The Portland daily press., 1878-11-25
Hartford Courant.l
The Much Family.
A Thanksgiving Story.
BY MRS. ANNIE A. PRESTON.

Ok mhSs ANNIE a. PhEoION.
my days of usefulness are over, and hay
Ing good hope, as believe, I would as
soon die as not; but do hate to be for
gotten" said Uncle Hezekiah Much, leaning
YEARLY back beneath the griffin carved in
oak which surmounted his leather-covered
arm chair and had kept guard over the Much
family for generations. "Yes, yes, / do hate
TO be forgotten. ought to have married.
1t is reproach to a man at my time of life
to die without offspring. In the future there
will be no one to look with pleasure at the
improvements Lhave made, or at the trees
have planted and say with pride, THAT was
fathers work." and the old man brushed
tear from his wan cheek with hs thin hand,
and gazed far off over the glistening sea with
a look IN his eyes as if he could almost catch
glimpse of that other shore to which he
was Fastening.
''Don't talk so, Uncle 'Kiah, dear, we
shall none OF us forget you," said sunny
haired Ruth, in voice which she tried in
vain to keep steady as she fitted around like
. humming bird, every moment delighting
the invalid anew with her bright beauty, her
anticipation of his wants, and by her COM
torting words: Bringing little pot of star
like English daises from the sunny window,
stand which was always near the griffin chair,
and passing her hand lightly over the BIOS
SONS, she went on in her soothing ripple,
"Look at them, uncle, see how wide awake
they are this morning. D04ou think we
shall ever forget that it was you who planted
them on all the sunny slopes of the old home
stead? or that we shall ever cease to think
OF your charming reunions as Thanksgiving
day comes around?'-
The sick man threw up his shadow-like
hands as if catching at an idea, saying, almost
with animation, Thank you for sugges-
ton, Sunbeam. will perpetuate those
Thanksgiving parties, and they shall be held
here each year under the ancestral roof in
memory of me. The Much family OF Much
WenlOck are Of true old Puritan blood, and
ii Is they of all others who should observe
forever the blessed old New England institu-
ton. You have always understood that this
old homestead was to be yours, my bless
ing"
Cousin Hezekiah. He is your namesake
live 1t will be together" and the young girl
hid her blushing face in the daisy blooms.
''Then it is settled. am glad of it, and
bless you for telling me. You know what
my wishes are about everything, aud can tell
young 'Kiah. Always lend helping hand
to any of your relatives when you have an
opportunity. Treasure the old heir looms,
the family furniture, linen, china and silver,
and the honor of the Much family above
rubies; and be sure your wedding comes eff
on Thanksgiving day. can trust you. Re-
member all the things have been telling
you for years, and carry out my plans. Run
I will have everything seen to at once"
1t was fortunate he did so, for on the even.
ing of that sunny March day the kind
hearted old mans lease of life expired.
"This is surprising" whispered one to
another as the short and concise will was
read. "We had thought that dear little
Ruth, who is an orphan, and has been at the
mansion from her childhood, would certainly
have been provided for.'
Everything given to Hezekiah except the
interest OF certain sum which is to defray
the expenses of a yearly Thanksgiving dinner
to which all the Much relatives have stand
ing invitation. Well, well; we will make the
most OF that, but it's surprising, surprising"
There was one more clause to the will.
"Hezekiah and his wife know my wishes and
will carry them out to the letter.
As young 'Kah had no wife, and no
thoughts in that direction that any one
knew OF, this gave rise to a general buzz, and
there was some smiling and showing of white
teeth among the girls as Hezekiah came for
ward to the center table to define his posi-
ton. Ruth stood at the far emo of the
library, and as their eyes met, an expressive
little shake Of her head gave him to under.
stand that she could not at that sad time be
brought so prominently before them all and
receive their congratulations. 1t did not
occur to the simple hearted child that she
was placing her uncle in false light or
throwing herself homeless upon the world.
One other likewise saw the gesture and
understood 1t. 1t was Mrs. Nancy Much,
widow of Moses, who was cousin of young
Hezekiah. She was one of those women
sharp enough to measure the meaning of a
significant gesture when the interpostion of
words would become supelfuous. Her own
plans flashed up in her mind and spread out
ike map before her. She commenced at
once to carry them out by going up to little
Ruth and saying kindly
"As Hezekiah is to take charge here at
once OF course this is no place for you.
Make yourself ready Immediately and come
home with me-"
Young 'Kiah caught the words, and at
once raised an objection, but the widow said
simply and decidedly
'There are prophecies, sir, to be observed
even by the Much family"
SO little Ruth did the offcious widows bid
ding.
Hezekiah was vexed. He called, however,
that Ruth had gone to bed with headache.
The next day the betrothed lovers met only
to quarrel, and at their third meeting the en-
gagement was broken and proud little Ruth
had not said a word in regard to their de-
ceased uncle's wishes or limited to arrogant,
self complacent young lover, that he was in
debted to her for his munificent bequest,
Keeping her uncle's request in mind, that
she would do what she could for her relatives
as she had an opportunity, she went away
next day to an uncle's where there were a
sick mother and half dozen children need
ing attention.
The widow had a way and grace and
will all her own, and the next news little
Ruth heard from her old home was to the
effect that her old lover and the pretty widow
Nancy were married.
The Much family had never liked the widow
Nancy. They had made great ado when
Nose married her. Immediately she became
Mrs. Much she had forgotten that her first
husband was tailor and she his seamstress.
The airs she put on were very offensive: visit
ing the rich Much relatives, ignoring the
poor ones and lording it over them at Uncle
Hezekiah's Thanksgiving parties-the only
place where she saw them all together - In
way that rendered her exceedingly unpopu-
lar. And now to have her the mistress OF
the dear ancestral mansion was more than
they knew how to put up with. She had
been called the "Widow Nancy" all the time
she lived with Moses, and the name chung to
her still after she married Hezdkiah.
I'VE will sell this horrid old place and 60
to the city to live at once, will we not, DEAR"
she said to her husband the morning after
the nuptials. Hezekiah blazed up at the
mere suggestion of such thing, and she