Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-02-23
EVENING STAR,
A THANKSGIVING SCENE

Adelaide Talbot was beautiful and lovely
in her youth, dearly loved by all, best by
those of her own freside circle she was, in
| deed, the richest gem in that circle. When
the long lashes were lifted from her ever
changing cheeks, you could look into the very
soul of the high minded, sunny hearted girl.
Six years before she had stood in her father s
low parlOr on Thanksgiving eve-she had
stood before that father and mother to whose
faces she lifted her soul speaking eyes, the
bride of an hour. And as the good mother S
raspberry wine, carefully reserved for the oc-
casion, went round, she dreamed not that in
the cup there lurked a demon that should
overthrow the altar just erected.
| Caleb Reynolds was now a drunkard, and a
deserter from his home. He had enlisted, it
was thought, in an hour of intOxication-but
| his wife was left to learn it from other lips
He went without one word of farewell to the
plains of Mexico, and never since had she
! heard from him.
Poor Adelaide carried her crushed heart
back to her fathers house, longing only to
be laid in the grave Have you ever seen a
tree in our western forests blighted by - grid
| ling" as the wOodman calls it-cut off from
its connection with the life-giving earth, and
then left to wither for years. L never pass
such tree without thinking of the slow death
| OF the heart to which some writer has strik
| ingly compared it. 1t was thus that Adelaide
stood among the other plants of her fathers
| nurture. Have you ever seen from such a
| girdled tree shoot spring out, and striking
down its tibres, form a feeble connection with
the bark below, and sustain a sure though
sickly life in the tree? It Was thus that lit
| tie Robert came to bind few broken fbres
| from her earthly hopes and dreams of earth
But we are forgetting our Thanksgiving
| None Of the aunties forget it, however, or the
| cousins; and by the time Farmer Talbot's big
Il Il. lDl
| spirnkled stone stems, all were brought home
| from church and all were there-all except
two unaccountable stragglers, "the boys" as
two stripplings, nearly six feet high, con-
tinued to be called, who were cultivating the
sciences in college not many miles away
And why were they not there? So ques-
| toned every one, and grandmamma did not
answer, but only wiped her spectacles every
few minutes with her apron, and peered out
of the southwest window.
Meanwhile the new cOmers were all clustered
in the sitting room, making a merry use of the
lnterlude between service and dinner. There
| was Robert, the eldest son, with his rompins
| family and anxious looking wife There was
Charlotte nobody knew her by that name
LOttle, blooming in her prime, and managing
her little ones to a charm. Next to her sat q
pale, stiff looking cousin from the nearest fac
tory village. Last, but not least, though she
was but a little one, was the school ma am
the youngest of her fathers fOck-the laugh.
ing, fun-lOying Susie. She was not beautiful,
as Addie had been. but there was such q
world of good nature in her low, broad fo re-
head, and dimpled cheeks, that you loved hor
at first sight L will not attempt her portrait.
for do not know that she 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 then tossing up Roberts babe to the ter
ror of its mamma and the delight Of ali others
"YOu must let me 60 and help grandmamma
take up the turkey, indeed, you must" cried
Susan laughing, as she pushed through the
doorway, followed by the whole scampering
troop. One had sprung from the top of the
armchair to her shoulder and sat crowning
like parrot on his perch.
As she advanced towards the kitchen the
outer door was 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 into the
Goals in her surprise.
"Why, brothers, We never heard your sleigh
bells - exclaimed Susan, throwing off her
encumbrances, and heartily welcoming the |
young collegians.
81 dare say not," cried Edward as he
knocked the snow from his boots 1--WE char
lereu anOtner SOll OF NSHlcIe-ney, w Ill
The fact is, " exclaimed Viii, - that We
started with sunrise this morning, but met
with most provoking " breakdown by the /
way. So, not to be cheated out Of our Thanks
giving, we footed it through the drifts. We've |
lost Parson Woods sermon but we are in time |
for mothers dinner and / assure you the |
walk has given us a pair Of appetites -
So they sat down to dinner at last, all the |
loving and merry ones. Grandfather hushed |
fhoro for o xuhi1a bal al l. ;sl,
hands over the huge platter, and invoked /
bOuntiful Heaven in lengthy but fervent /
blessing. Then followed the usual clattering, /
and-but l need not describe it, you see it as /
well as do.
The '' wish bOne," "a great prize that fell |
to the share of the shyest one, little blue-eyed
Nelly, who carefully wrapped it in her white /
apron, as a sacred treasure.
"Coz, may break it with you ?" screamed /
her cousin Harry from the other end of the
table
'No, am going to break
"With whom, l should like to know"
"With Aunt Susie, then" said the little /
dove, nesting mildly towards her side.
"Aunt Susie ! Aunt Susie would look finely |
breaking a wish bone"
And why not, Master Harry ?" said Susan,
merriIy. az assure you L have broken more |
than one at this table"
HAnd did your wishes ever come to pass
did they, Aunt Susie ?" cried a score of voices
at once.
eyes, did they ever Aunt Susie ?'' chimed /
in Edward, casting up from his plate side
long, demure glance, that brought the blushes
and dimples to her cheeks.
Susie had seen some quiet little firtatiops /
Suddenly her face grew serious. She caught /
Adelaide's expression of countenance as the /
latter quietly rose from the table and made /
some excuse for Withdrawing.
The wish-bone was broken to a CHARM
snapped exactly in the middle to the infinite /
amusement of the juveniles, who had been
making bets on the result.