The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-11-25
ing and James was just old.fashioned

The old church was filled to OVERLOOKING on
that clear Thanksgiving morning, and
many thankful hearts were there, for
earth had been very bountiful and lavish
of her blessings, and the good people Of
Baskerville were not Of the kind to be un-
thankful for Gods fayors to them.
Services were over at last, and James and
Susan came forward and stood before the
white haired man of God. Mrs. Brown
was close BY end Deacon Brown was look.
ing on with fatherly pride. The Stanleys
in blushing, half-frightened Susan as the
Browns did in the youngest son of their
large family. And there, on that day SO
full of happy, thankful memories, the
"twain were made one flesh"
Mrs. Brown cried and laughed and
wrung Mrs. SANKEY'S hand, while people
crowded up with congratulations for the
newly married pair.
"The dearsr' exclaimed Mrs. Brown.
"How handsome they looked together
didn't they, Miss Stanley."
1.-THE best-lookin' couple I've seen in a
long time, if one on 'em is my own
da'tcr," answered Mrs. Stanley, with fond
pride in her eyes. Kind, motherly hearts!
She had found new son to love, and Mrs.
Brown new daughter, and there was
quite room enough for them in their af-
fections.
The hand-shaking and well-wishing
were over at last, and Deacon Brown
bundled" Mrs. Brown into the old red
sleigh, with as many more as could ride,
and drove off home, followed by the STAN
leys, who were to take dinner with them.
wish 1 could tell you about the dinner
and do it justice, but I quite despair of
doing that. Such crisp-baked, juicy
meated turkeys never graced q Thanks
giving table before, l feel assured, because
Mrs. Stanley whispered to the delighted
Mrs. Brown that "She never see the beat
in all her life," and Mrs. Stanley had seen
great many fine Thanksgiving dinners
and was considered almost as much of an
authority on the subject as Mrs. Brown
was, therefore was quite capable of judg-
ing, and her opinion must go good deal
further than mine. The young genera
ton of Browns and Stanleys, peeping in
at the open doors of the dining room,
wondered how long it would be before
they got big enough to sit down with the
other people and not be obligedto wait"
On such occasions as this, to wait" was
to suffer martyrdom The delightful,
the bubble of sparkling cider and the
busy clink of knife and fork were simply
tantalizing.
Mrs. Browns pies and cakes and dough-
nuts and the many other good things her
admired and praised till she was perfectly
satisfied that her efforts had proved emf
nently successful, and Thanksgiving had
lost none of its old, timehonored charac-
ter from failure on her part to do it justice.
If God is willing" James said, very
reverently, as he and Susan stood together
after dinner in the empty sitting room,
1--WE will live to see many Thanksgiving
Days as pleasant as this one"
IL hope So" Susan answered, and then
he kissed her.
eff God is willingw You see James
had another old-fashioned way clinging to
him. 1t was to not forget that God has
something to do with us, albeit he lived
in modern times when creed and theory
would almost lead one to believe that peo-
pie could get along without God we'll
enough.
To-morrow's Thanksgivin', but some
how can't seem to enter into the speret
of what such day ought to be-" Mrs.
Brown said, as she sat before the fire in
the November of 1866, much the same as
she had sat there in the November of four
years before, and she wiped her glasses
which had grown dim with the moisture
of tears.
"Iknow 1t don't seem like Thanksgiv-
in season." Deacon Brown answered sad
ly, "still we ought to be thankful for what
we have enjoyed"
80 dear! o dear!" cried Mrs. Brown,
breaking down completely, and folding
her arms upon the arm of the rocking
chair she laid her head upon them and
sobbed. II can't be thankful when 1
think our boys gone-all the one we had
left to love and care for us in our old age:
1 try not to think of it sometimes; but
can't shut nv eyes 'thout SEEM him lynn
in the grass, dead or dyin'. Poor boy!
Poor Jamie! know he thought of you
an me, an Susan, and wake up in the
night thinkin' how like as not he KEEP
calm for US when he died, APP we
couldn't see or answer him, an the poor
boy had to die all alone, SO fur away from
home. o my boy-my boy!'' and the
sorrowful woman rocked herself to and
fro in her grief as many another Northern
mother has done, aye, and Southern moth
er, too.
eff he was fur away from us, an his
earthly home" Deacon Brown said, SOL
|
would have been here in the house where
he was born. 'Twan't but little ways
from the battlefield to his everlastin'
home. I'm comforted to think of that,
Rachael"
81 know all that" sobbed Mrs. Brown,
but loved him sop
"Don't cry, mother" Susan got up
from cradle where she had just laid a
chubby, red-cheeked baby down tn sleep,
and came to Mrs. Browns side. 1--WE
can't help having sorrowful thoughts for
James, and wishing that God could have
spared him to us little longer; but there's
one consolation-he's better of than we
are, and we shall meet him in heaven.
When think of that can't help having
thankful thoughts" and she bent down
and kissed her mother in-law's wrinkled
face.
Il know!' Mrs. Brown said, wiping
her eyes. eff it want for that thought l
don't know what I'd do. I miss him so
sometimes. So does father, though he
don't say so much about it."
$50 do we ALL" said Deacon Brown,
with far of look in his eyes. Perhaps
he was looking with eyes Of faith to the
land beyond the river where he believed
his boy was waiting for the loved ones
lett behind.
81 guess, on the whole, we'd better do
somethin' toward gettin' up q dinner to.
morrow" Mrs. Brown said q half hour
later. "'Twon't do to let the custom
drop, you know; an mebbe twill liven
} us up little," she added with sigh.
So they went to work, and ere long the
kitchen was full of all kinds of savory
odors. You would have missed the old,
CHEEKY laugh of Mrs. Brown had you been
there. The shadow of war lay over that
household as overthousands of others, and
where, of old, laughter rang and happy
voices echoed, tears fell and weary faces
told Of heavy hearts.
There, the baby's walked up" Susan
said, as a Growing voice came through the
kitchen door. "Hear him talking to his
grandpa" -...,-
BLESS his dear little hearth Mrs.