The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-12-05
THAT QUEER LITTLE MAN.
A Thanksgiving Story.

Thanksgiving Story.
"This must be the house. No, 2S7
B. Court. Let me be sure! Where's
the letter? Here it is in my coat pocket,
Of course; now for a gas-hght.
Yes, 2S7."
The queer little man folded Il letter
as he spoke, replaced it in ;spocket,
and knocked at the door of % 1t was
after dark, on dull evening in Novem-
ber, but the gas light, under whose
friendly glare the letter had been con-
suited, shone upon the figurenow stand
ing at the door, and showed him to be
very odd figure indeed. His head
was so many sizes too large for his body,
that it made him look top-heavy, and
this effect was certainly not diminished
by the fact that he wore his hair long,
thick, and curling, and beard that fell
almost to his waist. His clothes were
coarse and i'll made, but warm, and in
good repair. His slight figure, small
hands and feet, and quick movements,
made iae great head and wide-brimmed
hat almost grotesque in their dispro-
portionate size. Getting impatient, he
gave second knock at the door of the
small house, and this time SO long and
loud that the door flew open before he
had taken his hand from the knocker.
A little girl stood in the entry, eyeing
him with an expression that seemed to
argue debate in the mind whether to
remain, and let the visitor come in, or
to shut the door and run away.
/" You take good while to come to
the door, ma'am," he said, and at once
decided the question in the mind of the
little girl. A voice and smile like
that could never belong to a cruel ogre
who ate up little girls without salt or
pepper, however big his head.
DO you want to see Aunt Hen
rietta ?"
"Who is Aunt Henrietta ?"
"Miss Mosely. The lady who owns
the house, and lets us board here"
'Oh! Yes, want to see her."
eli you will walk in the parlor, she'll
be il presently; she's gone TO Market"
and musical little gleeful laugh fol-
lowed this announcement.
"Gone to market?"
eyes, and Cora's gone too ;" here the
delight could not be suppressed.
They've gone to buy a turkey for to-
luOlION, anu LII CdlS oI tlC
house and Eddy till they come back"
"Gone to buy turkey for to-mor-
row?"
"Yes it's Thanksgiving, you know?
We are to have treat. Aunt Henrietta
promised it a week ago, and she never
fOrgetS, neUer 2"
"SIe must be famous aunt"
swell" and here the little girl came
close to her odd visitor and took a seat
beside him, on the sofa, ''she amt our
aunt really, you know not our very,
very own. But she's Just as good to
Cor" and Eddy and me-"
'-Who is Cora ?"
"Cora is my grown-up sister; she's
ever, ever so old, almost nineteen. I'm
ten, and Eddy is two and half. Cora
gives music lessons, and she is out al
most all day, and Aunt Henrietta makes
flowers, and help her. Eddy plays"
"Edt where are your papa and
r.amma?"
"Papa died when Eddy was wee
baby, and we came here then to board
with Miss Mosely. Mamma sewed all
day, and Cora practiced. Then mamma
died too, but Aunt Henrietta said We
must stay, and manage the board some
how, for she would not let Cora go away
to take care of us all alone. You see
this amt very good house for board
ers," and the little face looked very
wise," and the front room has been
empty long time"
"Then Miss Mosely takes boarders ?"
"Yes, indeed. We have the third
slow, f-o,& oo1 Me- Mopnarc eha Cnec |
out nursing and amt here much, she !
has the third story back Aunt Hen
rietta sleeps down here in the back par
lor, SO there is nobody at all in the |
second story. That was the reason
Aunt Henrietta sent away the servant, |
and makes flowers for the milliners'
stores. It takes so much money to feed |
us all, and buy our dresses and boots"
But, my dear child, have You no
uncles or aunts, nobody to help Sister
Cora?"
"No! Uncle James Reed is in Cali |
fornia, and of course he can't come. |
Cora wrote to him, but Iguess he didn't
get the letter. Anyhow he didn't an
swer it."
"Did you ever see him?"
No, indeed He went away when |
Cora was baby and never came back,
but he often sent money in letter to
mamma"
A knock at.the door interrupted her.
There they come I'll tell Aunt
Henrietta you are here" and away she
ran, and was in another moment heard |
making anxious inquiry regarding the |
Size and tenderness of the turkey.
a lady's voice answered her.
There's a gentleman wants to see |
you, auntie," said the child. '1ll help |
Cora take the basket to the kitchen"
Miss Mosely at once went to to the !