The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-11-15

distress or annoy any one. The fact IS. there
Is story about that 81 that do not like
to speak OF TO every olo -a0mething that makes
me feel tender toward him so that If he needs
whipping, would rather do it. He knows
iiaye him killed or sent away. You have heard
ne sneak Of Nathaniel, my oldest boy?"
That is his picture in my room, you know
He was good boy to me. He loved his
mother. loved Nathaniel-you cannot think
how much | loved Nathaniel. 1t was on my
account that he went away.
;, The farm did not produce enough for US
all Nathaniel, John and /. We worked hard
and had hard time. One year-that was ten
years ago-we were sued for our taxes.
:" Nathaniel said |, l viii go to taking
boarders.'
"Fhen he looked up TO me and said fOh, how
noble and handsome he appeared to me y:
. Mother, VIII so TO sea
Where?' asked 1, in surprise.
+" In coaster
II turned white How felt
GU and John can manage the place. he
continued. One Of the vessels sails next week
Uncle Aaron's; he offers to take me-
1t seemed best, and he made preparations
to go.
eggs; he had brought them from Canada, and
said that they were wild-goose eggs.
q | set them under hens. In four weeks
had three goslings. took them into the house
at first, but afterward made pen for them out
in the yard. l brought them up myself, and
one OF those goSlings is that gander.
Skipper Ben came over to see me the day
before Nathaniel was to sail. Aaron came with
him.
81 I said to Aaron:
g. What can give to Nathaniel to carry to
sea with him to make him think of home !?
Cake, preserves, apples? 1 have MT got much ;
1 have done all 1 can for him, poor boy
Brother locked at me euriOusly and said:
Give him one OF those wild geese, and we
will fatten it on shipboard and viii have it for
| our Thanksgiving dinner
What brother Aaron said pleased me- The
young gander was noble bird the haudsomest
of the lot; and l resolved to keep the geese to
Kill for my own use, and to give him to
| Nathaniel.
| The next morning-it was late in Septern-
! ber-l took leave of Nathaniel. I tried to be
| calm and cheerful and hopeful watched him
/ as he went down the walk with the ganGer
| struggling under his arms. A stranger would
| have laughed but ] did not feel like laughing;
it was true that the boys who went eoasting
/ were usually gone but few months aud came
/ home hardy aud happy; but when poverty
1 SOlHpoAS a 4BOLHSI anu son TO part, AFTER they
| have been true to each other, and shared their
feelings IN common, it seems hard, it seems
hard-though / do not like to murmur or con-
plain at anything allotted to me-
:" saw him go over the hill. On the top he
/ stopped and held up the gander. He disap-
peaTed; yes, my own Nathaniel disappeared. ]
think of him now as one who disappeared.
/ November came-it was terrible month
on the coast that year. Storm followed storm
| the sea faring people talked constantly OF
| wrecks aud losses. could not sleep on the
nights of those high winds. 1 used to lie awake
thinking over all the happy hours / had lived
| with Nathaniel.
Thanksgiving week came.
Ii was full of an Indian-summer brightness
after the long storms. The nights were frosty,
bright, and calm
:" could sleep on those calm nights
! zone morning, / thought I heard a
sound in the woodland pasture. 1t was iil-a :
wild goose. l listened; it was repeated. was
| lying in bed. l started up-I thought I had
| been dreaming.
"0n the night before THANKSGIVING wen,
to bed early, being very tired. The moon was
full: the air was calm and still. I was think
| ing of Nathaniel, and l wondered if ne would
/ indeed have the gaRder for his THANKSGIVING
dinner; if it would be cooked as wei as
would have cooked il, and # he would think
of me that day.
Twas inst going to sleep, when suddenly
heard sound that made me start up and hold
my breath
. Hcak =
q thought it was dream followed by
nervous shock.
' Hoak honk -
There it was again, in the yard. I wa
surely awake and in my senses.
:" / heard the geese cackle.
q Honk h0nE hoak!'
I mt t0fh zTa Fs1f 4 he to-,
was almost as light as day. Instead OF tsz,
geese there were three. Had one Of the neigh
boris geese stolen away?
s. should have thought So and should no
have felt disturbed, but for the reason tina
none of the neighbor's geese had that peculia
eall-that horn-hke tone that l had noticed il
mine.
a went out of the door.
" The third goose looked like the very gandel
I had given Nathaniel Could it be?
. did not sleep. rose early and went Il
the crib Torso corn.
s. 1t ras a gander-a wild gander-that ha6
come in the night. He seemed TO know me-
" trembled all over as though had seen
ghost. was so faint that / sat down on tht
meal-ehest
"As was in that place. bill pecked agains
the door. The door opened. The strange gande
came hobbling over the crib-stone and went t
the corn-bin. He stopped there, looked at me
and gave a sort of glad 'honk,' as though b
knew me and was glad TO see me.
/ was certain that he was the gander hai
raised, and that Nathaniel had lifted into tn
air when he gave me his last recognition from
the top of the hill.
" 1t oyercame me. Itwa Thank giving. Tn
church bell would soon be ringing as on Sun
day. and here was Nathaniers THANKSGIVING
dinner; and brother Aaron's- had it 6owl
away? Where was the vessel?
" Years have passed-ten. You know
waited and waited for my boy to come back
December grew dark with its rainy seas; tn
SHOWS fell; May lighted up the hills, but tn
vessel never came back. Nathaniel-my Ma
thaniel-never returned.
That gander knows something he coul,
tell me if he ceald talk. Birds have memories
He remembered the eorn-cFib-he remembers
something else I wish he could talk. poo
bird! wish he could talk. I viii never sci
him, nor kill him, nor have him abused Il
kaons."- Nicholas.
This Years Turkey.
Here he is, sir! Now what think? Beats last year