The Indianapolis daily herald. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1865-1868, 1865-12-07
TIVIlI
OUR THANKSGIVING DINNER.

Il
That was Harry all over.
"Oh. / s'pose there'll be a pudding, cause
Mr.. Smith he sent up some raislns this mornln
i peeked into the paper. Bat there isn't
single sign Of a evergreen trimmin put up,
nor flag, nor ANYTHING. And mother she
just looks sober. and she hain't laughed ala
day long. oh. i think its real horrid.' ,
= saw her cry too. She sent me after
clean handkerchief.v
. She did! Well, | s'pOse it's all about
Will. You know he came home last Thanks
giving"
. II1H alters laughed Thanksgivin' sue.
Ny! didn't he put il into the nuts and raisings
and string up the wish-boncsr'
Harry! why how you act, Willis dead,
YOU know"
:" can't help it," said Harry. alphabetically.
. alters had good times with him. wish he
wasn't dead. Didn't he look funny i'm mothers
bonnet after dinner.'
=" wish he wasn't dead, too, Harry; but
then he il, YOU know. i tried TO cry this
nIornin' when mother KEEP wipin her eyes but
didn't after all. | wish she wouldn't look so
horrid sober. You see if We have nice time
I know shan't.''
Well" said Harry, after a moments con-
sideratiOn. &" there's the turkey any how
The sitting-room door closed then, and little
feet battered up stairs on their way to bed.
The parlOr was cold and the twilight hung
and deepened in the room. just in front OF
me the frosts had frescoed the window. and the
hight Of faint, rising moon struck through
them. I'm one little spot the children had
dimmed away the silver tracery by their warm
breath but few moments ago. Through il,
IN the shadow Of the church, something stood
out alone and still--something W hich had drawn
me into this lonely room, and fastened and held
my eyes on the cold, cruel window something
which no close closed curtains warm home
lights could ever shu. out; which the width Of
q world could not separate from me- whose
shadow fell across my very prayers, and dark
ened the face of God-the grave.
This night il was so cold. The frosts, weay-
ing and weaving their pattern on the window.
chilled it so. What did those children mean.
How mcrrily they were romping into bed MP
stairs. wished they would not-to-night =
Tonight.
The frosts. weaving and weaving their pat
tern on the window, weayed out of sight the
church shadow and that within it. Only the
glitter of the sivered picture was left. with the
moon faint behind it,. ! drew my shawl over
my shoulders and went into the other room.
\ bright fire was cracking ON the hearth: the
curtains were drawn. red and warm and cosy.
behind the iYics; my rocking chair was i'm its
place, with the cricket pushed up beside it
that was Susy. She was always thoughtful
more like
found was chilled through, and sat down
by the ire. Then ! covered my face with my
hands
God knows how | had dreaded this day
which was coming; how for months / had
shrank from il, and pleaded with il to pass me
by; how had talked with il I'm dreams, and
been Weakened by my tears, aud prayed for
strength to live il through: how like "A nhau
tom il had confronted me. and haunted me
anu logged my steps, and the strength had not
come. And now il was upon me.
our Thank >giving had been no more, 4 sun
pose, 10 us than Il any who love the day: the
tender household memories clustering around
them no sweeter and no dearer than thousands
and thousands; nor was my grief more than
any other mothers grief. But what was that
TO me or mine. our loss was n irreparable
my grief ~ solitary. ~ If the universe held no
other. For the heart knoweth it, OtrR bitter
ness.
Tie loved these days Sony boy; he loved
them 80. For him and because Of him they
had always been so bright. And il was ONLY
the last-Only the last one that he was with
ne. just for a few days the short. happy fur
Tough lasted--days that brighten n the distance
between me and them grows wider and darker.
remember his face as l met him nj the door
Ii was only "Mother" and sob, Williew only
a close clasping and long kiss All that day
could not see him except through thick-fall-
ing tears; happy tears ! called them; yet now
can real the prophecy Of their pain. God
did not tell me that he would not come home
10 his mother again : but knew it-frOm the
moment he crossed the threshold knew it.
And here was the day staring me i'm the face
What will you think of me, if say that in nv
no reproof; that indeed was almost yexed
with their thoughtless JOY; their merry voices
Stung me; shrank away from their little plays
and laughter. IL was the silence only hat |
heard. IL-he was my first-born, and loved
MN. To live through to-morrow's festival
without him; TO fill II with the old gai Gus
toms AMI the old reJoicings; to come to the ia
Ole and see only that one vacant chair: to
Waich The children play about the fire, where
he had played among them; to sit and worship
10 han H. t. q =. n
M'hed with Us I'm company, and from which
We hau borne HIM TO his rest; to keep eyes free
RON fears and lips from quivering.
NARY, SAID "A voice beside me. Nv hus-
Dahd had come in from his study. and was I
pacing the room IN his restless way.
Wells''
: suppose You have been preparing for
" The children shall have their dinner. what
else can l do:'' mo-
day fit, Mary"
know" ''u
lie came up and laid his hand upon my
bowed head.
g" know. Mary, know | am stronger TO I
bear II than you. l will try and he cheerful 1
for both Of u: il WILSON be over"
That was Just like him; all my burdens were
his own; all my pain dOubly his. 7 might I
have known how IL would be. Was this sor- /
row making me forgetful Of my husband:
Could be that:
= Oh John. am 50 selfish, but you know I .
loved him so--if could be brighter. john
:. understand it all. Why, Mary
lie took me IN his arms rs 1 broke into sob
oins; he took me in his arms like child, and
sitting there beside the ire we talked a lon0
lime. can not tell you what we said. This
our child, whom the Lord had taken wa dear
10 him a TO me; for him a. for ne the path We
rod was very dark. But when at last he left
me- we understood one another. a. in every
trouble We always had understood. We could
bear any thing together.
l heard him take hi hat, 20 out OF the hall
looT. and close il behind him. went IN fhe
window which the frost wa painting thicker
mi thicker with its cold clear mixtures AMI
through u | Jaw a solitary figure passing over
he moonlit snow and into the shadow ~ the
hurch. Ii was a. | supposed.
y went back TO the fire some >leigbinc
,artY IN the street shot by. singing a merry
thanksgiving song. expect only those who
MOURN 10 understand how | listened 10 :, II
a little thing To hurt me: but il aid
thanksgiving. could have laughed al the
word. should / give thanks For this desc
ateu nre-slde, for that vacant chair aud silent
oice. Tor the vanished smile and touch and
ousehold blessing. for those few dimmed let
er> and the heart-ache Of that lock Of clinging
air, and the grave beneath the early SHOWS ;
hould give thanks for fAeSeP
- many memories crowded into the word:
2 many pictures canle an went. A. sat there I
lone in the freight. The boy sitting lust
re ~ nv fcct-he was the only one then I
racking hi nuts. and STEALING the raisins from l
~ pocket after dinner. looking up into nv
ycs with the pretty mischief bright in his. - [
reat and dark and full; no one ever had ewes =
10 Willie's. He Wa such = pretty baby. and
B dear: YOU zee. he taught me the word moth r
r. il wa hi little upturned face and the q
ouch II hi, tiny fingers. in which | first read a
BE- beauty Of lis holiness. How could helm
that he was what he wa 10 me- What ?
Mould DO with all this love that had grown II
10 my heart fr Que and twenty years.
- they did see him. | alone was chosen. / 4
"a I'D into his face. smiling. smiling down in
mine 60 tenderly-yOu can not know how |:
nderly; bIrt IN his eyes saw-and thought o.
y heart would break u see it, a certain sal. m
proachfnl look, that had caught on his face n
Ice. years ago. when / accused him with in II
stice Of some trifiug childish fauit-a look
at bad haunted me in many stu hour since. "
I'D then heard him SAY distinctly. though
not another ear was the breafhless voice IL
Edible. -s- - m
II want them 70 be happy. Iwant ycu 70 81
Joy the day. Did you think should not be n
ith you, mothery- nj