The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1900-11-29
"BLEsr BE THE TIE THAT BINDS"

to me that so little attention was paid
to a day that we made so much of back
there in dear old New England. 1t was
the greatest holiday of the year to
us, and how we did enjoy It'll"
"Why do they pay so little attention
to it here?"
swell, I guess it is just because they
have never got in the way of paying
any attention to it. They never cele-
brated the Fourth of July as it ought
to be celebrated until my husband got
them started to doing it ten years be-
fore he died, and now we have a big
celebration every year."
"Some one ought to start them to
celebrating Thanksgiving"
$50 they ought. But who is to do it,"
I reflected for a few minutes, and
then I said: .
Suppose we start them off in that
direction"
"How?" asked the old lady dropping
her knitting into her lap and mani
Testing eager interest.
Suppose we get up a Thanksgiving
dinner in the schoolhouse. Invite all
the folks in the district to come and
bring their dinner with them. There
does not seem to be any social life in
the neighborhood unless one can call
occasional spelling matches and sing
ing schools in the schoolhouse social di-
versions. The people never eat and
drink together in a merrymaking of
any kind. Don't you think that the
idea of a Thanksgiving dinner in the
schoolhouse would take?"
The old lady reflected for a moment
and then said:
eyes, I think it would. It would be
a novelty to every one, and I think the
folks would turn out big, only-only-"
"OnIy what?" I asked.
swell, the fact is, there are so many
folks in this neighborhood that don't
speak to each other. never saw any
thing like it. There is old Squire Bent,
who won't speak to his daughter be-
cause she married John Waters
against the squire's wishes. There was
nothing against John, excepting that
he was poor, and he had a brother that
had been in Jail, but John couldn't help
that, and he has done splendidly ever
since he married, and it is my opinion
that the squire would like to make up
with John and Nellie, only he is too
proud to make any advances, and they
won't either. Then there is Kate Whit
ing and her sister, Lucy Patch, who had
a falling out years ago, and amt spoke
to each other since, and before that one
was the very shadder Of the other.
Reuben Hopes and his brother Silas
and their families fell out over the
property after old man Hopes died,
and they amt spoke since. Then the
Anderson and Robey families had a
falling out five years ago, and they
don't speak, and before that they were
as thick as flies around a molasses bar1.
Then there are other families in the
district that amt as friendly as they
ought to be, SO your Thanksgiving din
ner might end in a riot if all these peo-
pie come together in the schoolhouse."
"Not with a woman of your tact at
the head of it," I said.
swell, you go ahead and get it up,
and I will aid and abet you all I can.
1t will be a break in the monotony OF
things here wen if there is a fight"
I spent all of my time before and
after school during the next ten days
in calling at all Of the homes in the
neighborhood and inviting the people
to come to the schoolhouse on Thanks
giving day with well-filled baskets.
The schoolhouse was unusually large,
and there would be room for all if we
took out a part of the seats. Three
days before Thanksgiving old Mrs.
J Dcrton said: