Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-11-29
GIVING THANKS.

81 shall not go to church tomorrow,
that's sure" fUl
"Why?" inquired Melissa, stirring
the pumpkin on the stove.
"Just because there's nothing to
thank for"
Pemeliaw and the small cook at
the stove barely escaped burning her
new gingham apron, standing SO near
the stove, quite still with astonish-
ment.
"You can Pemelia' if you like, but
/ don't know what there is to thank
for. The red cows dead and speckle-
hen, and Daisy's calf: there is not
bit of an egg getting laid, and Bundle,
the dog, has lame leg. Then, didn't
father say hepumpkins and beans and
cabbages weren't so big or so many as
most years? I've been saying them
all over to myself, and it's plain there's
no use in going to meeting"
"There's sight gone wrong when
you count it all up; but, Pemelia,
don't you think that more has gone
right?"
"No; not bit of it. efff
"All the little scraps Of chickens
have grown big; and Cooshy and
Crumple and Moody are well; and the
pigs didn't get sick like Frederick Pc
ters' pigs"
\ 60, but we have only seventeen
and he had twenty"
But I'd rather have ours, because
they are alive" #E-tt
Eyes, - ...rA
Don't you think it would be best
to be thankful for what we hare, and
not think about the rest?'
''No; I'd just be thinking all the
time; other peoples cows didn't die,
and everybody's pumpkins and cab
hody's calves are alive
Yes, but that don't matter; Coo
shy's calf didn't die, and the barn is
full Of things alive and things to eat,
and the cellars got lots of apples and
everything in it too. and -
"And mothers got the rheumatism :;
| suppose. must thank for that?'
No" said Melissa, laying the
wooden spoon, with which she had
been stirring, on the table, and looking
thoughtfully off, through the window,
past the barn and the haystacks and
the farm fencing, to the sky hung
with its fleeing of pure clouds and its
calm, beautiful blue.
There are great many beautiful
things" she said. half aloud.
Il don't know; if there are / never
get to see many of them, nor you either"
Oh, yes, sister: the sky and the
mountain and the fields"
. don't get much time to see any
sky, and the mountains mighty steep
when we go to Milford, and as to the
fields, never see anything about them
but the work that's to do on Them
Melissa stood for moment, half
wishing her sister could see, and half
thinking of the g beautiful things"
but she only said: Tomorrow |
shall think of the sky and the fields
and give thanks for them with al the
rest when the prayers are said
Pemela would have treated her sis
ter to merry laugh, but a knock at
the door checked her just as her lips
were parting.
Its Lucy Mayhem" she eXclaim-
ed. Come in.' and Lucy, in her cot
ton frock and scrap of a shawl, came
inning III Win HtI IoSS tiiccho anu
her little cold hands, glad to find a
coy kitchen with its red-topped stove
and its splitting pumpkin, the picture
IN every way OF plenty and of comfort.
How nice to have such roasting
hreF' she said, as she held her hands
over it.
Everybody has to have a roasting
lire to-day, | think, with all this cold. "
Most everybody, | suppose"
What are you going To do to-mor-
row. inquired Pemelia, polishing a
dish to stand away
Go to meeting. that's all. "
What are yott going TO meeting
for
IT'S Thanksgiving, you know, and
we 60 TO pray and give thanks.