Lincoln County advocate. (Canton, Dakota Territory, [S.D.]) 1876-1877, 1876-12-13
Widow B|ake's Thanksgiving
BY DE FOREST P. GUMNlERsON.

chicken for dinner. I don't care SO
much about a turkey; but it's only
once year that Thanksgiving comes
and it don't seem at all good not to
have a real nice dinner then, does it?''
Mrs. Blake looked pityingly towards
her boy. Poor woman Thanksgiving
had come and gone for four years, in
neither of which had she been able tc
indulge in even so slight luxury as
this; since Mr.. Blake had died, and
her Oldest boy had gone out into the
world.
Four years; and in all that time
she had received but two letters from
her absent son. If God ever did an
swer loving mothers prayers, it
seemed hard that no answer had come
to hers. She had poured out hel
troubles at His feet as freely as water
runs in the brook, and though no an.
swer came, her trust was not with.
drawn; she was willing to wait for the
seed she had sown to arrive at fruition
Robbie came in again now, with a
great armful Of wood, which he care.
fully placed in the woodbox; then he
turned to his mother and resumed his
conversation about Thanksgiving din
ners.
Just think, mother Sam Willis
told me to-day that down in his house
they were going to have four turkeys,
and that all his uncles and aunts were
coming from the city to help to eat
them; and mother, here we haven't
even got one little chicken"
swell, well, Robbie, don't feel so bad
about it, perhaps we shall have one
after ALL" was his mothers reply.
Loving mother That night she
vent out through the storm and wind
to obtain that for which her boy had so
earnestly wished.
She had ring, q plain gold one-her
wedding ring in fact-which she had
hoped to Keep always; and the struggle
was severe one before she fully made
up her mind to part with it. But this
mother loved her boy; ard though the
ring was fem embrance of her dead
husband, was lot his boy a stronger
one? So she decided in favor of her
child.
She left Robbie at home to take care
Of the house, and went out to sell the
ring in order to obtain the necessary
money with which to buy chicken.
She did not have to seek far, for the
first grocer to whom she applied was
willing to make an exchange with her,
and while she is making her purchases,
we will, if you please, enter the depot
at R-a station some forty miles from
the place in which Mrs. Blake lived.
In this depot there passed to and fro,
on this day before Thanksgiving, eigh-
teen hundred and seyenty:one. two
notwithstanding men. One about fifty
the other not more than twenty-five.
The younger seemed the more anxious
of the two, and would often turn to his
companion and murmur in regard to
the delay they were undergoing. It
seemed from their conversation that
they had planned to be at certain
place at an early hour that afternoon,
but that now it would be impossible
for them to reach it before evening, if
then.
They had evidently travelled much,
both abroad and at home, and to pass
the time away chatted on about things
they had seen in the past, and of their
long absence from loved and loving
ones.
wont mother be surprised when
she sees US and finds out how much we
are worth? wonder how she has far.
ed these last four years F.? I declare, it
is too bad that I have not written to her
as promised" said the younger of the
two.
"Great as her surprise will be to see
you, think how much greater it will be
to see me whom she supposes to be
dead"
II know it Uncle Ed. Perhaps it
will be too much for her to bear-so
much good to .ome all at once"
Let me give you little of the histo-
ry OF him whom we have designated as
Uncle Ed.'
He was a younger brother of this
same Mrs. Blake, whom we left at the
grocers making purchases with which
to make glad the heart of her boy.
Ten years before this day he had
started for California and nothing had
been heard from him since that time
It was supposed that he had
been killed by the Indians of the
plains, as at the same time he was sup
posed to be on his way there many
parties had not only been attacked, but
killed by these fiends.
So as time passed on and no tidings
came back to his friends, this was be-
ieyed to have been his fate. But as
he reader already knows, he had no
net with any such mishan. hit reacheu