The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1894-12-01
A THANKSGIVING EXPERIENCE

sWaS HEY were a very
0sfM young couple;
VtYJ ID that accounted
NV forit largely, and
ESAAA eaSAxDA while the affair
ksNSssHHkAsM was certainly lu-
EHTsS "r1NMsA dicrous it was not
TAs5N1NxaA without q touch
N SSTHsSEStM of pathos. They
Nhn AgNSSsAsASAN2 both declare that
AssssY NIff$ssHN they have better
fS> u EsNA sense now, and
tfSsE,hAtlb >1AsA wy that the like,
eaHStstsH - with them at
least, shall never occur again, 80 there
can scarcely be any harm in telling all
about it.
When they went to housekeeping in
a modest way In n fashionable street
in the national capital rents were not
so high as they are now. They had
many friends, some of them very
wealthy ones, and, as her entire life
had been spent in Washington, she felt
that q chaege from single to double
blessedness would not alter things ma
terially.
While the streets and hcr friends re-
mained unchanged there was u certain
~indefinable something that shaped it
self presently-she could not entertain
as she had been used to in her fathers
house; neither on such a scale, nor
with such lavish hospitality.
She fretted u little, ut first quietly,
then she confded her woes to her hus-
band, for she told him everything, and
he, good fellow, TOOK it very much to
heart.
BENG a lawyer without any consid-
cradle practice, for he was Il young
man in his profession, he did not sec
his way out OF it in that direction. But
the idea suddenly struck him that he
would try to get SOM kind of an Of
friends in the political world, and it
appeared quite clear sailing. 4
The plan met with his wife's prompt
approval and she concluded on the spot
to begin the siege by giving a Thanks
AiNAAE AAh'iSA ia pSopiS aLLiKhO
have thought it wiser to first get the
desired position and then give thanks,
but she looked uponit differently, from
the point of view Of the almanac as it
were.
A presidential candidate had just
been elected and would take his seat
the following March. The minister of
the church they attended was also the
pastor and intimate friend of his ex-
cellency-eiect, ind it seemed very
fitting and nuspicious that he, together
with his wife, should be honored
guests. There was also q certain dis
tant cousin of the successful candidate,
a very pompous old lady with a terrible
predilection for her neighbours affairs,
whom it was considered wise to uslt,
and to entertain her there was young
Mr.. de Fost, who led cotiliions aud gos-
sip with equal facility.
While Mrs. Grimm had very pretty
glass and china, in keeping with tho
rest Of her modest establishment, it
did not seem grand enough for such a
distinguished and critical company, SO
she borrowed her mothers service,
from the silver soup tureen to the nut
cracker.
This plan was readily feasible, as
her parents took dinner with m elder
sister upon that day. No sooner was
this arrangement completed than IL
seemed very out of place to let Fanny,
the colored maid, wait at table with
such accompanying mugnificence-they
ought to have n butler. They got one
in the person of Fanny's father, who
had come up from Manassas junction
to spend the day with his family and
that was where the trouble began.
He was an eminently respectable old
man, and when he had gotten himself,
after much %groaning and the assist
unce of his wife, the cook, into an old
dress suit of Mr.. Grimm's, he looked
as If he knew the proper thing to do.
which was far from the case. His
wife had been doubtful from the first.
"Iie kin drive n kerrige just lovely,
know nuthin' bout waitin.'"
But Fanny can drill him." MISC
Maria had said, nirily, us she set out to
Thanksgiving services in company
with her husband.
Fanny, dressed in Il new gown aud
with n huge white cap on her very
black head. admitted the guests with
q gravity Of countepance that would
have bctitted u servitor of fifty years.
Fanny hadfwoeful m~isgivings. Jupiter,
her father, had not proven Il very apt
pupil. He asked many strange ques-
tions after he had insisted that he knew
everything. The buffers pantry was
too smnll to hold them both, or she
would have remained by her parent
during the ordeal: but she stationed
herself at the foot of the dumb waiter
to admonish In stage whispers if neces-
sary.
Jupiter wiped the perspiration from
his brow with u red bandanna aud car
ried the silver turcen. With the excep-
ton that he put his thumb in Mr.. de
POSTS soup and then wiped it dry with
his b%andanna, that portion of the ban
quet progressed f%avorably. But when
the raw oysters were served he took a
plate of macaroons from the sidebonrd,
and, doubtless installing them for n
new variety of crackers, gravely Of
fered them. The hostess flushed vio-
lently and tried to distract attention
from her husband, who, though he said
only a few words % Jupiter. had looked
such unutternble things as to cause
him to drop the dish on the side board
with u bang. Presently. lie barely
grazed the minister's head with the
turkey platter. Feeling that energy
might compensate for the v%acuity ex-
listing in his mind, Jupiter proceeded to
ply every one with the dishes on the
table. Sailed almonds and bonbons
careered about the board with light
ming rapidity. He even grasped the
macnroons again, but q sudden mis-
trust seemed to seize him and he
dropped the dish. He was breathing
heavily and zach moment his unwonted
apparel seemed to grow smaller for
him.
The hostess strove bravely to appear
Us if this was u daily occurrence in
every well regulated household, and
that u stream Of gravy extending across
the cloth and down a breadth of her
best gown was merely an adjunct Of
Thanksgiving. The host forgot all tho
speeches he had intended to make in
praise of the president-elect and all tho
subtle antcnnm of diplomacy that he
was going TO put forth to the minister
by way Of ~stnrting affairs. He could
only feel rather than see, for he scarce
dared look up. Tint Mr.. de Post and
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS cousin were ator-