage with a save that first and only
love seems n sacrilege. Rebellious thoughts
often rose IN her heart. . What
have I to be thankful for!" she would ask
herself in anguish and bitterness of spirit
al the approach OF each recurring Thanks
giving Day chat should have been an ami
Versary of her wedding. " Shall ] give
thanks to God for having deprived me of
all held most dcar2'
Can he expect me to be thankful or to
believe IN his love and mercy" But the
strong faith implanted in her by many pre-
ceding generations of Puritan ancestors
would soon triumph over such doubts and
recontirm her belief in the goodness and
wisdom of God. and she would once more
resume the burden of life saying only, ut
might have been, but thy will be DONE
Now, 'Bijah, who's comm here to-
night Whom have you invited!' asked
Priscilla, the second daughter of the house
hold, a fair-hailed girl of eighteen. 1t was
drawing towards ne evening of ThankSgiv-
ing day, and many of the elderly people
who had gathered about the hospitabe
board of the Bigelows at dinner had retired
to their homes.
"Oh there's a lot on EN- I've asked
pretty much all the young folks about
here"
Have you asked Rachel Carver?''
Eyes. and what's more interestin' to you.
her brother DIN"
Dan doesn't interest me bit, : replied
his sister, coloring violently as she turned
TO leave the room.
"Wait a minute, Sis. l heard to-day that
he's waitin' on Hannah Lovejoy, but they'll
both be here tonight, and you can Judge
for yourself
Il won't believe it, exclaimed Priscilla.
'Is her brother Sam coming!"
But I'll wager big red pippin that
she'll come with Dan Carver
The day had been bitterly cold and the
mercury fell still lower as night drew on
But the Bigeiow boys kept the large fire.
place in the long dining-room, the fore
room and the "end-room,' well piled up
with good sized logs. and the blazing fires
sent warmth and light 10 every corner of
those apartments. And now the young
folks began to arrive. Rosy-chceked girls
in shawls, cloaks and tippcts. Stout boys
in round jackets, ami stouter boys in sack
and tailed coats. Mr.. and Mrs. Bigelow
sat i'll the forenoon with some of the mid
dle-aged members of their dinner party,
who had been invited 10 remain to supper,
while the young folks Were gathered into
the end-room waiting till the table should
be ready in the long dining room.
There's Dan Carver's BELLS said
Bijah, as Il merry tinkle was heard coming
nearer and nearer, and few moments later
Dan Carver. his sister Rachel, Hannah
Lovejoy and TWO strange gentlemen were
ushered in.
One OF the strangers was younr man Of
some twenty-threc years. He was OF
medium height and light build. and his
couutenance was singularly frank and win
ming. The other was tall. stout, OLD man.
Nf ma ha1