The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1875-03-05
A Discouraged Boy.

CrApapple G4DOy naQ Toad GnaT L0ucn"
ing Thanksgiving story about the chap
who ran away from home when a boy
and went to sea and was not heard Of
for years and years ; and how every
Thanksgiving day the mother sat q
plate for the wanderer, and kept q seat
for him at the table, and how the gray
haired sire, when he offered q blessing,
prayed for his hayward son-prayed
that he might return in safety to the
paternal roof.
And then one Thanksgiving day, when
they had about given him up for dead,
although the plate and vacant chair told
the story of a mothers undying hopes.
just as the family had sat down to the
Thanksgiving dinner, @Rere came a rap
at the door. "Come in r. cried the
sire, and in bounded the boy in a sailor
Jacket and a tarpaulin hat just home
from a whaling voyage. Such rejoicing
vs. there was in that house. How his
father shook both his hands, and how
his mother Wept over him and embraced
him, and how all the brothers and sis.
ters, aunts and cousins hung around
his neck and tugged at his sailor jacket.
It was worth Drawing the dangers of
the sea to meet with such a welcome on
his return. He sat st the feast in the
chair that O mothers deathlees love,
and hope, and recollection had always
placed for him, and never was there q
happier Thanksgiving since that cher
ished anniversary was invented.
C~rabapple,s boy Wept over that story
every time he read it, and he got to
wondering whether such g fuss would
be made over him should he run away
from home and then turn up again
some Thanksgiving day.
He thought about it SO much that he
finally determined to test the business,
anyhow. He would see how the people
wonld act when he played the prodi-
gals return. So about q week from
Thanksgiving he ran away from home.
He didn't go to sea, because the see
was too far of, and he couldn'E make
much OF q voyage In q week anyhow.
He got q job in a lanyard, grinding
bark, which answered all the purposes.
for he could imagine his "bark was on
the sea" as he rode the old horse
around the circle. He called the mill
the world, and imagined himself sailing
around the world at every revolution.
With q beating heart he approached
the paternal mansion. He locked in at
the window and saw the folks Just sit
ting down to the Thanksgiving supper. |
A chill of disappointment crept over
him as he saw there was no vacant chair
and there wasn't an idle plate on the
table. He listened at the door as the
blessing vas asked, but although several
prophets we're honored with a hattering
notice, his name wasn't mentioned.
This was q little hard on the boy who
had ran away from home and was liable
to turn up on that d any succeeding
Thanksgiving day.
Re~collections Of him didn't E to
around the hearthstone to any
very great extent.
depressing a chilling foreboding that
arose In his breast, he flung open the
door, rushed into their midst and ex-
claimed Gather | mother Ills /.
sammy Crabapple home again ihomel
home 4 and tnen threw himself on his
Eather's breast, aebbing eonyulsiveIy.
What did that4ather do? Did he hue
him and sob tears over him, and call
MIN his long sslost bo-bo-boY ?" Not
much. He took him by the collar, led
1im into the wood shed and worked
him more than an hour with q bar
'el-stave, his brothers and sisters dane
ng around on the back stoop in an
Of delight, while his mother
dreamed, "ThatSs right. Anabus give
I TO him Learn. him better'n TO ran
from home again r.
Then he al sent to bed without any
thanksgiving supper at all, and threat !
ned with being deprived Of both Christ-
mas and New Years dinners.