Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1915-11-25
AN AUTOMOBILE THANKSGIVING.
UrHATE 'em !' good old Deacon
Phipps was in the habit of saying

HnlppS was III the DdOll Vi SdylIRi
whenever he saw an automobile.
From the first moment the new invention
appeared, soaring his steady old horses
almost to death, and breaking up one OF
his best farm wagons, Deacon Phipps
had no patience with any kind of motor
vehicle.
AS time went on, and many OF his neigh
bors bought automobiles. his horses be-
came wonted to them and turned never a
hair when they whizzed by; but the good
deacon did not relent. Whenever one
passed him on the road, throwing, per-
haps, shower OF dust or mud upon his
modest carriage, and leaving behind it a
trail of ill-odor, he would mutter under
his breath) words which no good deacon
should ever, ever use.
The deacon and his wife grew old, and
their six children all married, excepting
Rhoda, the youngest, who stayed al home
to take care of them. The four sons
were prosperous, and the older daughter
had married very rich man and lived
one hundred or more miles away. Two
sons had become farmers and lived quite
near. One was a merchant in large
town perhaps fifty miles distant. The
fourth one was minister, settled in the
same town with the merchant brother
To the infinite disgust Of Deacon PhippS,
all of these sons, excepting the minister,
owned automobiles, and Thomas, the
merchant, actually sported three or four.
When his father found this out, he came
almost TO the point of breaking off rela-
tions with Thomas.
In the old days, the family had used to
gather on the day before Thanksgiving,
and the large, airy chambers of the ample
Phipps homestead could accommodate
them all. Now the children and the
grandchildren had increased in number
until such gatherings were no longer pos
sble. The uncles and aunts had died or
had become infirm. There had been
some pretty lonely Thanksgiving at the
hospitable Phipps farm.
1t was during The week before the great
day that Deacon PhippS was Sitting before
the open fire in his big, comfortable Sit
ting-room, and pondering over this mel
ancholy fact.
"Tain't right" he grumbled TO his
gentle wife, who sat knitting beside him.
'"Tain't right to have families scattered
so at Thanksgiving. wish we could get
our folks all together, Susan, just once
more. Here you and are vergin' onto
eighty, an we hain't had our folks all
together for goin' onteH yearnow. Here's
this great house, dinin' room fit to seat
thirty, an this room to spill over into for
as many more, and countin' Sister Judy
an Brother Ben, all the sister an brother
we've got left, bless 'em Except Betty,
an she's tied TO the house by her broken
hip, an always will be, it's likely-all
put together they only count up forty-one,
but we can't get 'em together.
"Well," he unused on, "we'lltry TO get
dozen or so OF 'em an Call it family
party, but you an an Rhody an the
help are strong an hearty, an could take
care OF 'em all, if they would only come.
But don't see any way"
"No, there isn't any way" sighed his
good wife, "but you hadn't oughter COM
plain, SiIas. Ye've got sight O. bless
ms, an we'd oughter think O. those
we've got an not banker after those we
can't have" Which was good doctrine,
though it could not quite stop the deacon'S
grumbling.
Miss Rhoda Phipps was quite equal to
the task of taking care of the old people.
A strong woman helped her in the kitch-
en-, and there were neighbors near by
who were ready 10 do extra work. Job,
the good middle-aged man who had taken
care of the horses for many year, was
no mean hand at household as well as
stable service, and at this special Thanks
giving season Miss Rhoda kept them all
busy until the pantries were piled thick
with dainties. Mrs. PhippS thought that
there was too much food prepared.
"Why, Rhoda, what do we want with
twenty apple pies and six turkeys and
ten chicken pies and gallon OF cranberry
sauce ?" she cried. I'VE never in the
world can eat them up before they spoil
As near as can make out. there are only
about ten coming, anyway"
But Miss Rhoda said she "would risk
it." and laughed her mother back TO her
post beside the fire.
By ten o'clock Thanksgiving morning
the whole farmhouse was in speckless
order. Aunt Judy and Uncle Ben had
promised TO come early, and so had son
John and his family. Deacon Phipps
was restlessly peering up the road, long
before the proper time, and Mrs. Phipps
was almost as impatient as he.
Presently over The brow Of the hill
came great touring car. The deacon
scowled, but as he heard, ilrst Inc sweet
Gabriel horn, and then the rough roar OF
the KIaxon, his face relaxed little. Who
were in the car? Ii was not the family
OF son John. Surely il was Thomas and
his minister brother. with several mem-
bers of their families, and Mrs. Phipps
fairly cried with Joy as she saw them.
"There is another load Just behind US, !"
they shouted, as they drew up before the
door.
Another loadP There were half a
dozen loads before the final toll was taken,
and when two strong, big Phipps sons
lifted OUT from one of the cushioned lin