Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-11-25
Miss Marigold's Thanksgiving.


half a dozen rolls of ribbon, and two standard
frames, unfolding, in modest display, the one
satin, the other a velvet bonnet.
IL i true the window was SIN All, and the light
good deal cut OF by the shOpO Pinkham Sis-
ters; adjoining Miss Marigold's, and built
further out into the street: the plumes were a
little thin and faded, the eolors OF the ribbons
were not arranged 50 rs TO harmonic into any
very happy effect, and the bOnnets could not be
said 10 have much Of an ''air." but such as they
were, they told the story and invited customers
in And when once in, there was something
about Miss Mary MarigOld that mad them
pretty sure 10 buy, IL the stock at all approach
what they wanted.
But the stock was so small that il often failed
TO do 50; that was the very trouble in Miss VI tri-
Colds business, and one that WAS constantly
rejecting it, diff Guilty back upon itself. so that
the occasions when she heard the tin<le of the
little bell at the door, and put down her work to
come in from the back room only to say that she
hadn't what was wanted, OF that she hadn't that
shade, or precisely the width, outnumbered her
sales good many times, and were rather dis
couragng 70 the customers. But not in the
least 80 To Miss Mary MarigOld. She said good
afternoon. and what an unusually pleasant day
10 was, and went back to her little room with
just as bright a smile, and began humming inst
as serene little tune as when she had made an
extraordinary sale, or as if the trip hadn't given
her lame knee a good deal of pain And the
customers went on To the larger shops that cur
of Miss MarigOld's light, really regretting that
they could not have bought of her. The old
patrons knew very well what il was they pre-
ferred in Miss MarigOld. but, further than her
smile, the new ones would have foundit difficult
TO tell for she hardly talked at all; while at the
next door one of the PiEkham Sisters not only
talked great deal, but the other maintained a
position she was known to have held for years.
just one pace and half behind her sisters right
elbow. on the next breadth in the carpet-and
repeated every word she said in a voice pitched
just one key higher.
But this morning Miss Marigold was neither
making sales in the front shop repairing
bonnets in 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 at the little table that stood on a
certain seam in the carpet where was drawn, in
Miss MarigOld's Imagination. the dividing line
between kitchen and sItting-room.
10 was Thanksgiving morning, and as II is
quite matter to get dinner properly even for
one, Miss MarigOid wished 10 have it well under
way before she dressed for church, so that she
might neither be late nor disturbed in her nd
during the services.
The poet saws:
1.-The mind II man doth move amazing quick;-
and though like most poets he made no allow
ance in his rhythm for that OF woman, Miss
harigold's, the instant she placed the little
saucepan on the table, repassedt the space of all
the years since her girlhood: those days long
gone by were like the very tOuch of things
around her, and only the present seemed tar
away and dim. Such a stretching Of the table
70 make room for the scattered ones come home;
such handsome hilarious brothers, grown 30
manly since the year before; such Od1rs from
The kitchen, and ranges of everything in the
rantIisss: and such wandering of thoughts
sermon in the church was done! Then there
were the endless tricks and mischief of brothers
and the sleigh-ride in the afternoon, and such
doings In the evening as no pen could describe
and somebody else beside the brothers who was
sure 70 come, and a sweet placid face, with folds
of whittier muslin fastened underneath the chin
that smiled peace and benediction over all The
little saucepan was the talisman that had
brought them back, and set Miss Marigoli in
their very midst again.
"SHeb changes." she said at last and wiped
her eyes with q napkin scarcely whittier than the
snowy table where IL lay
But II wasn't at all about the changes that
Miss Marigold wanted the napkin; it was only
on account of the onion she was peeling. Per-
haps another person would not have chosen that
vegetable for their special treat; but Miss Mari
gold had naturally quite a weakness that way
and the one reasonable objection to them she
considered quite removed by her solitary life.
$50 wonderful" she used TO say to herself,
show one odR find bright side to everything in
this world Now if one must live quite alone
that to be sure gives shadowy feeling now
and then, but how perfectly one can enjoy an
oniOn!" So she was smiling behind the napkin
at the very moment she was wiping her ewes;
and Miss Marigold had a superb set of teeth
though everything else about her had been
growing very thin for good many years.
"S1eA changes she went on, 'and so wonder
full, the way 4 have been carried through them
all! So many merciesi Do be sure, Miss Mari
gold, that you get to church in good season, for
certainly there IS no one who has more to
reflect upon to-day than you. And as you
haven't much but your feelings to make thank
offerings with, you want To be sure to get the
stew well OF your mind before you start. There
If you leave that just simmering, IL will be done
10 a bubble when YOU get back; unless indeed
the minister should be more than usually carried
away by the occasion"
AT this suggestion Miss NarigOld looked
thoughtfully into the saucepan a moment AMI
shook her head.
.'wen, you'll have to risk that" she said at
last; .'some things must be risked in this life.
Now do hope yOu are nearly ready. Ii would
never do for person like you to be late. So
many mCTcies."
In a fau minutes moro Miss Naria,Id sat 90
with her heart all in glow, and her head in a
rather unbecOming secondhand hOnnct, which
she had taken from customer in payment for
the work on anew one.
''wonderfuI,' she said to herself, every time
she pat 10 on, show my wants are always met"
And in just one hour and half she came
back, limping a good deal, to b sure bat
smiling radiantly, and finding that the stew
was at the very point % put ia the onion.
That would need at least twenty minutes, 50
Miss MarigOld sat down on the other side OF
the seam in the carPet, to enjoy little season
with copy OF SELECTIONS from Sacred Pots,
bonnd in red morocco, one of the few
tangible relics Of the days her little hardware
talisman had Just now cOnjured from the past
The fragrance OF the saucepan had hardly been
pushed aside by the sweet SAVIOR she found in its
pages when knock was heard at the shop door
Miss MarigOd was really startled. so I'M
usual on legal holiday" she said But when
she opened IL she found a no more terrifying oh
ject than the little servant girl of Pinkham SIS
tiers, in a green calico dress with yellow spots
and very tight in the waist, TO say that the IA
NarigOld favor them by coming right away II
take a very SIMPLE dinner?"
s'Dear me ~ said Miss Marigold, "sueA kind
ness. OF course will, and be only too happy.
Right way, yes indeed, and my best thanks TO
the ladies. No unexpected"
"WOndeIful,' - said Miss Marigold again, as
she closed the door behind the messenger; for If
the truth were TO be told, at the very moment
she opened the Selections" a question alto
gether mundane was pressing upon her mind.
Gould she, by adding = little water to the stew,
make IL appear quite enough for two days?
Otherwise, unless some customer should drop in
in the morning she did not quite see how she
Was to manage about the next days marketing.
The quarters rent, always rather heavy drain,
had been paid the day before, and the one little
piece Of currency left from that had been drop
ped in the poor box at the church For certain
~ there was no one there more distinctly called
upon; 80 wonderfully as she had always been
carried through.
so she smiled more radiantly than before as
che lifted the saucepan 70 the stone shelf In
the pantry To cool, and. Withdrawing the onion,
laid IL on plate by Its side. Then one moment
Al the looking glass on the other side OF the seam
and she was ready. Not the bonnet this time;
that had done very well for once, but q second
fine rnighf di<arrau9e her hair so IL