St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-26

BEN you've got so many gals, mebbe
you'd spare one"
a"Spare One?"
We halnt no women folks to OuI
house since Hepsibah Duckett stole the
spoons anu went to Canady; and I set
my foot down not to have no more hired
help. and 1t was sort o. fOrlOrn last
Ihanksgiyin' day; ana the boys, why,
they missed the turkey, and so l kind
o. thought if Miss Ruth wouldn't object
to come over and gineralIy hev an eye
to things it would be a sight O. OccOm-
notation"
Pm willing. if Ruth is" said Mrs.
Skinner, cOmpOsedly.
We've got as fine turkey as ever
sQuawked," went on the deacon. and
Jared he fetched in a pumkin off the
sidehIll lot, biggern' half barrel. and |
bOughta peck O. cranberries from Huldv
SlmOnS. so there Amt 10 lack o. things
to do with. What dye say, Miss Ruth?''
Ruth hung her head, and blushed like
the pink-cneeked apple she had Just
taken up.
II have no objection. If mother
thinks it proper"
Proper" echoed Mrs. Skinner.
"Why on airth shouldn't it be proper?
OF course it's prOperw
wall" said the deacon. rising TO his
lankY fullness of height. I'm sure Pm
very much obliged TO YOU, Miss Ruth.
and to you, too. marm.'
Don't be i'm hurry" said Mrs. Skin
ner, Hospitality.
i guess I'd better be goin',' decided
Mr.. Carey. There amt no tellin' what
mischief the boys may be gettin' into
afOre l get back. BOYS will will be bows.
ana they need a dretful sight o. watch
il'7
Dear, dear" sighed the widow.
Jared he wants to wear his Sunday
clothes to singin' school, and John
wants Spendin' money OF his own. and
Joseyfhe sticks out fort he's got a riglIr
/ TO burn candle arteT 10 at night eff he's
mind to, and Lewis he buys picture
papers every week. as if money gr0wed
on blackberry bushes. and DO feel 10
get most discouraged sometimes. There
amt nobody but father knows what a
fathers trials IS. Mrs. Skinner
And the deacon went out with a
grOan.
The deacon don't seem to realize
that his boys IS men grOwed." said Mrs.
Skinner, as she rose to light a candle.
Amt you most through with them
apples. Ruth?"
And Deacon Obed. piOdding home
! ward through the deepening dusk. with
the dead leaves rushing under his feet
and the raw air biting ike the stings
OF a million lniniteSimll gnatS. thought
or ruth SINNERS rosebud face. and
wondered how II would seem 10 have
her at the Carey farm house for a per
petual poisoning OF brightness!
Il amt so very OLD. arter all. - thought
Deacon Carey, land there amt no law
AGAINST MANS IN, Z
heered on. But she's young and skeery.
and must drive kind q Slow at first.
1t was good idea, that o. mine. borrow
IN her for IhanksgIyin'. Ruth, Ruth.
II 5 the prettiest name gOin', and she's the
prettieSt gal. l couldn't think O. nOthin'
but the little strawberry apples on the
quarry tree by the we'll every time
looked at her cheeks. Besides. she's q
savln' creeter, l know, for l watched
/ her parn' them apples, and she never
wasted grain. and she's worn that
brown caiiker ever since last March,"
And the deacon chuckled as these
thrifty meditatiOns passed through his
brain.
1t was Thanksgiving morning. chill
and raw, with the submits of the Adj
rOndacks yelled in Slowly drifting snow
fakes, and Lake Champlain shining nm
the valley revealed its fara-way sur
face. The leatieSs trees seemed to stand
shudderlng In the blast-the pines and
hemlOcks. their needle-like foliage
transformed into thousand moaning
wlnd-harps. tossed their green crests
10 and fro. like human creatures grop-
/ ing 0llndly for help in some awful strait.
Nature was chanting her Miserere. and
| the grand mountains seemed to listen iu
silence.
But the Carey homestead was all
alive with warmth and cheerfuiness
and red freight. 1t was a huge, old.
fashioned house, with great smoke.
| Drowned ratterS crossing and recrOss.
ing overhead. and curious wooded waIns.
cotlngs halfway up the walls, and
ODD little three-cornered cupbOards
built, as if by malice prepense
in the most inconvenient places. and
/ treplaceS that gave YOU the idea of the
rooms being mere afterthOughts and
appendages. Nor was the furniture a
whit modern. The chairs. tall and
/ claW-legged, tipped you inhoSpiabiy
forward; the looking glasses warped
/ and twisted your features into a
/ deathblow to ali vanity: the chest OF
/ drawers stood in a high-shOaldered
/ manner against the walls, with Argus
/ eyes of brass, ana the Old clock on the
! first landing of the stairs licked a SLOW
/ mournful monotone, which would
have driven hypOchOndriac mad.
Little Ruth Skinner stood at the
/ kitchen table. white apron tied over
! the brown calico dress which had awak
ened Deacon Carey's admiration. anC
the sleeves rolled up above her round
! white arms. stirring some fragant com
/ pound of spice ana raisins and orange
peel, while five Of the six CAREY bows
I stood around surveying her. as five tai
! barn-door fowls might stare at a golden
pheasant or Seabright bantam.
Boys, boySl" crOaked the deacon
! emerging from his room, in the glorie.
of blue suit with brass button. and
pair of shirt-eollaFs that held his chiI
up at an angle of 40 degrees; ''yt
haven't no more manners than a pacE
of gypsiesl Miss Ruth, don't mine
| 'em."
"Oh, don't, 1 assure you, SIR" saiC
Ruth, laughing. Lewis. please give
| me the iron spoon from the aail by tn,
| dresser"
II wish you wouldn't call me SIR
said the deacon, with what would hav,
! been a tender glance if the shirt collar.
would have admitted OF it.
Ruth arched her pretty eyebrows.
What shall call your"
''Cail me Obed," was trembling on tn,