The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-01
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The pantry door was open. She went
and.leoked in and .strted back with
tlittfe cry Of establishment. "Somebody's
been here anseat hsif essone o. them
Punkin pies, true's soahys! Who could
it IA, been, dye s'pose!''
"Who do you think!'' said voice.
They all started and looked around
them at the sound Of the voice, bat saw
no one. It wa; strangely like one they
used to hear. .....,,,,
II don't see any body, but I'd ha' been
willin' to declar' twas James, eff I
hadn't known better. Eatin' that pie is
jest like one O. his tricks. for all the
world. Like enough it's son Lemuel
come over alter scnethin' an hid on pur-
pose to s'prise US. Is that you Lcmuel!''
called Mrs. Brown, expecting to see her
eldest son step from behind some door in
"No, it amt Lemuel, but it's me,
MOTHER answered voice from the hall,
and thin, worn face looked in upon
them with a great gladness shining over
it.
''My God! it's James, and Susan held
out her arms toward the husband who
had come back to her from the grave, and
sank down, faint and white, upon the
nearest chair.
eyes, Jamie's come back to you," he
answered, folding his arms about her and
kissing her again and again. "You
thought | was dead didn't you? I'm not,
you see."
my boy!" Mrs. Brown cried, her old
face all beaming over with sudden, hard
iy comprehended happiness, while tears
ran down her cheeks. II never expected
to see you again, never! But God is good
to US, SO good!'' and she sobbed out her
joy upon her baby's breast. Though
twenty-five years had gone by since first
clay upon her breast,h was her ''baby."
And Deacon Brown, with his arms full
of the struggling, squirming specimen Of
humanity, bundled up in white flannel,
looked on, hardly comprehending his eyes
or ears.
'Hav'n't you any welcome for me,
father!' James asked, coming towards
him.
Eyes, yes,' said the old man, with a
terrible winking and blinking, which fail
ed to keep back the tears in his eyes,
"An'-here 'tis!" Whereupcn he depos-
tied in Jamie's arms the growing, kicking
grandson, of which he was as proud as
he could be- according to Mrs. Brown.
''lt's the best welcome can give you.
my boy" the old man added, wringing
his boys hand in way that was elo-
quent as any words could have been.
81 can't tell you much about it-that
Thanksgiving. 1t was too sacred. I can
only say that no other Thanksgiving I'M
der the old homestead roof ever came up
to that in true, thankful happiness. Late
into the night light shone from the VIM
dows Of the old red farmhouse where
Lemuel's folks and Joseph:s family and
Rachel and her husband were gathered
about the hearthstone, summoned
home to give welcome TO the
dead who was alive again. And
James told over and over the story of
his capture after being wounded, and his
life in Southern prison, and how, just
as he was about to give up all hope of liv-
ing to get out Of It, relief came, and he
was among q lot of exchanged soldiers.
Deacon Brown read chapter from the
old Bible and prayed before they sepa.
rated. It was short and simple prayer,
but it had world Of thanksgiving in
it. And every heart there joined in the
Amen.