Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1892-12-17

ready, Mary Jane, you may call me and
| will instruct you how to stuff it with
oysters and season it with something
more modern than sage or thyme or
summer savory."
Modern? My goodness" repeated
Mary Jane Titus to herself as she sped
along the narrow slippery snow path,
with a thin, faded Highland shawl over
her hood. 81 wonder what fashion
won't turn up in next. Sam said last
night they were going to have new
cupola on the big barn, because this one
was out of fashion, and now sage has
gone out If my memory serves me
| right, oysters were made before sage,
or somewhere along about the same
time. Well, I'm thankful that such
things don't trouble me, and I'm glad
stuffed the old gobbler with sage, as
glad as l can be, for Mrs. Heath, dear,
good soul, will get him by the means,
and when the box is packed will slip
| in little note of my own, and tell her
| just how it came about"
Mrs. Heath, who with her husband and
her children lived in narrow, tucked
up fat in the city, had so many knick-
knacks to buy for the little ones, that
they might not be disappointed in their
gifts, that she couldn't afford turkey
for Christmas, and decided cheerfully
to tide over the day as well as she could
with a plain roast of meat and pud-
ding. The parents were trying to lay
by something for their children's school
ing, but any small lack in the din
ner should not spoil the festival for
them.
christmas in Massachusetts, wasn't
made much of when was SMALL" she
explained to the children as she went
on with her simple preparations. ''And
now l believe more in the Christmas
spirit all the year round than l do in
| the hurrah of one days special observ-
ance. To my mind the best thing about
| the day now is that at Christmas, SEN
sitive, poor, proud people can receive
things they really need without feeling
hurt. To be sure have never been re-
| membered much in that way. Thank
| the dear Lord, however, we are above
| real want, even if we have few luXu-
ries, and we have no relatives left on
| the earth to think of us at holiday time.
1t was different when l was young and
lived at the dear old roomy homestead
in the country. But Thanksgiving was
then the day of days." and the good
mother gave the children, who We're
greatly interested, detailed descrip-
| ton of the observance of that festival at
| the old home.
so what focks of fowls we saw there
| last summer!" said the oldest little girl.
Elbow fine it would be, mamma, should
! they remember to send one of them to
YOU and it would never be missed
among so many"
"They have great many things to
think of" replied Mrs Heath, land so
did my grandmother, for that matter,
but she always thought of those who
had less than she had herself, and in
vited her guests accordingly. Iremem-
Der, as if it were only yesterday, how
she used to stuff the turkey two or
three days beforehand, and set it away
in cool place so that it should be
thoroughly seasoned through
Just then Mother Heath was broken
off from her pleasant retrospection by
an expressman, who set a large covered
basket into the neat room, saying with
as pleasant smile as if the gift had
been from himself: ''All charges paidr'
with Cousin Jarvis Whitman's com
pliments," it said on the label, and
when with eager, trembling fingers the
lid was removed there was the plump
est, yellowest turkey Mrs. Heath had
set her patient brown eyes upon for
many a day.
Tied to one of the skewered legs was
fancy card on which was written:
Owing to the old-fashioned ignor-
ance of yours truly, in putting sage in
the dressing!"
On the opposite side under wreath
of blue forget-me-nots was printed in
gilt letters: Mary Jane Titus"
Mrs. Heath laughed a little, and then
she cried little as she took out the
turkey, finding beneath it bag of cram
berries, ball of golden butter, and all
the chinks filled in with big rosy apples
and plump hickory nuts.
IL don't care" she said, ''if it did
come about through a mistake of Mary
James. | am just as thankful as can
be to the Lord, and to my cousins, and
to Mary Jane Titus. 1t was the most
wonderful thing it's being brought just
as it was when we were talking about
the old farm. l will make the most of
it that can in every way, for it is the
first time in my life that have had a
turkey on Christmas"
She did indeed make the most of it.
She showed it to the neighbors, and
told them it came from the very farm
where she grew up, and that the dress
ing was seasoned with sage from her
grandmothers bed of herbs. But Mary
James card she kept carefully out of
sight.
On Christmas morning she put her
turkey in good season into the oven,
and set her doors and windows open so
that any passers in the narrow cross
street might know that one family
dwelling there was getting up Christ
mas dinner