Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-04-21

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sNVN fell at Osceola, fell
~ A with amplitude. If
AE you stood on the
LS@upper bridge "a
az IT high, open bridge
WooH you saw the canal
Wc ~ stretching far up
~ and down, level
trench of snow, its whiteness en-
phasized here and there by a
patch of brown earth showing
from some underwash in the
banks. In one corner of the
mill pond on the morrow, if the NOR.
row CHANGED to be Sunday, in pool
relieved of ice for the occasion and
hedged about by throng of specta-
tors, there would be baptism of the
latest converts of the winter revivals.
In milder seasons the prevailing
form OF social entertainment was even.
ing teas, but now there was apt to be
q round of rather stately dinner
parties. The ladies came in carefully
treasured black silk gowns. of the
richest and stiffest material, with wide
collars of white lace, and lsce-edged
white lawn undersleeves. The men
wore coats of black broadcloth, no less
carefully kept and no less excellent in
quality, and high, stiff collars, swathed
in black silk or satin neckerchiefs.
The dinner, cooked mainly by the
hostess's own hands. was served in two
courses, but out OF its abundance
might easily have furnished forth
twelve or fifteen of the daintiness
which courses acquire when they are
made particular point of.
The company came to table for
these dinners with certain hesitation
and awkwardness, and for o little
while aft.r they were seated conver-
sation Jagged. First there fell sharp,
expectant silence until the minister,
if present, as he usually was, had in.
voked blessing. Then, as the host
took carving knife and fork in hand
and rose from his chair with certain
confidence, every eye and all attention
fixed intently on him, and remained
Sc fixed.
1t was almost doing violence to cus-
tom when, at dinner by Mrs. Hamlin
Wampler, Mrs. Luther Gears began, in
the very height of the carving, to tell
story of the loss of spoon. She
told it in plaintive tone; how, after
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 it away with her own hand las
her careful custom was), she found a
spoon missing-one of her holly-sprig
spoons.
Nobody attended much, for Wamp-
ler was really doing very neat job.
At the conclusion of Mrs. Gears's reci-
tai two or three ladies murmured n
perfunctory "that was too bad," and
DR.. Dudley asked in his blunt way,
"What is holly-sprig spoon?" But
he gave no outward sign of listening
to Mrs. Gears's explanation that holly
sprig was the design, and that the loss
was especially griovous because it .oc-
cssioned the first break in set given
her at her marriage by her mother,
who had brought it at an early day
out from New Jersey, sewn up for
safety in her petticoat, gift to her
at her marriage from her own mother,
Mrs. Gears's grandmother, and to the
latter previously at her marriage from
her mother, Mrs. Gears's great-grand-
mother, for whom it had been ex-
pressly made by London silversmith /;
the only set OF its design ever seen or
heard OF. At the words "grand-
mother" and "great-grandmother" the
doctors head nodded slightly. but his
eye, like all other eyes at the table,
even Mrs. Gears's, was on Wampler's 3
knife.
Wampler shaved away the last bit
OF breast and raised his instrument for
the master stroke through the flank.
The guests dipped forward little
further. The knife descended, pierced
then stopped abruptly. Wampler's
face grew red. Mrs. Wampler's grew
red, too, out of sympathy.
"You must have struck tough tur-
key, mother" said he.
'It's q young turkey" protested
Mrs. Wampler, sand it seemed very
tender when I was dressing it,"
"Then you didn't cook it enough, Z"
urged Wampler.
'I had it in the oven four hours, +"
said Mrs. Wampler.
The other ladies a7erred that if your
oven YVES right four hours was long
enough.
By pushing and saving like an ANA.
teur with dull blade. Wampler finally
cut through, and sought to retrieve
himself by u special dexterity on the
other side. But again the knife, after
entering keenly, came TO sudden halt.
and had to be driven on by main force.
Wanpler finally wrenched off the
breast bone and resumed his chair.
In the course OF this Office Wampler
thrust large spoon deep into the
mound Of stulfing. There came o me-
tallic click which everybody distinctly
heard and again fixed eyes on the host.
Then. on bringing mp the spoon, he
turned up with the handle of another,
o smaller one, which everybody saw.
Since there could be no concealment,
Wampler sought escape from the mis-.
adventure by jocularity, and saying:
"Well, well, you must have run short
of bread crumbs for your stuffing, "
drew forth the spoon and held it up
in full view.
"lt's my spoon," cried Mrs. Gears,
fairly shrieking, "the one 1 lost-my
holly-sprig;;" and she stretched out
her hand as if TO recover if, If need be,
by force.
eat any rate it's not miEe," said
Mrs. Wampler.
ooh, it's mine, it's mine! Ishould
know it anywhere" persisted Mrs.
Gears excited!y, and Wampler handed