Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-11-27
Wills WILL, AND HIS TWO
HANkSGivlaGS.
From Harper's Magazine.

rum NPoi snaEa1the
Hes got the dread ulest will. Par
son Roberts I'm cen Almost afeari
OF him eft he says he will do anything
for he'll do it, whether or no; anc
here be, widder, and next t
nothIn' lett in the way OF means :
and then the poor little woman burst
into tears Nc. Roberts was Young
man, and an honest .nan, so he die
not say anything: his repertory o.
spiritu | consultations was as vel
small, and strictly conventional
There was nothing IN it htted TO TIM
particular distress OF williul son
which really seemed greater troub
lie 10 Mrs. White than the death Of
Joel, who had just expired in the
leau to bedroom. joel had not been
a hslp or comfort 10 her for the lasl
ten years. He had Il. last died sol
the tremeDs," as she phrased it, and
lett her with only the little brown
house that had three rooms and a
loft IN it, and a halt acre of garden
ground
1t was bleak November day, the
air sour and dark, the trees Leaf iess.
the earth sodden with chill rains, and
a dreadful silence and peace settling
down on this small shelter by the
road side that had for week past
resounded with shrioks and groans
Mr. Roberts had been sent for at the
last momeTt I, with that vague idea OF
ghostiy help at the very extremity
that VIC all feel, whether we believe
in IT or not; but he had come too
late tor even an attempt at healing
the Sin sick spirit: 1t had fled far
away, and now he stood gazing out
OF the window at the dreary land
Ncape, listening TO the wind that
cried in the spout, and the widow S
means in the kitchen. with about as
much idea how to exhort the one as
the other; but be did the best thing
after al : he knelt down at the next
chair and prayed ferventy for a
comfort and help beyond ma IS pow
er 10 give, aud Mrs. Whites soul
grew calm with the very lifting of
her thoughts into purer atmos
phere. Two days after the funeral
was held. A scant assemblage of
neigbbors came in TO listen to the
reading of Scripture and singing,
which was purposely made as inap
propriate as possible, tor to utter
that which was really the right thing,
as far as honesty went, would have
been gratutous insult to the living,
and useless to the dead !; but MIR
Roberts grew fairly eloquent in the
iervor OF his prayer tor the mother
and her son, and VIII White bent
his handsome curly head lower still
TO hide the real emotion that glittered
in his eyes and flashed his face as
Mr.. Roberts asked OF ibe Lord that
he might be help aud stay to the
old age and weakness of his remain
ing parent. The wldow rather re
scented the terms in which he alluded
to her aye, for she was "only forty
seven, as she said 10 herself, aud
felt quite competent for all future
emergencies II VIII would behave
himself but of course this little cha
grin could not express Itself, aud Mr.
Roberts never was aware of 1t (; So
the prayer did her no special good in
Its utterance, but II woke up Will to
a sense OF manliness and responsible
ity that answered tbs petition while
yet 10 was spoken.
'I'll do IT. he thought. And when
he took his place behind the coffin,
with his mother on his arm, there
was look OF resolution and courage
on his boyish face that struck the
few who saw him, though they did
not understand it.
'Sakes J! SAID Mrs Ellis, under her
breath, TO another widow who
walked with her. j est look at Will
White ! haln't he growed awful old
lately p
well. he does appear aged some
piped Mrs. Crane, teebly 'but it's a
good deal for boy TO have sech a
terrible shifiless pa "a his n was
He's bad to buckle to more'n most
of 'em, l expect
No, he haln't,' was the sharp re
Spouse, HIS run wild she hasn't
never had no government at all. He
has done what be dam please righ,
along, and be won't never he no
good-you see # he Is. She'll slave
an slave for that Teller Jest as she did
for Joel, and he'll hev his own way.
for all her, till the day after never.
| wouldn't stand in hsr shoes TO,
nothin'. Mercy to me /! ii it AIM
a snowin' I! Com, Miss Crane, hur
~ mp | cant stay through the
prayer shall have rheumatic for
certain eft | do
And snow it did, bitterly and con
tinously, all that night and the next
day, which was the old and honored
festival of New England Thanks.
giving day.
Will had to shovel a path to the
woodpile; and spent the dark, cold
morning bringing wood into the
back shed for Deacon Peters had
sent a load last week to Mrs. White
IN behalf of the church, aud in odd
hours Will had sawed and split il
While he put it out of reach of the
weather his mother went about slow
ly, getting such d nner as she could
In The village, not mile away, fires
were bright, pantries overfi,wiug,
children laughing, families gathering
IN the old homes, tables spread with
every homely dainty accordant with
the season; but the widow White
and Will sat dove to dinner OF
boiled pork and potatoes, and pot
OF sage tea.
They did not say anything. to each
other while the seantv IN Al was eat
en-it is not New England fashion
TO be social at meals. and there wa,
nothing to W ,rm their hearts in the
poverty and solitude of their con.ii
ton; and when A. last il was over,
and the dishes disposed of, Will sat
down b. the FIRE ard cracked some
nuis he had gatherc4 week before,
aud picked out the fresh meals tor
his mother 1t VAS ali unusual
attention, and his mother thanked
him with a fearful SORT of smile bur