The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-11-11
DELAYS THANKSGIVING DAY.
4 stnrv Tor young FOLKS.

ing. and Della looked from her bedroom
window with frown on her brow and
an ugly pout on her lips. She had slipped
her clothes on, but not fastened them;
her hair was still in a tangle, her face
and hands unwashed; there was no fire
in her bedroom; she was uncomfortable
and shivering with cold. The tall clock
on the hall stairs struck Z; the prayer
bell would ring in a few moments; her
father had requested her to be down
early; she promised she would, but she
was only half dressed and did not hurry,
though she knew her mother in the
nursery with the four younger children
would need her help.
Della fattened her cold nose on the
colder glass pane; then she breathed on
it and made figures and letters ON the
damp spot, and wrote her name, 'Delia
Brown, and under that, Thanksgiving
Day." though she was not feeling thank
full for anything that morning.
'Delia! Deliai" Her mothers voice
sounded weak and tired, though the day
was just commenced.
"My dear, come here, if you are
dressed.
eyes, ma'a am, in a minute" answered
Della, standing before the glass, as she
began to brush her tangled hair 1t was
thick, but net pretty 1t was not curly
like Jenny Martin S, but stiff as poker,
not twist nor turn in it oh, If it was
golden, like Ada Spencer's, she might
crimp it and let it float down about her
shoulders; then she thought of Ada's
blue eyes, as she glanced at her own
gray or greenish color, as some of the
school girls called them she was not at
all like Ada, her glass told her the plain
truth; how hard it was that some girls
should be so pretty that everybody liked
them as soon as they saw them no per-
son ever turned around in the street
when she passed to get a second look at
her face no visitor at the school ever
said of Della, "Who is that lovely
creature?' as they often asked of Ada;
she was not beauty, and, dreadful
thought, perhaps she would never be-
come one; she was not fair, and she had
no roses on her cheeks, and her express
sion-the tell-tale index of the heart
was not lovely or pleasant. nrna
"Perhaps when I get to be a young
lady, and frizz my hair this way or turn
it back that way, or wear earrings, I
may be better looking" thought Della,
turning and twisting her hair, as she
stood before the glass.
eff my mouth was only this shape
she puckered it up into sort of knob
''and my eyes as large as they are now
when I have them wide open, I would
certainly be prettier. els sA s
"Delia, my dear, are you coming 2"
She started as she heard her mother
calling the second time, and washing her
face and hands in great hurry she en-
tered her mothers room with a very
cross look on her face.
"You know, my dear, you promised
to be down early this morning, said her
mother, gently.
well, would have been if 7 had not
been frozen almost stiff while I was
dressing. I do wish I had fire in my
room every girl [ know sleeps and
dresses In a warm place.
Dela's tone of voice was as unpleasant
as the expression of her features as she
answered her mother, who said, with a
sigh: Ie 3
"You can come in here, my daughter,
where it is much warmer.
Della made no reply. She did not
want to dress In room where there was
no glass for, although she was not pref
ty, she liked to look at herself, and was
always hoping some people might con-
slider her beauty.
She pulled her little brother Harry
toward her very roughly, as she button
ed his dress, and brushed his hair the
wrong way. He WINGED and drew back,
and said that she hurt him; and Della
was only more ungentle. At last she
stopped down to lace his boots-the most
disagreeable duty of all-and Harry cried
out:
"Oh, sister, you pinch me I"
Her mother said, reproachfully:
''Do try and be more gentle, Della. "
Her face flushed as she glanced at her
mother, who, pale and worn, and IA
tigued with anxiety and nursing the sick
baby, was trying to get the children
ready for prayers, and succeeded in
having them all in the diniug-room soon
after the bell rang. Della did not hear
the lesson her father read from the
Bible. Her eyes were fixed upon
blue spot In the carpet; the color made
her think of Ada Spencer's new silk
dress; she wished she could have one
almost like it, though she thought she
would rather have it made with two
pinked ruffies around the bottom and
longer overskirt. Her mind wandered
away entirely from the present scene,
and she could not have told, to save her
life, if her father had been reading
about Saul or Solomon, David or Daniel.
Her father remembered and gave
thanks for all the blessings and mercies
of the past year in his prayer. Della
forgot that she had received any good
from the hand of God; she never thought
of being grateful for the ordinary bless
ings Of life, for health, food and raj
nent, anda hundred other gifts bestowed
by the "Father of Mercies;'' and per-
haps if her eyes had been beautiful. her
hair golden and her body clothed in the