The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-09-27
A PUMPKIN PIE STORY
Though Out of Season 1t Dis
PEELED HalIuCinatiop of
Sick Boy.
CNew York Times)

"NO, maam, said the spOtlessly neat
little woman behind the counter, that
isn't pumpkin pie, it's cheese cake.
why, it looks exactly like pump
kin" exclaimed the disappointed GUS
toner. "I don't like cheese cake. This
time Of the year one doesn't like much
of anything, do you think so? You
haven't a pumpkin pie, have you?"
mo, ma'am. Pumpkin and mine pies
are out of season. You remind me OF
customer who asked the same ques-
ton two years ago. she wanted pump
kin pie the very worst way, but twas
July and there wasn't a pumpkin pie
In the city. nor i'm the whole state, for
that matter. She didn't believe but
that we could make one i'm spite Of the
Tact that pumpkins weren't much more
than in bud, let alone ripe, and she was
so dead set on it that I called my hus-
band from his baking just to convince
her that the thing couldn't be done. To
him she told her story.
she had a son. an only child, who
had got the klOndika fever two years
before that and gone out to make his
fortune. Finally his father got word
that he had better go out If ne wanted
to see his son alive, and he went, and
brought the boy home, all broken down
and ready 10 die he had suffered so
much that his mind was touched, but
ne didn't know il, and they tried in
every way to keep it from him. All at
OTce he got afraid that something was
wrong. He dreamed that ne would die
before THANKSGIVING, and the COnViC-
ton disheartered him terribly.
FINALLY his mother got the idea of
fooling him about the date for she
believed that if they could get him rid
OF his preseutimeut or halluCinatiOn he
would pull through. They were not
rich people, but ne was everything TO
both father and mother. 50 they were
willing to spend every dollar to save
him They had coolers placed i'm all
the halls to- make the air chilly. and the
mother wore furs when she went into
his room before going out. and they
had fam fruits brought To him, just to
bear ont their story of autumn. When
ever he asked any questions they ap-
peared To- think everything was all
right tin be really got to believing that
he'd been unconscious part of the time,
which accounted for things Finally
one evening his mother told him that
she had invited his cousins from the
country TO eat Thanksgiving dinner
with them the next day, and she want
ed him 10 try 20 sit up i'm bed.
Wen. he was amazed to find that
Thanksgiving was really at hand and
lieve If. but IF 70 was so and ne really
lived through that day ne knew he'd
get wen The one thing he wanted was
pumpkin pie. He said &c wouldn't seem
like THANKSGIVING without that.
You can imagine how anxious we
We're 20 get that pumpkin pie on which
so much depended. Ny husband was
SO Interested and symDa Jhetic that he
promised To- have it ready by the next
day. no matter how ne got it, though
didn't see bow IT was 20 be done. At
the very last moment after searching
every nook and corner of the city for
pumpkin I'm any shape. he found n can
of fancy preserved pumpkin that had
been put up for "a display counter al
some fair Wei. me made the pie-a
beauty &c was. tO0-aud the woman
came for it just about noon of the fol-
lowing day
she was the most grateful woman ]
ever saw. She offered my husband s.
but he would not take cent. DO you
know that boy actually ate a slice OF
the pie and enjoyed it, and from that
hour he began to mend. Yes. it sounds
lake story; but il is the plain truth
I could give YOU the lady's address this
minute. You know &c was chiefly the
boys mind that preyed ON his nerves
and when he got rid OF his morbid fear
and began 20 sleep and rest and cal
like other folk. ne got his strength
back, and iu three weeks ne was sit
ting up and was so bright and cheerful
that when his mother confessed theii
little ruse he laughed heartily at ths
joke on himself
He's as well as ever now. running 2
ranch I'm California where they al
went the next winter. His father sen
that handsome showcase to my nus
band as token of his appreciation
It's real plate glass and nickel. yo,
see"