The guardian., 1940-11-23
THANKSGIVING
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AN OLD-FASHIONED Thanks
n giving dinner?" said Ma Hub
l \ bell doubtfully, q don't

Il amt sues we had or not"
candidly, "but it's been on my mind
consider'b BILE the last few weeks, an
an guess mebbe I'd like it; we'd
both like it. Ye see, ma, I'm over
70 now, an there can't be many
more times. We've been down here
to Florida twelve years, an never
a Thanksgiving dinner in all the
time"
II know, pa" huskily, "but tit
never seemed like l could. An I
kind O. felt you wouldn't like it,
either. We've never spoke of it
together-but-you remember the
last time"
Fifteen years ago." trying to
keep his own voice firm and steady,
but turning his face away from her.
Sometimes I've tried to think
mebbe l was too harsh with him,
an too hasty; but when I've studied
it all over, fair as could be, I've felt
I'd have to do jest the same thing,
the same way. There never was
black sheep in the Hubbell family
from the time Great-Grandfather
Hubbelps brother ran off to be a
sailor, till-till our Enos-"
Ma Hubbell did not speak. Tears
were twinkling silently down her
cheeks.
"I've tried to think I was ha' a'sh,"
the old farmer repeated, "but
couldn't. l tried to train Enos up
to be a good farmer, to know the
best way to grow things, an the
best way to sell 'em. An Enos
learned it all, too" with reminis-
cent qualification in his voice, "an'
we were both proud of him. He
was a good boy an a good, sensible
grower an seller. Then all at once
he commenced goin' wild, an then
he learned to play tricks so he could
join the circus, Said he was tired
of diggin' dirt an wanted to see the
world"
Ma Hubbell nodded. 1t was all
just as fresh in her mind as in his,
though neither of them had spoken
of it in the long fifteen years.
'Then he came home for that
Thanksgiving day." the old man
went on, after long silence, his
face growing a little harder, can
we killed the biggest turkey, an
after dinner l talked with i'm bout
what we hoped an the Hubbell
family, an what chances the world
offered to strong young men. An
an he laughed in my face, an used
some pretty strong language. An
that night he went off an got so
drunk we had to bring him home.
The next day told him to go an
not come back any more. Then we
sold the farm an came down here.
Seems as if neither of us could live
on the old place after that"
| Pa Hubbell walked heavily to a
window, repeating to himself as he
did so: "Mebbe l was too hash
with him, mebbe I was, though il
never seemed So"
A slight drizzle was beginning to
fall and already the ground was wet
Many turkeys and other poultry
were pecking in a desultory man.
ner about the kitchen door and be.
tween there and the barn, and out
under the long shed the hired man
was preparing some of the fowls fo1
market. The farmer looked at him
with unseeing eyes. At length he
turned back into the room.
'I'm over seventy" he repeated
"an' you're pretty close to me, ma
We can't reasonably count for much
longer. An I've been thinkin' a lot
about New England an Thanksgiv
ing dinners lately. I don't want to &C
back, but seems like l could relish &
real old-timey dinner once more
Enos is likely dead long ago Cir
Gus folks don't live long, they say
We've can imagine him sittin' al
the table with us, jest a little boy
like he used to be-"
Ma Hubbell's lips quivered, but
by a strong effort she stilled the
quiver and turned to him wha-
seemed a calm face.
All right, pa" she agreed. "I'l
start in at once, an with the whole
day before us l think Betsey an
me can get pretty much every
thing cooked up. The turkey wei
leave till mornin', for it'll taste bet
ter fresh-baked But you'll have tt
buy me some cranb' 'ries in town, an
some raisins an other things. II
set EN- down. We can stew Gran
b'ries, an mix an bake some mince
pies this evenin' after you get back
An say, pa, if you should see any
body on the road, you'd specially
like, you might ask 'em to dinner
'Twould make it more sociable fol
you"
Pa Hubbell nodded and glanced
through the window. He didn't see
anything in particular because his
thoughts were far away.
"Get your list ready" he said
IAN I'll go an be gettin' the bis
farm truck ready. It's goin' to be
regular rain by an by Up OF
the farm it would be snow now, an
the truck would be a sleigh. Well
| want to be gettin back if it's goin
to be an all nights rain. | CUES.
there's enough poultry dressed fol
! n nicp truck-load bv now for Pu