The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-11-29

thing else In the eating iine that could
be desired.
I'll give..'em a Thanksgiving that
Will last the winter" she said. grimly;
and then, all of sudden, she felt a
great desire to partake Of the good
things she Ind generously provided.
eve a good mind to go 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 I don't think it right
We should live any longer this way.
According to all account, Sarah's been
a good wife to him.
Aud so that night Miss Finch started
off for visit to her brothers.
James Finch looked forward 20 Thanks
giving dsy ~ith 10 great PLEASURE
Captain Abel Jones had just returned
from a voyage to the Indies, and, as Was
his custom, repaired Immediately to the
home of his cousin Sarah, there to re-
main until such time as his ship should
be ready to start out again.
And you hear nothing at all from
Jenny?
TO him Jane Finch, spinster, aged
forty one, was not the grim, formidable
woman she seemed to everyone else.
He had not seen her since her girl
hood, and his memories Of her were all
of that happy time.
"No," said James Finch, sadly.
eve hear of her, but nothing from her.
She still lives alone, and still refuses to
hold communication with any of US,
Captain Jones looked around the poor
ly furnished little room, and sighed.
"She has changed greatly, he said,
eff she can enjoy her wealth, while you
are struggling on in this style, can not
understand it. But there's no use in
talking it over. YEATS ago we decided
that it WAS incomprehensible. Come,
tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and we must
bestir ourselves to give it hearty recep-
ton"
The husband and wife well knew what
that meant.
Captain Jones proposed to provide the
Thanksgiving dinner. James Finch,
with all his poverty, was a proud man.
81 can't take it." said he, resolutely.
" Ii I was in need, Jones, I'd come to
you; but L can get along very well with
out that; and 50, until I'm unable to
provide myself with one, I won't have
any,"
What the Captain would have said,
must forever remain mystery, as, Just
at that moment, the disputed dinner,
in the shape of Miss James donation,
drove up to the door,
Tt was in vain that Mr. Finch protest
ed that the load did not belong to him
His name and address on the card were
correct, and the expressman refused to
be convinced.
Then the Captain was impaled as the
sender; but his astonishment was so
evidently genuine that the veriest skep-
tic in the universe could not but have
believed him innocent.
But that mystery! Mrs. Sarah was
utilitarian. She did not waste her ener-
gies in trying to imagine where the
things came from-not shel She rolled
up her sleeves, put on big apron, and
went to work.
Oh, the marvellous time she made that
day But, after all, it was little won
der, for she impressed everybody-from
the big, good-natured Captain to little
six-year- ld-Jimmy-into service. The
Captain cut up pumpkins, her husband
chopped mincemeat, and the children
beat eggs and butter, and sugar, and
picked over the raisins. Verify the
many cooks" may "spoil the BROTH"
they didn't spoil Thanksgiving dinner,
for a better-looking, better smelling,
the Finches partook the next day we
to produce
Miss Jane made her appearance, bright
and early, on Thanksgiving morning.
Mrs. Sarah was alone in the kitchen
when she entered.
Glow do you do, Sarah," said she,
not very cordially, it must be confessed,
for, although prepared to extend the
right hand of fellowship to James and
the little ones, she could not. even now,
look upon her sister-in-lnw except as
traitor, whom she would be obliged to
make the best of.
"Oh, Jane l' and Mrs Sarah, with
one rush, left her cranberries to take
care of themselves, and gave her hus-
bands sister heartier welcome than she
deserved by good sight.
Miss Jane didn't return her kiss, but
she suffered it; and, though she did NUT
ter sJudas 70 under her breath, 1 think
she was a good deal more comfortable
than she would have been if her hostess
had been as cold and stiff as herself.
"Draw right up to the stove, and take
off your things" and the little woman
hustled about, in a whirl of delight.
"Oh, won't James be glad Dear, dear
He ought to be here this minute And
to think it's Thanksgiving day, and we've
got SO much to be thankful for p And
then her thoughts went back to their un-
known friend of the day before, and,
like flash the truth came to her. "Oh,
Jane !" she went on, with a gasp, 81
see now, 1T was you sent us the things
Oh, dear how can we ever thank your
Then she rushed back to the cranberrics,
which showed signs of stewing over, and,
for the first time since her entrance, Miss
Jane had chance to put in word.
She had Just opened her mouth to say
something in explanation of her sudden
appearance when the door opened, and
in walked Capt. Abel.
"Got anything for me to do, Sally ?"
he asked, with laugh; and then the
great whiskered man stopped short, per-
ceiving the stranger, who sat just in
front of the fire.
Miss Jane had been beauty in her
youth, and even now was not at all ugly.
Her eyes were bright, her teeth were as
white as ever, and her dimples were not
Things OF the Past. ~ any manner Oh
means But for a few wrinkles, aud Il
hard look, which was The natural result
of her hard life, she would have been Il
very handsome woman. she had net
changed so much as had the Captain;
but both were recognizable, and each,
after one glance, knew the other. Mrs.
Sarah looked up from her cranberries
eagerly.
"Oh, Abel, here's Jane-Jane Finch =
Capt. Abel came forward and extended
his hand; but it was an awkward meet
ing. They had not seen each other since
the breaking of of their engagement