Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-12-13
sADIRs THANKSGIVING.
by LUCIA CHASE BELL.


chairs, and the roses and geraniums in the
window looked brighter aud thriftier
than ever, towering up above the trans
paren whiteness all about them. Johnny
and Davy wero away shelling corn for old
Mrs. NeH; little three.year- old Kit was
taking her afternoon nap, curled up
among the pillows in the bedroom by her
sick mother, and the whole house seemed
delightfully."- clean and quiet, for won
der. Sadie kept blithely humming,
Through lanes end hedgerows pearly,"
while she put away her ironing blanket,
and put the tea-kettle on, and rolled out
the light biscuits for supper. It always
seemed as If she could "rmell fresh hay"
when she sang that old song, and some.
how 1t always came into her head when
she felt glad. You see, Sadie had made
up her mind to have a Thanks.
giving when the day came round. Nobody
in Budgeton ever did have Thanksgiv.
ing dinner that she knew of, and the day
there was almost sure to be muddy
day, with a scowiing sky, and chilly,
damp a:r, that penetrated to your very
bones, in the most discouraging man
ner.
But Sadie had read about the good old
fashioned Thanksgivings in NewEngand
when according to the jolly stories
about them, the country folks kept the
day with hearty cheer, and the clouds
sent down glorious sleighin' SHOWS"
and the preacher thundered out rood
solid orthodox sermons, and the people
sang with a zest that told of real thank
fulness and the near prospect of generous
big dinners
And guess we've got some things to
be thankful for" she said to herself, busily
tripping to and fro at her work. cold
Mrs. Bennett said l was going to have a
ens ny KysAf Afgaf, gSHl" and dfdSti And 'hS
noor 5ther's old aunty, that talked of
cong to, live with us, didn't. We'd
bo been glad to have her come, you
krF,"r land Sadie whispered confidential
10 the biscuitroller, "but she's poor
,fck old lady, and mothers sick too, and
we were 'fraid we couldn't keep her nice,
and warm, and comfortable Then the
groceryman gave Johnny an old hen that
got sick in the coop at the grocery, so he
couldn't sell her, and we nursed her up
till she got to be good as new, and lays
an egg now every day. Another thing,
we haven't had any equinoctisl storm
this year, to speak Of and the roof leaks
And the very best thing we've got to be
glad of is about mother; because the doc
tor says she'll get well sure; and besides
fohO uOOon y idNC e1dJ HIS dDlG pam nlBubS
now, at all. l guess she needn't evel
work much if she does get well. Rot
and I'll keep her just to love anC
look at, as Mrs. Bennett says about hel
two worked foot stools"
To be sure, Sadie's reasons for thank
fulness might have been a little bewilder
ing to anybody else, but they were cleal
enough to her mind; and when she
thought about the last one, such happy
loving light shone overher round, freckleC
face that it seemed almost beautiful. A,
for the dinner, she thought Rob, who
worked out in the country, might man
age to get turkey, or at least nice fa
chicken, and some pumpkins, and jug
of cream, and those would be orthodox
materials for a splendid Thanksgiving
feast She had just "done up" the bes
table cloth that very afternoon, so stiff
and glossy you might almost fancy it tc
be real damask. Mrs. Bennett would
lend her big glass dish to put the ounce
preserves in, and three more spoons, Sc
there'd be enough to go round, and then
perhaps, Sadie thought she would invite
the minister. She did wish it woulC
snow, a real, thorough snow storm, tha
would set the sleigh bells to tinkling, ant
make people feel CHEEKY and glad in spit,
of themselves. Somehow it seemed as j
everybody always felt down-hearted il
Budgeton. To be sure it wouldn't be par
ticularly CHEEKY for Johnny and Davy, i
the wind should happen to blow snow
spray through the cracks in the roof dow,
on their bed up garret; but then the
often wished they were soldiers, an,
could sleep out doors, and soldier
wouldn't care for snow.
''Why, Rob Willisl" said Sadie all of
sudden, hearing the door open. Not tha
she was surprised to see Rob, for he a.
ways came home on Saturday afternoon:
but because ne carried over his shoulde
like bag of meal-a little mite of
girl about as old as Kit, but not rosy
and plump, and wholesome looking, lik
her, She had a wan little face, with
queer, grave, much-enduring expression
and large, aabby ears, with miserabl
sore behind one of them. Her old, coarse
homemade flannel skirt hardly covere
her poor, rough, red knees; she wore n
stockings, and her shoes were much to
large. A piece of an old blanket shaw
pinned over her head completed the attn
of the forlorn little creature on that blea
November day.
Rob planted her ON her two feet besid
the stove in a stiff, awkward fashion, fC
all the world as if he were setting a fenC
post, and, looking at Sadie with quee
twinkle in his eyes, said:
81 thought I'd take girl to raise-tha
is, just to raise till next Monday. 1t
Widow Spinner's little girl, you know
Widow Spinner came from the poor-hous
last winter to work for Joshua Grubb
folks; and when she died in the sprin
folks said she'd had to work herself t
death. Mrs. Grubbs said she guesse
she'd raise the little girl, would be
obaap nav nf oift;pj hal in q fauy ro
And, Sadie, you just ought to see ho'
she raises her! I'm sent over to Grubbs
sometimes. on errands, and I've see
things that fairly made me grit my teetl
She's gone barefooted, this little nit
here, in the frosty weather, till her fe'
are all cracked, and chapped, and bli
tered, and bleeding. I've seen blood
specks in her little bits of footprints. m,
self.' Rob was in no mood for jokin
now; he stood up very straight and ca
nest, telling his story with fever of pit
and indignation heating his brown faC
so deeply in earnest that he didn't kno
how queer some of his words SOUNDED
81 do believe they haven't pulled u
snarls out of her head for months an
months" he went on, in his eager voic
NOR washed her face; and they just pus
and scat her around, 8 if she were SON
Sadie, got to thinking when was ov,
there this morning, what if that was ol
little Kit p and it made a choking in m
throat, somehow, just to think of it; ar
by and by it came into my head to brir
her home, just for little comfortab
visit with us over Sunday, and askt
Mrs. Grubbs about it, and she ju
laughed, and said all right And, s
die, want you to doctor up those lit
feet"
Sadie seated the child comfortably /
the fire, and listened to Robs story wi
her big gray eyes flashing, and every no
and then shook her head in an omino1
way, just as she always did when 81
heard anything that horrihed or excite
her. BONE.
"I'd show 'em, if ] ever went there
she said, ,.when Rob had finished. 81
tell 'em was astonished at people DOH
suoh cold hIOOded aatiOnal Inst hecau