Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-10-30

'sAh, no Idon't think had better,
Don't you see I'd forget all about it again,
Pm so stupid, you knowI" said Frank Bliss
How Sadie Learned to be Thankful.
BY MARGARET LEE.
This is a story of little girl named
Sadie, who didn't see why people
kept Thanksgiving Now wasn't it
comical for Sadie to speak so? Why,
Sadie herself had ever so much to be
thankful for. Just let me tell you all
she had In the first place she had a
kind father and such a good mother;
then she had two little brothers, and
baby sister just learning to walk.
| Then she lived in nice house with a
large garden around it, where flowers
and fruit grew in summer, and where
she played with her hoop and sled in
winter. Inside the house were bright,
pleasant rooms, with thick carpets on
the floors, story books on the tables,
and pretty pictures on the walls.
Don't you think that Sadie had a
great many things to be thankful for |?
[ do. Besides all these she had a pair of
bright brown eyes, with which she could
see everything about her; a pair of
hands with which she could dress her.
self, sew, dig in the garden, and make
all sorts of fancy-work; and pair of
strong legs that carried her Just where
she wanted to go, in the shortest time
possible you should see her running
home from school, or up the street when
she heard a drum beating.
Sadie was quite a good scholar, al
though she g didn't see why people
kept Thanksgiving She studied his
tory and geography, and could CIPHER
in fractions. She knew that the United
States was in the central part of North
America, and that Columbus discover
ed America; and yet she had never dis
covered why she ought to feel thankful
and say so.
It was very cold Thanksgiving Day,
and | think the weather bad something
to do with Sadie'sig ignorance You see,
she was c0iled up on sofa in the sit
ting room, reading Cinderella, when
her mother walked into the room and
asked her was she going to church?
It was very cosy just then in the sit
ting room there was bright fire ia
the CRATE, Uncle Fred had brought her
paper of caramels, and Cinderella was
Just about to dance with the Prince.
Outside IN the street the snow was
lying on the ground, the keen wird
was blowing the branches of the leaf
less trees against the frosted window
panes, and the sky was a dull, leaden
gray. No sky blue was visible, not
ray of sunlight warmed the cheerless
scene.
So Sadie looked out of the window.
shivered, forgot what was surrounding
her, and wondered "why people kept
Thanksgiving"
&c Why, Sadie!" said her mother in
surprise. Grandma, who had come to
spend the day, shook her head at
Sadie, and remarked, "For shame.
Sadie"
So Sadie hung her head, and her
cheeks began to burn, and she felt like
crying. rr
Who is that fumbling at the gate, :"
a sked Aunt Kate. "4s s~-s ~
Sadie looked out of the window
again, and saw girl about her own
size entering the front garden. The
girls feet were bare, and blue with
cold her clothes hung in ragged folds
around her thin figure she had an old
calico hood on her head, and corner
of a shawl pulled across her shoulders.
She was carrying basket on one arm.
the other was stretched out in front of
her, as if she were feeling her way in
the dark. III
The child must be blind I" exclain.
ed Sadie's mother; and followed by
Aunt Kate and Sadie, book in hand,
she went to the door. ......-
Perhaps this little girl is also Won
dering why people keep Thanksgiving. !"
said Aunt Kate in low tone. Let
us try to. make her feel thankful.
Sadie
When the poor little girl had groped
her way into the warm kitchen and set
her basket on the floor, she pressed her
numbed fingers together, and with
trembling lips told her piteous tale.
Her mother was too sick to go around
with the small stock of pins, blacking.
shoe-laces, and matches there was no
fire in their room, and nothing to eat.
and so, led by her little brother the
blind girl was going from door to door
begging for bread.
{" Is your brother at the gate 20 ask
ed Sadie.
eyes, he was afraid to come in,n was
the answer.
Aunt Kate went to the gate and found
short boy, bundled up i'll an old
shawl, capless and shoeless, making
snowballs with his red fingers.
When she went back to the kitchen
with the little odd figure at her side.
Sadie forgot Cinderella and became in
terested in the two chIldIen.
Her mother had gone up stairs to
look for shoes and garments for them.
Aunt Kate was busy giving them food.
and as Sadie watched the girls motions.
new light began to dawn upon her
awakened faculties, Meanwhile the
boy munched his broad and butter, and
eyed the room and its contents as If
taking mental inventory of every
thing in it.
!" have you always been blind, little
girl? - asked Sadie, gazing curiously
at the large, cold, eye-balls fixed on
vacancy.
G Yes, ma'am [ was born blind"
$ Then you never saw your mother ~
cried Sadie excitedly.
81 never saw nothing" was the de-
jected answer.
Sadie drew long breath, aud felt