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Humble Romance and Other Stories (American Short Story Series)
Humble Romance and Other Stories - American Short Story Series Author:Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: A TARDY THANKSGIVING. "I S'pose you air goin' down to Hannah's to spend Thanksgivin', Mis' Muzzy ?" The old lady who asked the question was seated in Mrs. ... more »Muzzy's best hair-cloth rocking-chair, which had been brought out of the parlor for the occasion. She had a mild, tiny-featured old face, wore a false front of auburn hair, and a black lace cap decorated with purple ribbons, and was knitting—putting new heels into some blue yarn stockings. The answer she got to her question, delivered in her prim, purring, company tone, made her jump nervously. "No ; I ain't goin' a step—not if I know what I'm about." The words shot out of Mrs. Muzzy's mouth as if each one had had a charge of powder in its rear, and the speaker went on jerking the stout thread viciously through the seam she was sewing. She was a squarely built woman, compactly fleshy. There was a bright red color on each of her firm, round cheeks ; there was not a vague line in her whole face; her mouth opened and shut unhesitatingly and fairly; and she looked out of her small brown eyes directly, with no circumlocution. " Mebbe you air goin' up to your brother Andrew's then?" ventured the old lady, feebly. " No, Mis' Field, I ain't a-goin' to Andrew's nuther. I ain't a-goin' nowheres." " But," purred the old lady, " ain't you afeard you'll be awful lonesome ? Lor', I don't know what I should do ef it warn't for Serrah an' her childern on a Thanksgivin'-day. To be sure, you ain't got any childern an' grandchildern to go to, but thar's your sister Hannah an' hers, an' Andrew an' his, an' it kinder seems as if brothers and sisters come next." " Thar ain't no use talkin'," said Mrs. Muzzy, in a loud, clear-cut voice. " I ain't a-goin' to Hannah's to Thanks- givin', an' I ain't a-goin' to Andrew's to Th...« less