Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-03-03
A Discouraged BOY.

Crabapple's boy had read that touch
ing Thanksgiving story about the chap
who ran away from home when boy
and went to sea, and was not heard of
for years and years; and how on every
Thanksgiving day the mother sat a
plate for the wanderer, and kept seat
for him at the table, and how the gray
haired sire, when he offered blessing,
prayed for his wayward 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 un-
dying hopes, just as the family had sat
down to the Thanksgiving dinner, there
came rap at the door. Come In ~
cried the sire, and in bounced the boy
in a sailor Jacket and n tarpaulin hat
Just home from a whaling voyage. Such
rejoicing us 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 sisters, aunts and cousins hung
around his neck and tugged at his
sailor Jacket.
1t was worth Drawing the dangers of
on his return. He sat at the feast i'm
the chair that mothers deathless love,
and hope and recollection had always
placed for him, and never was there a
happier Thanksgiving since that cher
ished anniversary was invented.
Crabapple's boy wept over that story
every time he read it, and he got to
wondering whether such n fuss would
be made over him should he run away
from home and then turn up again
some Thanksgiving day.
lie thought about it SO much that he
finally determined to test the business,
anyhow. He would see how the people
would actwhen he played the prodigals
return. So about a week before Thanks
giving he ran away from home. Tie
didn't go to sea, because the sea was
too far OFF, and he couldn't make much
of a voyage In a week, anyhow. He got
job in a tan yard, 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 beating heart he approached
the paternal mansion. He looked in
at the window and saw the folks just
sitting down to the Thanksgiving
supper,
A chill of disappointment crept Ovel
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 was asked, but although
several prophets were hOnOred with &
fiattering notice, his name WASH { men,
toned. This was a little hard on the
boy who had run away from home and
was liable to turn up on that or any
succeeding Thanksgiving day.
Recollections of him didn't seem Il
cluster 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 - Father, mother tits
Sammy Crabapple - home again
homei homei" and then threw him
self on his fathers breast, sObbing
convulsively.
What did that father do7 Did ht
hug him and sob tears over him, ant
call him his long "lost bo-bO-boy 2
Not much. He took him by the collar
led him into the woodshed and worked
over him more than an hour with :
barrel stave, his brothers and sisters
dancing around on the back stOop in al
ecstacy of delight, while his mother
screamed, "That's right, Ambus; giv'
| it to him, Learn him better'n to ruI
away from home again
Then he was sent to bed without any
Thanksgiving supper at all, and threat
ened with being deprived of boil
Christmas and New Years dinners.