Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-03-12
0aurtestrr Daily Spp.
From the Atlantic Monthly Magazine for March.
LIZZY GRISW0LDs THANKSGIVING
lContinued.l
BY ROSE TERRY.

Somebody once said that Mrs Griswold was
"a lesser providence" and Lizzy thought SC
now; Tor scarce were they seated at dinner
When she remarked, in a very unconcerned
and natural way
What keeps John in Roxbury so long,
father 90 Isl
"He has business in Boston," CURLY an.
swered Mr.. Griswold. "Sam, did you go over
TO the Corners, yesterday, about those sheep %
Dam answered, and the conversation went
on, but Johns name did not enter it, nor did
Mr.. Griswold offer to show his letter either to
mother or Lizzy.
Now the latter lady, not being perfect wo-
man, had sundry small faults She was proud
after certain fashion of her own; slightly
sentimental, which is rather n failing than a
fault; but her worst trait was broodinp.
1ault-seelng, persevering tact at making her
self miserable, scarce ever eQualled. The
smallest bit of underground was enough for
start, and on that foundation Lzzy took but
few hours of suspicion and imagination to
pulla up whole Castle Doubling. The cause
she had to-day was even greater than was ne
cessary; 1t was peculiar that her father should
be so reserved it was more strange that he so
perSeveringly withheld Johns letter; and GER
FANNY he watched Lizzy at her work with I'M
usually tender eyes, that sometimes filed with
sort OF mist All these things heaped up ev-
1dence for the poor girl; she brooded over
each separate item all night, and added to the
sum Polly Mariners gossip, and looked for
ward to the day when everybody in Green
neld should say -"Lizzy Griswold's had
dlsapp lntment of John Boynton !" Poor,
uear, Llzzy as If that were an unheard of
pang as If ninetenths of her accusers were
not "disapp 'inted" themselves-some before.
some after marriage-some in themselves
some In their children, some in their wretched
dreary lives But there was only one John
ana only one heartbreak present to her vision
Eohy Mariner came to breakfast next dav
ana pervaded the kitchen like a daily paper
horrible murders, barn burnings, failures
deaths, births, marriages, separations, lawsuits
SANDERS, and petty larcencies, outran each 9th
er IN her glib speech, and her fingers flew as
1ast as Sans blue jacket as her tongue clan.
pered above it.
Llzzy's pride kept up before the old woman:
she was In and out and everywhere, a pretty
spot of crimson on either fair cheek. her ewes
as sparkling and her step as light as any bellies
In ball room and her whole manner so cav
ana charming that Poly inwardly pronounced
John Boynton mighty fool, if he lodged
such pretty girl as that, and one with
means"
But night came, and Polly went. Lizzv
went to bed with bad headache-conyenien
synonym for aches of soul or body that one
does not care to christen Sleep she certainly
dld that night, for she dreamed John was mar
RED to rich Boston girl with red hair and a
yellow hannel dress, and that Polly Mariner
was bridesmaid, in the peculiar costume of n |
blue roundabout and pantaloons But sleen
WITH such dreams was scarcely restorer and |
ass eesdpfIsfa Az p 99h99 ngu YeGp Mrs o(piswald
to go to Coventry, she received for answer a |
Cd If foe or6 q ,acf naftiou tn no |
left at home.
leave you, Lizzy! Why, grandfather
couldn't have Thanksgiving without you and
Uncle Boynton and Aunt Lizzy is coming
up from Stonington with the new baby; and
John, too You must go, Lizzy, dearP'
~ can't mother, can't p said the poor
girl, sobbing after every word. "Please don't
ask me; cant! I've got headache-oh,
dear p Here fresh burst of tears followed,
as Lizzy buried her head in her mothers lap.
Mrs Griswold was both grieved and aston
ished she sat speechless, stroking the soft
hair that swept over her knee, till Lizzy's sobs
quieted, and then said,
ffWell, dear, if you're set on staying at
home, won't oppose it, if your father thinks
best; but l must ask him. only what will you
do, Lizzy, here alone all night?"
"Chloe and Peter will be here, mother; and
I'll make Chloe sleep in Sams's room, and
leave the door open; and when they go down
to Dinah's, I'll lock up, and shan't feel afraid
in broad day.
Mrs. Griswold shook her head doubtfully.
"Ill see what father says" said she. So Liz
zy lifted her head and smoothed her hair,
while her mother went out to the barn to con-
suit, father"
Here she was, if anything more puzzled.
Mr.. Griswod heard the proposal with a rather
misty look, as if he didn't see why, and when
his wife had finished, said, gravely,"
"What is it, SUSAN Anybody t has lived
as long as / have, knows pretty well that a
womans headache stands for whole dicton-
ary."
"Why, you see"' said Mrs. Griswold, twist
ing lock of hay in her fingers, and family
blushing as if the question bad been of herself
rather than Lizzy, "she-well, the fact is, hus-
band, she's kind of riled about Johns not
coming; you see we havn't been real partcu-
cular about the children and So"
"You needn't spell it, Susan said Mr.. Girls
void, with half smile; "Polly Mariners
tongue helped on, ! guess. You let Lizzy
stay, if she wants to; 'twon't hurt her when
folks want to sulk, / generally let EN-. She
cant stay"
He began to whistle yankee Doodle" and
pitch hay energetcally, while Susan was
within hearing but how would that dear wo-
mans soul have foundered deeper and deeper
in the fog that clouded it now, had she seen
her grave husband sit down on one end of the
haymow and laugh till the tears stood in his
keen eyes, and then, drawing his coat-sleeve
across the shaggy lashes, say to himself, "pool
child p and begin his work with fresh strength
So matters were all arranged. After dinner
the rusty, dusty old carriage appeared at the
door, with the farm-hoI SEES harnessed thereto
iingling, and creaking, and swapping, as if OF
and use were strange to its dry joints and stiff
straps Mrs. Griswold mounted to the bacl
seat, after kissing Lizzy with hearty regre
and tenderness,-her old gray pelisse ant
green winter bonnet harmonizlng with the use
full age of her conveyance. Rather, III
sturdy great coat and buckskin mittens, tool
the reins and Sam, whose blue jacket was a
that moment crushing his mothers Sunda.
cap in handbook that sat where Lizzy SHOULD
have been, to the great detriment Of the des
pissed butternut suit, and, Selling the whip, az
piled it SO suddenly to Tom and Jerry, tina
they started off down the Coventry road at
pace that threatened a solution of continuity
bones and sinews, as well as wood and leather
Lizzy turned away sadly from the dool
Who can say, that, just at that minute, she di
not wish she had gone too? But nobod
heard her say so. She went up stairs to III
room, and tried to read, but couldn't attac
any ideas to the words; she was half an hol
over page of a very good book, and the
flung it upon the bed with an expression
disgust, as i it were the books fault Pc
authors toll your fingers off, and spin yo
brains out be as wise as Solomon, or witty
Sheridan your work is vanity and vexation
spirit, unless the readers brain choose 10 I
ceive and vivify the hieroglyphs of your idea
think yourselves successful because a gre
man praises you, and tomorrow that man
twisted with dyspepsia, or woman passes hi