Frostburg mining journal., 1908-09-26
THANkSGiviNG N M DAY
By o. HENRY


made 90 back to the old home
to eat saleratus biscuits and marvel
| how much nearer to the porch the old
/ pump looks than it used to. Bless the
/ day, President Roosevelt gives 1t to
/ us. We hear some talk of the puri-
/ tHnS. but don't just remember who
/ they We're. But he can lick 'em, any
! how, If they try to land again. Plym-
| outh Rocks: Well, that sounds more
| familiar Lots of us have had to come
down to hens since the turkey trust
got its work in. Bet somebody in
| Washington is leaking out advance in
formation to 'cm about these Thanks
| giving proclamations.
The big city east of the cranberry
bOgs has made Thanksgiving day an
| Institution. The last Thursday in No
vember Is the only day in the year on
which it recognizes the part of Ameri-
ca lying across the ferries. 1t is the
one day that is purely American-ycs
day of celebration, exclusively Amer
lean.
And now for the story which is to
prove to you that we have traditions
on this side of the ocean that are be
coming older at much rapider rate
than those of England are-thanks to
our "git-up" and enterprise.
Stuffy Pete took his scat on the
third bench to the right as you enter
Union square from the east. at the
walk opposite the fountain. Every
Thanksgiving day for nine years he
had taken his seat there promptly at l
o'clock, for every time he had done so
things had happened to him-Charles
Dlckcnsy things that swelled his waist
coat above his heart and equally on
the other side.
But today Stuffy Pcte's appearance
at the annual tryStiug place seemed to
have been rather the result Of habit
than Of the yearly hunger which, as
the philanthropiStS seem to think, AT
flictS the poor at such extended inter
walls.
Certainly Pete was not hungry. He
had Just come from a feast that had
left him of his powers barely those of
respiration and locomotion. His eyes
were like two pale goosebcrries firmly
imbeddcd in Il swollen and gravy
smeared mask of putty. His breath
came in short WhecZcS. y senatorial
roll of adipOSc tissue denied fashion
able set to his upturned coat collar,
Buttons that had been sewed upon his
clothes by kind Salvation fingers
week before flew like popcorn, streW-
ing the earth around him. Ragged he
CHI int nt,t ~
the wiShbone. But the November
breeze, carrying fine SnoWtlakeS,
brought him only Il grateful coolneSS,
for Stuffy Pete was overcharged with
the Caloric produced by a supcrbounti-
full dinner, beginning with oysters and
ending with plum pudding and In
Guiding, it seemed to him, all the
roast turkey and baked potatoes and
chicken salad and squash pie and Ice
cream of the world. wherefore he sat.
gorged, and gazed upon the world with
after dinner contempt.
The meal had been an unexpected
one. He was passing a red brick man
sion near the beginning of Fifth ave
nue.. in which lived two old ladies Of
A''
traditions. They even denied the eX-
istcncc of New York and believed that
Thanksgiving day was declared solely
for Washington square. One of their
traditional habits was TO station
servant at the postcrn gate with orders
to admit the first hungry wayfarer
that came along after the hour of noon
had struck and banquet him to fin
ish Stuffy Pete happened to pass by
on his way to the park, and the
sencschaIs gathered him in and up
held the custom of the castle.
After Stuffv Pete had gaZed straight
before him for ten minutes he was
conscious of n desire for Il more varied
field of vision. With a tremendous
effort he moved his head slowly to the
left. And then his eyes bulgod out
fcarfully, and his breath ceased, and
the rOughshod cnGS of his short legs
wrigglcd and rustlcd on the gravel.
For the old gentleman was coming
across Fourth avenue toward his
bench
Every Thanksgiving day for nine
years the old gentleman had come
there and found Stufry Pete on his
bench. That was Il thing that the old
gentleman was trying to make tradi-
tion of. Every Thanksgiving day for
nine years he had found Stuffy there
and had led him to IL restaurant and
watched him eat a big dinner. They do
those things in England uncOnSciUuSly.
But this is Il young country, and nine
years IS not so bad. The old gentle
man was n stanch American patriot
and considered himself II pioneer in
American tradition. In order to be-
come picturesque we must keep on
doing one thing for Il long time with
something like collecting the weekly
dimes In industrial insurance or clean
ing the streets.
The Old gentleman moved straight
and stately toward the institution that
he was rearing. Truly the annual feed
ing of Stuffy Pete was nothing ma
tional in its character, such as the
Magma Charta or jam for breakfast
was in England, but it was a step. 1t
was almost feudal. 1t showed at least
that custom was not impossible to
New Y-ahcm.-America.
The old gentleman was thin and tall
and sixty. He was dressed all In black
and wore the old fashioned kind Of
glasses that won't stay on your nose.
His hair was whittier and thinner than
II had hnan last Vpnr and he seemed