Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-11-28
HARD TIMES.
A Thanksgiving Story.
BY MISS ROSE PORTER.

BY MISS ROSE PORTER.
mo thanksgiving keeping thi.
year, leastways not bit of it in nv
family" said Farmer Newton. as
with frown upon his usually good
numored face, he snapped his whip
ruthlessly among the late asters and
tall grasses that, spite the first frosts
OF autumn, still fingered by The road
side. 1t was a Sabbath, early 10
November. The minister had read
the Thanksgiving Proclamation al
both morning and afternoon service.
"Quite unnecessary to repeat it;
once was enough for a year like
this" the farmer muttered. Who
is to observe the day, I would like
to know none of my folks, for GER
TAIN"
"Not keep Thanksgiving day?p
A chorus of youthful voices echoed
the words in shrill accents that broke
dlscordantly natures's sweet Snpdav
quiet, and woke up into sudden trilis
OF song the few birds that had not
flown southwark, away from New
England's bleak winds.
"No," Farmer Newton repeated.
and then, with a darker fYown and q
harder note in his voice, he added.
III would like to know what we hav q
got to give thanks for 7' and the
farmer. wont to be so circumspect
on the Sabbath day, laughed loudly.
q laugh empty of the music of glad
heart, for it was bitter and derisiye.
and ended in murmured words that
only his wife, who sat beside him.
heard.
She made no reply, unless there
was al answer hidden In the gentle
touch of her hand on bis knee,-a
caresslng soothing little touch. that
only woman who loved could have
given and somehow, eondrruess SO
wins tenderness. Farmer Newton
straightway stretched out his own
hand aud laid it on his wife's, and
then, with quick glance exchang ed
between them,--a glance of sympa-
thy from the wife, of love from the
husband. Mrs. Newton turned to
reassure the children in the back
seat, saying, swat, little ones, till
the day comes, aud then perhaps
father will find, after all, we can
keep Thanksgiving, even though
the times are SO bard;;" and some.
thing like sigh crept into Mrs.
Newton's voice as she added, aWait.'
swat II" it was such common
word with her. "If you only wait"
she was wont to say, "things are
often not half so bad as they look in
anticipation. Wait, and often you
will find cloudy morning ends in a
sunshiny noon"
"True enough" the farmer had
often replied to her, and only a few
hours later he met her gentle remon-
STRANGE 20 wait AID perhaps things
would brighten, with the same
words, bit he added, 81 wish you
would tell me how, Molly"
They were sitting together in the
cheerful sitting room that opened off
from the great kitchen. The chill.
dren had gone to bed. The sschores''
had been dons for the night. The
shining pans in the cool dairy were
full to the brim with snowy milk. on
which the cream was already be-
ginning to rise.
An air OF comfort and plenty how
cred over everything, and seemed
to contradict the farmers words
The wood pile stretched straiph,
and high down by the stone wal
eastward OF the house. The great
baru to its highest loft was full Of
the sweet and new.mown hay Of
the summers harvest. In the cellar
barrel after barrel stood loaded with
rosy-cheeked apples, rusty coats and
winter pippins; huge piles of yello "
pumpkins, out in the fields, lay ia
the moonlight, shining like golden
heaps full-grained ears OF corn
were peeplng through the chinks
and crevicus of the corn-crib. VIVA,
could Farmer. Newton mean by call.
ing the times .hard," by saving
/ when all seemed so prosperous. that
there would be no Thanksgiving
keeping for him or his that year
ln the quaint side board that stood
IN the corner OF the room there wa.
a drawer where was kept a little
book that held the apswer,-a much.
worn book, that contained line after
line of figures, "a book be referred
&c as he said, 81 will look it owe,
aud add up the figures once again
Molly, though sm as sure as sure
can be there is no mistake; sure. ]
say, that the line which tells how
much | am to receive from the sum.
mer crops falls far ehort of the inter,
est due TO Sqrire Forbes
| "Do not look at it Tonight" Mrs.
| Newton pleaded; 'sdo not let Mon.
days cares creep into Sundays peace
| Andrew
| "Why, Molly the farr err replied
looking st the little woman tenderIy,
"the care has been in my heart all
day somehow / could not put II
away when I ended Saturdays
work.
| MOI for he only tried 10 his own
strength.
81 tell you, Molly" be continued,
and the hard look came into bis face
again, 81 have thought and thought,
and no way can / find to make up
the needed sums-and then, sudden
~ as fash of lightning darts across
the summer sky, the CLEAN of . new
thought shone in Farmer Newton's