Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1877-11-24
A TALE OF NINE SEEDS.

A TALE OF NINE SEEDS.
Nine brown seeds lay wrapped in the
heart of a red apple. Eight of them
were large, full seeds: but one was
dwaried and insignificant.
}Ias ~ sighed the little seed, " Pm
not fit to be called seed"
"Thou canst count thyself one" said
a large seed. "The greatest in the earth
can do no more"
" call this Jolly world :" cried Mas
ter Tom, as he loosened the small silk
handkerchief under his broad collar.
" Don't you, Posy?" he added, pulling
his cousins black dress. Posys blue
eyes filed with teas. she could remem-
Der when her own dear papa and hiamiia
came with the rest to spend Tbanksgiv-
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 we'll begun and he
had not come. She thought Of him, so
far away. lie 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 father
had found him alone in the world, cared,
for by no one, and had taken him home
and made him his son. Her mother 8
last words we're John will take care of
vou POsy." Dear John," thought
Posy, 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
was Thanksgiving but when Tom, from
behind his small tower of turkey and
chicken. bones pronounced this a Jolly
world " it started the too-wiIling teas.
Mamma" said Tom, waving drum
stick at his mother, hasn't Cousin John
got a pretty long nose
g Pretty long" said his mother.
''There, P0sy,' said he, still gesticu-
lating with his drumstici, "ot course he
will smell his jolly dinner and come for
it"
Posy laughed with tears in her eyes.
" Any way, it is mean in you to make
usunhappy on Thanksgiving day, Don't
YOU think so boys?' Without looking
at the young gentlemen addressed, Tom
my passed his plate to his grandfather,
with an An around again, il 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, as he received it with greater
emphasis than before, "that it was a
Jolly world
The dinner was. nearly over Great
gobbIers, tina. mad strutted nobIy in their
! dsv, and gentle turkey matrons, that
had not always meekIy followed after;
black hens and white, yellow chickens
and gray; pies without number and
| puddings worthy of the day; apples,
sweetmeats, nuts and raisin3-ali had
contributed toward making 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,
II always told you that these clothes
didn't fit me.
= Posv, ra i.ing herlittle hand over the
table now stripped Of its most substantial
glories), said, earnestly: i 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 IohnW
"He'll come tomorrow" said Tommy,
languidly. perhaps if he had come to-
dav he would have made himself sick. y
"Ofcourse be would' said big Cousin
Billy, who was picking out nuts tor Tom
my's pretty sister, Dora. " How much
better for him to get here strong and we'll
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 eyes, 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 mine" she
heard the merry voices of her cousins
bows and girls, some so much older thar
she. Why should she alone be unhappy
As she was leaving the window larg'
red apple fell at her feet.
: "Why didn't you catch it"' asked
+ Tommy.
t "I didn't see it in time" said Posy
I Thank you Tom; but don't want it.
. " You must have it," said Tommy
+ al have named it for you"
c Il don't want to play" said Posy.
S Il can't tell you who ] named" sait
e Tommy, mysteriously, but it is some
5 body-.-a little too old for you, perhap
) -..but somebody you want to see aw
i fully"
: q Fight they both love-" laughe'
e Billy
5 '|Whodid you name it !' asked Dora
n Billy whispered iu her ear.
{ 80 you horrid thing" cried Dora
; f" You know don't like him.
! Pom my word, thought that 70
e thought that he was splended, = sal
t. Billy, still grinning. ~
+. Nine he comes, in mine said al
h other great boy.
Is Nine she comes" said Dora.
!, Nine he comes" repeated Posy t
n herself. "Oh! if my apple would onl
it have nine Seeds" she said to Tommy.
If @We'll make it have nine," said tt
ID valiant Tommy " But you must eat
y Yourself you know"
r. She held upothe great apple. "0t
n it will take SO long Won't you bel
meW Ht
Tommy laid one hand on his heart,
le prove his willingness to save her; I'll
d nther lar E6low i, to SUGGEST his inabi