New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-24
MISS NARIGOLD'S THANKSGIVING
From Scribnei's Magazine. !

From Scribneis Magazine!
IN. Marigold"-that was all the sign said
but in the window there were a box o
| plumes. half dozen rolls of ribbon. and tw,
standard frames, unfolding. in modest dis
! play the one a satin, the other velye
| bonnet.
1t is true the window was small, and thu
light good deal cut off by the shop o
Pinkham Sisters, adjoining Miss Marisold'
and built further out into the street the
plumes were little thin and faded: the
colors of the ribbons were not arranged
| SO as to harmOniZe into any very hap
| pv effect, and the bOnnets could not
be said to have much of an 'air:" but. such
as they were, they told the story and in
vted the customer in. And when once IN
there was something about Miss Mary Mari
| gold that made them pretty sure to buy il
| the stock at all approached to what they
| wanted.
But the stock was SO small that it often
| failed to do so that was the very trouble in
Miss MarigOld's business, and one that was
| constantly rejecting its difficulty back upon
| itself. so that the occasions when she heard
| the tinkle of the little bell at the door, and
put down her work to come i'll from the back
room only to say she hadn't what was
wanted. or that she hadn't it in just that
shade or precisely that width, Outnumbered
| rather discouraging to her customers but
not in the least SO to Miss Marigold. She
said good afternoon, and hat an unusually
pleasant day it was. and Went back to her
little room with just as bright smile and
began hlmmlng just as serene little tune
As when she had made an extraordinary
sale, or as ii the trip hadn't given her lame
knee IA good deal of pain. Aud the custom
ersaagent on to the larger shop hat cut off
a EUht .,ll fiv,fr
they could not have bought OF her. The old
patrons knew very well what it was they
preferred in Miss Marigo!d. but, further
than her smile, the new ones would have
found it difficult to tell, for she hardly
talked at all. while at the next door one of
the Pinkham Sisters not only talked great
deal, but the other maintained a position
she was known to have held for years-iust
one pace and half behind her sisters right
elbow. on the next breadth in the carpet
and repeated every word she said III i. voice
pitched ust one key higher.
But this morning Miss Marigold was
neither making sales in the front shop nor
repairing bonnets III the little sitting room
behind; she had been having wonderful
time brushing up the rather ancient carpet
of the smaller room and watering her Glove
pink. and Just now she seemed To be giving
her whole attention to something on the lit
tie table 1hat stood on a certain seam in the
carpet where was drawn, i'll Miss Marisold's
i,nae ination, the divijin. line between
kitchen and sitting room.
1t was Thanksgiving morning. and as it
is quite matter TO get dinner properly.
even for one. Miss Marigold wished to have
it well under way before she dressed for
church. So that she might neither be late
service.
The poet savs
The mind of man doth move amazing qyick,'
aud though. like most poets, he made no
allowance in his rhythm irr that of woman.
Miss Marigolds the instant she placed the
little saucepan on the table. rclasseti the
space OF all the years since her girlhood;
those days so long gone by were like the
very touch of things around her. and only
the present seemed far away ana dim Such
a stretching OF the table to make room for
the scattered ones come home such hand
some. hilarious brothers, crown SO manly
since the ear before; such orders from the
kitchen and ranges of every thing in the pan
tries, anu such wandering Of thoughts to-
ward them before the seventy-tive minute
sermon in the church was done. Then there
were the endless tricks and mischief of the
brothers. and the sleigh ride in the after
noon, and such doings in the evening as no
pen can describe, and somebody else beside
the brothers who was sure to come, and Il |
sweet, placid face. with folds of whittier !
muslin fastened underneath the chin, that |
smiled peace and benedction over all. The |
little saucepan Was Tic taii-man that had |
brought them back and set Miss Marigold |
IL their very midst again.
'Snch changes"' che said at last, and |
wiped her eyes with Il napkin scarcely |
winter than the snowy table where it lay.
But 1t wasn't at all about the changes
that Miss Marigo,d wanted the napkin: it
was only on account Of the onion she
was peelins. Perhaps another person
would not have chosen that vegetable for
their special treat: but Miss Marigold had
quite Il weakness that way, and
he one reasonable objection to them she
considered quite removed by her solitary
life. $50 wonderful" she used to say to
herself, show one can find bright side to
in this world. Now if one must
i've quite alone THAT, to be sure, gives a
hadowy feeling now and them, how per
ectly one can enjoy an onion ~ So she was
milling behind the napkin at the very mo-
uent she was wipng her eyes; and Miss |.
iarigOld had a superb set of teeth, though
verythins else about her had been grow
ng thin for a good many years.
Such changes"' she went ON to say, "and
0 wonderful, the way | have been carried
Trough them all So many mercies Do
C sure. Miss Marigold, that you get to
hurch in good season. for certainly there
no one who has more to reflect ON than
on. Aud as You havn't much but your
ceilings to make thank offerings with you
'ant to be sure to get the stew well off your
lind before you start. There, if You leave
hat just sim,nering it will be done to a
ubble when you get back, unless, indeed,
le minister should be more than usually
, rried away nv the occasion " |
AT this suggestion Miss Marigold looked
ioughtiully into the saucepan a moment,
nd shook her head.
We'll, you'll have to risk that she said
last; ''sOme things must be risked in this
te. Now do hope you are nearly ready.
would never 90 for Il person like you to
: late. SO many mercies y $
In a few minutes mere Miss Margold set s
I. with her heart all in glow, and her d
,ad III rather uubecoming second hand
,nnet, which she had taken from a Gus G
mer in payment for the work on a new !
lp. II
"Wondcrful.' she said to herself, every $
me she put II on, "how my wants are al
ays met" I
Aud in Just one hour and half she came u
Ick, hmplng good deal, to be sure, but
illlng radiantly, and finding that the stew Y
Is at the very point to put in the onion.
lat would need at least twenty minutes \
Miss Marigold sat down on the other side a
the seam in the carpet to enjoy little "