Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-11-25
Y3NNY'S WISH-BONE.

A THANKSCIVING-TURK STORY.
THE big brown turkeys days were num-
bcred. For several weeks Aunt Rhoda
la q fed him ike prince or pacha, in
view Of his anticipated sudden death, and
now as she stood by the kitchen table fin
ishing up the last touches to hcpumpkin-
pies that were to "follow his remains"
she said to Winny, who sat near her ston-
ING raisins for the mince-meat
g Ny cup q happiness would be full if
Joel could help eat himn'
loci eat who, auntie?'' and Winny's
brown eyes sparkled and her red lips
grew redGer with the laugh she was
. struggling to keep behind the wall Of
even, perfect, white teeth Aunt Rhoda
bad such a curious way of saying things,
continuing 2 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 a death
song, why shouldn't turkeys? He knows
ne is to be killed shortly. All, me-!
Thanksgiving, and he to be away on sea!
and he's 50 fat and nice"
Winny laughed outright now as she
cried Well, auntie, l suppose you
mean Gobble IS nice and fat and Joel is
away Oh sea- but if Joel isn't here |
think we can have just as good time
picking old GobbIe's bonesn' and a toss
Of the head told very plainly that Joel, in
its curly estimation, would not be such a
very desirable acquisition to the festive
board
Winny Weldon was Aunt Rhoda's
niece's child Since the death of her
parents-no5 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 a home, and of
Joel she remembered nothing, save that
when she was a very little, short girl he
was a 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 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 6 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-fr friends to drive
out with in the evening and take them
home; so that altogether Winnv 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 hospitable 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 basted the turkey: " If my boy was
only here-and he's roasting so nice and
brown, toor'
Who's coming after you, girls y
asked Winny, when the overskirts were
all pinned back tighter and the crimps
pulled out "f1ufier." 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 gorgeous?" cried the girls
together, girl-fashion, as they entered the
room. Who is coming, did you ask?''