The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-01-06
Our New Years Turkey.
by II. L. HOLLANDS.

lue lever vi Seueiosl'y nav laS
cd as the year drew near its end,
leaving the family purse IN "a col
Iapse,l condition. Our New Years
dinner promised to be failure.
My wife and l were discussing the
situation while we gazed upon The
drapes and ndies and bric-a-brac
and other useless articles that we
had received in exchange for our
annual contribution 10 friends and
relatives.
ave might afford a spare-rib,"
said she.
"Or II rrbb'i," SAID I.
"Wilh apple sauce and a plain
pudding" said she. "Bnt its just
horrible TO think Of a New Years
dinner Without turkey. Why
can't you 90 out and shoot wild
one, Tom? They're much nicer
than tame ones, you know"
Happy thought. My wife is a
remarkable woman, had felt all
along that she would find a way
ou, OF the difficulty. She always
does. She was born to he lead
er, aud | am willing 10 be led we
can gel along admirably.
| had recently won double
barreled, breech loading shotgun
al a church rattle, which had new
er used excepting Tor target prac-
,ice. My vile had great faith in
my skill as marksman.
Nov that you can hit the mark
three times out of five you surely
ought to be able TO kill Il turkey
, said this hopeful woman.
"Provided can find one" ] re
piled, "You know what some wise
men said long ago-'First catcf
: your hare"
. sob, yon can find one easy
enough. Pa used to kill lots q
\ them when was a little girl"
Al daybreak the next morning
: was tramping through a piece o
woods four or five miles from th'
: city. My progress was somewha
o slow owing TO the weight OF th'
o cartridges which carried.
Be sure and take enough am
muni'lon," my wife had said, fill
!. ing all my pockets with the heavi
K ly loaded brass shells. "Y0
S can. ted what you may com
It across. Pa used to say that ih
woods around here were full c
game"
+ Now my wife's father died twen
# # ty years ago, and the suburbs OF
N great city are apt to pass throuc
,r many changes in that time. Bu
the dear little woman was ne
aware of this when she loaded m
NJ down with powtlerand shot.
o, Ibagged II chipmunk, winged
A' woodpecker and mutilaied sever;
" V. smaller birds before saw an
" signs of the coveted turkey. A
last | sat down on a log near
~ brush fence that separated III
~ woods from a cornfield and bega
:. 10 eat one OF the sandwiches whiC
,o ,o my wife had tucked in among Il
IN cartridges.
" Away IN the distance | heard
rooster Growing, and nearer by IL
'l; sound of f1uttering wings, and u
ma rustling of corn leaves. The sonn'
~ grew more and more distinct AZ
"e y, l had about made up my mil
=, ~ that a flock of chickens were fo
M NJ, aging for their breakfast, when
heard The eulteral laugh of a tu
key gobbler. | sprang TO my fet
les res threw The half eaten sandwich
ny a stump, and ran 10 The opening
~. ill., the fence.
ny ny Shades of departed nimrotls
m Ihe what a sight
Ill IL. Turkeys single, and turkeys
60 eruups. Great bronze iellO'
iyil with their faniails ou'spread, al
nco their spotted wings scratching /
ground. Long-legged, awkwal
~. half.grown Youngsters, scarce
e o,s on, Of their pin feathers. and
NV NV half dozen or more plump beauti
% t.. as white as snow. | was son
rhe what surprised when | saw the
ars al first, but | happened 10 rec'
Ing lhe fact that my vile, who "
,cd, we'll posted in such matters, h
Of told me that certain game BIZ
nci- changed their color as the seas
advanced. II was a wise prov