The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1866-01-04
From the Congregationalist
A Thanksgiving Story.

| Agnes Conway sat before the fire, one
| afternoon, few days ago, quite lost in
| thought. The fire snapped and sparkled
/ brightly in the open coal CRATE, but the
shadows had gathered thickly in the corn
ers OF the room, for it was nearly six o.
clock and the first Of November. 1t was
quite time for lights, but Mrs. Conway did
not seem to have noticed the gathering
darkness. The white rat jumped down
| from the easy chair, where she had been
taking her afternoon nap. and came SLOW
ly across the floor, stretching first one limb
and then. another, rs she walked. She
rubbed her side against her mistress dress
and pnrred i'm a asoeiable way for few min
utes, but, falling to secure any attention to
her presence, she too sat down by. the fire
and began diligently washing her face, for
consolation. ..# #.Es.s.
| Mrs. Conway had several letters in her
lap, that she had been reading. Some
thing about them, seemed to have stirred
her feelings deeply. Her eyes had filled
| with tears and she turned her head and
leaned it on the table at her side.
A few minutes passed thus, when she
heard her husbands step on the walk and
at tile door, and she stast-E nj, and went
affection and welcome in her smile. They
came into the pleasant sitting room to-
gether, and the gas was lighted and the fire
stirred and kitty complimented on her
clean face, and very soon they obeyed a
| summons to tea in the next room.
looking man, with fine. erect carriage
and face that would have been handsoma
| but for \ long scar on one cheek, like that
| left hv sabre cut. a ....s... ....,- ..
| "rhe Governor has appointed Thanks
! giving" he said "What day it ought tc
! be this year "..aH
''fndeed it ought she replied. "And
think it will ne to us, at any rate. / saw
the appointment in to-night's paper. and
John, what do you think have been doing
sincnT'' rs.r.- -an ... .s ...-}... H..
Thinking Of this time year ago." said
| he. .. .s..-.
"Why, how could Won know"
"Because have been doing the sam,
thing, and besides saw it IN your eyes
" We shall neith.r of us soon forget it. ]
am sure." she said, her face and voice full
of feeling. land have been reading over
the letters had from you last November
and thinking about last Thanksgiviny.' y
"Ah, have you? You told me some.
thing about that day onne before. but
should like to hear the whole story over
| again. . ''.1
"Well, you know had not heard from
You for three months-not since the battle
and it seemed as if that one idea, that
might never nee or hear from YOU again
would crush me-, and thought could,nol
live through another month of such an xie-
ty, when, on the first day of November
your first letter from the prison came. II
contained only six lines, and was very
guarded in eypression. but it told me you
were alive, and where and how I coul
my terrible suspense was inpxpressible.-
cried like baby over it, and slept that
night, with it close To my face, the firsi
sound and peaceful sleep I had had for
months. Then after two or three weeks |
hau another, much like the first, and then
the night before Thanksgiving, your com.
rale, Martin, who had just escaped, came
t. see me. bringing along letter from you
which had not been subject to inspection
But he told me more than the letter did o.
how sick You had been, and what priva
tions you had all suffered, and of the wound
in your face. He tried not to tell me every
thing, but would hear it, and you cannot
think how hard it was for me to lie down
in nay comfortable bed that night and think
of you and all the rest i'm that dreadful
prison. And, when thought,of the mex
thanksgiving, it seemed like mockery
and thought would shut myself up and
stay at home all day, instead Of going tc
spend it at mothers as had promised.
+ But the next morning mother came in
and heard the news from you, and she felt
badly as DID, but after u while she said
"Agnes, dreadful as this is. you ought tc
be thankful he is alive. Have you heard
about Joseph Wells and Esther Halls
brother?" Huy ns,l .tarE4
NO" saia l. What is il ?" na6 .
So she told me how she hal just mot
Martin on the street, and he told her ne
Joseph had died in the prison, only a week
before the escape was made.
Poor Fanny Wells, how my heart ached
for her. Yon will not he surprised If r tell
you that forgot for the moment all nv
own trouble in thinking others. So told
mother l must go at once To see Fanny
IT could not comfort her, I was sure !
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