The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-12-15

, the first time what dear little face
, she had, and how honest and true her
brown eyes, were, Her teeth. too,
were like pc ,rls-she showed them
when she laughed, and that was pref
ty often, for Dittie seemed sulky and
silent, and she was anxious to make
up for it and have cousin Tom feel at
home.
Next morning Dittie still looked
subdued and abstracted, with none of
the lively ways she had worn in New
York. Tom found afterward, that
her head was full of the blue silk
gown which she had set her heart up
on finishing for Thanksgiving
"Soon after breakfast she went to
work upon it, leaving Tom in Nelly's
hands, which was inconrenient; for
Nelly had all sorts of things to do
that day-apples to pare, and pump
kins to stew, and pies TO bake, and l
don's know what all.
"However there is no help for it
| She made fire in the keeping-room.
| and brought so me books for Tom,
and told him that she must leave him
for while, and if he got lonely, he
! would have to come out into the
kitchen, for there she must be. And
of course Tom had no idea of sitting
alone 50 he soon came wandering at
ter her, and spent almost the whole
day there, helping and hindering for
though he pared some apples, and
beat great mauy eggs, I'm afraid
his long legs and his conversation
We're good deal in the way.
However, Nellie didn't let him
know it if they wee. And as it was.
so pleasant to watch her at work that
he would have been sorry enough to
be ordered off She was the quick
est, most skillful little creature in all
her ways, and yet so orderly and sys
tematic. Whether whisking some
dainty mixture with big spoon, or
welding the rolling pin, or touching
the oven door with white knuckle,
to see if the heat was right, all she
did seemed graceful and charming
All, 1 can tell you, children, a girl
never looks half so we'll as when she
is doing plain, useful work in the
incest and prettiest way. And when
those pies came out of the oven." said
grandpapa, SIN acking his lips, '.you
never saw the like. They resembled
snow-fakes fried to a rich brown, on
ly they were great deal better ?''
"Not better than grandma's," broke
in chorus of indignant voices.
"Well," said grandpa, looking
wickedly about, ''grandnamma's pies
as it happens, are the only ones lever
saw which were exactly like Neily's
and just as good
The dear old lady blushed like 4
girl. "Now, Tnomas,"" she said, "you
mustn't talk such nonsense to the
children"
"Uh" shrieked Jack, the irrepress-
ible: "grandpa's name is Thomas
amt it! guess" But here
somebody choked him off, and grand
papa. went on very fast:
$50 all the pies were baked, and |
the loaves of bread, and the Thanks !
giving cake, and the plum pudding
mixed. and put over the stove to
half boil for it was great business
in those days to get pudlings boiled,
and by that time supper-time was near
" come. Dittie came down very
good -natured and talkativ.. She
had finished her dress and quite re-
covered her temper and Nelly, who
was tired, looked little pale, and sat
quietly most of the evening.
"But there was no danger of Cous-
in TOMS making any further mistakes
Twenty-tour hours had been the work
OF a month. and he had made up his
mind, once for I'll, that the pale, wea-
ry little face in the corner was the
very sweetest face in the world.
"Wednesday was almost as busy
as Tuesday. There was the last
touch to give to the cooking and the
house to be frightened up, and the
red apples to wipe and arrange with
autumn leaves. Cousin Tom helped
in every thing and when the after
noon came and he found that great
many of the pies had to be carried
about the neighborhood as gifts to
the poor people, who depended upon s
his yearly remembrance, he. insisted
npon going along to carry the basket {
and hold the umbrella, for it was
showing little. I need not inform |
you that Nellie was the pie-distribu- 8
or. All the work-or almost all
IF the house fell upon her.. Dittie G
ound an excuse for avoiding every t
hing that was troublesome or incon- G
'euient, and on this occasion she q
wanted to baste some lace on her n
,lue dress. O
"Well, they had splendid walk.
won't pretend to tell you all they I
alked about; but they came home I
cry rosy, and good humored, and c
hungry for supper. II
Neither will 1 venture to de- "
cribe the Thanksgiving dinner, or II
he good minister's sermon in the L
There were not so many a
eople to eat the dinner, and the ser e
1on had seventeen heads to it; 9th n
rwise both Of them were very much i'
Ike those We had enjoyed to day P
)ittie wore the blue silk, and looked
eautiful in it-as was only fair when CT
, had caused her so much trouble, tt
,ut to Toms mind little Nelly, In her T
ray gown and scarlet ribbon looked T
-hen compared to her. sister, like CT
ome gentle home bird by the side of T
gay tropic songster, thing to love +
nd cherish. and WOO, to live in your