The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-12-07

am glad, for he'd fret sorely, Jim
would. His ship is China trader,
Miss Forde. Second mate he sailed
this time, and he's half promised the
first mates place if he goes again. His
employers think the world of him.
And why not? for there's no one like
Jim
Chow good turkey is!'' said Nanny,
who was drying the time-honored wish
bone before the fire. Its quite done,
Miss Forde, l think. May l wish it
nowp"
eyes. Take hold of one end and I'll
take the other. Now we must each
wish. 1 wish your Uncle Jim would
come home quick, and safe and sound. "
"Why, that's my wish toon' screamed
little Nanny, as the bone cracked and
flew asunder.
But neither wish was granted. Week
followed week, month succeeded month,
but no Uncle Jim appeared, neither was
his ship heard from. And still the
friendship begun that Thanksgiving
day between the " fourth floor front p"
and the third pair back" throve and
flourished. 1t was not in Jenny's ma
ture to do anything by halves. By her
aid Mrs. Denis procured work enough
to keep the wolf from the door, and in
Vulnerable were the kind offices which
her helpfulness enabled her to do for
the widow and the little ones. The
children took her into their heart of
hearts. "Aunt Jenny" was their name
for her, and they loved her next to their
mother. And strange to say, with al
this added work and new interest, Jen7
ny's own life seemed brighter and easiest
than usual Everything turned out
well y for her that year. Little bits of
good fortune come her way, new
lightness of heart and satisfaction pos
sessed her. "He that watereth shall
be watered." Jenny did not know it,
but that immortal truth is as real now
as when in days of old angels came
down in visible shape and ministered
to the necessities of men.
So passed the winter the spring; and
summer spread her mantle early over
the land and all went happy with the
little hive of workers. But one after
noon in August sad thing happened.
Jenny slipped on bit of banana skin
one of the many bits which dot sum-
mer pavements-fell, wreDched and
sprained her shoulder and broke her
right arm. Luckily she was near home
and was carried there at once. The &C
cident was disposed of in three lines in
next days paper, but not so easily by
the party most concerned. A long i'll
ness was followed by weary GONZALES
cence. Sewing was out of the question;
Jenny's friendly patrons were out of
town; there was no one to offer help;
and what with weakness and discour-
agement, rent falling behind, and a
doctors bill looming portentously
ahead, our brave little woman felt her
courage sink as never before in her life.
What could she have done without
the Denises now? This was a question
she asked herself dozen times day.
Morning after morning Mrs. Denis
brought her bright kind face to Jenny's
bedside, made her tea, brushed her
hair, Strengthened the room, and cheered
her with the hopeful words which mean
so much to the Responding invalid.
Hour after hour Nanny sat, patient as
an old woman, beside "Aunt Jenny"
watching her eye, and ready to fly at a
moment for whatever was needed. Even
little Alice would climb the stairs with
a glass of "real cold' water, flower,
kiss to make her well, or new rhyme
culled from her picture-book, which
she was sure would g amoose" the dear
neighbor. These visits were the sole
cheer of those dark days. The little
seed sown in kindness had indeed
brought forth fruit hundredfold.
"Sure and Its pleasure you wouldn't
deny me-" Mrs. Denis would protest in
answer to Jenny's fearful thanks. "It's
always been you and you before, and |
never thought I'd have the chance to
so much as turn my hand over for you.
It's clear pleasure, it is"
The "clcar pleasure" lasted into Oc-
tober; then matters began to mend.
Jenny could help herself little at last.
Her employers came back, and various
little kindnesses followed their return.
| But the once nimble fingers were stiff
and weak, and Thanksgiving found her
still unable to sew for more than a few
minutes at a time. Mrs. Meredith was
in Europe; no one happened to think
of the little seamstress, and altogether
things were in sorry contrast to the
bright holiday of last year.
Again Jenny sat in her rocking chair
on Thanksgiving-eve, idle now from
necessity, not of choice. She looked
sad, but frightened when Mrs. Denis
step sounded on the stair. 1t was a
quick glad step, and Mrs. Denis burst
in with the joyful face of bearer of
good tidings.
80, Jennyr' she painted, "never was
anything like it! It's turkey has
come to me myself this time! Mrs.
Read sent it, for the darling she isl
an elegant turkey, and an elegant heap
of potatoes as well. Well have our
Thanksgiving after all; and if you're
agreed we'll eat it up here, for my
rooms but a cold one, and 1 daren' t
risk you to come down"
"How nice! how pleasant! But how
very kind of your said Jenny, half
crying.
"Kind! Why, yourself did it, you
know. It's you last year, and me this,
that's ALL"
1t was impossible to resist such open
hearted gladness, and the feast proved
even merrier than that memorable one
of u year ago, Jenny contributed some
red-cheeked apples to take the place of