The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-03-28
Contents Thanksgiving.

The parson coughed cautiously as
he drew up to the fire, united his
comforter, and rubbed his hands to-
gether with gentle motion.
"I'm SO glad you called" said Mrs.
Whitaker, setting her cap straight
and smoothing her apron, to which
little fragrant particles ciung In naem-
ory of the mlnce pies she had been
concocting. at will save Joshua a
journey, for the turkey you see is all
right under your wagon seat"
The parson laughed little laugh,
and then, as Remembering that some
thing was due, he said, You are
very kind, Sister Whitaker. / hope
the Lord will make us thankful for all
his mercies. How is Content"
Content" repeated the good dame
" o she keeps around, but she amt
worth cent to eat, and comes down
in the morning looking dreadful slim.
If there was consumption in the fam
lily, should think she was going into
q decline; but there aint; and 1 tell
father something's weighing on that
girls mind. / should like to have
you talk with Content and draw her
out. She's dreadful close-mouthea,
like all the Whittakers but I've a
notion that since she's united with the
church there's some doctrinal point
that don't set well on her mind. 1t
might be election, you know. Father
has bad spell every now and then
over free will and necessity. It's
kind of ketchin' but I don't believe
ever was broken of my rest over a
point of doctrine in my life. They're
all as clear to my mind as daylight. Ii
it aint doetrinal point, mistrust
George Baker has got something to do
with it. He used to come here sight
after he got back from college, bnt lat
terly he's dropped off, and Content is
SO proud you'd never know whether
she cared the snap of her finger"
Mrs. Whitaker ceased almost from
want of breath, and the parsons
voice broke in. The human heart
is desperately wicked; perhaps il
would be well to have season OF
prayer"
1t would be refreshin'," returned
the good woman, with anxious wrin-
kles gathering in the middle of heI
forehead but you see my pies are
just on the turn, and all the irons in
the fire, and every minute I'm expect
ing brother Johns folks over to spend
Thanksgiving. You might go into
the keeping-roon.-there's fire there
and see Content alone. / think il
would do her sight of good to
have talk on spiritual things"
Content, up stairs in her chamber
which communicated with the sitting
room through a stovepipe hole, had
overheard every syllable of the above
conversation. 1t made her cheeks
burn hot and filled her with dismay
She did not want to be prayed for
and her whole being reyolted agains
offering an occasion for mechanical
religious exercise. To be sure SHE
felt sore hearted and miserable enough
she needed the consoling touch of {
tender hand, but the idea that hell
out of her peculiar trouble woulC
come through the hand OF the parsor
/ never occurred to her mind. Sh,
loved man, who, she believed, hat
sought her company for his owl
amusement, and when it palled upol
him had gaily left her to find fresl
fields and pastures new. Love hat
stirred the deep recesses of Content
soul, and now she was slowly freezing
over, turning hard, bitter and un
thankful, except when a sharp pan;
broke up the surface and left her
prey to acute anguish.
This year all Thanksgiving prepa
rations seemed a mOckery. She longe,
to escape the prying eyes of inquisi
tive relatives, to avoid the great din
ner in which her mo ther's soul de
lighted, and get away by hersel
where she could be undisturbed. Nov
as she heard her kind, wcll-intention
ed mother expatiating on Content
ailments and want of spirits, and er
gaging the parson to probe the sor
places, it seemed as if she must hav
taken wings and fly away. She locke
out of the window, up the steep hill
side, to the woods, where all day sh
had at intervals heard the cracking {
hunteis' rifles, for light snow ha
failed and the sport was good. 1t Ws