The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-11-21


Jour, and Happy Land.
Seems to me you. re getting on splen-
did," said Maud. You couldn't play
the first single thing when saw you
last !; couldn't hardly whistle. Can you
play, too, Billy ?"
"No," said Billy ct whistle, and
Tom fiddles. 1 can whistle variations
to everything Tom plays-hymn tunes
and ALL"
whistlin' prettier n fiddlin'." ven-
tured Robby.
"Now, Robby !" said Maud, reprov-
ingly, "thafs ridiculous. Billy whist
les uncommonly well but nobody'd
ever think of comparing whistle to
stringed instrument. You're too young
to criticise."
Robby looked abashed but he wa
not easily overwhelmed, for he stoutly
affirmed that he could sing, and that he
kne,0 that singing was better that either
whistling or fiddling, for his papa said
so I; and as Maud was in no mood to
gains ay the words of the minister, Rob-
by had the last and best word of that
discussion.
CT feel just as thankful as anything"
said Maud, by way of changing the sub
ject.
I" L think it's good plan to begin to
be thankful the day before hand don't
you ?"
Tom and Billy said "h'm, him." Do
you know what that means?
" For that matter" quoth Maud,
"Pm always thankful to get out here to
Aunt Lucy's. Do you s'pose your
father'n bring the old gray horse, and
let us all ride on Cousin Alice's saddle ?
Cause if he does, l shall be so thankful
1 won't know what to do"
"Then we won't do nothin'," said
Robby philosophically, "only just
play"
4" Think" said Maud, meditatively,
"that it was beautiful idea of God
to haze Thanksgiving Day"
" Poo !" said Tom (; " it wasn't God,
at all ; it was the Pilgrim Fathers.
Don't you know 'Nited States History ?"
don't care what your 'Nited States
History says" returned Maud the
Bible says, Every good and every per-
feet gift cometh down from above, from
the Father of Light You're pretty
minister's son, are MT you 4? sticking out
your 'Nited States History 'gainst the
Bible -
I'm sure / don't know how this argu-
ment, so piously begun, might have
ended, had not the arrival of Mr.. Ash
ton and his spirited new horses but q
sudden end to it.
The childish disputants dropped the
doctrines, to assist, in their hindering
way, at embarrassing the beautiful bays.
Mr.. Ashton was always very child
among children, and could "make be
lieve, as Maud expressed it, "iust as
well as the next one ;" and so merry a
time did he manage to give the small
quartette, that when tea-time came, and
the boys went home, they agreed with
Maud in the belief that however gay
and happy Thanksgiving Day Itself
might turn out to be, it could not, by
any possibility, exceed in happiness the
hours of the day before hand.
Were they really and truly thankful
, to God for all this say you. If
+ should tell you about their sayings anC
J doings, when the great feast-day came
3 [ think you would say with me-but ne
F; matter what Shall / tell you
CHAPTER II.
l "Robby Selwyn !" said Maud to the
5 minister's youngest son, as they passed
out of the meeting house together, OF
Thanksgiving Day, "you ought to b.
l ashamed of yourself. Std of sitting
4 up straight and listening to the sermon
1 you kept screwing and twisting like M
: old piano-stool and when that yellow
j jacket lit on poor Miss Derby's chignOn
/, you almost giggled out loud. How
n would you have felt if your father hst
n marched down out of that pulpit anC
y shook you, and boxed your ears ?"
e Z" Ho !" said Robby, I'D felt awful
i 'shamed o himself. Big minister mans
y ought to know better n to forget wha
they're bout, and go round boxing anC
t shaking boys right in meeting time"
r "Well, said Maud, perceiving tina
= her suggestion had failed of producing
r the effect she had anticipated, 81
e would have served you right if the vel
e low jacket had stung you ~
/ "Guess I'd "a screwed an twisted
e worse n ever, then" said Robby, gig
d Cling again. One did sting me once
: over to Mrs. Lombard's, when wa
S helping pick apples. You ought t.
k have seen me Jump up and down, ant
p? holler Aunt Phoebe put three leaves
n on the place, and cured it."
e "Three leaves - exclaimed Maud.
r Yes, indeed. An Indian squaw toll
n Aunt Phebe's old mistress. Aunt Pho
y be took ounce leaf, and grape leaf
is and raspberry leaf, and mashed ther
% together and tied them on my hand
" and it cured it in a minute. Aun
20 Phoebe got stung with a bumblebee
1t and she took rose, and clover, and
t peach leaf, and they cured just ever
j. bit as good. Is MT it funny how Indian
n know cures for things ?"
n, "But, for all that, said Maud not t
ct be diverted from her subject, " yo
is ought to know better n to giggle an
lie wriggle in meeting. You ought to hav
re listened to the sermon"
IN 81 did listen, "retorted Robby. 'Li
e. ened with all my might. was watcl
is ing to see when papa shut the Bibl,
cause then I'd know he was mo.
lie through, and we'd soon be out to Robi
Forest, to have good fun. Papa's q
ID ing to let us ride old Whitley al
ar he's promised to play hi-spy' with u.s.
h. Isn't that splendid !" said Mau,
f. delighted out of all disposition to crit
else. By this time they had reache