Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-12-23
THE LOST CHURN.

How an All Winter Mystery Was Solved
lin the Spring.
Somebody's got to stay home from
church" said Hulda.
Hulda was the girl who helped in the
kitchen at grandpa's.
''Home from church on Thanksgiv-
ing dayr' exclaimed grandpa, shaking
his head, Flows that?"
ITS cause Mr.. Roberts got to go in
the train this afternoon" said Hulda.
"Wc,vc got to have dinner earlier"
Cant it be managed any other way?"
asked grandpa.
81 don't see how" said Hulda. 81
could put in the turkey and make big
fire, but somebody's got to be here to
open the damper just the right time"
This was a serious business Grandpa
and grandma wanted to go because
they had never missed going on Thanks
giving. as longas they could remember
Tony's father and mother wanted to go
because they were at the old home on o
visit, and liked to go to the old church
and see old friends Hulda wanted to
go because it was Thanksgiving.
'Ill stay" said Tony.
"Oh, don'tsbelieve you could do it,
dear" said grandma "You are so lit
tle"
I'm six!" said Tony, proudly. 81
shall be seven next Thanksgiving"
II do believe he could pull out the
damper all right" said Hulda. 'He
always does just as he is told"
eyes, always" said grandma.
And by reason of this good character
Tony was allowed to stay home.
snow I'll make my snow man." said
Tony, looking with satisfaction at the
big sleigh as it drove away with it's
load.
The snow had fallen foot and half
deep two or three days ago. To-day it
was thawing little, and Jacob the
farm boy, told him it was exactly right
for making snow man.. and Tony was
afraid that if he waited till afternoon
it would be too soft.
He worked as hard as six-year-old
boy could work, remembering just at
the right time to go into the great
kitchen and pull out the damper as
Hulda had told him; and by the time
the others came from church there it
was. splendid fellow, legs, arms, head,
nose, chin and all, waiting for few
finishing touches from Jacob.
| The turkey in the oven was baking,
too, just as a Thanksgiving turkey
ought to bake.
Jacob touched up the man, while
Hulda touched up the turkey. He made
u hat for him, o difficult thing to do
and ended by putting a pipe in his
mouth.
But Tony was Band-of- Hope boy
and would not allow that.
1t froze hard that night, and in tn,
morning the snow man was as solid a.
n rock. He had come for the winter
Jacob said.
you'll have to get along with the
snow man" said Tony, when grandmI
was wishing him good-byI but grand
ma thought the snow man would yer,
poorly fill the place Of her merry
laughing little boy. tar -
Whats become of the churn?' 'aslSe,
Hulda, the day after all the Thanks
giving visitors were gone. "lt's gone.
ut must be in the shed where yo'
/, put it." said grandma.
II should "a said so myself" sal
Hulda, hut I've hunted high and 10,
and it isn't anywheres.n
"We haven't churned for week
said grandma.
No, cause the company wanted al
the milk and cream. But | want +
churn now, and where that chnrn ca
"a went to beats me"
; 1t was most surprising mystery
, Grandma and Hulda hunted throug
, the whole house. Jacob hunted throug
barns. stables and graparies, and the
came in declaring it couldn't be any
where except in the shed, and must b
there. But his saying so did not max
, it so.
: After every nook and corner of tn
place had been searched everybody de
clared the ehurn must have been stoler
All winter loag the snow man stoo
in the irUnt yard Sometimes a littl
thaw would come, and he host his nos