Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-11-30

now she has Jared? 1 would have been kind
to Ter, at least. / doubt if he was. All, mel
life mighu lave been very different to me
1f-But pshaw! ! am too old to be senti.
mentalizing. | wonder I never h%appenedto
HUNT Hum aG TSsnf tseis poes &hi I believ e9 f%;n
kkeep Thanksgiving this yeear-thst Il, if
sarah will let me;" he added, with a queer
smile. II have a great mind to be master
in my own house for once. 1 never have
peen. Sarah has always doomed up a ter.
lor before me, and l have found it a great
Butt eS"'e
Here he was interrupted bv a neiphbor
who, approaching him, begged a few mo.
ments. conversation Some Of the people in
the neighborhood, he said, especially those
families that had entertained poor children
from the city, had determined to raise a
lund TO bring a lumber of them and their
Ti.ssners to spend a couple of days at
thanksgiving in the country, and as the
projectors of the plan were ali in moderate
circumstances, they thought that perhaps
Mr.. Dwight would be willing to contrihnte
something to their project.
Benjamin Dwight's eyes sparkled, and
MS whole face shone with pleasure.
.Why," said he. ssthis is what I call a
children and Of Thanksgiving just as You
came up, OF course 1 will contribute.
How much do you want?"
WELL" answered the neighbor. some-
what surprised at his readiness, tive
thought Of inviting twenty-five or thirty in
dollars we shall feel that you have nobly
done your SHARE"
"Nobly done my sharew repeated Mr..
dwight, medltatively, and was silent for a
few moments. Then he added: "Mr.
brown, l am not a heather, though perhaps
you have all thought me one: 1 wish you
had said something about this charity to
me before. Invite as many children as you
please-ffty-a hundred, / don't care, and
IIl pay all expenses"
You are kindness and generosity itself,
Mr.. Dwight" exclaimed the astonished
Mr.. Brown. BUT" he added, Eve could
not find accommodation for more than the
number l have named."
"send them to the hotel" interrupted
Mr.. Dwight, "and-Brown-I will take-a
dozen myself; there, now!"
You! Mr.. Dwight? Why, l never
thought you"-
"You never thought Benjamin Dwight
had a heart, did you? Well, I don't blame
YOU. He hasn't known much about it him.
self for a good many years; but Mr..
Brown, | have been reading about that
Fresh Air. charity, and it has made me
hunt around a little within myself, and I
believe l have a heart somewhere. At any
rate, l will do what I say. You arrange
about the Children dozen remember,
and ii one or two more crowd in, l won't
mind, only let me know a few days before
hand, and if those children don't have a
rousing time, l don't know myself, that's
ALL"
And Mr.. Brown bowed himself away
with a profusion Of thanks, leaving MI.
Dwight as excited and happy as a boy. All
day he could think of nothing else, and
yyhon ho low lOyu,, fo o1oo~ ks1 ,.,,J ..,-.
still busy with projects Of the entertain
ment OF his expected guests.
Ihls benevolent state was a new expert
ence for Benjamin Dwight. He had never
been called a close man in money matters,
bat he was known to be very prudent. If
money was wanted for any improvements in
the little town he always gave literally, or
if any charity was to be aided in the city,
committees knew that they could depend
upon him, but he gave DECENTRALIZATION
his abundance, and without any feeling in
the matter. He threw many a small coin,
too, to street-sweepers and beggars, but it
was as he would have cast a bone to a dog
IT., and passed on his way without a second
g.! look or thought about it; but if asked, he
could not have recalled a time when he had
denied himself a single qualification, or put
himself to n special inconvenience for an
| others happiness or accommodation. OF
WIG 6C1IS4OoAUJ WIN AfoAfCo oO1l-oC111dl
and personal discomfort, or the charity
which leads one to seek opportunities for its
exercise, he knew nothing. He rode with
the favored few IN the crest of the waves,
without a thought of the many who were
struggling in the trough of the sea. His
solitary life and habits kept his neighbors
at a distance, and prevented them from
finding out what was really good and ami
able in him, and perhaps no one but Sarah
Rounds knew just how amiable he was. His
winters were passed in the city, and at his
summer home a few friends occasionally,
from a distance, made up the sum of his
social life. He kept up his pew in the one
church in the little town and attended the
services regularly, and this was about all the
town people ever saw of him; their surprise,
therefore, when they learned that he had
actually offered to entertain a dozen poor
children can scarcely be imagined. Some
doubted il he would keep to his offer, and
tation as a shrew was widespread, and her
arbitrary control over everything about the
Dwight establishment was well known.
And in fact it was Sarah who just now
was the only obstacle to Mr.. Dwight's Ell.
tire satisfaction at what he had done. How
was he to tell her, and what would she say:
All the next day he pondered overthis prob
lem until he felt ashamed of his weakness,
and resolved to end the matter without
more delay.
He was in his library, and ringing the
bell, he desired chat Sarah be sent TO him.
She came, and as Mr.. Dwight glanced al
her, he noticed a weary look in her eyes
which made him for the first time think
what a solitary life she had led ever since
he had known her. He had intended to be
very decided, but this thought gave to his
tone more than its usual kindness as he
said:
"Sit down, Sarah, I want to talk to you
I have decided to keep Thanksgiving thi:
year-to nave a sort of party. you know
GA dinner, l suppose you mean; aThanks
giving dinner?" she said, quietly, as she
turned a bunch of keys in her had. "Well
I don't know as there's anything to hinder
only it does seem a mighty foolish waste O.
money a-bringin' people all the way from
New York just to give 'em what they ge
at home every day of their lives"
"But the people I have invited are no
that kind, Sarah, and l expect them to stay
two days and nights at least"
"How many of them be there?" she asket
in a hard tone.
ga dozen, may be \ few more," answered
Mr.. Dwight; and he dug his hands deep in
to his pockets, and braced himself back il
his chair.
"Well, you've had more than that her
before,n Sarah said, in the same tone
tonly, Benjamin Dwight, you've ginerai
w consulted me before givin' out the invi
t~ations." &,
$50 l have, Sarah, so l have; and yol
have always given me wise counsel.
would have spoken to you sooner, only