The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1915-11-19
Charlottesville
Thanksgiving
0y
Vote UpoomCQa,&

~, he saw an automobile
~6Nh ( From the first moment the
lsfESI, 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 a motor
vehicle
AS time went on, and many Of his
neighbors bought automobiles, his
horses became wonted to them and
turned never hair when they whizzed
by; but the good deacon did not re
lent. Whenever one passed him on
the road, throwing, perhaps, shower
of dust or mud upon his modest car
riage, and leaving behind it 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, ex-
cepting Rhoda, the youngest, who
stayed at home to take care of them.
The four sons were prosperous, and
the older daughter had married a very
rich man and lived one hundred OF
more miles away Two sons had be-
come farmers and lived quite near
One was a merchant in a 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 sport
ed three or four When his father
found this out, he came almost to the
point of breaking off relations 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 home
stead could accommodate them all
Now the children and the grandchil-
dren had increased in number until
such gatherings were no longer pos
sible The uncles and aunts had died
or had become infirm. There had
been some pretty lonely Thanksgiv-
ings at the hospitable Phipps farm.
1t was during the week before the
great day that>Deacon Phipps was sit
ting before the open fire in his big,
comfortable sittingroom, and ponder
ing over this melancholy fact.
"'Tain't right" he grumbled to his
gentle wife, who sat knitting beside
him. "'Taint right to have families
scattered so at Thanksgiving. l wish
we could get our folks all together,
Susan, just once more. Here you an
l are vergin' onto eighty, an we hain't
had our folks all together for goin' on
ten year now. 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 EN-! except Bet
ty. 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, well try to
get a dozen or so of EN- an call it
family party, but you an l an Rhody,
an the help are strong an hearty, an
could take care of EN- all, If they
would only come But l don't see any
way"
mo, there isn't any way" sighed
his good wife, "but you hadn't oughter
complain, Silas Ye've got sight O
blessins, 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 kitchen, and there were neigh
bors near by who were ready to dc
extra work Job, the good middle
aged man who had taken care of the
horses for many a year, Was no mean
hand at household as well as stable
service, and at this special Thanks
giving season Miss Rhoda kept then
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 tur
keys and ten chicken pies and gal
lon of cranberry saucer" she cried
1--WE 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 morn
ing 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. Dea
con Phipps was restlessly peering up
the road. long before the proper time.
and Mrs. Phipps was almost as impa
tient as he-
Presently over the brow of the hill
came great touring car. The deacon
scowled, but as he heard, first the