River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-05-10
NILLY'S THANKSGIVING.

stove, Wilere MISUNDERSTANDING IRE seemed
to be trying 10 keep itself alive, with
scarcely anything to feed upon. Milly
stood as close as she could get to il, and
tried to warm her poor little blue fingers.
She had on gingham hood, and thin
WORKOUT shawl, and her undergarments
were not much warmer.
Well darling" said her mother, .
know you must be almost frozen. | wish
could make more fire and give you a
good thorough warming; but the wood is
all gone" As she poked she looked al
the poor little thing, so young to suffer,
and the tears came into her eyes, that
were almost worn out with weeping
Wait minute, dear she continued.
- and / will give you this sewing to take
home. If Mrs. Phillips should pay for it
right away could buy little more
wood, and warm you before you go to
bed
Milly took the work with quite a light
heart, and trudged along to Mrs. Phillips.
She did not have to go very far, and when
she found that Mrs. Phillips was at home
she said to herself, Now we shall have
some fire, ana get so nice and warm -
But Mrs. Philips did not come down
stairs herself; she only sent the servant 10
say she had no change at present, but
would pay when all the work was finished.
If she had come, in place of her messen-
ger, she would have seen poor little
shivering figure trying to get little
warmth from the scant shawl she was
drawing tightly around her.
While Milly was standing in the hall
she had great temptation, and she re-
sisted il, like the noble little girl she was.
| Lying on the marble floor, as if it had
been dropped carelessly, was five dollar
note. When Milly first saw it her heart
almost jumped with delight, for a vision
of glowing fires, and good, hearty meals
rose up before her; and she very likely
thought the money would last lifetime,
ii seemed such a large sum to her. All
| this passed through her mind in two or
| three minutes as she stood and looked at
it, reading :" five, I" five in all the cor
ners; but the little honest heart asserted
itself, and when the servant returned she
handed it to her 1t was a sweet little
voice that said, "Will you please give
this to Mrs. Phillips, and tell her that |
| found it in the hall?n
Then poor Milly, not realizing that way
up in heaven the angels were watching
her, turned her little disappointed face
homeward. She did not know that any
one was interested in her; but beside the
| angels, there was one near her who could
do what they could not. Mrs. Phillips
had a brother whom she sometimes ac-
cused of being crazy, because he was so
apt to stroll around quietly among the
poor, initiating Christ and his love for
them. He was not bit like other peo-
pie, he always seemed to find things out
in such a queer sort of way.
When Milly stood in the hall with the
money in her hands, he was looking
through glass door, and wondering what
she would do with it. He gave chuckle
of delight, so low, however, that Milly
did not hear it, as soon as he saw that she
had decided. He read it all in her face
before she had parted with the money.
~ must know more about that child"
said this brother Carl; and away he went,
right after Milly. But he did not have
to walk very fast to keep her in sight.
When she reached the house and disap-
peared through the door, instead of rush
ing in after her, and saying to her mother
as soon as he saw her, "My good woman
what can do for you2" he only screwed
up his eyes for he was near sighted) at
the number of the house, and then went
right home again as fast as possible.
He soon found out Milly's name from
his sister, and then flew out of the house
to order some wood for Milly Lennox, 121
Crane street. After attending to this he
shot off in another direction, and bought
Il l. <a1 fNv. tho
same little girl.
When the load of wood arrived Mrs.
Lennox and Milly were perfectly amazed !;
they thought surely there must be some
mistake But the man who brought it
said Milly LennoX meant Milly Lennox,
and he guessed they'd better take it with
out any more bother.
Afterward the cloak and cap appeared,
and Mrs. Lennox was certain there was
something wrong somewhere; but the
boy who brought them was so used to
carrying things around for that queer
Mr. Lewis, that he did not say anything.
He Just set the bundle down, and walked
away.
"Why, mamma said Milly, as her
mother united the parcel, isn't it splen-
dido" And she danced around the room
in delight, arraying herself in the cloak
and hood-the latter hind part before, in
her hurry. "But you,poor dear mamma"
she said, as she stopped suddenly, her lit
tie face getting back its sorrowful look
again, what will you do without some
nice, warm thingssn
Il shall do well enough, darling. You
know | seldom go out. But come! am
going to make splendid fire, and when
that is blazing away, am sure we shall
feel thankful enough to welcome the day
tomorrow"
What was their surprise the next
morning when there came a tremendous
knock at the door, and on opening it
Milly saw great basket standing there,
and turkey-cIaw sticking out of one cor
ner.
30, mammal she said, come quick y
And she rushed into the kitchen, shutting
the door, and leaving the basket and tur-
key and everything outside.
"What is the matter, Milly! Are you
crazy, childi'
40 mammal Thanksgiving has come
Thanksgiving has come! And it's all by
itself out on the door step" Mrs. Lennox
went to the door, and there she found
the basket with her little girls name on
it, as on the other things.
What could il all meanl She had never
heard of such thing before. But, never
theless, she and Milly had a charming
dinner, and as thankful time as there
was in that great city.
BY degrees Mr.. Lewis made himself
known to them, and such friend as they
found him. He called himself Milly's
adopted uncle" because he had found out
that ever so long before, he and Mr. Len
nox had been great friends.