The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-11-28
A Thanksgiving Reunion
BY CELIA P. woOLEY.

Very bright and CHEEKY looked the
little sitting room in the parsonage at
BroOkton one cold rainy evening in the
middle of November. A large table Gov
cred with a miscellaneous collection OF
books, papers, children's toys and q
spacious work basket filled high with the
weeks mending, stood near the huge
acorn stove, which diffused q gentle
warmth throughout the rooms, giving
sundry putting and rumbling sounds
from time 70 time in the depths of its
cavernOus recesses, as much as to say,
" I'll not submit TO this cramping process
much longer. You'll see what q roaring,
blazing time have next winter"
Around the table were seated the Rev.
Frank Dyer, Mrs Rev. Frank, and John
Dexter, her bachelor brother. A greater
contrast Is seldom seen than that afforded
by these two men. The first, with his
slight frame and quiet inOfensiveness of
manner, might at first sight inspire no
deeper feeling tba- one of good-natured
Indifference, feeling which, on closer
examination of the high forehead, in
tellig"nt eye and clear.cut features,
would change into one of subdued
respect Beeides being a minister, Mr..
Frank Dyer was a student and book
worm. De had but to open a book to
become straightWay oblivious to all that
surrounded him, whether it was the quiet
of his study or the chatter of his two
boys. Just now he sat in the most un.
comfortable of positions, absorbed in
Argyle's Reign of Law" alike undis-
k,.kal ky.f h. II ~
the window and the nearer and less
musical rattle of his companions news
paper.
John Dexter was what the world
terms one of your practical men. He
was a broad-shouldered, loud-talking
man, with bushy, brown hair, long
sweeping beard shade lighter, which he
stroked and foDdled in a complscent
manner that would have made poor
whiskerless Fledgby pale with rage.
His strong, robust physique and abound.
ing nervous energy, together with a
quick and shrewd intelligence, led him
to seek the eVer-mOving life of man of
business. He discOursed most fuently
on such topics as railroad monopolies and
Indian affairs. For his reading matter
he aojured poetry and metaphysics, and
chose that which treated of plain fact.
The Popular Science N.nthly was his
favorite magazine; ne perused carefully
all the articles on South American birds
and vestilatlOn of houses. but omitted
Spencer s speculative sociological works.
For recreation he resOrted TO Dickens,
which gave rise to his habit of dubhing
his sister with all sorts of names-DOt,
Dame burden, Little Mother-and
when she displayed unusual sisterly
solicitude, Ruth Pinch. In politics be
looked for the formal statement of hi
opinions in the short editorials OF the
Nation, though his brother-in-law Away
found those pages uncut which contained
the reviews of the latest works in Ger
man philosophy. John approved of tn,
assumed towards everything else in tn
literary line. He WAS something OF !
fault-fnder himself, was Mr.. Dexter
He was cyniC, 50 he fattered himself
and thoroughly understood the world
made up, for the most part, of self-seek
ing men aud vain, frivolous women. II
felt particularly certain about th'
women; their verdict bad been spokel
about four years before, when Marial
Furness had promised to marry him ON
beautiful summer night, and had sud
denly and mysteriously disappeare
within a week, no one knew wher,
John, for one, did not propose to max
himself ridiculous by inquiring to an
great extent. Falling desperately i
love seldom has the effect of maxim
proud, impulsive people any the le
exacting and irhGmmable. job
though me m0<s diyuifsd thing
could dn VAS u esys summer p!'asuril
for tie ,up"riuter'cGce If the Brooktt
iron works. He acc JrdiDgly did 4