Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-12-20
Mis- Wings Thanksgiving.

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Miss wings Thanksgisins'
Miss Wings kitchen was prim an'
clean as broom, soap and soft Waie
could make it; and Miss Wing sat y
Il. rigid and warlike, before tn
blacklist OF stoves, her feet placed
firmly on square ofrag carpet.
There was never IN atom OF aust
or even n skinner or tin spoon oul
ofplace. In that kitchen; for in OIL
The wide world, thore was no one o.
thing that dared 10 enter without es
pecial permission.
Excepting few stray supbea'hs
and even they crept in and simmer
ed on the geraniums in the windo"
AS II they hardly dared.
II was thanksgiving eve, and The
faint odor OF cranberry tarts ana
pumpkin pies creptont frouthe pant
rs, and gave a sort Of festal fragrance
to the room, which might have led q
stranger TO believe that Miss Wing
meant 10 celebrate and bad been pre-.
,,aring for guests. IL would have
been difficult for her To tell you Tor
whom, however, as NIL her nearest
relations lay up on the hillside, aud,
driven by her own stern viii, lovers
and friends had departed from her.
The only person living who was ut
all connected with her, was poor
country minister, with a John Rog'
ers sort Of family, whose lIfe was n
constant struggle to cover tho bod
les, and satisfy the hunger OF the ten
healthy, growing children.
We cannot wonder that he some.
time thought OF Cousin Selina's age
and the nice littlo fourtnne, would
20 TO some one.
Neither can we wonder that in
fit OF desperation he wrote aud ask
ed her to take his eldest daughte
for the winter.
"Let the girl come" said Miss
Wing. nIIl make her useful"
SO useful, indeed, .thnt Milly
Thorne never went 10 bed at nigh
without seeing ropes Of dried apple
that she had strung, and acres of tai
low candles she had dipped, swim
ming before her tired eyes,
But all things have an end, and
patient little Mllly Thorne, worn on
with hard work, and desparing Of
ever finding in Miss Wing that pro
verbal soft spot which Is In every
ones heart, packed her little satchcl
and went back over the hills to the
crowded house, the tired mother, and
the many children, where there was
dearth OF everything but love.
So Miss Wing threw away n gol.
den opportunity of GROWING her old
age with love and happiness.
/ think 1t must have been from
force Of habit that she had cooked
her most golden pumpkin and stuffed
her fattcstpullet for solitary thanks
giving feast.
For IL was very certain sho would
bid no one TO share II with her, and
still more certain that no ono would
come unbidden.
For she set her face like q flint
igainst,visits from grown up people,
and with every child In the village
The was at open war.
The ineeker ones among them
would run II they saw her coming,
md not even the brayest dare ask her
or a flower, while the lawlcsy and
ones invented w ys TO
orment her.
One little colored boy especially,
whom the children called Caterpil-
ar, was the plague of her existence.
His chief amusement was TO perch
himself upon her white gate post,
lis rags fluttering in the wind, the
altered crown Of an old straw hat
|inging to his woolIy head and play
~ an imaginary banjo, sing TO an
dusky audience collected
q the sidewalk -,
sIcn liltle darkies stnnnin' IN d line
At first Miss Wing affected calm
difference which she was far from
cling.
But when II grew 10 be regular
nferfainment 1t was more than she
,uld endure. So one day when
caterpillar had just commenced his
.cond ssanza,
Zine little ahrisies sitting on CUTE.
he Oh em tumblea on afa dar was only eight
70 made an unexpected assault up
4 him with broomstick, tnmbled
i'm over on the sidewalk and SUM
lariIy dispersed his audience.
Nothing daunted, howeyer, Cater
liar picked himself up, shook tho
ost;.c dust from his garments, and,
.freating to a distance, sang,
Old Nam Wing.
fIgiy ole ting:
Crack YOU ol-er the bead, boys,
Just cor you Nanter sling
This act Of Miss Wings was taken
an open declaration Of war. and
ace and qnietness were over for