Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-11-21
THE SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING

"Ednah Jane" Mrs Hepsey prompt
ly and peremptorily ordered, you
jest hide them pears and other things
till he gOes-tuck 'em under the table
cloth or anywhere out O sight and be
quick about it,"
A suspiciously bumpy mound of
the pears and candy was hastily
erected at Amy's elbow, but before the
pie could be added, Mr.. Archibald,
whose easy-going habit it was to dis
pense with bell or knOcker, stood in
the doorway. Mrs. Hepsey at once
frOWned a pantomimic injunction that
the pie-Which ill-chance had dis
covered in Amy's hands-was, no more
than the pears, to be parted with in
his favor. 'Mr. Archibald" she as
sured her niece, soto voce, don't
stand in any need of vittles, and eff
you don't Jest keep right on eatin' it
/ shall really feel hurt"
Wall" said the all-unconsciOus yisi-
tor, whose good-fellowship was not
without a jocular vein-or feeling
"pears to me, Miss Drew, | never
find you here that you amt afoul O
something to eat. Don't they feed
you to HUMP"
81 have to cook for myself there,
! Amy said, as facetiously responsive as
! it is possible to be, under the Difficult
ties Of conveying pie, safely to the
mouth by means of an old-fashione,
steel knife, the blade of which is
sharp-pointed, and has from long
service been worn to shadow; "be-
sides, Thanksgiving, you know, is
time to be greedy
Hannibal, who had given one good
/ laugh to his own wit and waited with
| open mouth for that of it's answer,
now gave another, and took his seat.
Talking O Thanksgiving" he said,
81 just met Henry Macintosh a
fetching hum two turkeys that he'd
! been to Blockston to buy. Now, &C
cording to my views, man had
oughter buy his Thanksgiving bird in
his own town; for don't man look
to hs own town to sell his own wares
Hen Macintosh, for instance, where'd
be his pots and kittles, I want to know,
eff the rest on us all went a-tearing
| into Blockston arter ourn?" And here,
flushed with the happy sense that he
was meeting the popular view, he tilt
ed back in his chair and fairy
beamed; but, CHANGING to catch the
eye of Mrs. Hepsey, so rigidly If
responsive was it, that his glory-in.
fated soul collapsed as suddenly as a
small balloon with the gas let out.
Zone o. them turkeys" Mrs. Hep
sey coldly informed him, was mine!'
wall now, Mis- Tarbox," he re
sponded, don't you go to Citing your
back up about that turkey l didn't
mean nothin,' and of course there's a
difference
81 jist thought" Mrs. Hepsey said
with lofty and condescending defens
iveness, 'as Henry was a-goin' in for
his own anyway he might as well git
two as one: and don't know as If was
bread and butter to any one but our
two selves"
''Sartin, sartin,' the crestfallen Han.
nibal replied; and looking about fol-
inspiration to a topic less infamma
ltory-or rather more congenia1, for
Hannibaps conversational efforts were
all of positive and sympathetic
character-his eye fell upon the par
ings of Mrs. Drew's pear, which had
also escaped concealment, and again
lightened up. He had stumbled on q
subject where his views could by nc
: possibility fail of full and congenia
espousal. All breaches would at once
be healed.
! EFF there was one thing" he said