Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-11-28
VOLUME XXXVII.
Being Story GRANDMOTHER Gibbons Told Her GRANDCHILDREN Every
Thanksgiving and DhthdW

II was eight and your great-aunt
Virginia ten when we had the
Thanksgiving and birthday in one,
which we never forgot. Our mother
was Southern woman. She gave to
her first child the name Of her be-
loved State. If Virginia had been a
boy his name would have been
George Washington. When I was
born two years later to a day was
named George Washington. Your
great-grandfather died three months
before l was born. Our birthday
came the 20th of November, so near
to Thanksgiving that mother always
celebrated the two days in one.
This that I am going to tell hap
pened long before the Civil War; for
the first time in our lives the Thanks
giving Day for Massachusetts, was
appointed on the 20th day of Novem-
ber. We all went early to the meet
ing-house the Sunday before, for we
knew we were going to hear the
Thanksgiving proclamation. All the
children in the Westinghouse kept
wide awake that morning, and Virgie
and I nudged each other when the
minister opened the proclamation
with a rattle and spread 1t on the
desk.
1--WE knew what was coming. We
could repeat the conclusion word for
word. Given at the Council chamber
In Boston this day Z" by His Ex-
cellency the Governor, George N.
Briggs, and by the advice and consent
of the Council That sounded great,
and when the minister repeated slow
ly, God save the Commonwealth Of
Massachusetts, it was grand! I felt
as If filled the meeting-house, be-
cause If George Washington had not
been the father of his country
where would Massachusetts, be?
"The night before the great day
we were standing at the kitchen ia
BILE, watching mother unjoint the
boiled chickens for the chicken pie,
when the clock struck s. She lighted
tallow candle and gave 1t to Virgie.
1t was our bedtime. Oh, said I, as
I dumped down in the feather bed.
isn't it beautiful, Virgie, to have
birthdays and Thanksgiving all to-
gether? And isn't mother kind? I'm
just as happy!'
SO am L. said Virgie, giving me
a hug. 4 know something
"'What Is it, Virgie?' I asked in a
whisper.
''Then she told me that she was
going to get up before anybody else
in the house and steal out softly, and
go to the north pasture and get some
red berries to hang over George
Washington's portrait in the front
room, to please mother, and because
1t would be appropriate to my birth
day.
Let's said I. 1T will be splen-
did, and then | told her. what was
true, that she was always thinking of
something to please somebody, and
then we said our prayers and cuddled
down to sleep.
"It didn't seem but minute after
that when ! sat up and rubbed my
eyes. Virgie was already tying her
leathern shoestrings George Wash
ington Howe, get up this minute; it's
as light as cork she said. I'm not
going to put up my hair, 1t will take
too much time, and 1t will keep me
warm and she let fall cloud of
gold over her shoulders. Grand
mother Gibbons voice always trem-
bled little here. you've seen the
portrait of your great-aunt Virginia,
children. It's true what told you.
She was the most beautiful woman /
ever saw; her hair was like spun
gold.
1--WE put our surtouts over our
thick wooden dresses, tied on our
warm wooden hoods and tiptoed out
for fear of waking Ponto in the shed.
Virgie asked me to wait on the stone
Jtep while she brought bowl of
mothers chicken broth. 1t was
thick and nourishing. 1t tasted good.
"We drove the cows to the north
pasture every summer morning; we
knew every nook and corner of 1t,
but we didn't know the difference be-
tween broad daylight and moonlight,
and great was our surprise when we
reached the pasture bars, to see the
moon going down, and no sign of
morning, but Virgie kept hold of my
hand and said, Never mind, George
Washington, we can find the path,
and the fiat rock by the black walnut
tree, If the moon doesn't shine
Yes said, but how can we find
the berries If it's pitch dark, Virgie?'
"'Oh,' she said, 1T won't be dark
long; it can't, because everybody