The Newtown bee., 1880-11-24
THREE THANKSGIVINGS

Four years ago this present Tn anks giving, Judge Cleveland's house of --- Co.,, N. H., was the scene of unusual festivities. The most extensive prepare tions had been made for the comfort and pleasure ot some thirty or forty invited guests, for the judge was an old fashioned host and liked to entertain sumptuously. Rodney, the judges son, was home from college for 8 week, and had brought with him a few friends whose homes were too far away to enable them to go and return in the short time allotted for vacation.
 Mrs Cleveland was delicate little lady several years younger than her husband, who delighted to please him by keeping open house, seconding his desires and his whims with astonishing patience, for Judge Cleveland was known to be something of an auuocrat, and had been heard to say that his will was always law in his own house. The gentleman's will was also law on the bench and while very generous to the poor and suffering, was sure to give evil doers the severest penalties the statutes afforded. Judge Cleveland's father had always had sideboard in his house, and the judge insisted on perpetuating the custom, although his wife by IT, suasion, and even tears, had constantly used her influence against it. Judge Cleveland believed in wine at dinner. and drink of brandy whenever he felt like it. 't A man with mind," he was accustomed to say, 'knew when to leave of, and man without a mind would get drunk anyhow"
 The judge frequently boasted that he was sure his son would never i'm bibe any bad habits with the wine he drank at his fathers table, Wine had always been as free as water in the Cleveland family, and from first to last there had never been drunkard by that name. The judge was accustomed to close his remarks on this subject by declaring that e If such thing should happen l that Rodney should ever become the worse for liquor, and he fouad it out, then Rodney and Ee parted company for 1 the rest of their lives" Mrs. Cleveland, who knew that her boy would be ban ished at once and forever, if an accident of this kind should occur, which, under | the circumstances, seemed to the anxious mother more than likely, was always ill at ease during the time of any extraordinary festivities. Just before sitting down to the sumptuous Thanks | giving dinner, Mrs. Cleveland took ad vantage of spare moment, to give her son the usual warning. What funny | little mother" the young man laughed | as he put his arm about the slight figure and looked down into her eyes with un- | utterable love. '' I shall drink only the l mildest Catawba, and only juGt enough ot that to keep upsthe goodwill ot the es- tablishment. l wonder if were to get little top heavy" he continued in the same tone of badinage, if father would threatenedr' Rodney, he would!' Mrs. Cleveland replied, with more em phasis than seemed necessary 10 her laughing son. VI have suffered more with nervous horror about thai possible circumstance than with everything else I have had to bear put together. Oh! my boy, you vii never know how cruel and wicked it seems to me to put temptation before a young man and then threaten to disin
 herit him if he succumbs to it. Oh
 Rodney, for your mothers sake be care
 full" At this moment dinner was an
 nounced, and Rodney led his mother tc her seat, and then leaning over her said softly: :" wouldn't do anything to bllr, you for all the world, mother. Trus1 me, for I'm 8 Cleveland, you know This last was quotation from his
 fathers oft-repeated words, and Mir
 Cleveland smiled 8 faint little smile as
 her sons exact reproduction of tht judge's manner.
 'There is nothing sure but the un- foreseen," says an old French proYerb and it certainly seemed tr ae in this case
 Dinner passed off in excellent style
 Rodney's behavior being as usual en
 tirely satisfactory. As the young mar never touched anything from the side.
 board, Mrs. Cleveland's s fears were quit,
 lulled to rest. One of Rodney's friend.
 seemed little flushed after dinner, bu
 after all Rodney friend wasn't Rodney