St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-03-08
Selected Story.
THE PIG KILN FEAST.

dav," Hospitality bade the sprfghtly
mistress of the old black farm house.
"You amt never seen sech as that,
n mebbe you'll relish a pluck dinner.
Turnip sauce n onion sauce there'll
be, an punkin-law, the men folks
wouldn't touch pluck athout pun
kin. l shl want some little help,
too, an you'll earn your vittles."
We accepted this unique invitation
with outward alacrity, but inward
dismay, and, as we turned home
ward through the spicy pine forest,
with our trimming milk pals, spec
ulated fearfully as to what sangu1n-
airy details we were expected to as
sist in, nowise treasured by our
hostess's parting strident shout,
II know what my job'1l be afore-
hand-strip the fat off them hogs
guts!"
Monday came, calm and still and
bit hazy, as a typical November
day should be- On the rise by the
messy stone wall and not too near
the messy apple trees-fer every
thing about this hoary farm was
gray with lichens-the brush fires
were kindled that heated the stones
which were to keep up the tempera-
ture in the scalding casks. The
knives were sharpened, the gam
bles" and the chains and the scra-
pers were providentially heaped close
at hand, and the men folks stroled
STEWARD followed by the ever pre-
sent small boy reveling in anticl-
pative gore, while the women fed
indoors and stopped their ears. AS
they sat expectant IN this classical
attitude, suggestive OF sea-1slands
and sirens songs, a sudden heet1ng
picture of a chase sped across the
vision and vanished. A feeting
white specter, three dogs, a kitten
and four men in hot pursuit. From
his comfortable seat in the chimney
corner the aged patriarch of the
household, reused to passing inter
est, announced gleefully, THAT thar
hogs bust out! He'll gin 'em
chaseW More moments of suspense
followed, till the intrepid house
mistress, accommodating through the
pantry window, announced cheer
fully, There, one On 'em done for.
He's down and rollin'. Leave off
hoverin' girls, and We'll peel onions
till there's something more to see.
Them that amt got nOthin' to do,
go tend my settin' room fire"
This was indeed a state occasion,
with the fire redly glowing in the
best room. the waving contour of
its floor concealed beneath a neat
rag carpet with whole archipelago
of braided rugs. Old time paper
shades were at the windows, with
picture frames and a group Of neatly
framed coffin plates adorned the
walls, and the mantel piece bore a
pair of plaster stays with Sinking
faces, a china poodle and a white
squirrel, with yellow eye, eating a
scarlet nut. The cushions in the
wooden rockers had been freshly
shaken up, the floral handbooks,
memoirs and albums were ranged
in mathematical precision on the
black and scarlet table cover. The
sun poured in at the south windows,
and the distant hills and streams
showed clearly beyond the omni-
present pine forest setting. 1t was
a pleasant room. Company was
coming later to sit in it, but now
our work lay in the kitchen and we
returned to our vegetables.
In picturesque group by the soar
ing blue smoke and cracking flames,
the four men in their oyeralls and
most tattered raiment, assembled
round the first victim, and plunged
him into the huge cask, while their
commander with the sage air born
of experience, timed the moments
with jealous care for his withdraw
al while the brist were a the most
favorable stage for removal, before
they should be "sot." Laid peace
fully out upon a hand sledge, the
round scrapers put in their tonsor-
ial work and presently from a gray
and grimy, bristling and not over
fair victim, was evolved a corpse
peaceful and pure and pink and
white as a new born babe or piglet.
Momentarily piggy renewed his
youth. His face was washed and neat
~ shaver, and as he lay at rest with
closed eyes there was nothing in his
peaceful calm repugnant to the most
sensitive gazer, did one choose
point of vantage precluding the mark
of the fatal knife. These were no
hired butchers either, performing
their task with coarse and callous
tests. Two were the farmer and his
son, the other two a neighbOr and
his son, who had felt warm per-
sonal interest in the deceased from
their infancy upward, and treated
them now with the tender respect
due them.
The triumphant entrance of the
small boy later, bearing an inflated
bladder, announced that cutting
up was at hand, and indoors a
table was hurriedly set forth and
barred, and two-only two, luckily
for the novices-neatly sharpened