Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-11-28
Galts a1ro Sketfbts.
JOHN SMITH;
Or Two Ihanksgivings.
By ELLA WHEELER.
Continued from yesterday.

for him. she took care oil MS BODY ana Ms
brain, but she let bis heart starve within
him. and was angry that it cried aloud Il 1
food. and because it was not given at home
he sought for it abroad.
At first he fed the fire OF his boyish
heart with lovers of his Own sex. Tom
and Bill and Charley all resigned theii
season as his dearest friends and com
rades. who shared his tull hearts lavish
wealth of affection. Why he should Sc
idealize and idolIze these common boys,
and seek their society and sing their
praises, Aunt Tabitha could not under
stand She did not realize that his heart
crayed more than was given by that cold,
Puritan household, and that he must seek
/. elsewhere.
But by and by. when he transferred his
worship to idols Of the opposite sex. and
sang their praises. and became their alb
ject slave, Aunt Tabitha's indignation
knew no bounds.
That son of mine should become
such a spooney. ''she would cry. ''Runnln
after girls at his age, sittin' round with
ZEN evenin's when he ought to be abed
and asleep-it's shame an disgrace
But the more Aunt Tabitha scoided and
rallied at John and his inamoratas, the less
he remained at home. lie worked dill
gently in the field by dav. ate his meals in
silence, and was off to the village in the
evening And all Tabitha's sarcasms
we're OF no avail As for Uncle Joel, his
svmpathies were with John; he had once
been Young himself, and he had been fond
OF youthful sports, and great gall mi
among the girls. Yet he had too great a
fear of Tabitha's tongue to venture IA voice
in the matter He did not like to take any
responsibility upon his shoulders which
he could avoid And so he kept discreet
Nv silent, and let the war wage as it would,
while he found refuge behind the column
of newspaper advertisements.
Aunt Tabitha's face flushed angrily as
John made the bold assertion OF his love
for Gerry Denvers.
You'd better make yourself still more
ridiculous" she said. land announce your
passion to the girl. She may be fool
enough to marry you. and then you will
reach the end of your folly, and come to
your senses, perhaps. | am sick of bav-
ing you running alter her"
At | got any love at home, maybe |
would not have to seek abroad tor it, -
John said. as he seized his hat and left
the house.
They did not see him again until the
next morning-Thanksg morning.
Then he stood before them tall, handsome
pale, determined. Z ssss
II am going to take your advice, moth
err" he said, land marry Gerty Den
vers. The minister is waiting to per-
form the ceremony now. She has no
home and 90 friends, and we love each
other. Do you want me to bring my wife
home to Thanksgiving dinner? She doesn't
expect to live here; she is going to stay
in the shop and keep at work"
Aunt Tabitha grew pale with anger.
Il want You to take your simpleton of a
wife and 90 where | will never see you
again" she said. ''lf you choose TO dis
grace us, don't want to have the evil
dence before my eyes daily"
Very well. will 60" he said. He
turned and left the house. Twenty-four
hours later he and his young bride had
lett the place.
Janet broke into tears when the report
was brought to them.
John did nothing so very wrong,
mother" she sobbed, THAT he should have
been turned out of DOORS
'Wrong?" Aunt Tabitha responded
sternly. 'He has disgraced himself and
us by marrying at his age. Why could
he not behave himself as well as you have
done? Why did he need love that he
could not get here, any more than you
need it F.? Were you not children of the
same parents? He was always deiying
me, always negleeting his home for other
people, always going against my rules.
He was never a proper child like you.
Let him make home for himself. and
don't let me see you shedding tears over
him again"
So Janet said no more about him,
only sighed "Oh. yes," more fire.
queutlv over her dishes and mending /;
for now she knew that. despite her disap-
prevail of his demonstrative manner, John
had been necessary to her happiness, and
she was lonely without him.
Uncle Joel grew more and more in the
habit of petIing his ailments. and talking
OF his complaints and studying the adj
vertisements Tor remedies. And he aged
rapidly after 5ohn went away.
The old farm ran down, and the place
grew sadly out OF repair.
Uncle Joel had never been a very ener-
getic man, and he seemed to have lost all
ambition when John left him alone. Aunt
Tabitha urged him to repair the fence.
and repaint the house. and stay the little
leaks which were reducing them from in,
dependence to poverty. But Uncle Joel
said. wait till next year. Tabby." And
to Janet and some of his confidential
Eeighbors he added, John will be coming
home pretty soon, and he'll fix things
up"
But John did not come.
So the years went by until nearly fit
teen had gone since that Thanksgiving
morning so long ago. And they had
never heard from John in all those wears.
1t was October. There was shadow
of gloom over the Smith household. Tn.
Gle Joel had become thoroughly shiitless
and efficient, thinking only of his aches
and pains.
Aunt Tabitha's heretofore vigorous con-
stitution seemed breaking down. and all
the work and care of farm and household
rested upon Janet's shoulders.
She stood washing up the supper dishes
again. while her mother lay half asleep
and uncle Joel was whispering behind his
newspaper.
Janet had changed the least of the three
during this decade and half of years.
She was the same prm, precise little old