Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-11-30
A THANKFUL THANKSGIVING.

A THANKFUL THANKSGIVING.
G. NJ. S Horton, in New York Ind pendent
PART ION THE HILLS.
But, Harry, you surely do not
Harry took his mothers face between
his hands.
"This is what | think, you most pre-
cious of all mothers. There is no game
in the woods; there is nothing, or next
to nothing, to eat here in the house.
Hector knews the first as well as |, and
you the rest; so we make very respect
able majority, you see.
Hector, hearing his name called, lifted
his huge self from the floor and came
over to join in the conversation If you
will add together all the best dogs you
ever saw or heard of, and then multiply
by two, you will have Hector to the
life.
1t was going to be an early winter,
even for Upper Highlands. The leaves
said so, as they tumbled and rustled
through the long gullies of the wood;
and the wild geese said so, too, as they
flocked southwark in long, wavering
line, looking like black, crooked arrows,
high up in the sky. But, surest of all,
the children in the valley said so, as
they bundled off to school, trying to
think of lessons which, somehow or 9th
er wouldn't stay lessons, but would
change into skates and sleds before they
knew it. Back on the hills where Har-
ry and his mother lived, winter was sure
ly coming. The bleak wind whistled
about the little house and roared down
the large chimney The forest gave up
plenty of branches, which the trees gen
erously shook down, so that the fireplace
was always roaring with plenty, and to
spare, of warmth But food was scarce
The little farm had refused to do its
share, and the harvest had been small,
indeed. In the woods, too, where game
had always been so plenty, this year it
had failed and the little household was
sorely pressed.
There is no help for it, my boy, y
said his mother You must 60 to the
village for assistance.
Not to beg? y
NO. no. Not to beg" answered his
mother cheerfully. But, see here
Harry took in his hand the little white
box. In it's soft nest Of pink lay pair
of tiny diamond earrings. The setting
of gold was old and dingy, but the stones
sparkled brilliantly as ever.
g l bought those. Harry, when quite a
young girl, and | wonder | have never
thought of them before"
''And you shall not think of them
now, darling Why will you not let me
go to the village and get work? Hector
shall stay with you. and every night |
will come back
No, Harry. no. You couldn't come
back over the hills at night, and | could
not have you away There must surely
be game in the forest, my boy; and in
the meantime we will bridge over this
little Improbable season with supplies
from the village below. Why, all the
associations of these earrings have been
fearful. | cried before | got them, and
| cried afterward to think how foolish |
had been.
They sat and talked far into the night.
With bedtime came the bringing in of
wood for the mornings fire, and the
rather unnecessary precautlon OF lock-
ing the rough-hewn doors.
Whats the matter, Hector? Want
to have a little racing before turning in
for the night?
The dog was standing with his fore
paws upon the latch, snuffing at the
crack. Harry opened the door. Whew!
They had been so busy talking that they
hadn't noticed the rising wind nor sus-
pected the snow, that now whirled into
the room.
Mother" said Harry, with his arm on
her shoulder Mother, the snow has
come.
Yes"
That was all they said. 1t wasn't a
question of snow-balling and coastine
with them. 1t meant bitter struggle
against poverty, this coming of the snow
before it's time But, whatever the 9th
ers thought of it, Hector was as happy
as schoolboy. A whistle brought him
back to the house. His shaggy coat was
covered.
Perhaps, Harry, it's only another
furry"
"Flurries don't take three days to
gather, dear; and when they do come
the snow isn't like this.
He rubbed his hand across Hector's
back, and the fine, dry snow Aoated out
as light as wool. Next morning the
storm was still raging. All day long il
showed, beating up against the low doors
and windows. Now the fence is up tc
it's neck in the drifts, and now there is
no trace of the rails. Hour after houl
the biting wind whistled around the cot
tage. Inch by inch the snow crept ur
it's side-high above the record of any
former year-and the long afternoon
wore on.
Mother, I'm going to the Valley
Not tonight, Harry; not tonight
Wait! See, we have plenty
1t was loving mothers "plenty:'
Enough for one, and that one not her
self.
For the first time since early morning
they opened the door. A solid bank OF
snow fell half across the floor: and out
side, as the storm lulled, could be seer
over the tree-tops the broken, trackless
waste, stretching far down to the valley
below.
See, my boy. 1t would be impos
sible."
with starvation behind, men have
risked more"
A man never risked more than you
would do, were you to risk your life OF
the hills tonight.
He knew her meaning. He knew that
his life to her meant everything in thi.
world. He closed the door. There by
the fire lay Hector, sleeping with ont
eye and with the other watching his
master.
Mother, ! have it, suddenly erie,
Harry, as his eye fell upon the dog
"You have two lives at your disposal
you see-mine and Hector's. Let you
majesty decided Come here, sir, ant
stand up for review"
Harry was jubilant. While he woult
have to follow the beaten path, the dol
could take advantage Of every wind
swept ledge and foothold. He c0ult
carry a message to the villagers below
and, with Harry's game-pouch about hi
neck, could bring food enough to las
for days plenty, at leart, for the pres
ent need. -,
Gould you make him understand Z