The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-11-22
py c. D. Lewis.

manner. They were settled In cosy
little fiat. and Mrs. Hartley was just
dying To play hostess The husband.
on his part. felt that he could assume
nil the suavity and dignity OF host NJ
the head OF his own table. ana So the
affair was talked over and planned out
with all the enthusiasm that found
some new d"laii To- feed upon every sue
cce,iing day.
Tho first idea WAS 20 invite a party
of fourteen To- 81 down go the dinner
making sixteen in all THIS had been
settled FOR several DAVIS when the hus.
band returned home one ~, ming to find
the wife In tears. ar course he put his
arms around her and anxlnusly aske1
N his mothrr-in-laW were 10 or dead.
and after llit,- she chokcd back hci
sobs and replied:
Nobody IL ~ oT dead. but I have
been measuring with tape line
Measuring whnt-thc back yard"
No: tn. dining room and the table.
The table Won't seat hut eight persons.
and we couldn't set over twelve into
tho dining room if wr packed them like
snrdInes. What ARE We to do, can't
tho walls n" bulg-d out. oT something.
la make ROOM"
Tn" husband critically examined the
walls and decided that they already
had nll the bulge that could ne reason
ably expected ct them. A mountain OF
anxiety was settling down On the little
household when hts face suddenly
cleared and hc exclaimed:
by George. bat it's the easiest thing
In tho world. Instead OF having six
teen We VIII only have eight"
"Dh. Harry. but how wise and clever
YOU are she exclaimed In turn. as
she dried her tears and embraced him.
NO one on this earth but you would
have thought or anything 80 clever"
That point vas got over and all was
serene. but only FOR few hours. At
midnight that night Harry was nudgcd
out OF his sleep To- hear "A voice saying:
We can't have q Thanksgiving din
ner after all. III We set the table for
eight persons the tablccloth viii be too
short. when mamma bought them for
us she said we would never want to
seat over four or five at once. oh.
Harry. but
But all we've go, Ia 10 II 90 buy a
longer CLOTH" hc sieepily replied.
That's 80. why didn't think OF Il?
You are just ia" ClcVercSt man In this
world. and I'm not going to worry any
more"
Hut she did. Next day she discovered
hat she had only knives and forks for
six. IL was the same with dining room
chairs. IL was the same with after
ilnner coffee cups and several other
things, and she had wept for an hour
shen Harry came home and suggested
hat the way out OF the difficulty was
20 buy or borrow. For ten days be-
:orc Thanksgiving there were rehear-
tals every evening. That Is pictures
we're taken down and rehung. the table
set. an imaginary company assembled.
ana host and hostess went through
heir parts until II was certain that
here could be no failure
Meanwhile. the turkey had by no
means been forgotten. On the con-
.rary. h. had really been the main is
sue. and the other matters mere tan
gents. IL had never been n question
between turkey. goose or duck. II had
been turkey from the first-a fat young
turkey weighing from ten TO twelve
pounds-a turkey stuffed with oysters
and done brown and carved after the
rules laid down by the worlds greatest
.hefs.
They had talked. sung and dreamed
u turkey. and on the SLY each had con-
tulted poulterers and butchers days
and days I'm advance. From "A natural
history taken from the public library
hey read up OF the habits OF the bird.
rhey smacked their lips I'm unison over
.he concluding words: And the turkey
y probably the finest eating OF any OF
The domestic fowl that can be named"
Up to Ave days before Thanksgiving
here had not been "A word of disagree
nent or the slightest friction. Then
came a cloud. The young wife argued
hat the turkey should bc bought that
very day and placed iu the refrigerator.
A bird IA the box was worth two In the
butcher shop. The market might go up.
n all the turkeys in the country ily OF
4. l.s.
on the safe side. Every hour or two
lntil he was wanted for the oven she
would look I'm on the bird. and see that
10 had not escaped. and he would be a
prize to exhibit To amy or her friends
dropping In.
The husband. on the contrary. held
hat the turkey should be- left alive till
he last day. He would be gaining fat
and julciness all the time. ana would
nave the flavor OF a fresh-picked peach
when ready for the table. Rats. germs
Dr. microbes might get after him amidst
he ice. and the thought was not 10 be-
entertained. when the husband had
.allcd his wife's attention To the fact
that his grandfather had once run n
turkey ranch. and that he himself had
been talking turkey since h. was 10
years old. the wife gave In and the
next question came W.
who should order the bird; The wife
-ontended that she should. IL was not
only her privilege as "A housewife. but
the butcher would naturally give "A
wife greater choice and a finer bird
than he would n husband. She cotd
elicit a positive guarantee from him as
To age. conduct. fairness and tenderness.
while he would certainly seek to work
OF most any old bird. 81 most any age
and condition. On an innocent looking
young husband. IL would be selected
the day before Thanksgiving, with pos
tive and unalterable orders for delivery
next morning nj y o'clock sharp. by 10
O'Clock he would bc in the oven. and
by o'clock he would make his bow TO
the audience. Yes. u was all settled
that she should 20 down 10 the butch
er'E and
But another disagreement took place.
AZ the head 81 the house II was tho
husbands duty To select the turkey.
Next year he might waive his right bui
IL could not be thought II now. Wis
dom. experience. observation aud cl"N-
erneSs were required To select "a turkey
20 do honor 10 the occasion, and the
butcher who thought to pull feathers
over his eyes would meet his Water
loo IN trying Il ou. He might have uu
innocent look and peppl" might thhl,
ne could be worked" but when his
guests ate OF that ;Wclyc-pound tar
KEY they should 'be asked To decide.
Tho eitttuf ipu ~ gtFn iWpl for 1Tt hour