The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-12-30

God bless fhens There were warm hearts; and
there were also doughnuts in huge piles, and
pumpkin pies I'm rows; and there were other COM
forts. for no one had then discovered bacteria. and
we were I'm no danger from eating good FOOD.
When we got cold outdoors WE could go inside
and be warmed Internally. The house was painted
red, for that was the warm color, like the nre In
the chimney, and / know no other reason why all
Old-time farm houses were of that color. Only
the front was white, and there were green blinds
1 think it was the fashion, and the time never
was when anyone would be out OF fashion-in-
nOvators ana radicals excepted. Fashion. you
must know, is simply doing what others do. and
not %bothering your head about it, and believing
what others believe, with just as little trouble
to yourself Ii is a beautiful way of keeping us
all alike, for what might come Of it if no two ever
did the same thing, or believed the same thing,
or wore the same coat, or, for that matter, loved
the same person? The Old-time people had a rea-
Son for the cafechisln. 1t was q good one. 1t kept
them all together, like q regiment. Nowadays
there are SOME who would even throw away the
dictionary and spell the Lord knows how-just as
each one pleases.
Over the double door reached the big arms of a
great butterUut. Do YOU know there is no tree in
all the world so hOmeful as a butternut? It's arms
are like those Of a father, and it has not q stingy
trait about if Then you should lie, as l have, in
September, and hear of a night the nuts falling
off, one, or two, or three at a time on the roof.
nat tdtp thtr bii'it Jul NNiC luli VI lIC
joys of the morning; or, for that matter, even of
the buildings, which should come of it when the
meats were enough to fill a big bowl. Yes, indeed!
a butternut pudding, with a plenty Of cider, is
good even in dreamland. To the back of the house
was an orchard, where Spitzenbergs and Pearmalns
grew. Some oil the trees leaned so that we could
walk up them, and sit with the birds. /, when Il
boy, knew n robin so well that she built her nest
within five feet of me, while l whistled and talked
to her. To the side Of the orchard stood a fine
grove of Eastwood, in which were fifty hives Of
bees, i'm two long hOuSeS-twO rows i'm each house.
There is nothing so wonderful I'm the world as an
apple orchard in blossom. 1t is fit for worship.
The trees are friendly and hearty. Their arms
come low down TO the ground, as If reaching after
us. What wealth of blossom There is no sugges-
ton OF nigyardIiness. All, even now 1 see the
old grandmother in her chair, when the petals
came down in a great shower and laid lovingly on
her white hair. And the blessed mother beside
her also. Nature loved them. There was a sweet
fitness, md when we boys came to their side and
brought the ripeSt Pearmains and Lady Sweets,
and otherwise identified them with the fruit,
e was out OF our hearts. But how shall / ever
get to New Years at this rate. for 1 am not yet
half around the house. and my soul will not let
me hurry on To see things and hear things when
they happen Is we'll enough but, an. to have them
I'm one's self and be able to call them out Of the
memory, that is worth the while. IT'S better than
any photograph
, There Was an Offset In the turf, just beyond
the harvest pear; and this was where the little
mother had hcr pinks, and peoples, and bachelor
buttons. and cinnamon roses, and jOhnnie-jump-
ups. II was a place Of marvellous beauty, and OF
marvellous work-of that / can testify. But it
was de3ici0us in the early morning. before the day
was or a griiiron-and again after shutdown. You
should have seen the little mother and Granny
williams, or some other one, going about this
treasure Island in the midst Of the world. "Ah,
thisi" and ~Ah, that!' ut smells like n fresh
young babe" said Granny Williams" Indeed"
said the little mother, "but / had not thought OF
that; but, rs likely as not, for II has a soft pinkish
yellow COLOR Then she would snuff at it, like
any professor examining n new chemical mixture.