The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-12-17
Selerf Storv.
A Thanksgiving Story.

q thanksgiving .Stogy.
."The Badgerleys coming here to spend
Thanksgivingp' said Mrs Nettingly.
"Not II I know It."
Mrs Nettingly was close listed and
calculating matron, who lived in hand.
some house in stylish neighborhood OF
New York, and was one Of those VINO,
as her maid os.sll.work expressed It,
would skin q dea to save the hide and
tsllow." Mrs. Nettingly liked to make
show, but she had deep-rooted aver.
sion to spending money And entertain
ing company on Thanksgiving day was
one Of the things that could not be &C
complished without the latter concomi
liant. 80
Mr.. Nettingly, q little, weak minded
man, who viewed his big wife with re
spectful admiration, looked obviously at
her. "Bdt my dear said he, show are
you going to helpits They've sent wurd
they are coming" E
"Il go to your sist,r Beliuda's up In
Saugatuck County"
Mr.. Nettingly telt of his chin.
"They haven't invited u.s." said he
"thst Is, not especially" t
"Oh, fiddles.icks r said Mrs. Netting
ley. "Belinda's always glad to see me
and the children. And as for staying at
home to gorge Mrs. Bsdgerley and her
six children, and Mr. Badgerley's two
sisters, won't do it! Whv, such tur
key as they would expect would cost
three dollars at the very least Get me
timetable, Nettingly Send word to
Mrs Badgerley that I've gone away to
spend Thanksgiving"
Mr. Net,ingly. who never dreamed Of
opposing bis wife's will in this or any
other matter. wrote the letter according
ly and put it in his coat tail pocket, where
it remained, for be forgot all about it =
Mrs. Nettingly packed up her own things
and the things of the four little Netting
lv's, and took the afternoon train for
Scrag Hollow 10 Saugstuck County
"Mamma." said Theodora Nettingly
the juvenile scions Of the house of Net.
tingly all had high sounding sppella
tions-.'it looks all shut up and lonely.
] don't believe any one is at home"
"Pshaw!' said Mrs Neltingly, people
in the country always live in the back Of
the house," e <s
And carrying heavy carpet.bag in
her hand she trudged around to the rear
door, followed by Theodors, Lavina,
Evangeline and Gervaise, each Juggling
along smaller bag Fh
Nobody responded to her repeated
volley Of knocks, but presently little
old woman, who had come from neigh
boring cottage to the we'll for water, was
made to understand what was wanted
eMrs. PeckteId ?" said the little old
woman, In high pitcher. sBrili voice,
which so often accompanies deafness -
You're her consin from the city come
to spend Thanksgiving? Well, if that
ain't too bad! Mrs. PeckReld started
this very afternoon for Ladd's depot;
got some relations as lives there g
"Thas's very strange" said Mrs Net
tingly II telegraphed to her that ! was
coming"
"Couldn't get the telegraph, | guess"
said the little old woman
But Mrs Nettingly knew better than
that, for under the corner OF the piazzs
lay the torn envelope Of the Western
Union Telegraph! And she knew that
Mrs Peck6eld had 6ed from ber, just as
she, Mrs Nettingly, had fed before the
Badgerlev family
..But I'll be even with her." said Mrs
Nettingly, grinding her false teeth "Ill
go to Ladd's depot. What are the names
Of her relations there2'
The little old woman, after some med
itation, said that it was Jones AT least
she thought 1t was Jones. She wasnh
quite certain. 1t might be Smith; Or il
might he Thompson; but she believed il
was Jones; and she believed they lived
on Thorn street
It was long walk back to the railroad
depot, and the four little Nettinglys were
tired and cross, but they fortunately sue
ceeded in reaching it before the last
orthward train started. But it was an
express and didn't stop at small places
like Ladd's depot, ss Mrs Nettingly
found to her cost when she paid five dol
lars for . hack to take her back to
Lsdd's depot
On inquiry it was found that there
was about half dozen families OF the
name OF Jones at Lldd's depot The
fret place to which they drove on Thorn
street Was q tenement. house where they
all had scarlet fever.
"Oh, myr' said Mrs Netting'y
s.Drive on quick. This isn't the place. =
The next was q clerg,man's house,
where fuil-nedged prayer meeting was
going briskly on
"This isn't the place, either!" saii
poor Mrs Nettingly waxing more and
more ins despair.
And the third was vinegar faced or
maid, who lived with her married sister
and never had heard of the name O
Peck6eld in her life.
"Wbat shall / do ?" said Mrs Netting
lly in despair.
sBetter 60 to hotel, ma'am,' said th
hackman, who himself was beginning u
get out Of patience.
"But 1t costs go much" said Mrs Ne,
Itingly. "And tomorrow is Thankssiv
ling day. Ia there train goes back to
night7" Hs'a I
"To. night p said the hackman "Wh
it's past IL already! And my horses ha
got the epizootic, and l couldn't kee
EN- ont no longer, not for nobody Bu
I s'pose could take to you to the II 8
night express, for little ezra"
| And this moderate specimen OF tb
tribe of hackmen consented to be salts
fed with eight dollars.
"Ms!" whispered Gervase, "where ar
We going2" e51l 81
"Home," said Mrs. Nettingly, pro
nouncing the word as if it were peanu
shell she was cracking. There was on
comfort. though-the Bsdqerley famil
would have been repulsed by that time
land, after all, cold beef was cheape
/