The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-04-07
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, OTeu eyes, ana u COHlpleXlOuTl1 Wnle1
5 the roses came and went at eyer
z breath, was arranging some gergeou
J white and CRIMSON chEysanthemum'
t. in handleless pifeheEssb that thi
!, starry flowers and dropping. foilag
; should conceal the 115artistic ehalioe
: Susan was t11help at FARMER W Wyilis,
Just ACROSS the river, andstearnin' he
J two dollars a week, ,% said the widow
triuimphartly, s'#ith, the best on 'em. ,
Charley was atihefneg for Thanks
giving, ltou-home from his New Y ORR
clerkship, where he had lost the rec
and brown of his rustic eomplexion
and gained that indescribables oA-banc
/ air of tf-eiitt5 case that the-widoY mar
yelled at, but could not explain. And
even little Tom,, who was errand- boy
at Squire Parker's country store al
seventy-five cents q week and his
board, was prying surreptitiously into
the oven when his mothers back was
turned, and grimacing joytully at the
dish of .raisins on the top shelf of the
pantry. ~,
81 wish Thanksgiving came every
day" said Tom, who had a weakness
for good things to eat and drinkff,s ID.
well, children, groaned the wild
ow, plaintiyely, Gifts real nice to have
you all at home, l do say for t; but,
then, tomorrow you've all got to 90
away again, and that spoils the whole
enjoyment ont. Oh, dear, dearl life
is string Of troubles, the best you
can make of it!
@Mother grumbles as much as ever
whispered Tom to his elder brother.
"Come, children, get ready to go
to church, said Mrs. Spencer, still in
the same mournful, minor key; 'sI'll
have dinner on the table by the time
you get back; and mind you remem-
Der the text and what the minister
said."l iE;~ 2i.5 700 liz sf.t.g1s
1aBut, mother said Susan, softly,
'sbefore go to church | wanted to tell
YOU something that"
s'I know what It's" groaned the
widow, with uplifted hands and de-
spairing eyes Farmer Wyllis is
goiDi to discharge We, and you'll just
be home doin' nothin' all winter. It's
the Spencer luck exactly! No need
to tell mer' f.I EtF
Susan stood abashed, but she did
not venture upon reply. @ ,sr
81 had piece of Eews for you, too,
mother" said Charley; but if you
snub Sue so unceremoniously, I'll keep
it until after dinner. .1-fa-,. +.
i Mrs. epencer shook her head.
GIVE all my life been a poor, un-
fortunate creetur, children, that Ill
luck chased from, pillar to post Here
1 be a poor, mis- s'able widow, with my
three children all away from me, and
rheumatic settlin' in the left shoulder;
and the old 1oof leaking like all vexa-
ton. There aint nobody so bad off
as 1 be; and somehow 1 don't see my
way clear to bein' thankful to day
more'n any other day, let the minister
say what he will. F. ,d, .,..;-.,s;... 81.
And the widow subsided into tears
and a silk pocket handkerchief.
Now, mother, that's nonsence," !"
said chearful Charley "hecause-------' .
20 go, yes-nonsense that's nice, re
spectful talk to your poor old moth
er," sobbed Mrs. Spencer. "Ifs all
1 ought to expect, though; it's just
like all the rest. / most wish were
dead and buried sometimeslp
Susan began to cry. Charley look
ed unhappy and discomited: Tom
seized the opportunity to abstract the
biggest red apple from the plate on
the mantle, and deposit it, with an
air of the utmost unconsciousness, in
his pocket, where it bulged out like an
enormous tumor.
"Sue, you're a FOOL" cried Tom.
shortly. -"Get your things let's
90 to church=-anYhow,", he added, in
an audacious undertone, t'the parsons
pressing is better than mothers grImb-
ling. Don't you mind it, Sue-ifs
only her way. % .' - '~.f''--iii','
o SO the three children arrayed them
selves in their simple best, and set to
walk the two miles and half of frosty
country road that lay betwean them
and the village church, peaceful
stretch of sylvan Solitude with pine
woods skirting the way, and 'squarrels
darting in bright-eyed haste over the
messy logs of the worn wayside
fences.
.:Oh, Charley" sail Susan, wistful-
", as she stopped to gather late pur-
pie aster that glowed, like jewel, by
the road side, if we could only per-
70 take q hripht view of
-s'I think she grows worse and worse,
said Charley, theughtfully. "She is
aim ost morbid 1 wish weoesld hear
of any way to cheer her up a little
~ knew q PLAN" said Tom, plant
ing his white teeth in the crimson side
of his apple. 90
-1"What is .it?' Pc
"Whv, vixen first I went TO Squire
Parker's store I had an ALFRED han
kering aftef-'
= "Oh, Thomas, said Susan, gravely,
siwhat language !" aa
ndaAf fter taisins, and lemon balls and
sugar. and such; so one day the Squire
inst made me sit down and Sat away
at 'em from morning till night. Good
Jacob I never wanted to set eyes on
'em again"
"A very interesting piece of per
sonal history" said Charles, seriously,
lstbut I don't see what it has to do
with the subject in hand" i,
daDon't you see I? if our mother had
trouble enough and to spare, just Tor
once, she'd be glad enough to give 1t
a wide berth afterwards"
ssTom, ,"I7said Charley, stopping
short in the middle OF the road, 'syou
are certainly a little ne'er-do well, but