Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1861-01-03
A TALE OF THANKSGIVING
DAY

: A TALE OF THANKSGIVING
t DAY.
7 Ii was the morning Of Thanksgivin
e Day. clear, golden morning, with sk
t OF dazzling blue, and a keen. cuttin
/ wind, which drove the scarlet maple leave
, m bright showers along the country road.
J and played all manner of graceful antic
with the white and crimson chrysanthe
NUNS IN the shadow Of the old quiet farm
: house. just such agloriousT sThanksgivin,
: morning, in short, as We all remember II
= the dial plates of our liyes-one conDecte,
= with sunshine, and sweet. half.forgotte,
memories Of the last days Of childhood.
Mis-. Harrington did not think of thes,
, things, however, when the merry wint
ratified the plate-glass windows Of he
stately mansion-she was pondering OF
the probable success of her dinner part,
, OF that day, an affair laboriously gotten uI
tor the benefit of a few aristocratic ac
quaIntances whose approval Mrs. Harring,
ton would doubtless have preferred to thai
of the Angel Gabriel himself. For she
was one OF those ladies who hang on the
outskirts of the bean monde, and live
through an inhnitude of snubbings and
well-bred insults f the pleasure of count
ing few Mrs. Potiphars in their gilt
bound visiting lists.
IF Mrs. Willoughby St. james only
comes-and Mrs. Silyingham," pondered
she, lit will be a success. But good gra-
cious what an expense it will involve -
the wine bills actually make me tremble
We can't live on credit much longer, and
yet ii Is neeessary,to obtain a rich husband
for Georgina,''
And the weary frown settled down on
Mrs. Harrington's brow again. Nobody
can tell the slow agony Of keeping up ap-
pearances on foundation of nothing but
| those who have experienced IT,
Miss Georgina, sitting opposite in an
amber silk morning robe, glanced up from
her novel at her mammals sigh.
What's the matter: Z"
Nothing, only | wish this party vas
over, and the bills all paid II will ha 4.
r-Ey eAcIuslve affair. however. that's one
comfort"
Not like the old fashioned country
Thanksgiving remarked the young lady. |
slightly curling her lip. " I met Mary |
Arnott yesterday - thai unrecognizable |
cousin of mamma's-and she told me in /
that innocent way Of hers that she wa>
going 10 market 10 see If she could find A |
cheap little turkey-her mother intended |
10 have quiet, old time Thank-giging
dinner"
" How vulgar" said Mr.. Harrington.
giving the tas-elS OF her cashmere morn
ing dress a toss more expressive than any
words. People that live in a half house
and dress in chap delains-how can tiiey
.exDect us TO recognizc them as cousins =
Dear me" said Miss Georgy. who was
not deficient IN ?, rfne>s. Il thought you
and Mrs. ArnOu We're brought up iogeth-
er beisre she married poor boOk-keeper
and youa lawyer"
Mrs. Harrington was little confused.
but she conriyed to eyade the unpalaiabIe
subject
"GoodneSs. Georgina. who can that be
coming up the tairs with such heavy
step: Not one If those horrid trades
people after money i hope"
The door flew opc1 a. she spoke. and =
an honest old countryAan. brown and sun ,
burnt, and attired in al antique butternut {
coIored suit. stalked int the room with :
the tread of an elephant
How dye do. Cousin b,cky: Hav- :
emit forgotten old Jabez Higgi,s. hey We !
Many's the time you've come over 10 our 4
house to get milk for your mother when
YOU lived in Yarmouth - l.
Mrs. Harrington stood aghast at this
unexpected apparition of country cousin
who she had long ago supposed dead, or
married. or something. Meanwhile hon
est Jabez stared around at the gilded gim-
cracks and satin draperies with wide open
eyes.
Sorry to see YOU looking 20 pale and
wizzened up, Cousin Becky. City air
don't agree with you. calculate: And
hOw's Nehemiah =
Now if there was anything on earth /,
Mrs. y, Howard Harrington detested, 1t
was hearing her husband named by his
baptismal appdlation. 1t fairly rallied
her scattered facilities, and enabled her TO !
calculate with sOms asperity;
Il really did not 'xpect-a |,
"Of course moi" p', in Jabez, good hu-
moredly. Didn't expect TO cone TO York !.
myself till yesterday mornin
But what could have induced you"
~Come to spend Thanksgivin' with you
and Nehemiah" interrupted Jabez with
beaming eyes.
To spend Thanksgiving Mrs. Har-
rington actually grew faint at the idea of
presenting cousin Jabez Higgins, whose
existence she had studiously ignored for
the last twenty years. TO Mrs, WiiIoughby ,
St. James, or the Honorable Alphonzo
SiIvingham.
Il am sorry, sir" she said, frigidly !
drawing herself up, "that am compelled :
to decline the honor you intend me. We
are really unable to accommodate you,
and you must be aware that the slight re-
existing between us :
"She need not have gone beyond the
irst sentence word was sufficient for
Iabez. The crimson torrent of honest
ride rushed into his sunburned cheek. |.
nd the good old man simply said, II !
7ouldn't ha' thought it of you, Becky"
nd then he retreated from the presence
f the cold woman of the world.
There was something very like tear
l the old countryman's eye as he went
owly down the street meditating on his
tie reception.
"Nobody could have made me believe
/, that Becky Jones could be so changed.
iuess she's forgotten how many times her
oIks borrowed money OF my old father.
Veil, it's kind o hard for lonesome old 4
sller that hain't got chick nor child, to be
reated so by his relations, and on Thanks
living day, too. But I'll 20 and see Eli