The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1896-11-25
NO. 49,.

days, but i,ss5 woLIuIit Iiear nOthIn OF
it. So sot down by the old open Frank.
lin stove (Which was the first improve
ment on the fireplace we ever had, an
didn't consume so much wood) an give
myself up to a good solid rest. Sally,
she hustled about TO git dinner, an [
knew it would be q good one, for she
was the best housekeeper in the town of
Hambleton. Well, along about noon,
Liz beth Ann, their only dartor como
in an invited us out to the big dinin
room, where the table was sot. Now,
Liz beth Ann was what ye might call
an old maid, bein then about 80 or
Whereabouts, an was fidgettier'n settin
hen-allers havin some sort of head
ache, or crick i'll her back, or somethin
Of that kind-but she was as good as the
av'rage old maid anywhere, an real
sympathizin, alters goin round askin
ye what allied ye, an if ye wouldn't
have little catnip tea, or peppermint,
takin it for granted that ye must have
somethin the matter with ye.
but there was the big table, all
a-shinin with silver an decorated with
green stuff with red berries (some of
'Liz'b beth AIMS work, who alters had
sort Of hankerin arter mater, as she
called it) an with big gobbler turkey
at both ends. In the center was such
strappin big roast (for Cousin Izry did
a little butcherin on his own account,
an knew what good meat was) an side
dishes till ye'd "a thought there want
nothin in the way of vegetables an SIGH
left on airth. Cousin Izry, he sot at the
head Of the table, an Cousin Sally at
the foot; betwixt 'em, ON one side, the
majors family, consistin of himself an
Aunt Mary Ann, their darter Samarin-
thy Jane and her husband, an ON the
other, four Of us, includin fisher an
me an two neighbors.
well, what with the visitors an all,
there was 10 of us to the table. An
Cousin Izry's Oldest son Dan'l, he up
an said: Ma, we won't have no sort of
luck this year. They's jest 10 of Us
here. I'll git up an eat in the kitchen
l see LIB Ann fidgetin with her
napkin, an Cousin Sally turn kinder
pale like, but the major, he up an
roared out with voice you could "a
heard a mile: 'Pshaw, Dan'l, don't be
a fool. There amt no bad luck in odd
numbers. Set down, ye numskull or
I'll trounce ye.' So there want nothin
to do but keep right ON a-eatin, an
must confess that / didn't let no fear
of bad luck interfere with my appetite,
for them turkeys was done to turn, an
the chickens was so tender they almost
fell to pieces when you p'inted at 'em.
An as for the Injun puddin-myl 1t
does beat all what an dedicated cook
can turn out of brick oven We can't
cook an Injun puddin no other way to
save yer neck N to let it set in brick
oven heated overnight with good hem
lock wood. Then there was the punkin
pies, yaller rs gold an two inches thick,
an the custards, an the pandowdy, an
the dewdups peaches an pears of Cousin
Sally's own preservin)-why, it was
well nigh 4 o'clock when we got
through an went into the settin room to
crack walnuts an butternuts on the and
irons.
'Well, mother, after we've said an
done all, don't secs ye've proved any
thing. Whatever happened, anyway"
Happened, Kitty? Why, everything
happened. There was Samwell, he was
run away with an broke his neck Dan'l
he up an had fever an died; Liz beth
went to the 'sylum; Cousin Izry an
Cousin Sally are dead the majors gone,
too, an Mary Ann, s wells Samarinthy
Jane; an there amt more'n three of us
left out of the hull ID that sot down to
that dinner at Cousin Izry's. If that
amt onlccky, then what is, I'd like to
know?'
But weren't there any young folks
at the dinnerp | asked, availing myself
of the silence that ensued TO say a word.
"No, Benny; not what ye might
call reel young, Samwell, l s'pose, was
the youngest, an he was clus on to
Liz beth AIMS age, p'raps about As. "
''And how long ago was it, auntie?"
''HOw long? Lemme see. Itwas three
year before Hitty was born, AN that
would make it,
"Motherl Ye do beat the Dutch!
As if this boyd care how long twas!
Here, Benny, take a cooky and run
along; it's gettin late, an your folks
will want ye l declare, mother, I'm
of ye, film his head with
such notions As said when ye begun
that long rigmarole, there amt no
number onluckier n another. So therev"
BEN BowDoN.