The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-11-21
INTO HIS GATES.
A Thanksgiving story.

"Oh, how wish he was here y
Wish who was here, Miss Culvert?'
inquired Suke Babbitt, the maid-of-all-
work in Squire Culvert's family, throw
ing an armful of wood into the capa-
cious box beside the huge cooking
stove.
"My boy, Susan" replied the anxious
mother, her eyes filling up with tears.
"Just two years ago tomorrow,
Thanksgiving Day, he walked out of his
fathers house. and we have never heard
a word from him since. Just think of
1.-TWO long dreary years, and not a
single word !" And now Mrs. Culvert
eddy.
@Of course, Miss Culvert, I knowed
who you meant when you first began to
talk. You don't seem to remember
that have worked steady in this house
for almost fifteen year, and have had
my senses all the time, too" Suke
stopped for moment here, as if in
doubt whether to express the thought
Just then uppermost in her mind inter
preted, it aid this very plainly, "And
that's more than the rest of you have
had" But she evidently thought bet
ter of it, and continued, "Your's amt
no account / never heard that cry
ing spell made punkin- pies any nicer.
or give the folks round any more appe-
tite to eat 'em. Anyhow, Miss Culvers,
crying won't bring Stephen home-law,
no % Here the strange woman laughed
little low chuckle. If they would a
had he'd a hoated this way with
out much ceremony. Come now,
tell me what kind of spice IN going to
put in this stuff. tell you what 'tis"-
as her companion dried her eyes" we
amt much time to spend in nonsense.
There's all them raisins to stone, and
two kinds of cake to make, besides fin
ishing them pies.
The face that Mrs. Colvert turned to
her servant had a flash OF spirit in it
that seemed to please Suke amazingly,
for her intelligent eyes laughed out
right as her mistress confronted her
with,
"Susan, what do you mean by non
sense?'
"P'r'aps, Miss Culvert," replied
Suke, who was just then busy wetting
her finger aud testing the heat of the
oven" p'raps nonsense amt exactly
the right kind of word Still that was
the fust one that come, and mebbe it's
as good as any"
But what de you mean by it ?" per-
sisted the lady
Just this, and no more and no less -
and now Suke's arms were akimbo, and
she was looking her mistress straight in
the face. Z" It's rs true rs gospel that
there don't none of us in trouble use our
common sense as much as we ought to,
to say nothing at all about the Chris
tian part of the business. If / only had
some book farming l could make you
understand in iify just what want to
get at. And for moment the ser
wants face was c!ouded, as she realized
her inability to do justice to the sub
Ject but II was only for moment, for
Sukes PHILOSOPHY, strange TO relate,
was intended quite as much for home
use rs the use of her neighbors.
don't want TO be impatient, Miss Gull
vert, and don't want to poke my nose
into affairs that don't concern me but
I've lived here considerable of piece,
and think / loved Stephen Just about
as well as any body could that wasn't
his own flesh and blood but can't see
you go round this way any longer from
morning till night, with long face and
a sob IN your throat during the whole
time, without letting you know that |
think IN the sight of God you are
very unreasonable and that. to nv
mind, Miss Culvert, is drawing it very
mild"
+" Why, Susan, have you really lost
your senses ?" exclaimed the astonished
woman.
Not a bit of it," chuckled Susan.
" l may have parted company with my