The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-12-13

bic custom, repaired iMhnealAlely 70 TIC
home Of bis cousin sarah, there to remain
untl such time as bis ship should be
ready 70 star, again.
( And you bear nothing At al iron Jen.
nyf
To him Jane FiBcb, sPinster, aged for.
ty-one, was not The grim, formidable wo-
man she seemed TO everybody else.
/ lie hAd not seen her since her girlhood,
and bis memories Of her were Al Of that
happy lime.
No, said James Finch, sadly. We
hear Of her, but nothing from her. She
lives alone, and slill refuses to hold COM
munlcAtion with any Of us.
Captain Jones looked around the poor
I ly furnished little room, an6 sighed.
She has changed greatly, he said; If
she can enjoy Der wealth, while you are
struggling on IN this style, cannot un-
derstaod il. Bat there's no use In talk
ing ii over. Years ago We decided that
It was ineomprehensble. Come, to-mor-
row is Thanksgiving, and we must bestir
ourselves to give ii hearty reception.
The husband and wife well knew what
that meant.
ACaptain Jones proposed to provide the
Thanksgiving dinner. James Finch, with
all his poverty was proud man.
can't take 1t, said be, resolutey. II
| was in need, Jones, I'd come to you;
but | can get along very well without
that; and so, until Pm unable TO provide
myself with one, won't have any.
What the captain would have said,
must foreyer remain mystery, as, just
at that moment, the disputed dinner, in
tho shape of Miss James Donation, drove
up TO the door.
II was 10 vain that Mr. Finch protested
that the load was not for him. His name
and address on the card were correct,
and the expressman refused to be con-
vinced.
Then the captain was impaled as the
sender; but his astonishment was so evil
IDENTIFY genuine, that the yeriest skeptic
in the universe could not but have beiey-
ed him innocent.
But that mystery! Mrs. Sarah was a
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
dayl Bat, after all, it was little wonder,
for she impressed everybody from the
big, good-natured captain to littla six
year old Jimmy--into service.
Miss Jane made her appearance, bright
and early, on Thanksgiving morning.
Mrs. Sarah was alone Ia the kitchen
when she entered.
How 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-law except as a traitor,
whom she would be Obliged to make the
best of.
Oh, Jane! and Mrs. Sarah, with one
rush, left her cranberries to take care of
themselves, and gave her husbands 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 Judas under her breath, think she
was 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
of your things, and the little woman
hustled about, in a whirl Of delight. Oh,
won't james be glad Dear, dearl lie
ought to be here this minute. And to
think It's Thanksgiving Day, and we've
got so much to be thankful forl And
then her thoughts went back to their un-
known friend OF The day before, and, like
I
she went on, with gasp, see now, 1t
was you sent us the things. Oh, dear !
how can we ever thank yon2 Then she
rushed back TO the cranberries, which
showed signs of stewiug over, and, for
the FIRST time since her entrance, Miss
Jane had chance TO put 10 d word.
She had iast opened her mouth to say
something in explanation Of her sudden
appearance, when the door opened, and
10 walked Captain Abel.
Got anything for me to do, Sallyl be
asked, with laugh; and then the great
whiskered man stopped short, perceiving
the stranger, who sat just in front ofthe
fire.
Miss Jane had been a beauty in bcr
youth, and even now was not at all ugly.
Her eyes were bright, her teeth were as
white as ever, and her dmples were not
things Of the past, by any manner OF
means. But for few wrinkles, aud a
hard look, which was the natural result
of her hard life, she would have been a
very handsome woman, She had not
changed so much az bad the captain; but
both were recognizable, and each, after
one glance, knew the other. Mrs. Sarah
looked up from her crsnberries eagerly.
/ Oh, Abel, here's Jane--Jane Finch
Captain Abel came forward, and ex-
tended bis hand but II was an awkward
meeting They hsd not seen each other
since the breaking OF Of their engsge-
ment-oyer q score Of years before--snd
both Of them were gneomforlsbly con.
scious Of the fact. Bot Captain Abel
drew chair up TO The stove, aud tried to