Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-03-14
dNureester Daily Spp.
From the Atlantic Monthly Magazine for March,
LIZzY GRISWOLD'S THANKSGIVING
BY ROSE TERRY.



der what they were doing at Coventry. There
was grandfather, no doubt, in the keeping
room, telling his never-tiring stories of Little
Robby, and Old Rose, and the Babes in the
Wood; or singing the ever new ditty Of
"Did you ever, ever, ever ever ever ever ever''-
and so on I'D intinitum, till you got to-
''See man eat a whale''
to some half-dozen children; while sweet Aunt
Lizzy, serenely smiling, rocked the fair little
baby that fifteen cousins had kissed for wei
come that day and Uncle Boynton trotted the
baby's brother on his knee, inviting him per-
sistently to go to Boston and buy a penny
cake, greatly to little Eben's aggravation, who
would end, Lizzy knew, by crying for the cake
and being sent to bed. Then there were Sam,
and Lucy Peters, and Jim Boynton, up to all
sorts of mischief in the kitchen-Susan Boyn-
ton and Nelly James cracking nuts and their
fingers on the hearth father and mother up
stairs in grandmother's room--for grandmoth-
er was bed-ridden, and kindly, and good, and
humorous, and patient, even in her hopeless
bed, and nobody was dearer to the whole fam
lily than she. Then, of course, there was a
fire in the best parlor, and there were all the
older cousins, telling conundrums, and stories,
and playing grown-up games, and some two,
or four, may be, looking out in couples at the
moonshine, from behind the curtains-Sue
James, perhaps, and John. Sue was so pref
ty!
Lizzy's head bent lower on the arm of the
chair; her thoughts travelled back over great
many Thanksgivmgs-year ago, when she
wore short trocks, and used to go with John to
see the turkeys fed, and be so scared when
they gobbled and strutted with rage at her
scarlet bombazette; how they used to pick up
frozen apples and thaw them in the dish-kettle;
how she pounded her thumb, cracking butter
nuts with a tiat-iron, and John kissed it to
make it well-only it didn't And then how
they slid down hill before church, and sat a
long two hours thereafter in the square pew,
smelling of "meetn secd," and dnted with
the kicks of weary boys in new boots and
finally, after the first anthem and the two
hymns and the three prayers and the long ser
mon were over, came home to dinner, where
the children had their own table at the end of
the grown peoples board, and Lizzy always
took the head and John the foot, till, exhausted
by the good things they had eaten, and tanta-
lied by the good things they couldn't eat, they
crept away to their fire and their picture books
for quiet hour, winding up the day with all
the plays that country and city children alike
delight in
Then came recoections of later days, when
John was young man, and Lizzy still little
girl-when long talks banished turkeys and
apples and sliding-when new books or sleigh
rides crowded out the old games-when the two
days of Johns yearly visit were half spent in
the lea1ess, sunny woods, gathering MOSES and
acorn cups, delicate fern-leaves and clusters of
tire-moss, and red wintergreen berries, for the
pretty frames and baskets Lizzy skiIlful fingers
fabricated, when he shook hands at coming
and going, instead of kissing her but it
seemed just the same, somehow. Dear me
those days were all gone! John didn't care
about her any more he was in love with
beautiful Boston lady Why should he care
hon hoo, I.A%I-
would go to live in Bost IN in great big house,
and he'd be a great man. and people would
talk about him, and he should see his name in
the papers, but he never would come to Coven-
try any more and he'd acted as if he did love
her, too that was mems way,-heartless
things! If John had a good time, what did
he care if Lizzy did grow into gray haired,
puckered up old maid, like Miss Case, with
nobody to love her, or take care of her, or ask
about her, or-or-kiss her 1.-The climax was
too much for Lizzy; great big tears ran down
on the arm of the stuffed chair, and she would
have sobbed out loud, only Chloe opened the
door, to put up the tea things, suppose, and
LZZy wouldn't cry before her But for all
that, she didn't hear Chloe come to the fire
place she only felt her sit down in the big
chair, and simultaneously, a pair of young
arms lifted Miss Lizzy on to Johns Boynton's
knee and held her there. 1t wasn't Chloe.
men they do astonish person so sometimes,
one dosn't know what to do or say. Lizzy had
been thinking to herself, not two minutes ago,
with what cool and smiling reserve she should
meet John Boynton, how digniied and kindly
distant she would be to him,-and ow,-well
1t was so sudden,-and then, as | said before
these men do get round one SOFT you hap
pen to love them. Lizzy forgot, l suppose at
any rate, she wasn't dignifed, or reserved, or
IL,
hid her pretty head on his square shoulder,
and said, ooh, John l'-"solely, and nothing
more, AS Mr.. Tennyson remarks about cut
ting Iphigenia's head off with sharp knife.
] don't know that John talked much, either
rather think Lizzy got over the climax that
had troubled her a little while ago. Presently
she raised her head and gathered up her hair
that had fallen down, and became painfully
aware that she had on only blue calico
John never knew it, he knew somebody had
very sweet face, full of cloudy bushes and
sunshiny smiles, and, not being a Pre-Rapha-
elite, the foreground was of no consequence to
HIM
So, after time, Lizzy slipped down to her
cricket again, still leaning on the arm-of the
chair-and John eXpounded to her the excel
lent reason that had delayed his coming home.
He had been offered large salary to take
the head of public school in Boston, and
the affair he had satisfied tie school commit
tee as to his capacity and made up his mind
on several points of minor importance to them,
but, perhaps, greater TO him. Among others,
he had found house, a tiny house, with lit
tie ward behind, view of Boston harbor from
the upper windows, all at a reasonable rent,
prospect thrown in; this house he had hired,
and now-he had come to Greenfield for a
housekeeper
Lizzy suddenly discovered that she was hun
CRY, and invited John into the kitchen to get
a piece of pie but, after all, instead Of eating
hers while he was eating his, she went up
stairs, brushed out her hair and coiled it up
with a coral-topped comb that came to light,
very strangely, just in time-put on her me-
rno frock, her bracelet and her slippers
rolled herself up in shawls, and hoods, and
mittens, and was lifted into Johns buggy, to
old Chloe's great delight, who held the lamp,
grinning like lantern herself, and tucking
"Mr. Johns" fox skin round his feet, as if he
had been ten years old.
So Lizzy Griswold did get to Coventry the
night before Thanksgiving, after all and when
Uncle Boynton met her at the door, he called
her my dear daughter" Perhaps, as John
had told Lizzy, on the drive over that her ia
ther had heard all about his business and his
intentions, IN that letter she did not see. the
young lady had decided TO disinherit him.
and adopt Uncle Boynton in his place. rather
an unfair proceeding it is true since the letter
was withheld by Johns special request. and
indeed, Lizzy didn't act like 'crllel narient'
to her father, when he came, after uncle tn
give her welcome.
They had u merry time ut Coventry that