The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-29

after him as he turned toward the little
cabin he called home.
Thanksgiving day on a southern
plantation means q holiday for all the
field hands and extra work for the
house girls. On q large farm like that
Of Mr. LaWtOn, there are always MANY
relatives to be invited to the feast, and
such feast it is! A great big turkey
at either end of the long table, q baked
ham, marked off in checks and covered
with regular rows Of dots of pepper in
the centre; great covered dishes Of
snoW-White rice and stewed giblets and
okra and beans, and everything good
are lined along in even ranks; while at
the corners are platters of biscuits and
corn mullins, smoking hot and exceed
iugly indigestible
Negro walters in white caps and
aprons stand behind the carvers chair
and pass the plates to be filed and re-
filled.
Toasts are drunk in good old home
made blackberry and scuppernong
wines, and joyiality reigns supreme.
The children are placed at D side table,
with a special waiter, and they are
| served from the big table. Southern
people believe in allowing children to
enjoy the conversation of their elders.
| In the evening a big dance is held.
| A regular old time breakdown it is,
| for the people know but little of any
thing besides the Old Virginia reel and
! Sir Roger de Coverly Anyway round
| dances are wrong.
After the sun had set on that par
! tiCular evening and the whip poor will
had got tuned up for his concert, Dad
| Jake arrived by way of the kitchen,
his violin undeI his arm, an alarming
| ly high collar around his neck, and his
! steel-boWed spectacles of plain glass,
| worn only on state occasions, on the
bridge of his very fiat nose
I'm mighty glad" he said to the
cook as he came in, dat dey didn' t
ask dat one-legged Wilum to bring his
| banjo. He can't play no mon a mule -
Oats right, Mistah Washington r."
said the cook. won't you set down
an partook Of some Of the vittles?"
Bless gracious, gal" he said, Use
dat full now dat I'll bus eli de good
LaWd amt holp me. But huh come de
/ ill mistress. Wat yo' want, honey
Papa sent me to find you. They're
ready to begin she said. But won {
you play that piece once more for me?'
Il amt got time now. Mebbe after
awhile"
Where is ten-mile canebrake, Dad
Jake?' she asked as they walked out
together.
Hits over deb on de Coosawat-
chez road, pas ole Mas Trentons
Wy yo want to knoW?"
oh nothing"
The dancing began and the children
We're sent to bed IN the charge OF the
nurse She was a young girl and
wanted to see the quality enjoy them
selves, so when she thought her
charges We're asleep she slipped down
to watch the dancing.
1t was fun to watch that dancing,
and it was more FUN to pick out the
counting couples. You could see who
was unpopular among the boys. and if
your eyes We're good you could pick
out the girl whose father owned the
largest place, though the people there
do not realize an aristOcracy Of
wealth, but of BIRTH
Set after set was danced Dad lake
Icalling ont the figures in a stentoria1,
voice. lust in the midst of "prornanada
all 81 The con7nanv was startIedl IN SOC
the nurse eirl enter tha room b1irralI,-
"Oh. Mis- Nania,, she cried little
Missile done gona 7 les Ief, hon one
miunit an now she done eoneIn
Gone where Won HACK v-encH ."
said MIR Iawton in alarm
71be men If he na 1ttv e ITIebed from,
the house while the women Vent IN ne
Ichildren's room ia verify, tbn stefa-
ment. Horses We're saddIed and tbai,.
riders searched every corner alone tba
moonlif road
/ But nd one noticed Dad Lake Who
slinnad out across mo Acids y,iolgn ~
/ hand and climbed nvar tba fence in 10
| the Coosawatcbea road
| "yo, fnol niogar ,, jle said 70 bi,,,salr
as he hIrripd along as FAST as ihis iheii'
/ oatisn would aIio3v ssyEybof fo' ,oe1,
vo' teu Dat chile ,hopt dat nlaca ,
/ Dev's gone to de straat IN loalr C,,
| bnh Wen She done stabted FL, tan
nile ranabraEa Hi ySnr,t do FL, ~ .
Ter bolIpr 1asa dat mone-bt stea, he,