The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-26
They followed the trail.

to He
home whenever he could, -AoS AoA0"0@ '10 "A~A"
but the times were .'...~
tain Thanksgiving close by, and the prospect for
had been able to pet home for several weeks and
our provisions were running low. Moreover, for
reason the small game thatI shoot with shotgun
had been scarce in that vicinity all fall.
"Now of the things had to be thankful for
then and have been thankful for all my life good
daughter inlaw, who smiled afectonatey back at him
'sWe children had unbounded faith in her, and
kept hoping in spite of all evidence the contrary
that she would somehow manage Thanksgiving dinner
until the morning Of the day before
'EThen asked her the question point blank, what
t@sJoRnnycake and nus and Mix mother
ehe1fully. -... r.. = 49,. s.=> -..t
''The children set up wall, and I groaned I'm
tired Of johnnyeake and mush and milk
Hush, hush, all of you'll said mother. fLet us be
thankful that we have the and plenty of corn
I" And I'll have wheat biscuit, too' said bright
ening. There's that wheat that I pounded
81 shall have to tell you about that pounded wheat.
There not much wheat in the country then; most
Of our bread was made Of meal And, there
Touring mill within thirty miles, had to do most
Of grinding. This is the way it was done:
Near the house stood stump that father followed
out, bowl shape Then he bent young saplng and
tied wooden club peste to its top. The large end
of the pestle fitted into the bowlshaped hollow by
its aid pounded into the -four which
"A week before mother trying to plan an addition to
usual fare thought Of wheat that father had
bought for seed She cleaned two three quarts of it,
wnnowng it thro her hands and blowing away the cha
tnen IL careIully DeIOre tne and ana
wooden Pestle did the rest We did good job, too
inspired by the thought Of wheat biscuit and my
shoulders ached yet with the pounding gave it.
- 1'Now when I mentioned biscuit, mother looked
straight at Your greatgrandmother, children
wonderful She could say great deal without
opening her lips and somehow knew before she spoke
that should have wheat biscuit Thanks
giving day:
She had her cloak and hood, and had brought old
Billy the log stable for her to ride to neigh
boris sThey have only corn-not even milk-and poor,
sck Mrs Vane is more tired Of johnnycake than
you I going to take that wheat flour down to
her. but you worked hard to make it, and you shall decide
Will you give it to that sick woman with her baby
shall we eat it ourselves9'
tI rubbed my shoulder, looking hard at mother while
she looked steadily at Ny eyes said Thanksgiving
dinner bread!' and hers kept saying Sick Mrs
Vane and the baby It tough question.
'' sTake it to her mother blurted out at last
t'fOf you did,, cried Nellie, squeezing her
grandfather's
g tOf course you die, - echoed the others.
throat, children. You had to live bread,
and nothing else, for week. helped mother the
horse, and she rode away with the precious package
tucked under her arm, bidding be and look
fully after the younger You the oldest.
tThere the meal to pound for next day. shelled
the took it out 10 the stump while the three
younger children watched from the window charge
sf Anna the sister next Oldest Mother said it too
cold for them to be out of doors
ttI pounding away rather dolefully, when boy,
few years older than myself Of Of the neigh
bors, out Of the woods behind
20 tGet your gun quick you can, Dave, he cried,
and let 60 to the marshes They say there's
big flock Of wild turkeys feeding round there.
dropped the peste and started for the house Half