Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-11-28
WHEN The TURKEY BURNED.
A Story of Thanksgiving.
BY ANNA $. RICHARDSON

BY ANNA $. RICHARDSON.
All Westaampton said that Marcia
Crane was justified. Having turned out
more successful men than any other
town in the Connecticut valley, it was
il position to recognize a lamentable
failure when it saw one. 1t had sent
men to the state House of Representa-
tiveS aud one 10 the Senate. In state
politics 1t was always well represented
FROM It's small paper mills il had gradu-
ated two miionaires to dazzle Boston
society.
For this and sundry ether reasons it
ielt that failure such MS David Crane
had scored was a blot on the town
eseaicbe0n. He wGs in a fair way 20
become the leading contractor In the
Yicinty. when an neXpicabie leak in
the dam wall he had buit above the
WoolicH mills nearly wrecked the plant,
and totally destroyed his business con
tractS
Then he moved his fam4y on to the
farm and settled down to a hopeless
struggle Win the stones which Sprang
up faster than the buckwheat aud rye.
IN ume the boys went West-the girls
into the sch0oroom. The sons sent oc-
cnslonal checks, nut seldom came east;
the girls gave of their slender salaries 10
furnish the old farmhouse in some
Semblance of comfort, for it was their
haven of refuge in vacation days.
And all the while Marcia made the
best OF things. concocting culinary
triumphs from shreds that would have
discouraged less ingenious women. In
truth there We're those unkind enough
TO tnsluuatc that had Marcia been less
gifted IN executive ability aud culinary
Skill David might have, exerted create!
energy, for IN New England there exists
Il type who, despite selfsaciifcng,
abstemious ancestors. make an altar OF
their dinner table and burn perpetual
incense tAegeunto.
no this class belonged David Crane
lie talked of the soul aud the life here
after but lived in the flesh and the
present. Robbed Of this particular in
Centive 10 bread winning. David fell into
rut lie let out the south pasture to
his nearest thrifty ncighhor, and each
year leased mis- ice crop on the pond to
cut and harvested it to good account
\ little wood CLEANED each fall from the
hillside forest laid in the supply of win
ter clothing. Two cows, couple OF
pigs. a few chickens and turkeys, and
faithful old plug of a horse satisfied
his ambitions IN the matter of live stock.
Three times he had started to shingle the
looked like patchwork IN various tones
Of gray.
Davids fayorito expression WAS,
What was good enough for my fathsv
and nv grandfather - good enough fer
me. lie troNned upon innovations likc
white ;ablecloths, paliating his refusal TO
purchase one for Marcia on the score tina;
red cloth required less washing. lie
would clip rags hy the hour within
range Of 4 sputteIT9s fire for Marcia 80
sew into balls for the WeStkamptOn
weaver, when in the same length of tine
sturdy strokes from his axe would have
felled enough timber to pay for Il new iu-
grain carpet, But that would have been
outdoors where the wind cut keonly-
aud David maintained thar he had served
ais apprenticeship at hard labor. In fact.
unless the members OF his family could
stem the tide, David was willing TO drift
piAathetICaHy, and Marcia had grown
aweary Sjtmmng the tide that hade far
10 carry them into foreclosure and home
lessRe>s. So when the younger daughter.
Nellie. died. came the dciuge.
Ida the elder daughter, insisted upon
postponing her marriage with John Dang
Ter, on the score that with her sisters
death and her wedding would pass out OF
her patient, ovorA orked mothers life tn"
one hit of heaven that ljghtened the at
inuSpherg of Sel6shuesS which surrounded
her daily existence. Either she would
stay with her mother or her mother must
go with her.
John Danglcr, rs the husband prospcc-
tive ruled that il should be the latter.
lie wa$ young, progressive and some
thing of a sticlStrr for social amenities.
lie would not live ON the farm though II
was but fifteen minutes drive from town..
because the atmosphere OF bait-hearted
struggle for existence depressed him.
And he firmly told his tiauceC that he