Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-03-11
0Qurtester Daily spp,
From the Atlantic Monthly Magazine for March,
LIZzY GRISWOLD'S THANKSGIVING
BY ROSE TERRY.

Ism t he 9! quietly replied the lady address
ed, as the tailoress sat down in the flag bottom
ed rocking chair, and began rocking vehement
ly, all the time cycling Lizzy from the depths
of her poke bonnet with patient scrutiny
"No, he aint,-so Mrs. Girls Id says" went
on Polly. "You Sec was comm up here
from the Center, so's-to see if Sam couldn't
wait for his roundabout till artar Thanksgivin';
for kezah Perkins, she't was my sisters
husbands fust wife's darter, m finally mar
ried sisters fust husbands son, she's a real
likely woman, and she's wrote over from
Taunton to ask me to go there to Thanksgivin' !;
n to-days Monday; N / was comm here
Tuesday SOS to make Sam's roundabout; n
yesterday Miss Luken's boy Simon, he t amt
but three year old, he got my press board,
when he was a-crawln' round, N laid it right
onto the cookin' stove, and fust thing Miss
Luken's knowe'd it bazed right up, N can't
get another fixed afore Wednesday, and then
I'D ought TO be to Taunton cause there amt
no stage runs Thursday and there hadn't
oughter, of course"-
eve have gota press board, said Mrs
Griswold, quietly
eyes, and l ant goin' to grandfather's in
my old jacket, Miss Poll, interposed Sam, one
OF the terrible children who are scattered here
and there through this world. Catch me
where all the folks are, in that old butternut
suit !" added Sam.
But here his father stepped in at the door,
fine sturdy, handsome farmer, one of New
Englands model men, whose honesty was
proverb, and whose goodness a reliance to
every creature in Greenfield.
''John isn't coming wife" said Mr.. Girls
void, in a steady, sober tone "He says bust
ness will delay him, SO that he can only get to
Coventry just as we do"
$50 you had letter." says Mrs Grswold,
carefully avoiding look at Lizzy.
eyes, said Mr.. Grswold, in very abrupt
way. Are you ready to go back, Miss Polly
for I've got to go down to the Center again
with load OF wheat"
''Well, yes, don't know but l be- l ken
stay over, if you want help, Miss Gris'Id
I'm agoin' to the minister's to help Miss
Fletcher little mite this afternoon, but l
guess she don't lot on it none n seem its
you, ken stay, if you want help"
Lizzy looked quickly across the kitchen at
her mother
ooh! no, thank you, Miss Polly, l know
Mrs Fletcher would feel very badly to lose
your help, and | really don't need it until to-
morrow"
'"Then I'll come round to the door as quick
as I've loaded up" said Mr.. GriSwold and
Miss Polly settled back in her chair to wait
comfortably; process much intensified by a
large piece of Mrs. Griswold's gingerbread and
glass of new cider, both brought her by Liz
zle's hospitable hands-readier even than usu-
al just now, in the vain hope of stopping Polly
Mariners gathering tongue. But neither gin
gerbread nor cider was a specific to that end.
Polly talked while she ate, and ate while she
talked. But while she finishes her luncheon,
let us make known to the patient reader whom
and what the tailoress discusses.
John Boynton was a step-cousin of Lizzy
Grlswod's. Her youngest aunt had married
widower, with one son, some five years older
than Lizzy, and had always lived in the old
homestead at Coventry, with her father
while the other daughters and sons, six in
number, were scattered over the State, return
ing once year, at Thanksgiving, to visit their
birthplace, and bring their children into ac-
quaintance with each other. Eben Griswold,
who lived at Greenfield, was nearer home than
any of the others, and Lizzy, consequently,
was ottener at her grandfather's residence
than her Cousins She and John Boynton
were playmates from childhood, and it was not
strange that John, who had never known a
pleasure unshared by Lizzy, or suffered pain
without her consolation, should grow up in
the idea that he could not possibly do without
her, an idea also entertained halfconsciously
by Miss Lizzy, though neither of them ever
yet had expressed it for John was poor, and
had no home to offer any woman, much less
the petted child of rich farmer. So Mr..
Boynton, Jr., left home to teach school in
RoXbury, five years before the date of our sto-
ry, without making any condolences on the
subject of his hopes and fears to Miss Girls
void and she knit stockings and hemmed
pockethandkerchiefs toA him with the most
cold blooded perseverance, and nobody but
the yarn and the needles knew whether she
dropped any tears on them or not.
Now if had alwavs boon TOhn RoUnfop's
custom to give his school Thanksgiving week
as vacaton-to take the train on Monday
for Greenfield, and stay there till Wednesday
when the whole family set of together for
Coventry, to spend the next day, according to
the time honored precedent.
Whatever John and Lizzy did in those two
dull November days, it never has been made
known to the present chronicer; it is only
understood that no pointblank love-making
went on yet the days always ran away, in
stead of creeping; and neither of the twain
could believe it was Wednesday when Wed
nesday came But this year those forty eight
hours were destined to drag past, for John
wasn't coming; why, we shall discover, for
Polly Mariner has finished the cider and the
gingerbread is as much subject of injury as
'"The Indians,-where are they 2"
$50 John BoyntOn amt comm Well !!
Hetty Maria Capp s Jest got home from Bunk
ertown, that's tew mile from RoXbury, m she
told Miss Lucas that Miss Perritt, whose sisters
son keeps a grocers store to RoXbury, told
that Mr.. Boynton, their teacher to the 'cademy,
was waitin on Mrs. Roxany Sharp's cousin, a
dreadful pretty gal, who'd come down from
Boston to see Roxany, an liked it so well she
staid to Roxbury all through October.
do'no's / should ha' remembered it, only t l
he'd the dreadfulest jumpin' toothache that
ever you did, n Miss Lucas, she'd jest come
into our house. an she run an got the lodlum
an was a putin some ont onto some cotton,
SOS to plug the hole, while she was tellin; an
| remember, forgot all about the jumpn'
while t she was a talkin, so | SEES, SEES |, Miss
Lucas, guess your talkin's as good as LODI
lum'; , N she bust out larfin', n SEES she, Polly
Mariner, ] declare fort you do beat all E!
Well ses |, I'D die content eff | could beat
John Boynton fur eff ever see Teller pay
in attention to gal, he's been payin ont to
Lizzy this four year; an ta'nt no wonder t
think hard ont, for there never was a prettier
behaved gal than her on Greenfield Hill an
| SEES"
Lizzy was on the point Of freeing her mind"
just at this juncture, when Mrs. Griswold in
terposed her quiet voice:
Don't trouble yourself to defend LiZzy,
Miss Mariner; you know John Boynton is her
cousin, and he has been here a good deal
Folks will talk, L suppose, always; but if John
Boynton marries well, don't think anybody
II be more forward to shake hands with him
than our Lizzy."
"0f course ! shall, said the young lady
with most indignant toss Of her head 'Pray
keep your pity, Miss Polly, for somebody else
don't need it."
'H'm," shifted the sagacious Polly. "Well
didn't suppose you'd allow 'tyou felt put ou
about it, and wouldn't if l was you. Be
sides, there's as good fish in the sea as--I de.