Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1875-11-23
MISCELLANEOUS.
w1NNY's WISH BONE.
a .rHANksa1v1Nq,runKEY groRY.

IS he big brown turkeys days were nuns
~ bered. For several weeks Aunt Rhoda
had fed him like prince or pacha in view
of his anticipated sudden death, aud now as
she stood by the kitchen table finishing up
the last touches to the pumpkin pies that were
to ''follow his remains" !" she said to Winny,
who sat near her stoning raisons for the mince.
meat: Ga#F -ii q
SHY cup of happiness would be full if Joel
could help to eat him ?"
"Joel eat who, Auntie 2" and Winny's
brown eyes sparkled, and her red lips grew
redder with the laugh she was struggling to
keep beehind the wall of even, perfect, white
teeth. Aunt Rhoda had such o curious way
of saying things, containing train of thought
in her own mind and expecting everybody
would know just what the links meant
'Why, cat old Gobble, to be sure don't
you hear him singing his last song out in the
yavdS Thy say swans sing death song,
why shouldn't turkeys? He knows he is to
be killed shortly. Ah, me! Thanksgiving,
and he to be away on sea and he's so fat
and NICE"
Winny laughed outright now, as she cried:
"Well, auntio, l suppose you mean Gobble is
mice and fat and Joel is away on sea : but
if Joel isn't here l think We can have Just as
aud 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 Weldon was aunt Rhoda's niece's
child. Since the death Of her parents not
quite year-Winny had come up country
to live with her mothers aunt and as tho old
lady was quite alone now, her only child,
joe, having gone to sea, she was very glad
to have the bright>faced, merry girl as con.
slant companion. Winny had lived in the
city all her life before she came to Aunt
Rboda 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 grow to love the pleas
ant>faced, bright city girl.
Winny had seen very little Of her aunt be-
fore she came to her for homo and Of Joel
she remembered nothing, save that when she
vas very little, short girl, ho was a tall
awkward boy, who used to bring homo tho
COWS and help milk thcm 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 imagined, be.
| sides, he must be middle aged man by this
time, instead Of the "boy" Aunt Rhoda called
him. "IIomely and awkward still, no doubt" !"
sho thought to herself, when Aunt Rhoda
ended her tales of his 'sgoodness" with her
usual "and there isn't another boy like him
anywhere round ~
This Thanksgiving Winny expected two of
her girl friends from tho city to come out and
| have an old>fashioned country dinner, aud
Aunt ihoda had invited the young doctor
from the village to call in tile evening; and
besides the girls were to have two young gen.
tlemen friends to drive out in the even>
! ing and take them home; 60 that altogether
Winny had a pleasant time in prospect Bith-
out Joel, and was consequently more interes-
ted in her thoughts of them than in Aunt
Rhoda's wishes for 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 a
pale golden brown in the oven when Winuy's
friends drove up to Aunt Rhoda's hospitabIe
door, where Winny stood awaiting them
Such kissing and embracing and laughing and
giggling 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
and he's roasting so nice and brown, too %
| "AAO . SOAhADS5 IOu abkeu
Winny, when the overskirts were all pinned
back tighter and the crimps pulled out
"hufaer." The three girls came down stairs
into the parlor, where Aunt Rhoda had an old
fashioned wood ERE built on the hearth.
Isn't that gorgeous /" cried the girls to-
gether, girl fashion, as they entered the loom
"Who is coming, did you ask 7" continued
Katie Crafts, setting herself in Aunt Rhoda'l
big chair.
"Well, Miss winny, I'll tell you. Two o.
the spleudidest young men you ever saw !
We know you will like them-and one Et
invited on purpose for you to fall in love with
and Uice rersa.
''1udeed! How kind, )" said Winny, laugh.
shan't fall in. love May ask however, who
the youth is-~ what's bis pane, and where's
bis ho@eE,