RED, WHITE AND BLUE THANKSGIVING
17
•
in this country was ·a scandal. Dad flared up and said did he call
twenty years in jail lenient when the Constitution ... Uncle Glenn
interrupted that that kind of talk was disloyal at a time like this
when our boys were giving their lives to defend the very principles ...
"After all, Brother Glenn, Tyler's our son," Mother said with a shy
smile, "and we ought to know about sacrifice." Then she told little
Glenn to clear the table and bring in the icecream. She said for Lorna
to help him but Lorna didn't move.
WhQl he brought back the icecream it slithered back and forth
on the platter. Cousin Jane who was following with a silver sauceboat
of
chocolate fudge sauce cried, "Whoops my boy," in her jolly way
that made him feel good again. But Uncle Glenn was still talking
about how pacifism was giving aid and comfort to the enemy and
at a time like this ... Dad looked very pale and stern and was spacing
his
words slowly and saying that after all that he'd spent his life in
the study of the gospels and the teachings of the Master and had
done his best to apply them to modern conditions, not through the
dogmas of any particular church, he realized that a great deal of
dogma was out of date and rather obscured the gospels than clari–
fied
them ... Then he said his voice shaking again that he could find
no justification for a Christian to take part in war and that he thought
the application of Christianity to war was not only spiritual but
practical.
Uncle Glenn pushed back his chair and got very red and said
he
hadn't come to listen to a sermon but in his opinion all pacifists
were yellow. "Glenn, Glenn, now you promised me you wouldn't,"
Aunt Harriet was whining in a singsong voice. · Cousin Jane added
in
her snappy cheerful tone that this was Thanksgiving dinner and
that arguing at meals gave people indigestion.
"Herbert, don't argue with him, please," MotHer whispered
down
the table, and made Glenn get Uncle Glenn's plate and gave
him
another helping of icecream. It made Glenn feel awful to see
bow
her hand was trembling when she poured out the chocolate
auce. "I should think his own sons would be ashamed," Uncle
Glenn
muttered as he helped himself to another piece of fruitcake.
Lorna started giggling as Aunt Harriet kept hissing hush across
the
table. Uncle Glenn went on rumbling in his throat that it was a
uprise
to him Herbert hadn't been arrested before this for his dis–
IDyal
utterances and us with him for listening to 'em.
Dad had gotten to his feet leaving his icecream with the bitter
fldge
sauce untouched on his plate. "After all Glenn you are my
and Ada's." He walked over to the window and stood there
'-'ing out with his thin hands clasped behind his back.
