The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1874-12-18
SAYS THANKSGIVING GUEST.

pudding, ana nuts, ana ra1slns, and
everything nice for dessert if we we're
going to have lots of company, and
lived in a big house, like we used to.
We should be good deal thankfuller,
shouldn't we, mamma ?' said Say, with
rather a rueful face at the cold joint of
meat that was to serve as their Thanks
giving dinner.
We ought to be just as thankful
for what we have, my DEAR" said Mrs.
Harris. ''We'n make believe that we
have just as good as anybody, and for
get all about the turkey and plum pud-
ding. Poor folks should be just as
thankful as rich ones" She tried to
speak cheerfully, but sharp-eyed little
Say saw that her eyes were moist.
But I do want plum pudding. I
sarnt be thankful !" shouted Will. in
most unorthodox rebellion. And he be-
gan to cry Justify.
BE quiet, WILL" said Say, ssand I'll
tell you the story mamma told me last
night while you were sleeping"
mo. no |" persisted Will 'I will
have"
"Once there were two little brooks
born side by side up in great noun
$ain, began Say, and his tears were
stayed with surprising suddenness.
'' Now these were merry little brooks,
and they played together for long time
IN little green hollow on the top of the
mountain but when they grew larger
and older, and their voices, so clear and
ringing, were heard far down in the
valley, their queen thought it was time
they should be doing something in the
world, and bade them set out for the
river as soon as they could. And they
were glad enough to obey her, for they
we're tired of running in one little green
place."
ST say want plum pudding 20 piped
VIII again, the absence of giants
making the story rather tame to his
critical ears.
But Say went on, never needing the
interruption. $50 they started togeth-
er one sunshiny morning. They took
great leaps over the rocks they strug-
gled through little fairy forests of fern.
When it was dark they sang to them
selves to keep from being frightened !:
and when it was bright they laughed
and shouted SO that all the birds began
TO mimic them. And at last, after they
had travelled very far, they found them
selves in merry green meadow.
What wide world it is 7 said one
little brook, blinking its eyes with sur
prise.
''tAnd what bonnie one 7 said the
other, tripping bluebell that stood in
its way.
"Thcey found SO many friends in the
meadow that they could hardly get
along for greeting this one and that one.
There were the daisies, keeping house
in little grassy tents, who sent them an
invitation to dine The roses nodded
at them, and begged them not to hurry
SO fast. The birds pressed them to at
tend grand concert in the woods near
by. The buttercups rustled their satin
dresses, and begged them to come and
sit at their feet, if only for one mo-
ment and the bees, though they were
always SO busy, half promised to keep
Holiday with them, if they would wait.
Let us stay said one little brook
to the other. See how dark our path
is growing before us and it is SO pleas
ant and sunny here, and there are such
merry folks to keep us company. Sure
1y we need not hurry to reach the river;
and we have travelled such a long dis
tance. Why shouldn't we have a holi-
day now?'
s'But the other little brook said:
"tNo. I have had holidays enough,
and shall hasten on. The queen said
it was time / was doing some good in
the world, and 1 loneSto9 be in the river
and help carry the beautiful ships.
well, said the other little brook,
'you can go. but shall stay here until
nightfa1. And when you are in that
dreadfully dark wood, you will look
back at me playing in the sunshine,
and wish you had stayed with me, I'm
sure
$50 they kissed each other good-by
over the nose of bluebell, and went
their separate ways. It aOos dark and
fearful in the woods the trees frowned
down on the little brook like tall grim
giants, and it could not see the sky.
But it kept heart by singing a merry
song and, before it had time to grow
discouraged, it reached the river. The
great wide sky, without a cloud, was
bending over it, and all the waves were
filed with strange, beautiful voices. 1t
felt great sails rustic over it; it seemed
to be carried along in the arms of cool
winds, without any effort of its own; and
its heart was filed with delight it had
never dreamed of before.
s'Eut the little brook found it SO
pleasant in the meadows that he forgot
after a while that there was any other
life than that that there was anything
to do in the world but to kiss daisy
bud and hatter a rose. When he did
get tired of it at last, and remembered
that he was on the way to the river, he
found that he had lost his path and,
after long and vain search for it, final
ly died of weariness in the noontide
heat. And nobody remembered or cared
anything about It, only for1orn little
bird, that had loved its singing. He
came and moufned little in it's va
can't place, but he thought, after all,
what a foolish brook it was, for it might
have lived forever, when it only lived %
day"
VIII looked rather bewildered, but
seemed deeply impressed by the reward
ed virtue of the good brook, and clam
ored no more for plum pudding. Say
had made the moral of the story rather
more prominent than her mother had
done when she told it to her.
Mamma" said Say, after little
serious meditation, ''things happen to
everybody else why doesn't anything
happen to us Z? Everything's always
Just the same. Nobody comes to see
us, and we never go to see anybody;
and you do nothing but just work, work
work, all the time. There is Hetty
Eaton, she's poor, too, but her uncle
came home from sea one day and