The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-06-04
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
From Arthur's Home Magazine.
The Two Thanksgiving,
By ALMA GREY.

"Why, l see your little head is busy about some
thing. l should like to know what 1t is.'
How funny, mother, you always guess NE OUT
"WelI, what is it, jenny"
why nothing; only to-day, mamma, at recess,
we were talking about vacation and Thanksgiving,
and the good time we were going to have-the new
things for winter. and the goodies, and so on; and L
noticed that Sarah Weaver didn't say anything, but
looked as if she was just going to cry; and when Anna
Barker asked her what she was going TO have, she
didn't look up for a minute, and then she said
do not know as anything don't know as we shall
even have any Thanksgiving.'' Just then the bell
rang, and l saw her lip culver as she turned TO her
seat. You know her mother is real poor, and is not
very well. Jane says that they used to live better
than they do now, and that Mrs. Weaver never knew
want or sorrow till within a few years. [ suppose
she cannot get Sarah and Nellie new clothes very
often, though l should think they must have some
thing this winter. Their clothes now are the same
they were last winter, and then they were thin and
~scanty.''
els that ALP,
emo. Anna and Mary Burbank and I have been
trying TO think if We couldn't help something towards
a Thanksgiving for them. Not much, to be sure, but
then a little would make poor Sarah thankful, [ know
and she is such q dear, good girl, mamma"
''Well, what does my little. heart-full girl purpose
doing?' asked Mrs. Washburn,s smiling.
81 do not quite know, mamma, but Mary Burbank
says her mother will let her give Sarah her flannel
cloak that she has q little out-grown; it will be large
enough for Sarah; and Anna Barker is going to ask
her father to let her take some raisins and sugar out
of his shop to carry to them. Then Lodie Nelson said
she had twenty cents that her mother gave her for
chores that she did last week, and she would buy q
piece of calico to make Nellie a new apron. But [ do
not quite know what to do. | haven't any money,
and my old dresses and things you will want to
: make down. for Clare and Bessie. IF had eight
cents [ could buy some yarn and knit some mittens.
[ know she hasn't got any, and then, mamma, 1
thought perhaps you would let me carry Mrs. Weaver
n pie or something. l coul1 carry her some milk, at
any rate"
"Well, I must say, Jenny. you have laid quite a
pretty little plot for three such madcaps az you are.
| will certainly try to help you"
60, will you, mamma How? | knew you
would?" exclaimed Jenny, delightedly. "Mamma,
what will you do?''
81 will Think about it at present. That is all 1
can do now. But 1 will c~ontrive something"
6" COntriUe = I'll warrant you are continuing
something. never saw another such a mother (r
wife either,) to find ways and means, or rather make
them, when there are none =; and n third person,
with a very loving expression, though withal a sad
one, shut the door which he had quietly opened q
minute before, and so overheard the planners. 81
wish you would help me contrive again, Mary" said
he, as he took the chair Jenny had jumped from, and
drawn to the fire for him.
why, papa, who ever thought of your being in
hearing?"
"Why, didn't you want me to hear? There, the
bell rings, puss; It's time for you to be at SCHOOL,
and in a second Jenny was away, leaving her father
and mother in silence, which was unbroken for
several minutes. Mrs. WIS face had taken on an
anxious expression. which her quick eye had caught
from her husband, and full of fears, she sat gathering,
or trying to gather, strength to meet his discourage
ment. She knew that they were poor, and that he
was several hundred dollars in debt, and had been
for several years, and she rightly conjectnred that
something relating thereto had brought the shade to
her husbands usually cheerful brow.
NJ Penley wants that money, Mary, and l don't
know where [ ain to get it."
"I feared so. Is it due?'
"Yes, to-day; and I have failed of selling that lot
of hay I hoped would pay him, and L don't know
where to go. Hay and corn are both very low, and
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not pay one-third. Mary, [ do not know what we
are going to do. [ have been going behindhand fol-
the last three years; every year plnches me up closer,
and I believe | am growing discouraged. 1t sckens
me to see you toiling early and late, and scanting
yourself and children of comforts which you earn ten
times over, and which you ought to have for nothing,
and I am ashamed to come and tell you how poor we
are-still, | can 80 nowhere else. L even look forward
to the time when all l have shall pass out of my
hands,
go, no, no, no, husband, do not say so! Has not
Providence always provided for US when the way was
dark ,? If we still ''labor and pray" and act accor-
ding to the best of our judgment, [ know the way
will be made plain to us. We have enough, twice
told, to pay our debts, haven't we?'
eyes, if it were salable, but it is not, and will not
be for a long time to come, and, meantime, my
interest is accommodating. [ must find something to
meet Penley's demand-and can. I suppose, by taking
what [ had laid by for your need and the children's
for the winter. But that | shall not do, for [ could
not replace it,
els that all? Why, then, husband, take it, by all
means. | am surprised you should hesitate. Do you
not know | dread nothing so much rs debt, nothing
discourages me so much"
81 know that full well, but [ do not think it right
that you should miss what you so much need. know
that you have, for the last three-fOur years, done
what [ never saw any other woman do, and that is
dress better, more be :omingly, than anybody else,
upon one quarter that ~sutfces, or does not suffice to
make my n~eighbors' wives and daughters presenta-
ble."
Mrs. w. blushed !ler appreciation of this compli-
ment. and answered:
"Let me try my skill again. then How much had
you laid by for me: You know last winter We shou d
have paid one hundred dollars if we had not had SO
much sickness. We did pay !hat."
Yes, know; but not on the old debts. l was not
expecting that bill. / paid it, be sure, and hope to
pay half as much this year, besides sixty dollars for
you and the children
'You must pay more than that. Sixty dollars for
me. Let me sea set of furs, twenty dollars. Aunt
Mary has given me her great muff, which, [ think,
will make me a comfortable cape, and | have pieces
of the same kind of fur, that will make cuffs. Call
that twenty dollars yours, Wilton. Then a cloak, ff
teen dollars; | can find a piece of thibet (aid by till
[ had forgotten IT'D which will, brushed up and
pressed over, make me a large cape, and | have some
old velvet trimmings that are not half worn, that will
trim it good as new. | shall want a bit of silk and
wadding for lining, and 1 shall be obliged to have a
dress-cal that five. My bonnet has already been
dressed and trimmed over. 1 shall need nothing
more"
MI. Washburn looked at her face, ten times hap.
pier that if she had just learned that she was to be
adorned for the winter in sFsilk and PURPLE and
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