The Republican journal., 1871-12-14

throat and wrist, and a little gold brooch
forming her only ornaments but not all
the moire antique or velvet that ever
glistened behind the plate glass windows
Of Broadway ''maisons de mode" could
have improved her appearance.
"Sit down-sit down before the fire."
said Miss Hepsy- ELAN, take Mr.
Rivers hat DO let me rid you Of your
shawl Mrs Rivers Rachel, YOU lust 90
into the front room-you're young, anil
want to fix up little. likely; and there's
q fire there, Go-quick :"
II can take off my things Just as we'll
here, Miss Hepsy."
ooh, shaw no, you can't. Herein
there T.
Rachel wondered a little at Miss
Hepsy's evidenl anxiety to get her into
the front room," but concluded that
probably there was new carpet or cur
| tans, or something which the house-keep-
er had on exhibition, SO she walked
slowly in, with her shawl on her arm, and
untying her hood as she went.
Yes, Miss Hepsy Barstow had some
thing there, but it was neither carpets,
curtains, nor new china vases And
Rachel's astonised glance fell on tall,
good-iooking young man, who stood be-
fore the blazing hearth. looking down
upon her with a world of happy mischief
/ ii his brilliant black eyes.
And the next moment he had calight
her in his arms, smothering her astonished
cry with a shower of genuinely lover
like kisses.
Rachel my love. my dear little bios
som :"
'Charlie Wayland." .....
For it was Charles self bronzed and
travel-worn, and perhaps trife more
self-reliant and digni led, but the same
Charlie still, who hal wooed and won
her long years ago.
did you think | vas never coming
back, Rachel? Did you begin to fancy /
was false9 Oh, my little queen, if you
could but know how I have looked for
ward to this hour"
Il have sometimes tancied you might
be dead, Charles she answered simply,
''but never thought you false
He folded her mutely to his breast, and
there was silence for minute or two
II have come back to stay, now,
Rachel" he said quietly. Il went away
to seek my fortune, and | have found it.
There shall be no more partingS dear,'
"Does Elan know?n whispered Rachel
'Elam brought me home here last night
when | alighted, chilled and half frozen
with the cold He would not allow me
to 60 to your house, but told me that |
must spend Thanksgiving with him--that
YOU must first look upon my face beneath
his roof. Bless the old fellows noble
heart | believe he is nearly As happy
now aS | am
Rachel winched a little; the rose deep
ened on her satin cheek but IN her in
most heart she too could have invoked
blessings upon the sturdy farmer who
had loved her 50 dearly and utterly in
vain while Charles Wayland, uncon-
soious of what was passing through his
betrothed's mind, went on:
For years Ihaye suffered all the pangs
Of homesickness among the orange groves
and scented breezes OF the Spanish wales !;
now ] shall spend Thanksgiving in spirit
aud in truth in my own old New England
home Oh, Ray, il YOU could but know
how beautiful the rugged mountain looks,
with the bleak crags and draperies of
| pine orest!-.if you could feel the ex-
ultant leap Of my heart when the first
snoWtlakes began to drift down among
/ the yellow leaves and"
/ But here Miss llepsY's voice interrupted
| them
DINNERS ready" She announced, land
| you've been talking full half hour here "
Now, Hepsy that's simply nonsense, y
cried Charlie, increduously.
"Well if YOU don't believe, you may
lust look at the clock. Come, Rachel,
| there's no use looking sheepish and hang
ing back; they know all about it i'll t'other
room, because Elam's told them. Come
! Charlie [ don't know whether they raise
turkeys i'll Spain, but if they do I'll stump
/ EN- to beat the one I've got on the table
! to-day
And Miss Hepsy, ushering her guests
into the banqueting apartment, pointed
! triumphantly at the unctuOus bird, which
! lay with smoking sides and skewered
| wings, upon the very centre OF the board
There's q turkey for YOU, "quoth Hepsy,
| But we are very much afraid. speaking
| veraciously, as all chroniclers should
that Rachel Rivers did not properly ap-
prcclate Miss llepsey BarstOw's Thanks
| giving dinner. She sat at the table, like
one in u dream, thoughtful, absent, but
blushing ever and anon, until, as Elan
sagely observed, "The cuirant Jelly wasn't
| a circumstance to her cheeksn
They walked home together, Just on
the edge of the evening" rs the quaint
old expression goes. Farmer Rivers
trudged on first, arm in arm with his
plump helpmate, and Rachel followed
with Charles Wayland. The night had
set in stormy and cold thc wind ''keen-
ed'' sorrowfully Through the boughs of the
hemlocks and leatless birch trees that
skirted the road; and the snow fell fast
and noiselessly around them; but to Ra-
chel it seemed as if she passed over roses,
with the sunshine of the tropics raining
around her.
| For she knew that this Thanksgiving
day, whose san had gone down behind
the dreary mounta n-tops, would shine
| forever in her heart