Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1903-11-26
THANKSGIVING MUSH.

AOu SCC al SN'-N 80
lasting hustle to get something extra
to eat on Thanksgiving Day. I'd Jest
as soon have mush and milk as the
best dinner you could get up.
Miranda Wilson had heard that same
remark every year, as long as she
could remember. She was brought up
in New England, where the day was
kept as religiously as Sunday, and she
expected always to keep it that way
and brought up her four children to
expect the regulation dinner Of turkey
and plum-pudding, vegetables and
mincs pie. After Jonas Wilson had
said his cay about the utter uselessness
and expense Of it all, he wat ready to
sit down at the loaded table and eat
as much as anybody.
The three remainingch gchi!dren-there
were four, but one lay in the little IN
closure just over the hill-grew up,
and one after another went away from
home. They had never yet failed to
return for Thanksgiving; but this year
it was to be different. Mercy's baby
Uas so feeble she dared not take il 80
far in the bleak weather which was to
be expected in November. Laura's
husband went to the Philippines to
teach, and Laura went with him.
Harry was buyer for great city firm
and he was sent west at this season.
and there was no chance of his return
ing in time for the great festival.
The day before Thanksgiving Jonas
appeared, and made the usual an
nouncement: Il pose you've got ter
hev' er stir-up to-day, same's usual.
l do think it's plum nonsense. Seems
! if folks lived ter eat, an not ct ter live.
Hasty-puddin' is Jest as film an er
good deal cheaper. I'm goin down
ter git them corn husks Peters said l
could hev fer beddin ef I'd come after
EN-"
I've alwuz KEEP Thank'givin', an
I alwuz expect to" was the concise
reply to his words.
Thanksgiving Day was pleasant.
The sun rose clear The ground was
hard and withoutsnow No wind but
tight, hard atmosphere that made
ears and nose tingle. A beautiful No
vember day, when one might give
thanks for life, if for nothing else.
oval, got ready for Thank'givin?"
"Yes, I'm ready. I hope it'll be er
good day"
Land, guess twill. I don't see
how folks ken eat sci much ; folks
thinks too much er their stomjackets
Fer my part, I'd like some good rye
mush. I'd be mighty thankful amt
had none fsr ser long I can'tlemember
how it tastes.
"Well, 'tain't quite as much Of er
Thanksgivin' dinner such as we used
ter hev when the Children come home
I guess Mercy'd think twas pretty
slim. don know what Harry'd say
| if he couldn't hev er whole mince pie;
and Laura, she'd eat half er punkin
pie fer lunch. They amt comm this
year, but ef l carn't hey the folks, all
the more reason why should hev er
dinner"
"Nonsensel Plum nonsense" was
the growl from the other side Of the
table. He drove away with visions Of
turkey brown and luscious, its skin
cracked and crisp, the white meat
falling soft and clear under the slashes
of his big carving'knife, the gravy
thick, potatoes and other vegetables
done to a turn, and the turnips mash
ed without lump, onions tender and
fragrant, with specks Of butter here
and there-oh, that would be a fine
dinner Miranda was fine cook.
Jones always did the same amount
Of work on this day as on any other,
in spite Of Miranda vigorous protests.
So this moraing he drove of to Peters
farm to get the other load of husks.
Miranda watched him go. She made
her bed, cleared up the room, filed
the two lamps, feeling all the time
lonesome and unhappy without the
thought of the children coming to din
ner. She looked into the pantry,
wishing she could see half-pie which
Laura had cut, but the shelves were
bare. There was quarter Of an sp-
ple pie left from last Saturdays bak-
ing. There were three doughnut, IN
the stone jar-she would have made
fresh ones if Harry had been coming
TO eat bis dozen.
Noon drew near. She stopped several
time. to fix the FIRE and fuss with some
thing cooking on the stove. She watch
ed the clock. and by and By she ar