The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-01-03
graceful mother Of the chfd-tho favorite dAugh.

her youth, dearly loved by all but best by those
Of ner own Preside circle. She was, indeed the
richest gem in that circlet When the long lashes
were lifted from her evcr-changing cheek, yoa
could look into the very soul of the high-minded,
sunny-hearted girl. Six years before she had
stood in her fathers low paror on Thanksgiving
eve-she had stood between that father and an.
other to whose face she lifted her soul-speaking
eye, his bride of an hour. And as the good
mothers raspberry wine, carefully bottled for the
occasion, went round, she dreamed not that in
that cup lacked a demon that should yet over
throw the altar iast erected Caleb Reynolds was
now drunkard, and a deserter from his home
He had enlsted-it vas thought, in an hour Of
intoxcation-but his wife was left to learn it
from other lips He vent without one word OF
farewell 20 the plains of MexicO-and never
since had she heard of him Poor Adelaide
ried her crushed heart back TO her fathers house,
icngins only to lay it in the grave. Have you
ever seen a tree in our Western forests, blgh,ed
by " grdling" as the woodsmen call it--cut Of
from ITS connection with the liiegiying earth AMI
tthen left 20 wither for years never pass such
a Gee without thinking Of the slow death Of the
heart to which some writer has strikingly COM
pared il Il was thus that Adelaide stood among
the other plants Of her fathers nurture. Have
you ever seen, from such girdled tree, young
shoot spring out, and, striking down It's hbres,
form u tblc connection with the bark below, and
huNlhlH a SURF kNOl4u NiNhlJ AAlb III thN - -
was thytsGhat little Robert came, to bind few
broken fbres from her carly hopes and dreams to
earth
sBut VIC are forgetting our Thanksgiving None
Of the aunties forget it, however-Or the cousins
and by the time Farmer Talbots " big sleigh
had emptied its contents twice upon the old salt
spHnkled stone step, all were brought home from
church. and all were there.
All-excapt two unacceptable straggers, the
= paarlv 81 hIpl COntin-
ued to be called who were cutivating the sciences
in a college not many miles away. And why were
they not there So questioned every one and
erandmamma did not auswer-Only wiped her
spectacles every two minutes on her apron, and
peerel out Of the southwest window.
Meanwhile the newcomers were all clustered
in the sitting ROOM making merry use of the
interlude between service and dinner There
was Robert, the eldest son with his romping fami
" and misunderstanding wife. There was Char
lotte-no nobody knew her by that name-Lot-
tie, blooming in her prime, and managing her
little ones to a charm. There was Philip the " old
bachelor though by no means a crusty one. Next
him sata pale, stih-loOking cousin from the near
est factory village Last, but not least-though,
in truth, the was little one-was the school
ma'am,'-the youngest Of her fathers flock, the
laughing. hn-loving Susie. She was not beauti-
fuLas Addie had been, but there was such world
of good nature IN Der low broad forehead nnd
dimpling cheeks, that you loved her at first sight
will not attempt her portrait, for do not know
that she ever sat still long enough to have it taken
except in church This day she was here, and
there and everywhere among the children KISS
ing one romping with another, and then tossing
up Roberts baby, to the terror Of its mamma and
the delight Of all others
You must let me 90 TO help grandmamma take
up the turkey, indeed you must" cried Susan,
laughing as she pushed through the doorway, fol-
lowed by the whole scampering troop. One had
sprung from the top Of the armchair to her shout
der, and sat growing like parrot on his perch,
As she advanced towards the kitchen, the outer
door was thrown suddenly open, and 90 A merry
Thanksgiving to you y burst from the lips Of the
intruders amid the renewed shouts Of the SOis-
ferrous brood.
BLESS me, where did you drop from7o cried
the mother dropping her ladle into the Goals in
her surprise
"Why brothers, we never heard your sleigh
bellsn exclaimed Susan throwing off her cncum-
branCe, and heartily welcoming the young col
legians.
Z" dare say not replied Edward as he knock
ed the snow from his boots. Il" We chartered other
sort of yehices-hey win p
The fact is,n explained Will, that we started
with the sunrise this morning, hut met with a
most provoking breakdown by the way So,
not to be cheated out of our Thanksgiving we
loOleu IL through iut ulliAS W I w l'0' ~ obu
Woods sermon bu, we're in time for mothers
dinner; and assure you Il walk Of eight miles
has given us pair Of uppetiles'
So they sat down to dinner at last, all the low
ing and the merry ones Grandfather hu,hed
them for moment, while he lifted his hronzed
hands over the huge platter and invoked bounti-
ful Heaven in lengthy but fcryent blessing
Then followed the usual Gathering and-hut
need not describe il all you see it as well as do
The "wi,h-bonc' "a great prize that fell to the
share Of the shycst one little blue-Cyed Nelly,
who carefully wrapped it in her white apron,
as a sacred treasure.
"Ccz. may / break with you" screamed her
cousin Harry, from the other md Of the table.
No; ana going to break with -
"With whom. should like 10 know ?'
" With Aunt Susie them said the little dove,
nesting tmidly to her side
" Aunt Suse-ha, IN! Aunt Susie would look
finely breaking wish-bo
Aud why not, Master Harry2o said Susan,
merrily assure you have broken more than
one wi,h-honc at this very table
I" And did Your wishes ever come to pass-did
they ever Aunt Susie 2' cried three voices at
ayes. did they ever, Aunt Susie?' chimcd in
Edward casting up FROM his plate sdelong de-
murc glance. ,hat brought bushes and dimples to
her checks
Susie hd seen some quiet little hirtations,
even under her fathers Argus eye. Suddenly
her face grew serious She caught Adelaide's
preston OF couutcuance, the latter quietly rose
from the table and made some excuse for with
drawing
The VI h-oncn was broken to n charm
snapJing exactly in the middle, to the Infinite
amusement Of the Juveniles, who had been max
ing bets on the result. The "babcs' went TO
sleep at the right hour precisely, and were packed
into their snug cradles with blankets and pillows
The elders Of the Juvenile community were en-
scODOed in corner to play buttonY and the
brothers and sisters clustered in quiet little knots.
William and Susan sat by the window, not to
sentmentalize over the moonlight that came flick
ering through the Hcecy clouds but to gather up
thethreads OF old confidential tc'ss-0tCt,S-to chat
Of college scrapes. aud-save the mark -" school
ma;amn rogucries.
Grandmamma had her knitting, Of course
bless the dear old fingers that had kept so many
feet warm ond Susie the modern substitute n
crochet purse to net
EWilliam.r said Susie lowering her voice at
pause in the conversation, and glancing up fur
tivety, "wbat think you Of Addie to-day q
William stole glance around Much asusual,
IN she not Poor thingp
" See how she sits there with her fingers NOV
ing thrO"gh Eobty's curls and her eyes fixed ON
vacancy y
"This was her wedding night, you know
81 tell you, Willie, Addic loves Reynolds with
her whole heart yet, as truly rs she ever did on
that evening She has never spoken his name,
even to me since the day when father forbade il
to be ever mentioned in his presence but there
IL sOmetlip terrible in this statue. like grief of