Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-12-11
From the National Era.
The Lost and Found.
STORY OF THANKSGIVING DAY.
BY MARY IRVING.

"Hoora for thanksgiving Day,r chirrnpped
Tat three-year-ol boy, bursting in his nght-gown
into Farmer Talbot's warm kitchen. lie was
trying to unlock two bright blue eyes, that sleep
had sealed up pretty freely, and cut quite luli-
crous figure with his stentorian ..Hoowar
"Bravo, Bobbyr' laughed the grandfather
/ from the chimney corner. "rry it again Bobby,
yoa'll KEEP up the honor Of the family Come
! here sir -
Boahy's eyes were fairly open by this time
/ he hal found his mother, AMI took refuge i'm the
| folds Of her check dress, sucking his thumb in
| quiet thankfnnesS. Mamma looked around from
the gridTon she was experimenting, with gem
! tie smile. That smile seemed rather sad, me-
thinks, for the scene and the day; but we will
know more OF her.
| Thanksgiving day was always iovous time al
Grandfather Talbot's not merely for it. turkeys.
puddings, and pies-thou-h (softly b. il spoken
| Graaamamma Talbot aud her daughter did excel
all other gran1- and aunties at a roaster
in the estimation of the grand clillrca, large
and small. But Farmer Talbot and his ''gade
wife" were stannca old Pariians-two OF that
good old stock with which our blessed New
England shores were planted. The stock has
| been grated with many other and foreign shoots
slnce-bnt is il not still the tree of our nations
| prosperity? 1t has long been fashioned to ridi-
cule the quaint manners and the starched strict
ness of the Puritans. Children are taught to
| picture them forever con:,ing psalm book with
| nasal twang-as the deadly foes to all cheerful
ness and merriment. Is not this almost treason
| to the memory of the Pilgrim fathers who sleep
| beneath u.s. Foes to the wild exuberance of un-
tamea spirits, they were indeed-and often too
prone to stretch everY mind to their own stature
of opinion or feeling. But they were a cheerful
race. The happiest, yes. The merriest Thanks
| giving day spent beneath the ROOF Of
staunch Puritan old lady, one Of the few that
hnser like sombre evergreens in autumn, among
the more gay and careless of this generation.
Farmer Talbot kept Thanksgiving day reli-
giousip as well as checrfuv. Good old patri-
| arch! He might be forgiven the pride with
which ne glanced around on his seven children,
with all their little ones around him. and then
lifted up his hand to bless heaven in their behalf
| But for three years, ever since the little Bobby
| had been a sunbeam to bless the good old mans
hearth. there had been shadow, TO, upon it-a
gentle shadow-but sad one That shallow
was the graceful mother Of the child, the favor
lite daughter of the family.
| Adelaide Talbot was beautiful and lovely in
| her youth. dearly beloved By all, but best by
those of her own freside circle. She was indeed
| the richest gem in that circle. When the long
lashes were lifted from her ever changing cheek,
you could look into the very soul Of the high
| minded and sunny hearted girl Six wears ago
she stood in her fathers low paror on Thanks
giving eve; she had stood between that father and
another, TO whose face she lifted her son'-speak-
| ing eye. his bride for an hour. And as the good
mothers raspberry wine, carefully bottled for
| the occasion. went round. she dreamed not that
In that cup lurket demon, that should vet over
| throw the altar just erected. Caleb Reynolds
| was now drunk ard. and deserser from his home.
He had enlisted-it was thought in an hour of in
toXication--hut his wife was left TO learn it from
! other lips. He went. without one word Of fare
well. to the plains Of Mexico. and never since
had she heard of him. Poor Adelaide carried her
crushed heart back 10 her fathers house. long
Ing only 10 lay 1t in the grave. Have Won ever
seen tree in the western forest, blghted by
| ''grdliug.' as the woodsmen call it-cnt of from
its connection with the life giving earth, ,and then
left to wither for years? I never pass such a
tree without thinking of the slow death of the
heart. to which some writer has ssrikin-lv CON-
pared It. II was 'hus that Adelaide stood among
the other plants of her fathers nurture. Havt
you ever seen, from such girdleu tree Young
shoot spring ont, AMI striking down its fbres
form feeble connection with bark below, and
sustain sure though sicklv life in .ree2 IT was
thus that little Robert came. to bind few brok.
en- fibres from her early hopes and dreams o
earth.
But we are forgetting our Thanksgiving. Nom
OF the aunties forgot, however; the cousins
and by the time Father Tablets 'sbig sleigh hac
empted its contents twice upon the old salt.
sprinkled stone step, all were brought home from
church, all were there.
| All-except two nnaccouatable stra-r,ers, 'the
boys two stripplings nearly SIX feet high, con
tinued 10 be called. who were cultivating the sci-
ences in a college not many miles away. And
why were they not there? So questioned every
one; and granamamna did not answer-only wip-
ed her spectacles every two minutes on her ap.
ron. and peered ont the south west window.
| Meanwhile the new corners were clustured II
the sitting room.' making merry use of the IN.
terlude between service and dinner. There was
Robert. the oldest son. with his rompng family
and anxious looking wife. There vas Charlotte
no. nobody knew her by that name--Lotiie
blooming in her prime, and managing her little
ones TO charm. There was Philip, the 'olc
! bachelor though bv no means a crusty one
Next to him sat pale, stiff looking cousin from
the next factory village. Last but not the leas
-thonra in truth she was little--was the ''school
maam.' the youngest of her fathers flock, thu
laughing fun-loving Susie. She was not beauti-
J full. as Adlie had been, but there was such
world of good nature in her low broad forehead
and her dimpled cheeks. that yon loved her a
first sight | will not attempt her portrait. for
do not knew thai she ever sat still long enough
TO have il taken. except in church. This day sh,
was here and there and everywhere. among tht
children, kissing one, romping with another. and
tossing I'D Roberts baby. TO the terror of IT.
mamma. and to the delight of others.
You must lei M 60 TO help Grandmamma take
up the turkey. indeed You must cried Susan
laughing. as she pushed through the troop. On,
had sprung from the top of the arm chair to he
shoulder, and sal Growing like parrot on hi
perch.
As she advanced towards The kitchen, the oatel
door was thrown suddenly open, and "A Nerr,
Thanksgiving 10 vonr' burst from the lips o
the intruders. amid the renewed shouts of th'
! boiserous hrool.
BLESS me. where did Won drop FROM erie.
the mother, dropping the lade into The Goals wit
surprise.
.tWhv. brothers. we never heard vour se;g
bells" exclaimed S'lsan. throwing oil her encum
hrances, and heartily welcoming the young col
leg;ans.
Il dare say not" replied Edward, o. he knock
ed the snow from his boots.
awe chartered other sort o. icles--he]
WHIP"
s''rhe fact IS" explained VIII, 'that we starte'
with the sunrise this morning. but met with
most provoking break down by The way. So
not 10 be cheated out of our Thanksgiving. w
footed it through the drifts. We've lost Parso'
Woods sermon, hnt we're in time for mother
dinner. and | ass ire you walk of eight mile
has given rs pair Of appetites.'
So they sat down to dinner al last, all the loT
!, inr and merry ones. Grandfather hushed then
for n moment. while he lifted his bronzed hand
over the huge platter, and invoked bonntifn
, Heaven in lengthy and fervant "blessing.'-
; Then followed the usual Gathering. and--hut
need not describe it MT all; yoa see 1T as well a
| do.
The :swish-hone'', Ca great prize that, fell /
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