The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-12-19

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started George out to get a turkey, ART
Wen manage TO pick ne dinner a
home Ieopldn't Bare the thought Of
intruding our company on you, and ther
You know they couldn't feel exactly
right about it themselves. Very. ecrry
Mrs. TibbOns, but then Under the cir.
cumstauces you really must excuse us, 81
and picking up her umbrellas she splash.
cd homeward through the drilling
rain.
"There, now, Hiram, what did I tell
you?" said the agitated little woman,
leaning against TIE banister, with eyes
almost swapping fire; for by this time
she had passed the crying stage of emo
ton, and felt a good deal more like
using big words and breaking up the
furniture.
"But, my dear, we haven't heard
from the Jansons vet, or Mr. henger, -
remarked Mr.. ribbons, rubbing his hands
hopefully They're the jolliest of the
lot, you know, and if they come Wen
have lots o. fun any way"
Yes. but as sure as you're a living
man, Hiram Tibson' :, inside OK another
half hour yon'il see somebody else
around here with the information that
JsnsoD has had another stroke of apo
plexy, and I'm prepared TO hear at any
moment that Mr.. Menger has got a
broken leg or is locked up in the station
house. But don't care now whether
a single soul comes or not. I'll dish up
at two O'Clock as | said | would, and
III never get up another Christmas din
ner as long as live"
The day moved on, with no further
tidings of bad luck coming to hand, nor
did any of the invited guests put in an
appearance. Every 10 or Is minutes
some member of the family was deput-
ed TO go to the door and look out to sec
whether any Of them codld be seen. as
the dinner hour drew YEARLY near, Mrs.
Tibbons became more and more nerv-
Gus and fidgety, banged the dishes
around recklessly, and remarked re-
peatedly that she hoped nobody would
come, any way, as the dinner wouldn't
be fit for a dog to eat. Eveff thing had
gone wrong from beginning to end, and
if she had 10 die at that minute her last
words would be that she had forgotten
to put bit of seasoning in toe dressing,
and had used salt instead of sugar in the
cranberry sauce.
Tibbons himself looked as wretched
as he was capable of doing, stood around
in the way all the time, rubbing his
hands, and with weak little sickly
smile that felt ashamed of itself, kept
trying to cheer his wife up by saying
Don't worry, little woman-it's no
use, Sussn, every thing'n come out
right, see if it don't"
And, as if to confirm his words, Just
as the clock was on the stroke of two,
and the dinner was smoking on the table,
one of the children came running with
the cry Of
"Mr. Menger's comingl"
Two signs Of relief filed the dining
room, and two woeinl faces frightened
up, and by the time Mr.. Menger came
in they were looking real CHEEKY, and
gave him reception that fairly sur
prised him by its unmistakable hearth
ness.
He apologized for being late and ex-
pressed his surprise at not seeing the
other guests. Every thing was explain
ed, and the discomforts and disappoint-
ments of the morning turned into a
source of mirth and jollity as they gath
cred around the groanihg board.
Tibbons picked p the carving tools
and dissected the bouncing bird with a
skillful hand. 1t was done to a turn
have been better, and all Mrs.
Tibbons's doubts and misgivings as to
its being tender were allayed-it was
delicious.
"What part, Mr.. MengerP"
4" Not any, whatever, Mr.. Tibbons, for
me, thank you. I've been almost dead
with dyspepsia the past week, and the
doctor has put me on bread and milk
diet, and strictly Forbid me to eat
any thing else. It's terrible tempting,
Mrs. Tibbons, but the torture of the
penalty is too much for my courage, and
can't give way to it. So, if you please,
Just give me bowl of bread and milk,
and don't think for moment that [
slight your delicious dinner willfully, or
through lack of appreciation"
All of which sounds so nice to Mrs.
Tibbons that she was obliged to be mol
flied, though she did feel a chilling
sensation about the heart, and never
wanted TO CRY so bad in all her life-but
it wouldn't do. However crushed and
chagrined with modification and dis
appointment she might be, she was too
much the lady to. allow the slightest be-
trayal of the same in the presence of
her guest, and he was also very much of
a gentleman, and withal quite con-
noisseur in cookery, as his dyspepsia at
tested. Being an excellent talker, and
an adroit dispenser of compliments, he
soon managed to make the little lady
feel that her labor had not been entirely
lost, and she soon entertained feeling
very much akin to that of gratitude to
the young man for having kept his ap-
pointment when it was really undergo
ing very severe penance to do 50.
The dinner passed much more pleas
antly than it augured in the outset, and
just as they arose to leave the table, a
sharp ring came from the door-bell and
one of the children bounded into the
room, shouting
/" It's the Jansonsi"
And sure enough it was-all of them
children and all-and with them came
also stranger, a handsome young man,
with black curling locks, who brushed
eagerly past the rest and clasped Mrs
Ti0bons in his arms, and kissed her
right square in the mouth, before any
body could say word, and Tibbons
standing there speeches. with eyes and
mouth wide open with amazement, and
wondering if he was sound asleep and
dreaming, or whether the brandy in the
mince-meat had fuddled his head up so
that he couldn't understand his own
eyes. And then Mrs. Tibbons fell q
crying and sobbing with Joy
"Oh, John, you dear boy, little did !
think I'd ever see you again, for
thought you was dead, John. The pa
pers said so, and we heard nothing from
you. Where-where have you been all
this while?"
And then TibboBs knew that it was
his wife's brother who had gone TO seek
his fortune in the Black Hills, and
whom she had mourned as dead, and in
trying to get to John and get him by