Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag, Vol. 5 / Jimmy's Cruise in the Pinafore, Etc.

wing up about him. They were poor in money, but rich in land and love, for the wide acres of wood, corn, and pasture land f

roared a cheerful fire; on the walls hung garlands of dried apples, onions, and corn; up aloft from the beams shone crook-necked squashes, juicy hams, and dried venison-for in those days deer still haunted

o small boys sat on the wooden settle shelling corn for popping, and picking out the biggest nuts from the goodly store their own hands had gathered in October. Four young girls stood at the long dresser, busily chopping meat, pounding spice, and

. Bassett, flushed and floury, but busy and blithe

t of victuals to fill all these hungry stomicks," said the good woman, as she gave a vigorous stir to the great kettle

hasty pudding this morning, so I shall have plenty of room when the nice things co

like to have Thanksgiving every day," answered Solomon, gloating like

aper with all this extra work atop of my winter weavin' and spinnin'," laughed their mother, as she plu

spices were costly, and not a grain must be wasted. Prue kept time with the chopper, and the twins sliced

sick, so we can't go there as usual, but I like to mess 'round here, don

cousins and aunts, and have games, and sing," cried the twins, who were regula

o eat dinner together, warm and comfortable at home," s

soon as I clap my bread into the oven," called Mrs. Bassett presently, as she rounded off t

if they warn't too high!" shouted Sol and Seth, running to the door, while the girls smacked their lips a

to Mr. Bassett in the yard, with some brief message that made the farmer drop his ax and look so sober that his wife guessed at once some bad news had com

t her mother was failin' fast, and she'd better come to-day. He knew no more, and having delivered his e

tt, wasting not a minute in tears and lamentations, but pulling off her apron as she went in,

their work to help her get ready, mingling their g

tter sudden, as she has before, we'll have cause for thanksgivin', and I'll give you a dinner you won't forget in a hurry,

an'ma lived twenty miles away, and there were no railroads in those parts to whisk people to and fro like magic. By the time the old yellow sleigh wa

r the children nor dumb critters must suffer," said Mr. Bassett, as he turned up the collar of his rough coat and pu

hatever you do, don't let the boys git at the mince-pies, or you'll have them down sick. I shall come back the minute I can leave Mother. Pa will

en, as Mrs. Bassett was packed into the sleigh and d

of her homespun gown, and began to order about the younger girls. They soon forgot poor Granny, and found it great fun to keep house all alone, for Mother seldom left home, but ruled her family in the good old-fashioned way. There were no servants, for the

with gusts of wind, for up among the hills winter came early and lingered long. But the children were

hen stood the big and little wheels, and baskets of wool-rolls, ready to be twisted into yarn for the winter's

olls in the settle corner, and Bose, the brindled mastiff, lay on the braided mat, luxuriously warming his old legs. Thus employed, they made a pretty p

attered like magpies over their dolls and the new bed-spread they were planning to make, all white dimity stars on a blue calico ground, as a Christmas presen

mple supper of brown bread and milk, baked apples, and a doughnut all 'round as a treat. Then they sat before the fire, the sisters knitting, the brothers with books or games,

chair, where she sat in state, finishing off

's about our folks," answered Eph, turning the yellow page to look

great-great-grandpa. He's only a farmer now, but it's nice to know that we were somebody two or three hundre

erstand 'em. Tell it," commanded Roxy, from the

gate to carry him off, he had just time to call his girl to him, and say: 'I may be going to my death, but I won't betray my master. There is no time to burn the papers, and I can not take them with me; they are hidden in the old leathern chair where I sit. No one knows this but you, and you must guard them till I come or send y

those papers, like a queen, and waited while the soldiers hunted the house over for 'em: wasn't that a smart

n't know, and fired up and stood before his sister; and he says, says he, as bold as a lion: 'If my lord had told us where the papers be, we would

self before Tilly, with the long poker in his

r's sword and lay about him? I wou

rest of it," commanded Tilly, with a pat on the yellow head, and a private resolve that

to see that all was safe. The servants thought the fright had hurt her wits, and let her be, but Rupert, the boy, stood by her and never was afraid of her queer ways. She was 'a pious maid,' the book says, and often spent the long evenings reading the Bible, with her brother by her, all alone in the great r

did come?" cri

inued Eph, half te

about her father and the king, she looked at him sharply. Then she stood up and said, in a tremble, for there was something strange about the man: 'Sir, I doubt you in spite of the ring, and I will not answer till you pull off the false beard you wear, that I may see your face and know if you are my father's friend or foe

s like the old picter down to Grandma's, don't she, Eph?"

ould fight like a wild cat, but she can't hold her tongue worth a cent," answer

les," and having kissed them all around, as Mother did, crept into her own nest, never minding the little drif

any late wanderer had looked in at midnight, he would have seen the fire blazing up again, and in the cheerful glow the old cat blinking her

n with cheeks glowing like winter apples, after a brisk scrub and scramble into their clothes. Eph was off to the barn, and Tilly s

eeper, as the pewter spoons stopped clatt

have a real Thanksgiving dinner, because she won't be here

eady, and if we can't boil vegetables and so on, we don't deserve any dinner," cried Til

dinner anyway; Ma won't care, and the good vic

will be real genteel and give us plenty of time," added Tilly,

rkey?" asked Roxy, with

try?" said Rhody, in

he way, and let Prue and me work. Eph, I wish you'd put a fire in the best room, so the little ones can play in there. We shall want the settin'-

" began cautious Eph, who felt that this invasi

w? Can I get up a nice dinner with four rascals under my feet all the time? Come, now, if you want roast

t Eph gave in, and, laughing good-naturedly, tramped away to heat up the best

ers" on the arms of the best rocking-chair, and an Indian war-dance all over the well-waxed furniture. Eph, finding the society of the peaceful shee

hey had never heard of a cooking-school, never touched a piano, and knew nothing of embroidery beyond the samplers which hung framed in the parlor; one ornamented with

r neat was w

fth year,

and got out all the spoons, dishes, pots, and pans they c

uals if Gran'ma is so sick," said Tilly importantly. "I shall give the children a piece at noon" (Tilly meant luncheon); "doughnuts and cheese, with apple-pie and cider will plea

a always likes to have me, I'm so patient and stiddy, she says," answered Prue, for the respon

s she eyed the immense fowl laid out on a platter before her. "I don't know how much I w

l mean to be thinking of gobbling him, poor old chap," laughed Prue, p

it ought to bile all day. Put the big kettle on, a

three-legged pot; then she settled the long spit in the grooves made for it in the tall andirons, and

sure she got the right ones, and brandy instead of wine. But she forgot both sugar and salt, and tied it in the cloth so tightly that it had no room to swell, so it would come out as heavy as lead and as hard as a

bread well soaked for the stuffing. "Sage and onions and apple-sauce go wit

mint, peppermint, or penny-royal," answered Prue, in a tone of doubt, b

in, and then we are sure to be right. The best is up garret; you run and

little nose was so full of the smell of the onions she had been peeling, that everything smelt of them.

stomach, that seemed aching for food, and sewed it up with the blue yarn, which happened to be handy. She

k nice with a necklace of sausages, as Ma fixed one l

feel as if I was roasting the baby," answered Tilly, glancing toward the buttery

e girls thought they would have every sort. Eph helped, and by noon all was ready fo

ed no one would have an appetite for her sumptuous dinner. The boys assured her they would be st

nd get out the best chiny," said Tilly, bent on having her

away trudged the four younger Bassetts, to disport themselves in the snow, and try the ice d

en-handled knives and two-pronged steel forks; its red-and-white china, and pewter platters, scoured till they shone, with mugs and spoons to match, and a brown jug for the cider. The cloth was coarse, but white as snow, and the little maids had seen the blue-eyed flax grow, out of which their mother wove t

aid Prue, when they paused t

w. The short afternoon had passed so quickly that twilight had come before they knew it, and now, as they looked out through the gathering dusk, they saw

y, which they did in a somewhat incoherent manner. "Down in the holler, coastin', we heard a growl," began Sol, wit

e Rhody hid in Prue's skirts, and piped out: "His great paws k

er us. He's awful hungry, and he'll eat every one of us if he

little girls, flying up stairs to hide under

t him as soon as he comes. Get out of the way,

ily following Sol, who had climbed to the top of the dress

he turkey, now "browning beautiful," as she expressed it. But Tilly boldly stoo

the big brown beast slowly trotting up the door-yard was an unusually formidable speci

ep him off while I load again," said Eph, anxious to kill h

ar was near enough to be dangerous. He stood on his hind legs, and seem

" cried Til

the boy, while Prue covered her ears to shut out the bang, and th

he ax, flung open the door, and ran straight into the arms of the bear, who stood erect to receive her, w

loss of his prey, for these hardy boys loved to hunt, and prided thems

e other drew a dozen oranges from some deep pocket in the buffalo-skin coat, and fired them into the kitchen

lers to tote 'em easy, and come along till I see the children playin' in the holler. I jest meant to give 'em a little scare,

bullet through you in a jiffy, old chap," said Eph, coming out to shake

I have done it all ourselves, and Pa will be alo

rant and had my joke; now I want my pay, Tilly," and Gad took a hearty kiss from the rosy cheeks of his "little sweetheart," as he called her

into a bear's arms you must expect a hug," answered Gad, as h

d. You did it well, though, and I advise you not to try it again in a hurry, or you

have biled over so the pies I put to warm are all ashes!" scol

pected to be eaten alive myself, could I?" pleaded poor Prue,

evived by sucks from the one orange which passed from hand to hand with great rapidity, while the older girls dis

ks with him,

leighs chock full," shouted S

e," said Sol in a solemn tone. This startling suggestion made Tilly, Prue, a

on jolly," said Eph, drily, as merry voices an

I do declare, Pa's bringin' 'em all home to have some fun here

I hope it will turn out good!" exclaimed Tilly, while t

a! Hooray for

r, Baby, aunts and cousins, all in great spirits, and all

asked Sol, in the midst of

ast, and she wanted me to come down to-day, certain sure, he got the message all wrong, and give it to the fust person passin' in such a way as

p to spend the evenin', and we are goin' to have a jolly time on't, to jedge by the looks of th

you to gettin' up such a supper?" asked Mr. Bassett, looking a

, pigs, pies, and oranges were oddly mixed. Great satisfaction was expressed by all, and Tilly and Prue were s

pride got a fall; for the first person who tasted the stuffing (it was big Cou

n your stuffin'?" demanded Ma, trying not to be severe, for

caused Pa to kiss her on the spot, and declare that it

one, and the dinner a credit to you, my dears," declared Aunt C

on Squire Dunkin's great gate. It was speedily whisked out of sight, and all fell upon the pies, which were perfect. But Till

long kitchen they stood, Mr. and Mrs. Bassett at the top, the twins at the bottom, and then away they went, heeling and toeing, cutting pigeon-wings, and taking their steps in a way that would convulse modern children with their new-fangled

fter a grand kissing all round, the guests drove away in the cl

on the hearth: "Children, we have special cause to be thankful that the sorrow we expected was ch

ch side, and all sat quietly in the fire-light, smiling as they listened with h

d, Prue put her arm around Tilly and whispered tenderl

', deary-nobody cared, and Ma said we really

en, and was so infectious, Prue could not help joinin

how Gad fooled Eph and I found him out. I thought Mose and Amos would have died o

bullet, and scrabbled into the cradle as fast as I could. It was real m

ull in the fun, and Mrs. Bassett's voice was heard, saying warn

ce reigned, broken only by an occasional snore from the boys, or the soft scurr