Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-08-06

cream and o cake that was the chef
d'euvre of the feast-these were the
least that decency would allow, and
the guest was expected not to elect be-
tween them, but to eat somewhat Of
all.
The company came to table for these
dinners with certain hesitation and
awlkwardness, and for little while
after they were seated conversation
rather Jagged. First there fell sharp,
expectant silence until the minister, II
present, as he usually was, had invok-
ed blessing. Then as the host took
carving knife and fork in hand and
rose from his chair with q certain con-
fidence, every eye and all attention
were fixed intently on him and remain
ed SO fixed while with a single sturdy
stab he planted the fork immovably
astride the knob of the breastbone Of
the turkey and with his keen knife
deftly unjointed wings and legs, cut
away the white breast meat in thin,
wide slices and by bold stroke
through the bones and tissue Of either
flank and nice, quick turn on the
handle of the fork triumphantly clear
ed away the breastbone and exposed
to appetizing view steaming, odorif-
erous mound Of gray stufing. With
this the company drew an audible
breath and settled back comfortably
in their seats, as when midair acrobat
concludes his feat without breaking his
neck, and shortly the talk began to
show something like fuency. But un-
til the carving was well achieved, be-
yond staple compliment or two to
the carver, usually tipped with Jest to
save 1t from any suspicion Of senti-
ment or fulsomeness, and perhaps a
query to the hostess regarding her
method of dressing and cooking tur-
keys, little or nothing was said.
1t was almost violence on custom,
therefore, occasioning subsequently un-
der this aspect surmises of prompt
ing scarcely less than fendish or prov
idential, when, at dinner given by
Mrs. Hamlin Wampler, Mrs. Luther
Gears began. In the very height OF the
carving, to tell story Of the loss of a
spoon. She told 1t In plaintive, mar
yelling tone-how, after dinner given
by herself ten days before to substan-
TALLY the present company, when she
came to collect her silver, .with-a view
to washing and putting it.away with
her own hand, as her careful custom
was, she found spoon missing, one
Of her holly sprig spoons
Nobody attended much, for Wampler
was really doing very neat job. None
Of the men Of the circle was bad
carver. and all of them would have
deemed 1t a shame beyond words to
have been, but Wampler had rather
the deftest and surest hand. In rivalry
with him Mrs. Gears was but beg
cling performer. At the conclusion Of
her recital two or three ladies murmur-
ed perfunctory '.That was too badr"
and DR.. Dudley asked In his blunt way,
What is a holly sprig spoon" But
he gave no outward sign OF listening
to Mrs. Gears explanation that holly
sprig was the design and that the
loss was especially grievous because
it occasioned the first break In a set
given her at her marriage by her moth
er, who had brought 1t at an early day
out from New Jersey. sewed up for
safety in her petticoat, a gift to her at
her marriage from her own mother,
MIS-. Gears Grandmother, and to thu
latter previously at her marriage