Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-11-28
TAKING A FAMILY
BACK TO THE SOIL
Being the Experiences OF q Gov
eminent Clerk Who Sets Out
to Lower the high Cost Of
Living.


Our first Thanksgiving day In the coun-
try was as different from anything In my
past experience. almost. as day is differ
ent from night. I had never before
grasped the real Thanksgiving spirit
the making of feast in celebration of
harvests gathered. when the frost is on
the punkin' and the corn is in the shock
In town we always had turkey, but
we bought it ready dressed in market
Thursday we ate our own bird, one of
the few which survived the many perils
besetting the paths of young turkeys and
attained maturity. Every year at
Thanksgiving time had admired the pic
ture Of the farmer going forth with
Ratchet to slay the gobbler which was to
grace the family board when the SONS
and daughters came back from town to
spend the annual feast day with the old
folks at home. 1t always seemed to me
there would he lot of fun i'll the op
Grafton. especially if the wary gobbler
had to be pursued over fences and
across fields. I hoped the gobbler We
had marked for slaughter would give us
a chase, and / took Jim and Ned along
to help and share the fun. But our
turk" refused to carry out his part of
the program I don't know whether it
was because, being of philosophical
turn, he had made up his mind to meet
death with dignity and calm. or whether
he was a victim of too much petting. At
any rate, when the hour Of execution
arrived he simply stood still and let Jim
walk over and pick him up.
Scruples Had to Be Overcome.
Jane had to undergo considerable
struggle with herself before she could
v,,ly. ~
turkeys She had Matched eighteen and
only three survived the period of wet
feet fatalities. They had been the OBJ
jects Of more care than anything else
on the place. Each had a name--Tomjim,
Tonned and Tomdick-and no matter
how far from the house they were they
would come. half running and half flying
when she called But. as might be
guessed from their names. the survivors
were all of the masculine persuasion. so
It was hardly practical to spare their
lives on the theory that they would con-
stitute breeding flock for next year.
when we first came out here and had
Matched out a bunch of downy little
puff balls that some day would grow
into hens and ROSTERS, Jane declared
that never. never would she be able to
eat bird or animal that she herself
had reared from infancy and I think
there was general family inclination
TO subscribe to her view. But the bet
ter part of year in the country has
wrought a lot of changes of many
kinds. and one of them is that today
we think our own poultry is better eat
Ing than any we ever had before Pro-
test against killing the turkey, there
tore. was but passing impulse of SEN
timent, and no one seemed to lack ap-
petite when he came to the table stuff
ed and crisp and brown.
we had the Turner's out for Thanks
giving. and Jane set out again to fur
fIy1r, -.
slble of our own products. Hewing as
closely to the line as she could. some
things which ordinarily go to make up
Thanksgiving dinner were omitted.
Celery and nuts both were stricken
from the list, but no one seemed to
miss them. We had pumpkin pie, the
pumpkins to make which We're of our
own growing. There was a sweet po-
Iato pudding. which one Of our neigh
bors in Washington who was from
Georgia had taught Jane to make The
white potatoes were of our own grow
ing. and we had apples from our one
tree, which bears winter variety. In
the stead of celery, cold slaw, made
from our own cabbage, was served.
lane had intended to omit cranberries,
Tut the boys raised such a ruckus at
This idea that she gave it up.
Had Hoped for Snow.
We had hoped for fairly cold weather
and at least furry of snow, that we
might be carried in spirit back to
those first Thanksgiving days in New
England. but the kind of weather we
had Thursday is not without it's ad
vantages 1t made it possible to keep
the kids out of doors until dinner was
ready, and any woman who has tried
to cook a Thanksgiving dinner with
lot of hungry children in the house
knows that was an advantage not to
be despised.
I don't know why boys always want
the drumsticks but don't suppose one
boy in a hundred who sits down to
turkey fails to call for that particular
part of the fowl. There never has been
any difficulty on that score at our
house. as we have but the two boys,
but Thursday the Turner boy was with
us. With three boys to serve and only
two drumsticks it looked like hope
less deadlock, but after good deal OF
persuasion Jim and Ned tossed penny
to see which should yield his rights
to Charley Turner. Ned lost and Jane
slipped him a dime as a consolation
prize.
Ned put on as stiff an upper lip as he
could. but | saw plainly that he wasn't
going to get full enjoyment from his
Thanksgiving dinner. Just before going
1u the table I observed Ned and Charlie
in earnest conversation. Ned was very
emphatic in what he was saving, and
presently ] saw Charlie nod his head in
assent to whatever proposition had been
advanced. Then Ned's hand went into
his pocket and something was passed to
his guest
When it came Charles turn to be
served . asked: And now. Master Tur-
ner what part would you like"
Some white meat. please" he an
swered.
must have looked my surprise. for
Mrs. Turner spoke up. white meat is
the only part Charlie likes, she said
"He never would eat the drumstick, like
most boys"
glanced over at Ned. and his face
was a study. He had needlessly parted
with his dime.
Nothing was said at the time, but that
evening after the Turner's had gone he
brought up the subject himself He
seemed to think some one ought TO make
good his loss 1t was long time before
he could see the logic of the argument
that as he had gotten the dime for Civ
ing up something he didn't have to give
M his title 10 il was no better than was
Charles.
Looking Ahead to Christmas.
With Thanksgiving gone and the chill
dren on the way to recovery from the
effects of overeating. their minds are now
turning toward Christmas. / hadn't
thought much about il before, but with
the experience of Thanksgiving as a
guide Christmas In the country looms