Evening star., 1897-02-27
THE HOllY-SPR|G SPOON
The Singular Loss and Recovery of
Precious Heirloom.
BY EDWIN @. MARTIN.
Copyright. 1897. the s. s. Mcclure Col
-ritten for The Evening Star

Copyright. 1897. the s s. Mcclure Coz
Written for The Evening Star.
Winter. when II fell at Osceola, fell with
amplitude. If you stood the upper
bridge-a high. open bridge-you the
canal stretching far up and down, level
trench of snow. its whiteness emphasized
here and there by patch of brown earth
showing from some underwash in the
banks Southwark. at the center of the
town. file of 1ow-decked boats lay SOL
dered 10 their wharves by snow-covered
ice In the near fields to the north the
white ridges. piked with last years corn
stalks. suggested to boys ard dogs rich
possibilities in rabbits. The like posi-
bilities, though in lesser degree, were sug-
gested by the nearer common, tllckly be-
strewn as its white surface was with black
hanked logs. lying there each under its
long. narrow napkin of snow until the
iron-toothed gourmand, whom one could
Lear Wheeling at his feast from over on
the river bank, should be ready to have
them served to him. and the rows of foot
tracks. juvenile and canine. running all
about, ninted of efforts to realize on some
such possibilities here wider, whittier
common on the east, with the clumps of
white horses. smoking chimneys and black
cowsheds on its edge. and the steel blue
sky dropping down beyond, a very pic
ture of the season over a large mill pond
on the west glided the skaters. boys and
girls. who had themselves. with shovel
and broom, by hard. hot labor. in brief
hours after school cleared of snow the
scant ways they traversed. In one corner
OF this mill pond the morrow, If the
morrow CHANGED to be a Sunday in a
poo! relieved by ice for the occasion and
hedged about by q throng of spectators
they would baptize the latest converts of
the winter revivals.
Hither and thither, about and all through
the town. wound the deep-trodden foot
paths. so narrow that when two people
met one must needs step out into the full
depth Of the snow, for no provision of
ordinance or custom exacted of house
holderS any contribution in this sort to
the public convenience. and except In small
patches at gateways and before the doors
OF stores. the snow left lying until
sun and travel dissolved IT And since in
osceola the rubber boot was as yet un-
known and the rubber shoe was disdained
OF men as a wear beneath their manhood
one rarely failed to find. in the houses and
the stores. man sitting with his feet flat
teded against the hot stove sizzling Off
the snow taps from his boot heels
1T Hll4der seasons the prevailing form of
social entertainment was evening teas. but
row there was ant to be round of rather
stately dinner parties. The ladies came in
carefully treasured black silk gowns of the
richest and stiffest material with wide
cpilars OF white lace, and lace-edged white
lawn under sleeves The men wore coats
OF black brOadcloth. no less carefully kept
ana no less excellent in quality: and high
Stir collars. swathed in black silk or satin
by the hostess own hand was served in
two courses. but out of its abundance
might easily have furnished forth twelve
or nfteen. of the dalntiness which courses
acquire when they are made a particular
point or Turkey and oysters four or five
vegetables. a like number of cooked fruits
pickles sour and pickles sweet coffee and
not rolls. with dessert of two kinds of
pie. a rich preserve served in cream and a.
cake that was the chef d'oeuvre of the
1eaSt-these were the least that decency
would allow: and the guest was expected
not 10 elect between them, but to eat some
what of all.
Tne company came to table for these din
ners with a certain hesitation and awk-
wardness. and for a little while after they
were seated conversation rather Jagged
First there fell a sharp. expectant silence
until the minister. if present, as he usually
was. had invoked blessing. Then as the
host took carving knife and fork in hand
and rose from his chair with a certain
confidence. every eye and all attention fixed
intenty on him, and remained so fixed
while with single sturdy stab he planted
the fork tmmovably astride the knob of the
breastbOne of the turkey and with his
keen knife deftly unjointed wings and legs
cut away the white breast meat in thin
wide slices, and by bold stroke through
the bones and tissue of either flank and a
nice, quick turn on the handle Of the fork
triumphantly cleared away the breastbone
and exposed to appetizing view a steam
ing. odorlferous mound of gray stuffing.
With this the company drew an audible
breath and settled back comfortably in
their seats. as when mid-air acrobat con-
Cludes his feat without breaking his neck :;
and shortly the talk began to show some
thing like fuency. But until the carving
was Well achieved. beyond staple compli-
ment of two to the carver-uSually tipped
with jest 10 save IT from any suspicion of
sentiment fulsomeness-and perhaps a
query 10 the hostess regarding her method
of dressing and cooking turkeys. little or
nothing was said
1t was almost a violence on CUSTOM there
fore-occasioning subsequently under this
aspect surniSes of prompting scarcely
less than fendish or providential-whena It
a dinner given by Mrs. Hamlin Wampler
Mrs. Luther Gears began. in the very height
Of the carving, to tell quite a story of the
loss Of spoon. She told 1t in plaintive,
marveling tone; how. after a dinner given
by herself ten days before, to substantially
the present company. when she came to
collect her silver, with view to washing
and putting 1t away with her own hand (as
her careful custom was), she found spoon
missing-One of her hoIly-spris spoons
Nobody attended much. for Wampler was
really doing very neat job None of the
men OF the circle were bad carvers, and
they would have deemed II a shame be-
yond words to have been: but Wampler had
rather the defteSt and surest hand of them
all In rivalry with him Mrs. Gears was
but a begging performer. At the conclu-
sion OF her recital two or three ladies muir