The Empire County argus., 1854-05-06
A THANKSGIVING SCENE.

freside circle she was indeed the richest gem in
that circle. When the long lashes were from her
ever-charmng check, you could look into the very
soul of the high.minded, sunny haired girl Six
years before, she stood in her fathers low paror
Thanksgiving eve-she had stood between that faith
er and mother, to whose faces she lifted her soul
speaking eyes, the bride of an hour. And as the
GOOD mothers raspberry wine carefully bottled for
the occasion, wen5 round she dreamed not that III
cup there lurked q demon that should overthrow
that altar Just erected.
Caleb Reynolds was now drunkard and de-
serter from his home. He had enlisted, it was
thought in an hour of intoxcation, but his wife
was left to learn it from other lips He went. with
out one word of farewell to the plains of Mexico
and never since had she heard of him.
Poor Adelaide carried her crushed heart back to
her fathers house. longing only to lay in her grave
Have YOU ever seen tree in our western forests
bghted by "girdling" as the woodman calls it
cut off from its connection with the life-givng
earth and then left to wither for years! never
pass such a tree without thinking of the slow death
of the heart, to which some writer has striking y
compared it. 1t was thus Adelaide stood among
other plants of her fathers nurture Have you
ever seen from such girded tree young shoot
sprincing out, and striking down its fbres from a
feeble connection with the bank below, and sustain
a sure though sckly life in the tree! 1t was thus
that little Robert came to bind few broken fbres
from her early hopes and dreams on earth.
But we are forgetting our Thanksgiving. None
of the aunties forgot it, however, or the cousins !;
and bv the time farmer Talbots big sleigh had
emptied twice upon the old sprinkled stone steps,
all were brought home from church, and all were
there
All except two unaccountable straggers, "the
boys" as two striplngs nearly six feet high contn
ued TO be called, who were cutivating the sciences
in college not many miles away. And why were
they not there! So questioned every one, and
grandmamma did not answer, only wiped her spec
tacles every few minutes with her apron, and peer
ed out of her southwest window. Meanwhile the
new comers were all clustered in the sltting-room
making a merry use of the nterludc between SER
vice and dinner There was Robert, his eldest son.
with his romping family and anxious-looking wife.
There was Charotte-nobody knew her by that
name--Lotie, blooming in her prime, and manag-
ing her little ones to a charm. There was Philip,
the old bachelor, though by means crusty one.
Next to him set pale, stiff looking cousin from the
nearest factory village. Last, but not least though
she was but q little one, was the school maam the
Youngest Of their fathers fock-the laughing, fun
loving Susie. She was not as beautiful as Adlie
had been, but there such world OF good ma
ture ia her low broad forehead and dimpled 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 everywhere among the
children, kissing one, romping with another, and
tossing up Roberts babe to the terror of mamma
and the indefinite delight of all others.
'You must let me go and help grandmamma take
up the turkey indeed you must" cried Susan, laugh
ing, as she pushed through the doorway, followed
by the whole scampering troup. One had sprung
from the top of the armchair to her shoulder, and
sat growing like parrot on his perch.
As she advanced towards the Kitchen the outer
door thrown open, and "a merry Thanksgiving
to you !" burst from the lips of the intruders, amid
the renewed shouts of the boisterous brood.
"Bless me where did you drop from?" cried
the mother dropping her ladle in the Goals in her
surprise.
"Why, brothers, we never heard your sleigh bcls!'
exclaimed Susan, throwing OF her incunbrance and
heartily welcoming the young collegans
81 dare say not" cried Edward, as he knocked
the snow from his boots ave chartered another
sort Of vehicle, hey, VIII :"
The fact Isl exclaimed VIII, ''that we started
with sunrise this morning, but we met with most
provoking break down by the way. So not to be
cheated out of our Thanksgiving, we footed it
through the drift. We've lost Parson Woods SER
mon, but we are il time for mothers dinner, and
assure you the walk has given pair of appe-
titesn
So they sat down to dinner at last, all the loving
and merry ones Grandfather hushed them for a
moment, while he lifted his bronzed hands over the
hugh platter and invoked the bountiful Heaven in a
lengthy but fervent blessing. Then followed the
usual gathering, and-but need not describe it all
you see it as well as do.
The wish bone' g. great prize that y fell to the
share of the shyest one, little bue-eyed Nelly, who
carefully wrapped it III her white apron as a sacred
treasure
''Coz may break with you y screamed her cous-
in Harry from the other end of the dining table.
''NO, am going to break"
''With whom, should like to know ~
with aunt Susie, then," said the little dove,
nesting mildly to her side.
''And why not Master Henry ?" said Susan meri.
ly. II assure you have broken more than one at
this very table"
'And did your wishes come to pass-did
they, aunt Susie !" cried hundred voices at once
':Ycs, did they ever, aunt Susie :" chimed in Ed
ward, casting up from his plate a sidelong, dumure
glance, that brought the bushes and dimples to her
cheeks
Susie had seen some quiet little firtations. Sud-
denly her face grew serious She caught Adelaide's
expression of countenance, the latter quietly
from the table and made some excuse for withdraw
ing
The wish-bone was broken to charm--snapping
exactly in the middle, to the infinite amusement oi
the juveniles, who had been making bets on the re-
suit. The babies went to sleep at the right hour
precisely, and were packed into their snug cradles
with blankets and pillows. The eldest of the COM
pany were ensconced in the to play 'button @
and the brothers and sisters custered in quiet little
knots William and Susan sat by the window not
to sentmentalize over the moonlight that came
Pickering through the 1eecy Clouds but to gather
up the threads of confidential tete-a-tete to chat