Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-11-23

The boys were too small to do much
work, and Mrs. Green had to earn a
living for all of them by taking in sew
ing. Grandma knitted stockings and
mittens for the stores, and earned a lit
tie to help along; but, put it all together,
they had only poor living.
Now winter was coming on, and there
were clothes to be bought for the boys,
and wood must be provided for the long,
cold days before them, and rent had to
be paid.
Mrs. Green had all she could do to
make both ends meet. Sometimes it
seemed to her that there was no way out
of the trouble that comes to poor folks
every now and then, but grandma would
say:
'Don't you 60 to gettin' down-heart-
ed, Sary Ann. There's allus some way
pervided for them as trust in Provi-
dence. I've found it SO, an I've lived a
| good many more years than you have.
| Sometimes it looks dark, l allow, but if
you'll only take the Lord at His word,
it'll come out right. Jest you mark
that, Sary Ann
"Sary Ann" wasn't one of the women
to stay down-hearted. She had a happy
faculty of looking on the bright side of
| things, and the consequence was that
the three Toddlekin boys had pleas
anter and more cheerful home than
many boys whose fathers and mothers
have plenty of money, and have no need
to worry about where the bread for to-
morrow is coming from.
! cit alius seems to me as eff twas a
kind of duty to keep Thanksgivin' as my
folds used to-" said Grandma Green.
| lot hn Iary hr oftor
could remember, 'thout havin' a real
an pumkin' pie an cranberry sass
ssI'd like to have nice dinner for this
Thanksgiving, if we could afford it, :"
said Mrs Green. "But we can't, and
that's all there is to be said about it. We
will have to do as the children do-play
we're having turkey and all the other
good things, and let it go at that. What
do you think of that plan, my three lit
tie solemn faces?"
And the Toddlekins' mother looked at
her thoughtful boys and laughed-a lit
tie, try-hard -to-be cheerful laugh-but
there was a sound in it that would have
made you feel sure that only a slight
way back of it there were tears. But
the brave little woman wasn't going to
! let them be seen by any one, if she
could help it. Tom and Ned and Josy
didn't say what they thought of it, but
| got up, presently, and went out into the
hall. There they sat down on the stairs,
each one looking more solemn than
ever.
al say, boys" spoke up Tom, by and
by, ssI wish l could get turkey for
Tbanksgivin'.
Now wasn't it funnyP Both the other
boys were thinking of the very same
thing.
81 wish 1 could" said Ned.
$50 do l." said Josy. 'I'd like to
bring one home 'thout mothers know
ing anything about it, an just pop it
right under her nose Thanksgivin' morn
in. Would't it be jolly?'
s.You bet your boots it would" said
Ned. ssI've good mind to see old
Uncle Dave, an try if can't do some
thin to pay for one"
Then, as if sorry he had said what he
had, Ned shut his mouth suddenly, and
not another word could the boys get out
of him.
You see, an idea had just popped into
Ned's head. and he had said enough
to pop the same idea into the heads of
the other two boys but he didn't dream
that they were thinking of the same
thing he was.
That afternoon Uncle Dave-every-
body who knew him called him that
leaned over the counter of his meat
market and bakery to ask the oldest lit
tie Toddlekins if he wanted anything.
"Yes, 1 do" answered Tom, prompt
ly. 81 want to know if L can't do some
thin'-run Grants, or bring in wood, or
Toll~ Co.
Thanksgivin'. Mothers sewin' hard as
you see, ev'rvthings so high that she
an heard her say we'd have to go
'thout one So 1 thought if I could
earn one, you see"
"Yes, l see," said Uncle Dave, smil-
ing good-naturedly down upon his visi-
tor. "You'd like to kinder take her by
'sprise with it,
EYES," answered Tom, "you're just
right, would.''
avail, 1 guess can find suthin' for
ye' to do,'' said Uncle Dave. 'sLemme
see. There's that pile o. wood out in
the backyard. It's too fur from the
door to be handy. You may pile it up
agin the side o. the shop, if you think
you can afford to do the job for tur-
key"
Hooray!" cried Tom, tearing out of
the shop toward me.
His first impulse was to ''run and tell
mother" Then he remembered that he
was going to surprise her.
81 wonder if can keep it all to my
self till Thanksgivin' comesP" he NUT
tered, while his eyes twinkled, 81
must, for it'll be all the nicer if she
don't know nothin' about it till bring
in the turkey. An l won't let on to the
boys, either. If l did, they'd be just
sure to tell of it,
About an hour after that, Uncle Dave
looked up from his day-book to see
Josy Toddlekius standing by the coun-
ter, with half-scared look on his face,
as if he wanted to say something and
hardly dared to.
"Well, what is it, Joseph?' asked
Uncle Dave.
ell want to hire OUT" said Josy