Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-11-24
A Walters Thanksgiving.

A Walters Thanksgiving.
Everybody says it Is wicked to wish
ones self dead" said Will Peckham, as he |
dressed himself Thanksgiving morning /; |
" but don't see why it is when everybody |
is dead that one cares anything about. / |
don't suppose ought to say that, for there's |
mother, but / don't think 1 shall ever be |
able to do anything for her When fel- |
low has to turn waiter to keep himself from |
starving to death, it don't look very promis- |
ing for anybody connected with him."
just here it was about all this brave boy |
could do to keep himself from crying aloud
for he was brave boy notwithstanding his |
grumblng.
The work of dressing went on slowly, for
it was not more than FIVE O'clock and the /,
bit Of candle he had had upon going to bed
was only just enough to last him as he
mended tear in his coat and put patch
on the sleeve of the shirt he was to wear on
the next day.
"I suppose there'll be good bit of pray
ing all over the country to-day" Will went
on to himself, and mother'll go to church
and pray for me whether anybody else does
or not. They'll have good dinner down
east, and mother will be wondering all day
whether I've got anything to eat or not.
| must write to her tonight and tell her
where | am and what I'm doing"
VIII Peckham was Yankee boy, about
sixteen years old, good looking, intelligent
and well brought up. A series of caamities
had overtaken his family, ending with the
death Of his father and the breaking up of
his home. His mother had been obliged to
go with some distant relatives in Rhode Is
land and earn her living helping with the
housework.
There didn't seem to be any place for
Will and so the boy, unwilling to eat the
bread Of dependence, started out into the
world to take care of himself. Five years
before Wills father had been obliged to put
large part of his land in the hands of a
real estate agent, and after successful sale
the man decamped with the money, and so
thoroughly did he cover his tracks that al
though MIR. Peckbam spent the balance of
his property trying to find him he could not
discover the slightest clue to the rascal's
whereabouts
Will fumbled round in the dark and
after considerable skill and quite as much
patience, the neat toilet was completed and
the boy was ready for his days work.
Then he locked his trunk, containing a few
letters and treasures, and made his way
from the fifth story of tenement house
down into the street, and hurried along TO
the Broadway restaurant where he was
employed. 1t had required some courage
and address to procure him this place,
ssses Sssss ES% Gosf sff az hf hight Es worked like
slave. Will had some friends in his native
place who had wanted him to remain and
try to find something to do at home and
now that he had failed in getting the EN-
ployment he supposed would be such sim
Pile matter had been too chagrined and dis
appointed to let any of his friends know, as
he naively remarked to himself, "where he
had fetched up at last
Wills Imagination had settled on New
York as the place where he would be most
likely to come across the villain who had
robbed his father, and the only thing that
mode the boys life of drudgery at all endu-
rable was the feeling that no better place
than a Broadway restaurant could be found
Tor this the one purpose of his life. Some
times the boys heart was strong with hope
and courage and at other times he was filled
with despondency. This morning there
seemed no light anywhere, and as he walked
briskly along in the keen November air he
prayed from the depths of his soul that he
might not turn out coward.
a
himself; $50 much easier to believe in moth
ing, and consider ones self abused, than to
believe there is God who knows all about
It'll Well, guess I've growled enough for
one day and Will struck up lively whis.
tie, and when he reached the scene of his la
bors his eyes were bright with new resolu
tion and his cheeks glowing with the active
exercise. From six to eight the hour when
the guests commenced to drop in for theil
. breakfasts, Will was busy in the kitchen as
a sort Of scullion, or cooks assistant. These
hours he loathed for as he was the only
"Yank" in an establishment mostly made W
of foreign servants with their unintelligiblt
jargon, which he was expected to instantly
understand, he naturally suffered much an
noyance. Then he was the victim of FIRE
quent practical jokes which hurt his prid,
aud made his mornings miserable. 1t woulC
not do to resent them and the only way t,
manage was to appear not to care, which fo
boy of Will Peckham's nature was a yer,
difficult part to play. This morning, how
ever, he entered the kitchen whistling, ant
quite disarmed his tormentors by his happ,
! behavior. Win did not like to truss fowls
and pick out Holsters, and beat eggs, an'
prepare dressing, but he worked away briskl
until the time came for him TO don his whit
apron anu RO up StdlTS W MS lhDltS. Ou
OF these tables was by window looking ou
= ways peering into the busy thoroughfar
e whenever he could steal time from his in
= Vulnerable duties.
Oh what tiresome day this was If tn
!, boy could only have been kept busy, he nigh
9 have held on TO his forced spirits but holi
4 days are usually dull days at the restau
y rants, and this one was no exception TO tn
= general rule. BY noon Wills courage ha
Il fallen very low in his spiritual thermometer
d and by three o'clock it had touched zero.
There's nothing for me in this world,
= = suppose" he told himself after a while, " bu
/ to wear a white apron and hand folks bill
y Of fare. take their orders and bring bac
, their soup and stuff Perhaps ought to b
n thankful thanksgiving day for having eve
y a walters place. | wonder if | ann"
e Just here something occurred whic
+ knocked VIII, as he afterwards said, "a
4 standing" A large, fine looking man Ell
! tered and walked straight to Wills windo,
y. table and took his seat This gentlema
r was Judge Strong of Rhode Island, an oil
a friend of Wills father. This was the frs
y face the boy had recognized since his COZ
a nection with the restaurant, and now a ce
" tain timidity and shamefacedness, quit
II natural perhaps under the circumstances, pr,
II vented him not only from accosting his oil
q acquaintance but from even looking at hin
i The Judge glanced at the bill of fare whic
Is viii very timidly presented, then ordere
his dinner in the old-fashioned business wa
characteristic of this legal gentleman an
4, after these details were disposed of opene
IS his paper and was Immediately absorbed i
Il its contents.
!, I" He might have seen my hands" the bo