The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-11-19
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staggered toward US like one smitten
| with sudden blindness, and suffered her
self to be led away. By the time we
reached home, however, she had rccov-
cred herself and would not have so much
as an arm to lean on. Judge Dale was
standing on the piazza as We came up the
steps.
What you all wents" he said, in
some surprise. "a pretty coed load for
one horse, should think"
"Oh, the more the merrier" answered
Fred, with forced gayety, while Carl be-
gan somewhat disconnected panegyric
on the beauties of the night, and so, try
ing each to "act well his part" we filed
into the lighted hall
swell, this is pretty how-dy- dor
cried the owner of the borrowed sleigh,
seizing Fred by the shoulder; "here I've
been waiting for an hour to take my wife
and babies home"
"lt was all my doings, Cousin WILL"
said Mildred, tossing off her hood; II
couldn't resist the temptation" But
what the temptation was they never
knew.
"Come, come, Millyw cried one of the
young cousins, "we'vc been waiting this
ever SO long for you to give us some
music" And with that she seated her
self at the piano and began to play. How
she managed to keep up as she did is
still beyond my comprehension. The
whole evening she was the life of the
company-singing her gayest songs, frol-
licking with the children, making mirth for
every one, and giving no sign of the bit
terness she was hiding in her heart. But
as soon rs the visitors were gone, almost
before the door had closed upon the last
of them, she broke down utterly, and,
throwing herself into her mothers arms,
sobbed out her contrition. We-Fred,
Carl and myself-would have retreated,
but she begged us to stay. | had expect
ed storm, but her parents listened in
speechless amazcment and sorrow. The
mother was the first to speak.
my child my child! how could you
think of such thing?" she moaned in
tender reproach; but her father, falling
on his knees, drew Mildred to his breast,
and, with tears streaming down his face,
said, :" Let us give thanks"
Then l, too, made confession that, un-
failed to warn our darling of her peril.
So in that "secret chamber" the little
party held its real Thanksgiving-the
"lovefeast" of the day.
Time has made many changes in Corn
wall since then, but we four are still
near neighbors and see each other every
day.
Mamma" said Mildred's little girl
the other morning, looking up from her
book with eyes the reflection of Carfs,
"what does e-l-o-p-e-m-e-n-t spell?'
Poor Mildred had no answer for
her, and when presently the child ran
out to play she dropped her work and,
with her arms about me, said:
Gas soon as my little daughter is old
enough to understand it / shall tell her
the story of her mothers folly. Q May!
May only think if had gone with that
man" And so together we rejoice
"without ceasing'' over her blessed
escape "It was the Lords miracle for
thanksgiving services THE oia 'cIioiistoi
mods approvingly as he hears her voice
ring out fuller and clearer even than in
the earlier days; but only those OF us
who know the secret of that sad Thanks
giving night twelve years ago can un-
derstand the look on her upraiscd face
and the rapture of her jubilate.-HearM
and Home.