The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-11-27
OLD PEANUTS THANKSGIVING.
NARY nAINEs GILREEr.

..Hey. ED Peanuts. How much 4
pint.
who presided az the stand.
but look here" said the ragged little
questioner. .-csuldn't YOU let 'em 90 for
ten cents. seein' a. | want 10 keep
Thanks ivin' and have nj any more than
this
He held up a torn ;en-oent stamp.
That, no good said tine Old MN.
The Government don't take torn ones. !"
There l. quite piece of it, said the
boy. looking wistfully at the piles OF Pea
nuts. ~but You could pass It. IL was
passed on me-
The old man shook his head. Torn
ones don't CO. he answered
Gosh. That's so.r said the boy Il
We tried Il in three places. Can't keep
Thanks giyin'. / spose. Wish war you"
do vous-' asked the old man. smiling
family. But am not keeping Thanks
giving either
Il would. if war YOU said the boy.
I'D ear 4 whole quar-"
.-l0u would nj. il YOU had no tcefh 70
eat EN- with answered the old peanut
seller. land dill Mt like 'em. Once cared
for PEANUTS: but that : long ago"
--whar IL you keer for now" asked the
boy. How DO YOU like 10 keep Thanks
giving
Il should nj care 10 keep il Al all"
said the old man. Il used 10 keep II. bur
one day j. like aeOiher now. and that j.
best for me. have nothing Ia DC partic-
ular.y thankful for nowadays. and /
don't want 20 think Of the old me-.
How were the old tines asked the
other leaning against the lamp-post close
By.
.-whar'd De the use Of telling you."
rrumhiel the old man. " on could nj
help me-nObodiy could that know Of. J"
Yet ~ went on a. If il relieved him 70
tell III, troubles even 70 the small ragged
Oov beside him.
NV boy John went out West. and was
scalpel By the Iriuns. knew how lid
be. ! wanted him 10 stay on the old
farm with me, * was in Pennsylvany. but
il was a small place. and half stones. and
mOrrgs getl for nearly all II was worth AZ
that: 20 me would 20 10 make his fortune.
as he saiI. His wife that he lefE behind
him til ne cleared biz claim fir for her TO
live 0I-why. in less'n year after he was
dead. he married again. and they
took Johns boy with EN- 10 New York.
That's the lasr lheari Of little Johnny"
Bur didn't YOU come % New \ ork 10
look after him = asked the boz.
Yes answered the old man. ..Of
course did. or | wouldn't be on this
Chatham street corner selling peanuts to-
day. -he promised to write. but she new
er did. 20 at last | couldn't stand it any
longer and sold the old place and came
10 New York got partial track Of EN-
two or three times. but al last had % give
irup. linen my money was about gone,
and ~ I'D this stand and have sold pea
.r~t 49, ffs~.. NJ.
there's no Thanksgiving Tor me unless
lind Johnny; and never shall"
Mebte you WILL said the boy.
-Things turn up sometimes when you
amt a-lookin' for EN-. like this ten-cent
stamp. didn't SET any hopes on keepin'
Thanksgivin' but a man SAYS 10 me. a. |
was a-standin' in Fulton Market. Would
you carry this trunk a. far a. the Third
Avenue cars = so did. But a. sure n
my name i Johnny Mooney was cheated
after all. unless you take it,
=" l. your name johnny" asked the old
man. .-Well. then. you shall keep
Thanksgiving for me. for your name
He poured a pint of.peanuts in Johnny's
hat. The boy held out the torn stamp
No. no. said the old man. throw il
in the gutter. might pass il on some
body thar'd 90 hungry on account Of il.
thankful
Then here she goes.- said Johnny.
tossing the stamp into the gutter. land
thank YOU, Old Peanuts, But what
makes the boys all call you Old Pea
nuts : he added. cracking a nut be-
tween his teeth: ''or mebbe it's your
name:''
-It's az good a name as any ether
said the old man. Il haven't seemed to
myself 10 be John Dorfling since that
happened. 20 I'D rather b. called Old
Peanuts
Johnny went down Chatham Street
crunching his peanuts and hopping in
glee. and Old Peanuts leaned his wrinkled
cheeks in hi. hands and sighed.
may Be worse things'll come upon me
by my unthankfulness.- he said 10 him.
self: ..but can't b. thankful. But worse
could not come. If / had only died long
agoTr
Presently another small boy stopped in
frontof him-ragged. shoeless and hatIess,
but with a clean. jolly-looking face.
Five cents worth OF peanuts,r he said,
brisklv.
Old Peanuts poured the peanuts into
boys pocket, which he held open to re
ceiye them.
And here's a ten said he bov.
A torn one again - said the old man.
= II looks like the very same one offered
me just now. Where'd you get its'
out Of the gutter down the street,
said the boy
-Itmu-t have gone floating down.
said Old Peanuts. well. they say bad
penny always turns up again.
Give me the five, quick ~ said the
boy. Il want TO buy some taify with the
r,-t."