The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-11-29
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S.'s-""" A THANXeGIYINa sTGHY,

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Miss Jane Inch vss lonely; the zen
sakiiods sYas an old one; and sh9 was at a
ld1ss what to do with3it: She had lived
for fifteen years solitary life, had prided
herself for decade and half on being
os U.s. 6se1f. .hfnaks hmif5, IL afoVs 3 &c
grew suddenly weary Of her sell: lf:imposed
Thanksgiving week, and everybody about
her was sosbusy and bustling and happy,
or it might be from many other reasons {;
but whatever the cause; the fact remains
that, on certain sunny morning in
November, Miss Finch: 'awoke to: the
knowledge that her condition was not to
be envied Ttr+.:s>.! ~ r. -, 49,: ::et:5s<si
1ni'vain she tried to argue herself back
into her old self-satisfaction: It wa
ust as true now as it was yesterday that
her brother James had married Sarah
Jones-a girl she thought she had good
reason to hate; but, someway, there was
no pleasure to be gained from comparing
their poverty with their riches.
A monster turkey was just beng
brought into the next door :neighbors;. it
reminded her that the following day was
Thanksgiving, and also reminded her that
she had to providb herself with the culi:
nary wherewithal without which no
thanksgiving dinner might he properly
,lebrated. .'>
It always made Miss Finch's face burn
to think of Captain Abel Jones-frst
cousin to her obnoxious sister-in-law.
Long ago, when she was. in her teens,
they had been lovers, and everybody
knew that, as soon as he got his ship,
Abel Jones and Jenny Finch were to be
man and wife; but one evening she ran
over to Sarah's (tbey had once been
bosom friends), and hearing voices in the
parlor, had stopped a moment to discover
who was there In that moment she had
seen Miss Sarah crying, as if her heart
would break, with her head on Mr..
Abel's shoulder.
Quite ignoring the fact that these two
had been brought up together, and that
Abel had time and again told her that
Sarah was just the same to him as dear
sister, Miss Finch grew righteously in
dignant; yet she was just-very just, in
eed she would not Judge them on this
:idence, although to most any one it
would have been proof enough Of a very
disagreeable fact. but she would wait,
and see how their conversation accorded
with their position. So she waited. :.
"Dont cry" said Mr.. Abel Jones, plead:
ingly,"1 am sure I can fix it all right.
She isn't nearlyqso fond of me: as you
think; and you know, Sarah, how dear
'ou are to her. I'll break it to her gen.
y, and I'm sure she'll give me up of her
own accord.
Now, Miss Finch hadn't jealous ma
ture, not at all but the most unsuspi-
cious idiot in the universe could not have
misunderstood that speech. It was very
evident he wanted to be free from her. So
she stole gently out, without letting them
know of her presence, walked home at
:ailroad speed, and; with a very proper
3elf-respect, Immediately tied up: his
picture, his few presents and his fewer
letters, and sent them back to him with
the pretty falsehood that she found she
didn't like him we'll enough to marry
him, and should be obliged if he would
release her from her engagement.
Z She didn't propose to be Tilted by him
and she wasn't.
J: Then she went off on visit, staid two
months, and came home to find her
brother engaged to her. friend, and her
false lover nowhere. i i =.
In vain she :endeavored to- prevent; this
marriage. Her brother would not be
convinced, without absolute proof, that
Il
She begged, pleaded and urged. But
pride prevented her giving him the one
fact of which she had become possessed,
and 80 the two were married, and she
took her fortune Cleft her by her fathers
only sister, and herself to another town,
gradually withdrew herself more and
more from the world, until, at twenty-six
she was confirmed misanthrope, seeing
no one.
This sort of existence she had kept up
until the time our story opens.
Why Sarah Jones married James Finch,
and why Abel Jones was still bachelor
sea-captain, were mysteries she did not
trouble herself to explain. Sure of their
treachery, what mattered it to her how
they spent theirlives. 3 :. -: <:s's
To-day Miss Finch, in thinking over
her past, acknowledged to herself for
the first time that she might have been
hasty; not so tar as the stalwart sailor was
concerned, but about her brother.
II don't suppose ought to have cx-
pected him to give up his sweetheart
without any reason" she thought. II
wouldn't have done it myself. believe
I'll send them a good Thanksgiving din
ner. From an Lean hear, they amt able
to do much in that line for themselves;
and with q sudden twinge Of conscience,
the more acute from being unusual, Miss
Finch hurried on her bonnet and shawl,
and started off to market.
Oh, the marvellous purchases she
made! Pumpkins, and cranbcrries, and
turkeys, and chickens, and barrels of po-
tatoes, onions, apples, flour and every
thing else in the eating line that could be
desired.
. :"1ll give 'em Thanksgiving that will
last the winter" she said, grimly; and
then, a. of a. sudden, she felt a great de-
sire to partake Of the good things she had
g. nerously provided.
'1've good mind to 60 down and eat
dinner with 'em. I don't know as I'll be
welcome, but they can't do more than shut
the door in my face. believe I'll try it,
any way. James and are the only ones
left, and don't think it is right we should
live any longer in this way. According
to all accounts, Sarah's been good wife
to him."
And SO that night Miss Finch started
= *fnr q visit RI hor hrOther,a
James Finch looked forward to
Thanksgiving Day with no great pleas