The record-union., 1893-02-17
TEE BACHELORS BANQUET.
written for the REcoRp-UN1oN by Mrs. Len
DOrnody


neat picket fence had put forth half
dozen fragrant blossoms as if in honor of
the occasion. Even Tom himself had
dressed with unusual care; clean-shaven
and in snowy shirt sleeves, he was still a
handsome man, although fifty-odd win
tors had passed over his head, leaving a
sprinkle of gray in the otherwise brown,
curly locks.
Tom was bachelor. and as all bachel-
ors are wont to do, he often boosted of the
freedom of his life. He was very domestic
IN his habits, as view of the cabin and
It's surroundings would soon show. The
gnarled fruit trees that almost hid the
cabin from view had often dropped bits
OF sweetness into the caps of the school
boys who had gone in on their way home
from school with pretense of paying
Tom visit, but in reality to visit his
orchard or garden. What an interest they
could manifest for his chickens, his horse.
ms cow, or the fat, lazy pig that grunted
away contentedly in the pen.
Tom would smile. 1t was little piece
OF deceit, he knew, but had he not been
boy once, and did he not remember how
welcome the first ripe fruit and early
vegetables were? He would always re-
member how he shocked his stately little
mother by returning home from school
with his breath laden with the odor of
green onions; but somehow his heart
would warm yet toward the boys who
treated him to those onions and the gen.
erous slice of fresh bread and butter that
accompanied them.
Tom was a miner, but he combined a
little farming with the mining, just as
many OF our farmers combine a little
mining with the farming.
Just enough farming to break the
monotony of miners lIfe,' he would
gaily remark, but many of the good
housewives would laughingly retort.
You mean bachelors life, Tom. You
must admit that the fowls and animals
are little company"
Tom knew they were right. but would
make no reply, although as age stole on
he could not help feeling the loneliness
OF his condition. True, he might have
taken in partner. There were Peters
and Johnson, his nearest neighbors,
worked together and lived together and
seemed to agree, but he did not seem to
care to live that way; he could never
quite make up his mind to do it.
Along the creek on which Tom lived
there were half-dozen other bachelors
who lived in much the same manner that
he did. In ''early days" there had been
thirty or forty, but time had brought
many changes. Some had returned to
old homes and ties, others had built
homes for themselves in other places.
while few had gone to their eternal
home. Only handful remained, and
these seemed bound together by almost
sacred ties.
1t may seem strange to you, but it was
holiday for the boys" on the creek
'Bachelor's Day." For dozen years or
more they had gathered at Toms cabin
and enjoyed together one day of the year,
which they termed Bachelors Day.
A peep into the cabin revealed the two
N Gal rAla
side by side and quite royalty spread for
the bachelors banquet. The floor was
still damp from its recent cleaning;
brisk fire burned in the fireplace;
benches and chairs were scattered
about; there was a bunk in one
corner neatly made up; a trunk with
double lock, which served to increase
lnquisitiveness. and above which hung
numerous articles of apparel in another
corner, time-worn fowling-piece in its
place on the wall, and a shelf for numer-
Gus books and papers. pipes, both ancient
and modern, and homely photograph
album.
\ rather homely picture, perhaps, but
Toms bachelor friends often twitted him
OF fastidiouSneSS.
Two rooms was rare thing, but Tom
had found 1t necessary to annex a little
shed kitchens some years ago, and
from it came the most appetiZing odors.
oven, two immense plum buildings
dubbed and swelled in boiler on the
stove, while fragrant coffee steamed away
i'll large tin kettle.
1t did look odd to see Tom busying
himself about the meal in his apron. but
there was just enough old English blosd
III his veins to inspire him to make "a
good English plum pudding and to eat
a good slice when it was made. Few if
any could excel Tom in making plum
pudding.
He took look at the pudding,
basted the turkeys and, satisfied that ali
was doing well, pared the potatoes and
squash and placed them in kettles ready
TO put on the stove as soon as the guests
should begin to arrive.
1t was rather early to expect them but
Tom could not refrain from going to the
door and looking up and down the trail
TO see if anyone was in sight Sure
enough, Peters and Johnson were lust
coming around the bend.
Tom FASTENED back to place the rest
of the dinner on the stove. He replen-
ished the fire, took another look at the
turkeys and buildings, and then went to
the door to welcome his friends.
Peters and Johnson wanted to look
around the orchard and garden a little.
Others were in sight. Tom was kept
very busy. Between watching the din
ner and receiving the guests there was
not moment to spare. AT length all had
arrived and all was ready. The two
tables actually groaned beneath the boun-
tiful repast. Turkey with its delicious
dressing, heaping bowls of golden
squash, snowy mountains of mashed no.
tatoes, fresh bread and butter two inn
mense apple turnovers, besides the plum
buildings of Toms own contriving and the
generous supply of pudding sauce. Then
came the fragrant coffee and hot cream
One cOuld hardly beliaVa his avao .pd
felt like hieing away to the little shed
kitchen TO see if there was not Mrs.
Tom hiding in some mysterious corner.
All sat down and did ample Justice to
the meal. Johnson was declared toast
master, and wit and laughter prevailed.
There was toast to the ladies, one to the
babies, and one for the bachelors free,
and the responses were all considered SO
good that note was taken of them and
they were all hidden away in Toms
roomy trunk, with its double lock, to be
handed down to posterity, they said.
At length Tom removed the modest
turkey bones. the eXcavated buildings.
the forlorn plates, and the other articles
that had made that table look so inviting
at first, and passed around a box
cigars, and placed box of tobacco on the
table for those who preferred their pipes
to the fragrant Havanas.
Then the smoking began. The cabin
was filed with the curling fumes. 1t
would have stified anyone else but a
bachelor.
Perhaps this is not in keeping with all
good peoples taste, but they must re-
member that this was bachelors BAN
ouet and that was just what those bache-
Tors did.
Peters was in jolly mood, but Tom
had grown rather. pensiye. He had not
entered into the spirit of the fun at all, as
10 bad baau wont to do. He had had the