Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-03-17
A JOLLY THANKSGIVING DAY.

-Aary u. Brine. ~ Ha,per's Young People.
A JOLLY THANKSGIVING DAY.
"Oh. what jolly day! Good thick
ice on the pond! and Just the day for
race with the fellows"
Harry Archer was out of bed with a
bound and real live boys whoop, and
ran to the window for view of the dis
tant pond, before drawing on the warm
stockings and shoes which had lain ali
night in scattered places about the
floor, keeping company with different
articles of clothing here and there and
all over.
All of Harry's thoughts were with the
pond and his new skates. The skates
were present from his Uncle Harry,
whose namesake the boy was. and with
whom he was a great favorite. Uncle
Harry lived in the city, but had promis-
ed to eat his Thanksgiving. dinner with
Mrs. Archer and her husband. and
Harry had been promised a race with
his uncle after dinner, for Uncle Hal
was a famous skater Notwithstanding
his twenty-eight years, an age which to
Hal junior seemed very advanced in
deed. So to Harry this Thanksgiving
Day seemed very important, and had
been anticipated long and well. As he
hastily dressed himself, he thought:
. Let me see; the fellows will be at the
pond about half-past nine, l guess. and
that will give us skate of two or three
jolly hours before leone home to dress
for dinner. Well, after dinner Uncle
Hal and ! are going to skate. l can
beat an old man like him any day; and
then, in the evening, there'll be
games, cause there's company coming,
aad mamma engaged piano man. Oh,
this will be a first-class day, won't it,
thought
All these thoughts, while the stock
ings and shoes, the pants and jackets
were being donned rapidly-and the
last thought, with the final question,
must have been addressed to Harry s
reflection, as he stood before the mirror
brushing his curly, fair hair, and smiling
at the merry rosy face which smiled
back to him.
Then. as every boy ought, he knelt
10 say the morning prayer which good
mother had taught him never to forget,
and in the prayer was included the
earnest petition: "Dear Lord, teach
me to do always to others as l would
that Others should do also to me, for
Jesus sake" Harry had repeated that
prayer as long as he could remember,
and although perhaps he had never
thought as seriously of its meaning as
his mother desired he should. yet very
kind-hearted, loving little fellow was
Harry. and willing always to be oblg-
ing and helpful, and such boy is apt
to make a good man, we all know.
Breakfast over, away went Harry,
warmly clad in his fur-lined coat, and
with his new skates slung over his
shoulder. In the distance gIistened the
smooth pond, on the surface of which
already were gliding half a dozen boys.
Harry quickened his steps with a .Hur-
rah. boys" and laughed aloud in the
fullness of his merry heart and over
flowing spirits. Only a little farther to
go and then for the trial of speed be-
tween the best skaters. Harry's cheeks
were glowing with health and exercise.
His heart was content with present Joy
and merry anticipations for the rest of
the day. And no wonder that he sang
and whistled along the road until sud-
denly stopped by pitiful sight before
him. A boy of his own age apparently,
thin. white-cheeked and sad, his blue
lips trembling with weakness and cold
as he drew the worn, scant jacket about
him, and his poor feet barely protected
from the slippery road by q pair of
fpapsnrp oboao Much en-, s6o,% e.. Al. =.
shivering limbs was the ragged pair of
pants, and the boys knees trembled
beneath his own slight weight.
8 O Master Harry Archer" he said.
mpioringly. lean you give me few
pennies to get roll with at the corner,
for I'm nearly starved and frozen to
death"
Harry recognized the boy as the son
and only child of a drunken father
who had long since grieved his poor
wife to death and now was fast killing
his child with ll-treatment.
But. Jack, I thought your father
had gone to work again in the forge,
and SO you would be safe from blows,
at least. How came you so far from
tho other end of the village and your
homer"
Jack shook his head. and the tears
fillod his eyes.
"Home. Master Harry! I've got no
home now, Father beat me last night
and turned me out of doors when every
ono in the village was asleep. and
threatened to kill me if cried aloud.
And then he packed up a few things
and took every cent of money we had
and went off this morning in the cars
somewhere, saying he was going to be
well rid of me. And now I'm al alone,
and oh. so cold and hungry"
Harry listened with his little heart
full of Indignation, and while he
listened there came over the field
from the pond the merry shouts of the
boys at play and the ring of steel
against Zoe, SO tempting sound to
Harry's ears. He half turned towards
the pond after giving Jack few cents,
and swung his skates irresolutelv in his
hand. But was it, do you think, the
memory of his usual petition only that
morning repeated as he knelt in his
room-that God would "teach him to
do to others as he would others should
do to him"-that kept him from going
on towards his playmates and caused
him to turn again towards Jack.
who looked so pitiful and cold and
sad? 1t seemed an easy thing to
pray that one little prayer when
there were no obstacles in the
way of his pleasures and he had no
need to anticipate any such call upon
him, But it all flashed upon Harry
now plainly enough. If he were Jack
and stood in Jacks position. how would
he like to be treated? That was tho
ruoat;on ond Horrr,,o Xyor,, La.,,. -: