Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-11-22
A TARDY THANKSGIVING.
HY MARY Z. WILKINs.


The old lady who asked the question
was seated in Mrs. Muzzy's best hair
cloth rocking chair, which had been
brought out of the parlor for the oe-
casion. She had mild, tiny featured
face, wore a false front of auburn hair
and Il black lace cap decorated with
purple ribbons, and was knitting put
ting new heels into some blue yarn
! stockings.
The answer she got to her question,
| delivered in her prim, purrlng, company
tone, made her jump neryously.
mo; | amt goin' step, not if / know
| what / am about,
The words shot out of Mrs. MuzZys
! mouth as if each one had had II charge
| Of powder in its rear, and the speaker
! went on jerking the stout thread vicious
! ~ through the seam she was sewing.
! She was squarely built woman. com
| pactly heshy, There was n bright red
| color in each Of her cheeks; there was
not vague line in her whole face: her
| mouth opened and shut unhestatingly
and fairly, and she looked out of her
| small brown eyes directly, with no cir
cumlocution.
"Mcbhe you air goin' to Your brother
Andrews them ycntured the old lady
| fcebly.
40, Mis- Field; I amt a-go:n' no
| where's"
But" purrcd the old lady. "ain't you
| afeard you'l be awful lonesomeE Lor',
| | don't know what | should do Of it war
| MT for Serrah an her children on Il
THANKSGIVING day. TO be sure, you amt
got any children an grandchildren to 70
! to, but thars your sister Hannah an
| hers an Andrew an his, an il kinder
! seems. as if brothers an sisters come
| next"
Thar amt no use talkiu'," said Mrs.
| Muzzy in a loud, Clear-cut voice. Il
| amt agoin' TO Hannah's to Thanks
giyin, an amt a-goin' to Andrews to
| Ih0nksglyin, an | amt a-goin TO hev
| Thanksgivin' to hum. | amt got no him
! to give thanks fur, rs | see on. | spoac
| ef | could go to meetin Thanks@ivin
mornin an hear the sermon, an then
set down to turkey an plum puddin
an be a-thankin' the Lord in my heart
| fer lettin' my husband fall off the seat
fobd in the barn an cit killed last. SUM
| mer, an fer lettin' my daughter Char
| lotte die Of quick consumption last
! spring. an my son John two years ago
! this fall. | might keep Thanksgivn' as
| wei as other folks, But / can't. an
| amt a-gong to purtend 10. Thars one
! thing about til amt hypocrite, an
| | never was
What air you a-soin' to do, Mis-
| AIuzzy?"
"Do"' Mrs. Mu2zy shifted. "Do! I'm
| a-goin to stay to hum an'-do my pig
| work"
The old lady's small featured counte-
nance, from it's very mechanism. was in
| capable of expressing any very strong
| emotion, but IL took on now q look Of
| gentle horror She dropped her knitting
! work, ana her dim blue eyes seemed to
take up the whole of her spectacles.
'Lor' sakes, Mis- Muazy! pig-work on
| I9ankSgiyin. day! | never heard any
| thing like it,"
Il don't keer. The pig-worl, has got 10
be done, an might Just as well do it
! 1hankSgvin' day rs any other | feel
enough sight more like it than eatin' tur.
Key an nnn' puddin', with all Eve been
| through"
Amt you a-goiu' to meeting"
Tor sakes!"
The old lady fell to knitting again in
mud daze. Mrs. Muzzy would have been
TOO much for her in her best days now
she almost reduced her TO lunacy. Still
| thiS old lady, who was neghhor living
| about quarter of u mile distant. felt for
her the attraction which weak natures
! often feel for the strong She was very
| fond of dropping in OF an afternoon with
J her knitting work There was not so
| much difference in their ages as one
might think nj first, either, although
AIRS Nu2zy was So much Younger look
| ing Her daughter. who had died the
| sphng before had been a scboojmate Of
| Mrs. Fields Sarah.
The old lady often accepted the invita-
ton to stay and take a cup Of tea. bUt
| loN0E SHE shortened her call n Iitiln
The "plg-work" ON THANKSGIVING dav
fahkied IN her mind, aud she wanted to
90 nome and tell her daughter Sarah
Ailgr she had gone Mrs. Muzzy went
VsA .tsk