Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1905-11-08

@0H% ~poorhouse. 1t was held in
the common sitting-room, where the
men II women We're allowed to gath
sr "hen they We're not eating OF Sleep
Ing. About all the unfortllnates in the
alnsIlouse had TO do was to eat and
steep; a lew worked about the institu-
'lon or in the garden. The convention
opened rather unexpectedly, when
Sarah Tooker remarked:
what dye s'pCse We'll have for
Thanksgiving"
All the others turned and looked at
her, for Sarah was the latest arrival,
IL consequently new to the iesula-
tlons governing the Morrisville poor
house.
DO theE feed us OH turkey or chick
en- she continued. I'm Il little mite
tonder Of turkey myself, but 1 s'pose
can eat chicken on a pinch"
"Ho. no." laughed Rodney Eckert.
"Ho! ho." and his two remaining teeth
ratified together like corn in a parch-
%ing-pan. Turkey! Chicken! Land
love ye, Sarah Tooker! If it amt roast
beef it'll be lamb stew. and if it amt
lamb stew it'll be roast beef, an We
can take your choice. l know. I've
Deen here nigh onto fourteen year now.
Most likely it'll be lamb stew. l call
to mind how We had roast beef last
year.
Eight other old men and ten other
old women nodded their heads in grave
assent. They also knew, from more
or less long experience. what the
Thanksgiving dinner would be. 1t was
only slightly different from the usual
meals of soup, bread and tea, served
regularly at the ~poorhouse. Only Sarah
hoped for a change. The others
thought little about it.
Lamb stew said Sarah. ~piaintively.
SWhy, the idea, Thanksgiving. TOO.
Well, all I've got tc say is. that it amt
what I'm used to, not by a good deal.
l don't see why we can't have Il chick
en- potpie," she finished. With Il little
sigh.
Don't let Zeke Jedell hear ye." eau
toned Bud Tunkert. "As long as he's
been superintendent of this %poorhouse.
he can't abide to have any one find
fault with the eatin'. Not that we
need to, most times: but since We
brought up the Thanksgivin' subject,
it kinder runs in my head. Turkey:
All. Umr'
My, oh. my! Thanksgivin', an lamb
stew" repeated Sarah. at doesn't
seem reasonable. Before 1 had to
come here l was used to a big turkey
for dinner-a big, fat, brown turkey
eff ye'd just leave off mentioning
such things I'd be obliged to ye," said
Tod Elkum, with a little quaver in his
voice. He awoke from the doZe he
had been in. sit makes a body feel
hungry he went on. especially
when the fcastin' times so near. If
Ats all the same, We might mention
somethin' about bein' shipwrecked on
a desert island, with nothin' to eat but
boot-legs an seaweed. That'li give
lis appetites for lamb stew" he con-
cluded.
A silence concluded, while each one
of the twenty inmates of the poor
house was busy with his or her own
sad thoughts.
tNdldA 1OOhCI dSSto ~ ICdu u0-
iectedly. 1t was q new experience for
her. for she had been in good circum-
stances until failing fortunes and the
death of all her relatives had obliged
her to seek refuge in that place dread
ed by all the aged.
sit does seem a pity we can't cele-
brate for once" unused Tod Elkum, as
he walked out into the yard. 81 would
relish a nice, brown slice of turkey,
with plenty of gravy an lots of dress
in. And I wouldn't mind some cram
berry sauce. too. But 1 s'pose tn
selectmen amt got money to waste
on such %frills."
Out on the pleasant country road a
great red automobile rushed by, rails
ing a cloud of dust. The State turn
nike passed through Morrisville.
I'll bet those folks amt worryin'
about where their turkey is comm
from" went on Tod. "Well. We can't
all be rich, and maybe it's a good
thing
He strolled toward the road, walk
ing slowly, for his limbs were feeble
from age. He enjoyed the crisp air
of November and the genial sun, which
tempered the rather cool afternoon.
There was the delightful smell of aut-
umn. coming from the brown earth,
and the dried leaves ratified as he trod
OH them.
He reached the road and turned
toward the village. The dust from
thn automobile was still flying laZily
in the sunlight. A little way ahead
Tod saw a figure. 1t was that of 4
man. and he was shaking his staff at
something in the distance. When Too
came nearer he recognized Hank
Wright. the town marshal.
"yVlat's the trouble?" asked Tod.
"somebody tryin' to u over ye"
"It's them pesky automobiles" said
Hank.
what did it do? Most nip ye?' in
CURED Tod.
"No, But it was goin' twice as fast
nc the Jaw allows" replied Hank. "and
was hollerin' to stop it. The select
men have passed . law, limitin' The
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