The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-11-30
Pugh's views were confirmed.

Ana Pugh's views were confirmed, so
Tar that Fergus came back to New
Padua, and persuaded Ellen Markley
70 marry him then and there. If he went
to Arizona, she would go. And he went,
and she went. Fritz Ville-Fosse had
been written to, and he was only too
glad to see in place with his own eyes
ores which he had written about and
heard about for so many years. He was
even able, with the help Of his friends.
to contribute something to the little
capital of the trio; while Fergus was
doing his utmost, by way of wedding
preparations, to induce his friends also
to subscribe-for their own good, as he
believed.
So it is that the next Thanksgiving
day finds Mr.. and Mrs. Menet-that is
to say, Fergus and his wife Ellen
Keeping house in their adobe palace,
within sound of the bells of the old mis-
sion church of Santa Madre de los Re
medios And these bells, which men
said were two centuries old, We're ring
ing all that morning. Mr.. Pugh, who
was a guest. said that it was Saint
Jonathan's day; but this was his little
joke. He had been out with his gun
brought in two matchless turkeys for
the feast; and, while in every adobe
in the neighborhood Mexican women
were at work over their ollas or were
frying their tortillas, Ellen and Minna
Ville-Fosse found themselves recalling
the memories Of Mrs. Odonto's kitchen,
as they rolled out pastry, stewed the
great dice they cut from majestic
pumpkins, and performed other rites
of the annual mysteries Of New Eng
land
Mr.. Pugh could not be made to go
with Fergus to attend at mass, at the
service of the church of Santa Madre
Not he! He would watch those stupid
dogs who were building the chimney.
But Fergus was true, not so much to a
conviction, indeed, as to a sentiment:
and, with devotion quickened by graft
tude, and gratitude more grateful for
DEVOTION joined the queer company Of
dirty children, and mothers as dirty,
who kneeled before the broken altar
rail, as a swarthy priest in vestments of
equivocal character, elevated the host
and repeated what he could from a
liturgy which he could not understand.
Shall we blame Fergus if the prayer he
uttered in his heart of hearts was ac-
cOmpanied by the vows that these
mothers and these children should have
better chances in the future to come in
to a reasonable service to a loving
Father?
The elevation of the host did Fergus
no harm, to be sure. The hour he spent
in the old church was an hour which
watered and summed seeds which will
yet bear good harvest. At last he left
the odor of incense and other smells, of
garlic and of onions, which incense had
not smothered, and came out into the
sweet, open air, and stood on the great
slab in front of the church, to give
thanks again for air and sunlight, and
blue sky and health, and wife and home.
! AS he looked right and left he saw the
crowd of loafers, "greasers," and dogs
which announced the arrival OF a strang-
err He was not so far beyond the realm
of curiosity but that he walked toward
! the crowd, while a mOrose man would
| have walked away from it, Two horse
men appeared, as they might have done
in one of Mr.. James novels; and behind
them quite a train of burros-good, pa
tient creatures, with their packs. A
| horde of Mexican children surrounded
the party
The leading horseman touched his
hat to Fergus, who was advancing cor
daily to offer him the hospitality of
the village.
Can you be so kind as to point to us
the way to the mines of Mr.. Pugh or
Mr.. Menet?"
II am Mr.. Menet" said Fergus. hast
lily. And then light struck him; and he
saw-what the quicker reader has dis
covered already-that here was Fritz
Ville-Fosse in person. Warm was the
! greeting. eager the surprise unintelli-
gible the explanations why his letters
had not come in advance; and cheerily
did Fergus lead him to the adobe, where
they surprised Ellen and Minna. even
as they were dishing up Thanksgiving
dinner.
Many dinner had these six after
ward in the adobe house-now on the
fat Of the land, now on minced meat
made from the dinner of the day before,
and now on tortillas and hard tack,
as might be ordered for them in the
providence Of the good God; but never
was there breakfast. luncheon, dinner,
tea or supper (for the house was car
ried on on the five meal princple),
never was a crust broken in the daily
sacrament of a common meal. but that
first Thanksgiving day was remem-
erbed, and the memory carried a bles-
sing. That Fritz should actually come
in upon Minna when her hands upheld
a gigantic chicken pie; that she had
courage and persstency enough not to
drop it, in her wonder and delight;
that feast, and not famine, should be
his welcome-all this, and all that be-
longed to it, made the first Thanksgiv-