The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-12-28
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Tue w 1--WE assa gss ,1 sse
mud have yaasic TIC ssys srS 20 . q . tug
Lord, have a,eken aud hare done u.
Farmer Eldridge closed the Bible, prshed
hack his chair, land arose from he bisakiasI-
table. HE'S face had an anxious sesS upon
II, and there was perrleae a'si'layer u,s.ln,
srq,,shussls In lis voice esess- as NE cioseu
Will. the suggestive passage.
&c Tl,,,re y, excIajased beautiful white
9,a;ref sf,d centlcScosa. who. wtta ger seit
hands c,aspcd In front Cd ber, sat on the OPP.
,,,cs,fe saIe az the table vt beTe, iEhlan
El,r;fiaa. that passage has nate It come 10
mo ;f,,s what I will do. via cause the
rrees, mae TO visit the dry tree. sc will not
.;a;nre,thss high tree to look fIl}en the low
t,ce ara 80 remember that theyssot tn sprang
fran, the same root Yoa can go TO Michl-
nsan ana spend Thanksgiving with your
daughter, as she wishes snu TO. ana tnere
need be $50 further s,eGpscxi ty ABOUT, W no Is
10 stay with me, for SSill SEND 10 ta lt, ci.y
for my ne phew, Cotosses Truman, ana nas
fanily,sts come here and spena SahaHksssI'Y-
inc at The old homestead - II
&c q gouaness. Miss Rannah!" cried Mrs.
4sldridre. the cloud already resting on her
brow and perceptihiy 6arkenin=s, :" that IS
;mnossibIei could never get ready for
.sueh aranG visitors and cook tAe THANKS
giving dinner and make ell the necessary
preparations. ] should be tired to death
before starting
..'The, house is clean. is it not and every
thing inusgal order?"
.CertainsS.'
isTben Ixill write my nephew an invita-
fion that he will not refuse. ! know the
truman ,nKarc, and understand now TO
reach it. Ws,cn they come they can pre-
marc their own Thanksgiving dinner. You
can start on Tuesday morning, and mind
that YOU take Thanksgiving with you in
your hearts. The team that carries you to
fhe station can wait for the boat-train and
brins nv yisitsrs back. Jerry, the ehoFe-
hoy. will stGy.1Yith me, OF course. Get out
nv writing materials, Lucy; although i :ain
blind. / will pen this letter myseE.'' And
the beautiful old lady CROPPED her way
across the white sanded floor to heavy
oaken desk.
az huge it is queer writing enough" said
pretty, pert, eignteen-years-oid Bianche
Truman, as Der father opened letter when
was handed to hiB just as the dessert was
drought upon the samily dinner-table and
the servants were dismissed from the room.
"A remarkable letter in every particular.
in chirocrarhy as well as in composition"
he said, in q low tone, as he read 1t slowly
over for the second tiEie. sand opportune-
remarkably 80. We shall spend Thanks
giving out OF town. ke announced imme-
diately: $50 pon need make no further
mans about tsisner-parties or dresses"
"Waere areme to go, ;Rapa?" questioned
Blanche. "M course ! need not accom-
pany yos, unless it is aNely gay place."
"We shall aN so on the Gonday-evenlng
train,'' replied Ms. Truman decidedly. and
steadily meeting his wifeIs anxious gaze.
81 intend to give you all 4 surprise. IL
remains for each ole OF you TO DECIDE LOT
Yourselves whether it shall be pleasant
one. AS ap1 situated Just Dow, nothing
could be more Fortunate for me than THIS IN
yitation."
Next day Colonel Truman spent in going
round among his friends and creditors and
mentioning casually that he had been sent
for from away up country. where an aged
relative tad.Wiled him large estates.
az can't see you, but / know your voice.
Hezckiah, and am glad yon have eeme,'
said Aunt Hannah in a trembling voice, eX-
tending her SOFT, white hands.
"Hezekiah, indeed J" exclaimed IRE
irresistible ten.years-old Gerald. "Papas
name is Hendrick."
"And mamma takes great pride in has
old Kniukcrbocker name," put in Grace,
who was two years OiQer.
"Well, ! would begin to talk up that old
knickerbocker nonsense about blue blood
and first families before ! got fairly into
the house." expostnlated Walter. "But
what q game old rendezvous it is l say,
Blanche, is this place really Where they
liye!" ..ls
At don't know" replied the young lady
appealed to, half crying. "Did you ever
see such strange place before, mamma?"
"See such piace?" queried Aunt Han
nah. "Your mother never saw any other
place until she was older than you are. Stir
nm the fire, Hezekiah, and heap on some
logs. and light up the rooms SO you can see
where YOU are. You will have to make
yourselves at home. for my farmer and his
wife bave gone away on visit, and with
the exception OF Jerry, the chore boy, I am
entirely alone; and I am quite blind, as
YOU know. You will BE obliged 10 wait
upon yourselves, or upon each other. we
had to give in, and have cooking-stoye in
the little kitchen that is about all the in
noyaton you will find. in the old house,
guess, Hezekiah."
t.Have you been here before. papa?"
asked another Of the wondering group,
still huddled together in the dusky twilight.
.Becp here before ?" echoed Aunt Han
nah. "What do you all mean, asking such
foolish questions? Are you dumb, Heze-
kiah? And are your children all idiotsF
You might have written and told me If that
had been the case, and saved the shock to
NV nerves. don't feel rs il could have
them around here; it is too humiliatlng;
and there are plenty Of asylums in which
you cen put them, where they would be
well taken care Of aud taught u good many
things. Though don't see, for my part,
what should make Truman have a family
OF Haturals," rt
The utter absurdity Of all this woke up
the gentleman addressed to sense OF his
: position. he laughed heartily, kissed his
aunt, whose hand he had before held CLASP ped
in his own, while he gaZed at her and about
the antique room in dazed sort OF q way,
seated her in an armchair, threw bis silk
hat aud fur-lined ulster upon the brieh;
patchwork covered bed. and in trice had a
Tire blazing in the huge fireplace, which
made all the young Trumans open their
eyes in establishment.
II feel like boy" he declared, rubbing
his hands and looking about. " Gretchen.
take of your things and see what we can
find FOR supper. 1t don't seem more than
a day since ~e were acre rs boy and girl."
t.Ah. 80 your wife iswih you, and is still
Gretchens am gtsd she has not changed
the name her poor young mother gave herr
q Gretcban. That Is sweet name;S said
Blanche, sexting bnsalf by the blind wo-
mans side. = but don't know wig papa