The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-12-13
Mrs. Burr's Chicken Pies.
Bv Matte w. Baker.

BY Matte w. BAKER.
II am not going to make any
chicken pie for thanksgiving this
year" said Mrs. Burr, vigerosly chop
ping mince meat for pies.
Why not mother asked Ellen, look
| ing up in surprise from the ralsens
she was stoning.
For Thanksgiving without chicken
pie was an unheard of thing III the
Burr family.
Because I haven't the chickens to
spare. You know we had dreadful
poor luck raising chickens this year,
what with the hawks and Mrs. Ma
lonie's old cat.
There are only seventeen lett now
and that is not somany as we usually
winter.
"What will poor black Joe's folks
do?
You have always sent them chick
ell pie at thanksgiving"
"I know and feel the worst about
them. 1 presume they will miss 1t.
but don't see as 1 can help it,"
"Willie has walked up" said Ellen,
as fretful cry was heard in the bed
room.
"Yes oh dear! he hasn't had any
nap at all, and he has been so cross
all day, l was in hopes he would have
a good long nap SO 1 could get this
mince meat all ready to bake my pies
tomorrow morning."
Ellen put down her work. went in
and brought out the crying four year
old. w
"Can't he 60 out doors little while
mother? she asked. Its real warm
Ii in the sun this afternoon"
"Well suppose he might. Maybe
j it'll do him good, if he don't get cold
Be sure you wrap him up WE'LL q,
Does Willie want to go outdoors ="
said Ellen, coaxingly. Well, don't CRY
any more, them"
Willie's crying ceased, and he mop
ped up his face with his fat, dirty hant
while Ellen put on his cloak and tam
lo-Shanter cap.
"Now where are your mitteps ?" sh'
asked.
II knows he said in very differen
ltone from that Of q few minutes before
'sThey are in the bedroom on the buwo
I get lem and off he trotted, comm!
back in a minute with the little re(
mittens in his hand.
"Put 'em on my own self " he salt
grandly, and Ellen opened the door II
let him out.
The sun shone warm there ut th'
south door, and Willie sat down OF
the steps to put on his mittens, know
ing by experience that there were ap
to be crumbs where Willie was.
He went to put on mitten and ou
fell his mothers string of gold beads
Nobody knew better than Willie no"
thew come in there. He had been play
ing with them Just before his nap.
| The string had broken that morn
ing and careful Mrs. Burr had taken
them off her neck and laid them OH
the bureau for repairs. And now as
the beads fell on the ground one bead
came off the string, and chicken
gobbled it at once for kernel Oh
corn.
An idea siezed Willie. He would
feed the chickens! Picking up the
beads he pulled one at time from the
string and threw it among them,
Laughing to see them scramble Tor
| it.
Presently Ellen opened the door to
see what Willie was laughing at:
"Mother Burrv' she cried "He's
feeding your gold beads to the chick
ems u' :,
Mrs. Burr rushed out; Ellen took
the string. Only eleven beads left on
it :.
"My mothers gold beads and her
mothers before her" gasped Mis-
Burr.
"Help me to drive these chickens into
the carriage house, Ellen. They have
all got to die, and the men folks are III
the woods"
They surrounded the chickens and
drove them in. The rolling door shut
with a clang, and Mrs. Burr, though
one of the most tender hearted o.
women, wrung all these seven necks tt
find every missing bead in their sever
crops latter on.
So the Burr family had chicken
pie for Thanksgiving, after all, anc
b black Joe's folks had one, too.