Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-12-05

fectly fearful to look upon, and a nose
! almost as long as her arm. Johnny's spe-
cialty was noses, always. The longer he
! made the noses, the funnier they were, to
his mind. The other panorama was the
Garden of Eden" with an introducing
view of chaos, looking like huge brush
heap, and picture of Eve dressed up
elegantly in tiounces, holding out to
Adam a little branch with an apple on
the end of it, and Adam happened to be
so much smaller than she was, that 1t
| looked exactly like woman going 10
switch her lltile boy. But Johnny and
| Davy thought it was all magnificent and
appropriate for Sunday amusement.
| Rob was up bright and early Monday
morning, ready to go TO his work, and
| Sadie wrapped Nancy suugly up in q
| shawl Of her own for him TO carry her
home Her feet were almost well, and
Just that one day in the midst of love
and care had wonderfully frightened up
| her puDy face,
But il would have done your heart good
to see Sadie the day before Thanksgiving.
She did such wonderful things in the way
of baking you might have faneied the
mantle of some old New England cook
had suddenly fallen upon her, and once
her mother called out.of the bedroom.
Sadie, what are you pottering around
that cooking stove all day for? One
would think you were baking for dona.
ton party, | know that cake must be
browning all right. ! can tell by the
! smell"
| Sadie stopped at the minister's on her
way up to the store after cinnamon, and
invited him to take dinner with her and
the poor, Respondent man was so pleased
at the sight of the round, eager face smil'
ing up at him, that he almost laughed out
loud, and said; ......
why, yes I'll come I'm very glad
you thought of me-
When she was gone he sat down, with
the surprised, pleased smile still lingering
on his face, and began to count over the
| things that he ought to be thankful for,
and by and by he found himself hnmming
an old Thanksgiving anthem, ut is good
to give thanks, to give thanks unto the
Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name,
| o, Most Highest" And the dear old
time words and music filled his heart with
Il strange warmth; and presently he called
! to his hWsekeeper;
ruth! Ruth! l believe shall preach a
Thanksgiving sermon tomorrow. Tell
everybody you see"
Then they both told everybody they
saw, and somehow the news that they
were really to have a Thanksgiving ser
mon Minded up the chilly, church-going
souls of Budgeton, and the said, one TO
another:
"Do let us give the preacher something
to be thankful for" And that very after
noon they brought him provisions and
enough good hickory wood to last till
after New Years, besides an elegant new
overcoat.
Rob came home the night before the
great day, of course. And what do you
suppose came walking composedly along
the gate as if she'd always lived there's
| Not Nancy. Dear, no. But a glossy red
COW, with mild eyes and beautiful white
horns. She was present to Sadie from
strange man, who had come from away
| ia the widest of the west to find hi. dead
sisters baby, and that baby proved to be
| nobody more nor less than Nancy her
self. And when he found out how kind
| Rob and Sadie had been to the poor, neg
lscted little thing, he just invited Rob to
come out and choose for Sadie the very
| finest COW in Farmer Frosts whole pas
| ture.
| "And next week he's going to have a
man put new roof on our house." added
| Rob, when he had told about the COW.
Ale says he had a hard row to hoe once,
and little help doesn't hurt, and he
| feels like showing his gratitude to folks
that's been kind to that motherless
| baby
Asiftomake Sadie's Thanksgiving g per-
feet success, such magnificent sleigh
| ing snow" fell that night as had never be-
fore been known in Budgeton, and the day
broke pure and sweet, and still as white,
sunlit lily. The people thronged to hear
| Father Steene's sermon, and he had ever
so many hearty invitations to dinner, but
he answered every one with
| Thank you, thank you! I've promised
to take dinner with little Sadie Willis"
And there he was, standing by Sadie's
| shining table when she and Rob drew
| Their mother ont in her great chair, Gust
| to SIC the sunshine and when they were
all teated, he bowed his white head and
| Thanked the Lord that He had given His
de4 Son to die for their sakes. had given
| them life, and love, and health, and
strength, and had saved them from ca
lanities of fire and flood, and drouth and
| pGtience.
After dinner Father Steene sat by the
! iu and held Kit on his knee and talked
| toMrs. Willis about old times, till some
| body stopped ut the door with big dou-
| biz sleigh and two lively gray horses, and
bids enough 10 drive one crazy, and moth
| nswould do but that Father Steene and
thtwhole willis family, even the little
| wGi:e-faced mother must betucked under
thu ample robes for agrand Thanksgiving
ride.
| when they came home without Father
| SHene this timeL Sadie lindled up
graf roaring fire ON the hearth, and said,
with a radiant face, as she helped her
npther take of her wrappings:
| at is MT over yet, mother" And then
| Jthnnv brought IN q whole peck measure
| fill OF hickory nuts, and basket of
| apples, and Rob went across the street
| afer lame Geordie Green, the little shoe
/ csbbler, whose legs had lost all their
! rbwer Of motion In some terrible sick
! mss. Rob carried him over in his strong
ans, and he brough: his mouth organ, ]"
50 they might have some music. Then
there was little half.wittei Lizzie Long
! differ who thought the sermon that day
vas meant for funeral, and could not
understand about there being no process.
son; she had few enough happy hours,
and Sadie brought her in. When they
we're all sitting quietly around the fire
licking over Johnny's nuts, Geordie said
ie thought they ought 70 have some
tories, and then Sadie told ever 30 many
sut of the Bible, about things that made
people thankful There was the one