The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-11-29

the dull hued tuber has knack of
cleaning itself, and a mammoth pile
fresh from Mother Earth is sight to
discourage fears about starvation.
The turnip Is another tuber dug from
the soil, but 80 clean as to quicken
the appetite Of the beholder. The hun
CRY man relishes turnip, and one can
sometimes envy the English Hodge who
was asked what he had for dinner in
the field and held up chunk of black
bread for the answer. Nothing but
that% said his Questioner. "oh, yes;
sometimes eats e raw turmut"
Colonel Mulberry Sellers afflicted his
auditors with a watery mouth when
he laid out stage feast consisting
solely Of raw turnips.
And the green hued cabbages stacked
Hike cannon balls, but mountain hight
Encountered on the farmers field, the
cabbage is anything but extensively fra
grant In fact, 1t Is sweetness itself.
leaves bruised and wilted, is a poor
representative Of the noble vegetable
as it comes from the field. Like the
turnip, Il doesn't reqcre starving
man to relish it raw and pronounce 1t
good. Pumpkins and squash will be
lying among the stubble at Thanksgiv-
ing time, and they lend the glow of life
to nature after the other crops have
been stripped from the ground. The
prize pumpkin has passed through the
kitchen on its way to flank the dinner
turkey, but its mate is on show in the
farmers porch or possibly in the din
ing room or parlor. 1t will be peeled
and dried later, and there will be pump
kin pies on the farmers table after all
the turkeys have gone under the ak. In
the storeroom, q place sealed to all but
the very elect, the good wife has her
shelves filled with jars and cans OF
summer fruit jellies and preserves.
These sweetmeats are not to be shown
on Thanksgiving day, but their maker
and custodian Is thankful that they are
there, and the rest Of the folks will
have cause to be before the winter is
over. In the cellar are casks of apple
Juice in varying stages of treatment,
and perhaps the cider mill is still leak
only stopped at noon out of respect to
the holiday.
Even the cattle and horses, the swine
and fowls on the farm, are thankful
when the end of November closes in,
although second joints and wishbones
have no special charms for them. The
horses and oxen know that the seasons
work is over, and they see the mews
and stacks of fodder gathered in for
their benefit. The cows may chew
their cuds contentedly in the stall all
winter long and have rest from the
ordeal Of milking time. The hens are
happy, for they behold food for weeks
to come lying around the barnyard and
on the thrashing floor and the towering
stacks Of grain tell them there Is more
where the last came from, without raid
ing the fields at the risk Of meeting
dogs and shotguns.
And in the woods, too, the squirrel
laughs a joyous laugh on ThanksGiv-
ing day-laughs because his stores OF
nuts are gathered in, laughs, too, be-
cause the farmers boy is too full OK
turkey and pumpkin pie to shoot quick
or with steady aim. Yes, all nature re-
joices in the golden days of autumn.
Her labors are ended; her hidden
springs are filing with fruitful nectar
for another years work. Thanksgiving
would be celebrated anyway, even
without proclamations and the conven-
tional turkey and cranberry sauce. 1t
is in the air and in the earth and in the
heart of man, be he Christian or hea-
then, to echo the benediction of the Gre
ator when ne looked upon his handi-
work and called it good"