The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-11-22
A TALE OF NINE SEEDS.

= NIL VI NBNE SAHSS'
Nine brown seeds lay wrapped III the
heart of q red apple. Eight OF them
were large, full seeds: but one was
| dwarled and insignificant.
| g Alas ~ sighed the little seed, d" Pm
| not fit to be called a seed"
"Thou canst count thyself one" said
| a large seed. "The greatest in the earth
| can DO no more"
q" I call this jolly world ~ cried Mas
! ter Tom, as he lOOsened the small silk
! handkerchief under his broad collar.
| g Don't you, POsv ," he added, pulling
! his Cousins black dress POsv's blue
| ewes filled with tears. She could remem-
| Der when her own dear papa and mamma
! came with the rest to spend Thanksgiv-
| ing at grandpa's. Now they would
| never come again. And brother John
|. had written he would try to get there,
! but the dinner was well begun and he
/ had not come. She thought of him, so
/ far away. He was not her own brother;
| but she knew no other. How often, after
| she began to wear the little black dresses,
| he told her of the time when her tather
/ had found him alone in the world, cared
| for bv no one, and had taken him home
and made him his son. Her mothers
| last words were: John will take care of
YOU. Posv." Dear john" thought
| Posv, perhaps now he is hard at work,
having no turkey, no pudding, nor nuts,
nor apples"
The delicate bits that grandpa had
| heaped upon her plate had been taken
away, scarcely tasted. She knew she
| ought not make them all sorry when this
| vas THANKSGIVING; but when Tom, from
/ behind his small tower of turkey and
| chicken-bOnts pronounced this 3" jolly
world y it started the tOoawllGng tears.
." Mamma" said Tom, waving drum
| stick at his mother, hasn't Cousin John
| got pretty long nose ?''
| " Pretty long" said his mother.
! .'There. POsv." said he, still gestiCu-
| lating with his drumstick, of course he
] will smell his Jolly dinner and come for
| it."
Posy laughed with tears in her eyes.
d" ANY way, it is mean in you to make
usunhappy on Thanksgiving day. Don't
YOU think 50, BOYS ?" Without looking
at the young gentlemen addressed, Tom
my passed his plate to his grandfather,
with an " All around again, ii you please,
sir" If Posy's tears had reused any sOr-
row in his little heart, it vanished with
the return of his well filled plate; for he
declared, rs he received it with greater
emphasis than before, that it was
Jolly world"
The dinner was nearly over. Great
gObblers, thai mad strutted nObly in their
day, and gentle turkey matrOns, that
had not always meekly followed after;
black hens and white, yellow chickens
aud gray; pies without number and
pIddings worthy of the day; apples,
| sweetmeats, nuts and Taisins-all had
contributed toward making 4 merry day.
a weary satisfaction seemed TO rest on
every youthful face except POsy's and
| Toms.
" Mamma" said Tom, placing one fat
| hand on the lower buttons of his jacket,
90 always told you that these clothes
| didn't fit me-"
Posv. raising herlittle hand over the
| table, now stripped of its most substantial
glories), said, earnestly: Z" would rather
| not have tasted one bit of turkey, not
seen any chicken pie, nor pudding, nor
anything that has gone; | would rather
now take all these apples, figs, nuts, and
throw them into the Pig-pen, and see my
| brother JOhnW
! "He'H come Tomorrow" said Tommy,
| languidIy. Perhaps if he had come to-
| day he would have made himself sick"
| Billy, who was picking out nuts for Tom
mv's pretty sister, Dora. 4" How much
| better for him to get here strong and well
tomorrow or next day and help US to
| take care Of Tommy"
| Deeper grew the shadows around the
/ old farm house. Softly the darkness
| covered one object after another from
| Posy's hopeful ewes. / shall leave the
| curtain up, she thought, as she turned
| from the window, so John can see in a.
he comes up the hill.
- Name mine, and name minew she
heard the merry voices of her cousins,
| boys and girls, some so much older than
| she. Why should she alone be unhappy?
| As she was leaving the window large
red apple fell at her feet.
Why didn't you catch it?" asked
Tommy.
a. didn't see it in time" said POsy.
% Thank YOU Tom; but 1 don't want it. ="
4" You must have it," said Tommy.
g. have named it for you"
- don't want to play" said POsy.
&c I can't tell you who / named" said
| Tommy, mysteriously, but it is some
bOdy--a little too old for you, perhaps
but somebody you want to see aw-
fully"
flight they both love-" laughed
| Billy.
Who did you name it ?'' asked D IRA.
Billy whispered in her ear.
80 you hOrrid thing" cried Dora.
20 Yeu know don't like him"
60 Pom my word, l thought that you
thought that he was sPlended," said
Billy, still grinning.
: Nine he comes, in mine" said an
other great boy.
" Nine she comes" said Dora.
Nine he comes" repeated Po-y TO
herself q" Oh, if my apple would only
have nine seeds" she said TO Tommy.
&" Wen make it have nine" said the
valiant Tommy. But you must eat 1t
yourself you know
She held up the great apple q" Oh
It will take 80 long Won't you help
me?" .
Tommy laid one hand on his heart, 10
. nrove his willingness TO save her; Inc
other far below it, TO suggest his inabil-
| ity.