The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-11-25

congregation CnaL Jay 1ull OF SUCH OF SILL
liar sofrowful thoughts as those which,
rose up in Susan's heart or expressed
themselves on Mrs. Browns kind old
face; for there were many graves in Rash:
erville Cemetery where soldief-b boys were
sleeping, and many, many more on the
battle-felds clown South"
| At length the sermon was ended and the
| congregation broke up. Deacon Brown
drove up to the gate to leave Susan, Mrs.
Brown and the baby, before driving old
Steady around to the barn.
It's purity slippery" he said. " Le'me
carry. the baby, an OIL Steady can 60
round to the barn alone. He knows the
way as we'll as do. Git up, Steady; gee
there-so!'
Steady started off obediently and Dea-
con Brown Unattached the gate and went
up the path, carrying the baby. .,,
Somebody's been here" said Mrs.
Brown. "Here's track in the snow
that don't belong to father"
"Sam Pringle, like enough" said the
Deacon, opening the door. "He said he
was coming after the COW, but he didn't
git round afore we went, an I want
agoin' to wait for him."
"We'u 60 right into the kitchen till it
gifts warm in the other room," said Mrs.
| Brown, and leu the way.
The pantry door was open. She went
and looked in and started back with lit
tie cry of establishment Somebody's
been here an ct half o. one o. them
punkin pies, true's you live. Who could
it ha' been, dye s'pose?"
"Who do you think ~ said voice.
They all started and looked around
them at the sound of the voice, but saw no
one. 1t was strangely like one they used
to hear.
Il don't see anybody, but I'd ha' been
willin' to declar' twas James, eff hadn't
known better. Eatin that pie is jist like
one O. his tricks, for all the world. Like
enough it's son Lemuel come over after
somethin' an hid on purpose to s'prise
us. Is that you, Lemuel?", called Mrs.
Brown, expecting to see her eldest son
step from behind some door in answer.
mo, it amt Lemuel, but it's me,
mother" answered a voice from the hall,
and a thin, worn face looked IN upon
them with 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 boyv' Mrs. Brown cried, her old
face all beaming over with sudden, hard
ly-comprehended happiness, while tears
ran down her cheeks. 81 never expected
to see you again-never! But God is good
to us-so good!' and she sobbed out her
how 1.,l ~
twenty-five years had gone by since first
"baby" still-would always be.
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.
:" Haven't you any welcome for me,
father3" James asked, coming toward
him.
" Yes, yes" said the old man, with a
terrible winking and blinking, which
failed to keep back the tears in his eyes,
"An'-here 'tis!' Whereupon he depos-
tied in Jamie's arms the Growing, kicking
grandson, of which he was "proud as he
could be- according to Mrs. Brown.
It's the best welcome l can give you,
my boy" the old man added, wringing
his boys hand in way that was as elo-
qucnt as any words could have been
l can't tell you much about that
Thanksgiving. 1t was too sacred. can
only say that no other Thanksgiving un-
der the old homestead roof ever came up
to that in true, thankful happiness. Late in
to the night light shone from the windows
of the old red farm house, where Lemuel' 8
folks and Joseph's family and Rachel and
her husband were gathered about the
hearthstone, summoned home to give vel
come 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 lot of exchanged soldiers.
Deacon Brown read chapter from the
old Bible and prayed before they sep
arated. 1t was short and simple pray
er, but it had world of thanksgiving in
it. And every heart there joined in the
AMEN.-Rural Neu Yorker.