Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1865-12-15

But one morning after hs. had been feed
| ing them, and was looking them over with.
an -admiring eye, his attention was attract
ed by the curious behavior of one of his
best creatures" who had her legs drawn
under her as if she was. cold, while the
muscles of her neck and shoulders twitch-
| ed spasmodically. He did not know at
first what it meant; but when he saw a.
peculiar discharge from her nose, and
found that her ears and legs. had become
as cold as ice, achill of terror ran through
him, for he recognized the symptoms of the
rinderpest, the new cattle pestilence. The
fiightful disease ran like YSld:fre through
the herd, and was conveyed to his horses
too, so that the whole were swept away in
fearfully short time; and Farmer Bell
was ruined man. .-f =
This, then, was his condition as Thanks
giving Day drew nigh. 'Of course the
mortgage could not now be transferred to
the cattle, and he knew Squire Gripe too
well to hope that he would give him an
extension now that his property was gone.
And even if he should. What hope was
therel -, =. 'at'
at would take me half a lifetime tdget-
two thousand dollars togethers.RatA, he
said to his wife. every thins.TillI Have
Ito go. | don't know what will become of
lus. You'll have to put offNp9E,ln marriage,
Leonard, for the old man AFstgot nothing
for you-not even a corner of the old
home to live in. It's hard, amt it boy 2"
81 shall not put it off, father" said Leon
ard, "unless Emily wishes it, and / don't
think she will I shall tell her all about it,
and leave it to her to trust herself to a
young man with nothing blttzs strongfrlr
and a willing heart. 1t would BE pity if
we could not live comfortably by our own
exertions. Don't be so downcast, father
| I'll have home of my own yet, and cor
ner in it for the old folks, too, if they need
it People don't starve to death in this
country"
.'Bless your generous heart, Leonard" +"
said Farmer Bell; / shan't balk you if Miss
Sutton don't; but you'll have hard pulling
for while, Pm afraid"
When Leonard told Emily about It her
bright eyes first flashed with light, and
then dimmed with tears at the picture of the
old folks deSolation which her sympathet-
ic heart beheld; but she said:
"My selfish soul is glad, Leonard, for
now l can help you. Our home will want
for nothing. You have no idea how much
money l can earn with these little fingers
and if that ugly Squire GRIPPE takes their
home away from them, your father and
mother shall live with as, Leonard
! Darling girl" said the delighted young
) man, "you are prize indeed, and worthy
of better man than am. 1 haven't had
any fears of my own, Emily, from the first,
and with you at my side I'll defy Fortunes
T frowns."
"Spoken ike soldier-boy," said Emily.
For Leonard had served his three years in
} the war, the reader must know-which
helped the pretty music teacher in her eff
forts to fall in love with him.
So the preparations for the wedding
went on just as before, and when the nigh
before Thanksgiving came they were mar
ried at the old farmhouse, in the presence
!. of merry party of friends. But Farmer
) Bells face was not cheerful one. The
. consciousness of his impending fate hung
, over him continually ike pail, and it wal
impossible to keep him in good spirits
: The mortgage was past due-had been fol
4 several days-and knowing the hard char
: acter of Squire Gripe he had been expect
ing notice of the foreclosure daily, till j
: had made him as nervous as a woman, ant
> robbed him of his rest. The mysterious
: behaviour of Gripe in holding off so Ions
: as he had, helped to puzzle the old man.
: : mind and increase his anxiety. He felt
: peculiar thrill of pleasure, it must be con
= fessed, when Emily went up and put he
: : hand in his and called him father, for Far
: mer Bell had never had daughter of hi
7 own; but it was momentary.
$ 'We anticipate such glorious Thanks
g giving dinner tomorrow, father" said she
$ 81 hope you have killed the fa;testturkey.
f "Yes, yes" Mrs. Bell answered for him
:. s'the turkey is all stuffed and ready for tn
!, basting. John always reIshes his Thanks
: giving turkey more than all the other din
d ners of the year. Don't you, Johnl"
1t Thanksgiving Day has always been
l. happy day with me, wife" said Farme
g Bell, as ifstriviug to appear cheerful; sans
II I'll do my best toward making tomorrow
f happy, promise you" But through hi
!, mind that same moment ran the thought
l. where will we all be come this time mex
n year,
i But when they gathered about the oil
e table in the great roomy kitchen the mex
% day, for one brief hour Farmer Bells gloor
W was dissipated by the joyousness of tn
scene and its pleasant associations
e Leonard's bright-eyed young wife was i
d abounding good spirits, and laughed an
d chatted till Farmer Bell forgot the mort
a gage and every thing else but the genia
N pleasure of the hour. Emily compliment
d ed every thing on the table, and declares
le it the incest dinner she ever sat down toi
s her life. The turkey was done to turn
le the pumpkin-pie was marvel of culinar
a. perfection. 1t was while they were dis
v cussing the pies that Farmer Bell began t
le tell laughable reminiscence of his youth
in which pumpkin jack-o'-lantern figured
,r and which caused great merriment aroun
d the board; and as he was in the midst G
D the funniest part he glanced out the wiz
< dow, his face suddenly paled, and he III
d tered an exclamation of terror and cor
70 sternation. Squire Gripe's welLknow
s rusty old horse and chaise were at th
of hitching-post by the gate, and Gripe hin
re self was limping up the walk toward tn
d house.
h "He can't be coming to serve the nt
D tice on Thanksgiving DayP cried Leor
d ard, anxiously.
er "Why notl" said Farmer Bell, in bi
d ter tone; she keeps no holidays. Prob'
y bly, some business brings him out tn
y .ooJ o,,I bo,s Cor sax-inor tho ehariff'S fn