Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-11-26

and place as helper. The smell OF
good cooking was all over the house.
1t swept into the sitting room thru tho
kitchen doors and every upstairs room
held a faint aroma of basted turkey
and mingled essences of various de-
lights. OF course II was tough on the
children to wait for the second table
but there was enough and to spare and
after all waiting merely put keener
| edge on appetite, And when The feast
was done the big girls cleared the table
and under protest from Martha"
washed the dishes. The big stump
stove" was red with grateful heat. The
apples rosily invited. Cider, perhaps
with a little tang to it." mantled in
the big pitcher. o, well, mother Martha
and the rugged man who faced her
across the table, and Uncle Bill long
ago Went to larger thanksgiving.
Father married mother and they
struck out west. They had team
and wagon and couple of cows. and
some household goods contributed by
the old folks" Also little of the
bounty money father had lent on mort
gage when he marched away to war.
with 500 down and twenty years time
| TO pay the remainder 1t was tough
shedding. The ground lay low and some
of II drowned out in the spring. Little
by little he broke it, patch by patch he
brought it into production of sort.
1t was hard work inside and outside
close together and mother did all her
own work. She helped out doors also
She helped milk and fed the calves and
sometimes when father was late she
did most of the chores about the old
straw stable But she always raised
a few turkeys and at least one of them,
fat and tender and cooked to q turn
went on the table Thanksgiving day.
AS the boys grew up and We're able
to help and the girls arrived at useful
ness things lghtened. They fixed up
the house. Father bought more land.
Mother had a girl part of the time
thru harvest and having anyhow. Folks
began TO point out father as one of
those land poor people. But after
while they spoke of him as a wealthy
citizen. Tom went away to law school.
Jim, now j. Henry, took a course in
dentistry. Mary went to normal and
thence to some eastern college and
married a professor of something or
other in a little down east school He's
President j. H. Somebody of Bigbug
university today. Bill staid on the
farm. paid out on a lot of land, went
to the legislature for the honor of it,
and is rich as mud and Bill to his
friends and neighbors yet. j. Henry
Jones entertained them all at Thanks
giving dinner yesterday.
But father and mother, who have
moved to town and live in a dandy
home with more money than they
would ever think Of using. were think
ing about other days while the SPLEEN
dor shone and the lively talk sifted
about the board. The talk was about
things that were not particularly ia
miliar to the old folks. They sat back
and felt a little out of 1t. Proud Of
their highly educated and successful
children. they were little afraid Of
them. They thought OF other Thanks
giving days when these were little
children, back In those old days when
they were 80 happy and so pore"
But it was good day and good
dinner and happy reunion whether it
ran In courses or was piled on the
table after the elder fashion And
everyone was the happier and better
for it. Times change and customs but
the home ties hold true and firm
whether the dinner is served on stone
china or haviland.