River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-12-16
AUNT JAMES THANKSGIVING.

Aunt Jane as she was familiarity
called by the towns-people of Stanford,
sat knitting where the sun was making
a great place of golden light on the yell
| low floor. Such cheerful room it
was too, in which she sat-full of sun
shine and brightness. There were two
| windows on the north side which over
looked the orchard, and, between the
trees, which were almost leafless now,
one would catch Il glimpse of fields
and farm-houses, and other orchards,
and beyond, in the distance, the noun
tains and from the two windows on
the south side, the river could be seen
through naples and birches not yet
shorn of their autumal glory. There
bright colored chitz,-Old-fashioned, but
having an air of homely comfort A
stand of plants filled one window. The
tea-kettle was singing on the stove, a
kettle of pumpkin was stewing, giving
out delicious flavor, while in chair
by Aunt James side lay Muf, purring
with halfclosed eyes, which she would
oceasionly open wide, and then after a
long yawn, stretch herself on the cush-
ion contentedly.
| Perhaps Aunt Jane was talking to
| Muff; at any rate she was talking. Her
knitting work had fallen to the floor as
she sat there, her hands folded idly
across her lap.
For this text was recurring ever and
over in her mind:
"But when thou makest a feast call
the poor, the manned, the lame and the
blind. And thou shalt be blessed, for
| they cannot recompense thee"
Now | was planning to have a real
Thanksgiving party" solllo1ulsed
Aunt Jane, and have 'Siah's folks from
| Mapletown, and Johns folks from the
city, and if have them, how can |
| make 81 feast as He commando"
There was tender, reverent feeling
| in Aunt James heart for his commands,
and she was perplexed how to keep
| her own plans for this time, without
conflicting with them.
"The poor lame, and the blind" she
THE lame; that's the two Perkinses
both lame in the right knee; little
sing lar, amt ii" she continued, mus
ingly, that they should be both af-
hicted in the same way-but his ways
! are mysterious"
''The blind" but here she stopped,
evidently there were no blind people in
Stanford, for Aunt Jane took every
thing literally
The poor There's the whole
Brown family, eight of em-six chill
dren, and the eldest boy only ten years
of age, and the babies, twins-all look
as if they were haf-starved. and him
shiftless-like. And the Stovers, two of
'em-father and daughter, and she
workin' her fingers off to the bones;
for him, poor man, most gone with
| consumption.
well" and here she took up the
neglected knitting-work and began
clicking the needles energetically,
"they shall have a feast for once I'll
gladden. their hearts, even if | do have
to knit few pair of sale socks to do it;
they shall have the very best" And
Muff blinked approvingly, and the tea
kettle sang more cheerily, while Aunt
Jane made new plans for Thanksgiving
for the feast In which she was to
| keep the Lords commands.
Thanksgiving day dawned bright and
| clear. Aunt Jane. as she stood in the
1 doorway to receive her guests, thought
day.
The air was as mild as the Indian
summer, tempted by the warmth, left
their hive, and droned drowsily in the
hearts of some late marigolds and
asters.
The Perkinses" were the frstto ar