The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-11-25
WINNY'S WISH-BONE.
A THANKsGIvING-TURKEY STORY.

| WAN y NlSH.DUNEs
A THANKSGIyING-TURKE STORY
THE big brown turkeys days were num-
bered. For several weeks Aunt Rhoda
had fed him like prince or a pacha, in
view of his anticipated sudden death, and
now as she stood by the kitchen table fin
ishing up the last touches to the pumpkin
pies that were to follow his remains'
she said to Winny, who sat near her ston-
ing raisins for the mince-meat:
My cup Of happiness would be full if
Joel could help eat him!n
Joel eat who, auntic :" and Winny's
brown eyes sparkled and her red lips
grew reddcr with the laugh she was
struggling to keep behind the wall of
even, perfect, white teeth. Aunt Rhoda
had such curious way of saying things
continuing a train of thought in her own
mind and expecting everybody would
| know just what the links meant.
"Why, eat old Gobble, to be sure don't
you hear him singing his last song out in
the yard? They say swans sing death
song, why shouldn't turkeys? lie knows
he is to be killed shortly. All, me!
Thanksgiving, and he to be away on sea!
and he's SO fat and nice"
Winny laughed outright now as she
cried: "Well, auntie, | suppose you
mean Gobble is mice and fat and Joel is
away on sea- but if Joel isn't here |
think we can have just as good time
picking old Gobblc's bones!" and toss
Of the head told very plainly that Joel, in
its curly estimation, would not be such
very desirable acquisition to the festive
board
Winny Welden was Aunt Rhodas
parents-not quite year-Winny had
come up country to live with her mothers
aunt, and as the old lady was quite alone
now, her only child, Joel, having gone to
sea, she was very glad to have the bright
faced, merry girl as a constant companion.
Winny had lived in the city all her life
before she came to Aunt Rhoda an orphan,
and she knew very little of country people
and their ways, but she liked them now,
since she lived among the good, honest
hearted folks who made the "ways"
pleasant, and they all grew to love the
pleasant faced, bright city girl.
Winny had seen very little of her aunt
before she came to her for home, and OF
Joel she remembered nothing, save that
when she was very little, short girl he
was Il very tall, awkward boy, who used
to bring home the cows and help milk
them with his great red hands in the barn
yard.
Aunt Rhoda talked necessarily of him,
and Winny was tired Of the sound of his
name and the list of his virtues; and i'm
agined, besides, he must be a middle-aged
man by this time instead of the "boy'
Aunt Rhoda called him. Homely and
awkward still, no doubt" she thought to
herself, when Aunt Rhoda ended her tales
of his " goodnesses' with her usual "and
there isn't another boy like him anywhere
roundr
This Thanksgiving Winny expected two
Of her girl friends from the city to come
out and have an old fashioned country
dinner, and Aunt Rhoda had invited the
young doctor from the village to call in
the evening; and besides, the girls were to
have two young gentlemen friends to drive
out with in the evening and take them
home; so that altogether Winny had a
pleasant time in prospect without Joel,
and was consequently more interested in
her thoughts OF them than in Aunt Rhoda's
wishes tor her absent son. Very selfish,
no doubt, but very girl-like and natural.
Thanksgiving morning dawned clear
and cold. Poor Gobble was beginning to
turn pale golden brown in the oven
when Winny's friends drove up to Aunt
Rhoda's hospi;able door, where Winny
stood awaiting them. Such kissing and
embracing and laughing and talking as
there was in the quiet old house! Aunt
Rhoda wiped her eyes as she listened to
the merry voices, and said to herself as
she bastcd the turkey: "If my boy was
only here--and he's roasting so nice and
brown, toow
"Who's coming after you, girls?'
asked Winny, when the overskirts were
all pinned back tighter and the crimps
pulled out "fluffier" The three girls
came downstairs in the parlor, where
Aunt Rhoda had had an old-fashioned
wood fire built on the hearth.
"Isn't that gorgeeus?" cried the girls
together, girl-fashion, as they entered the
room. "Who is coming, did you ask"
continued Katie Crafts, settling herself in
Aunt Rhoda's big chair.
"Well, Miss Winny, III tell you. Two
of the splcndidest young men you ever
saw! We know you will like them-and
one we invited on purpose for you to fall
in love with, and uice uersa."
"Indeed! How kind" said Winny,
laughing =" But never intend to marry,
so l shan't fall in love. May | ask, how
ever, who the youth is what's his name
or where's his homer"
"No; don't tell her, Sue" cried Katie,
stopping her companions mouth with
dimpled white hand
"Let's hang up wish-bone over the
door for Winny, and then see if the right
one comes in under it first"
"But supposing it's the ur'oag one-Dr.
Gray may come first-what them" asked
Winny.
"Why, whoever it is we'll give up our
interest in him. You Shall have the first
man who comes in under the wish bone
shan't she, Sue?" and the ripples of laugh
ter reached Aunt Rhoda again, and made
her sigh.
Such dinner! Old Gobble in state at
one end, chicken pie that melted in ones
mouth at the other, to say nothing or
Aunt Rhoda's famous canned corn and
peas and beans; then the mince- pies and