Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-12-03
ATnANKselvINe DREAM,

n uuANNoUlvlNQ DneAlVJs
The hired men were just rising from
the table, where, after the usual Cab
fornia fashion they had eaten thei
breakfast with the family,
Mr.. Aiken looked up. "Jim," b,
said to one of them, II think we ough
to get through that job on the fiat b,
Thursday night"
yes, sir" was the answer, If we keek
at it pretty steady"
swell, there is nothing to hinder
l don't think the weather will change
Then there will be time to finish haul
ing the wood this week."
cali right"
As the door closed Mrs. Aiken said
to her husband, "John, Thursday will
be THANKSGIVING"
"Wiu it,"
Eyes, and I meant to ask you if you
couldn't take holiday, and let us all
keep it as it ought to be kept?"
Mr.: Aiken leaned back in his chair.
II don't see how I can without upset
ting all my plans, Harriet. Holidays
are very well for idle people who don't
know what to do with their time, but
they are nuisance to busy man."
Mrs. Aiken said nothing, and he
went on:
Besides, don't see that we have
had much to be thankful for this year.
1t has been one series of misfortunes-
first your sickness, then Willie break.
ing his leg, and last of all, the barn
burning up. No, I think we may leave
it to other people to keep Thanksgiv-
ing day."
And so saying, the farmer rose and
went out, quite satisfied that the matter
was settled.
His wife sighed as she began to clear
away the breakfast dishes. Not much
to be- thankful for" she said to herself,
with strange wonder that she and her
husband should see things in such diff
ferent lights.
She had been i'll in the spring, very
i'll, indeed, but was it not cause for
gratitude that her life had been spared,
that she had been given back to her
husband and children almost from the
verge of the grave? Willie had broken
his leg, but then in the midst of her
distress and anxiety at the time she had
been unspeakably thankful that he had
escaped from worse injury, and the
fracture had been so skillfully treated
that it had left no sign of weakness.
Then the burning of the barn in broad
daylight, when there was no living
creature inside, and on calm morning
when there was no danger of the fire
spreading, even that, although it had
been loss in dollars and cents, had not
seemed a very great calamity.
She was not much given to signing.
Life to her was a bright and pleasant
thing, full of blessing and joy. A more
cheerful and contented little woman it
would be difficult to find. But now she
sighed again, and wiped away q few
quiet tears. She had set her heart
upon keeping this Thanksgiving, and to
give it up she felt to be q needless pain.
Was her husband growing hard and
Notwithstanding to care for nothing
but mere outward prosperity? She
checked herself with q sudden sense of
shame. ':Dear John, she said, remem.
bering his tender care for her when she
was i'll, his sorrow for the little baby,
who had lived but few short days, his
devotion to the children, his open
handed generosity to every one about
him. How could she wrong him by
such thoughts as these? If he worked
early and late, and grudged himself q
holiday, it was not for the mere love of
gain nor for his own advantage. The
shadow passed away from her heart,
and she began to arrange another plan
for the coming Thursday. A Thanks.
giving dinner they should have at any
rate; and in the afternoon she would 20
with the children for ramble over the
hills, if the day proved fine in the even
ing she would ask the men to come into
the parlor, and play and sing for them
and try to give them q pleasant hour
So she said nothing more ,bout a holi-
day, and Mr.. Aiken gave the matter no
second thought.
But sometimes even yet the angel of
the Lord speaks to mems hearts in
dreams and visions of the night. When
the day was ended the farmer went to
bed, and slept the deep, quiet sleep of q
man in perfect health resting from hon
est work. Toward morning he awoke
and tl.en for awhile he lay in that half
waking, half sleeping state where dreams.
are apt to visit the mind.
Was it dream2 Was il a memory?
Or was it not something composed of
both? Again the house was darkened,
cautious footsteps moved lightly through
the silent rooms, voices were never
heard above whisper, for the wife and
mother lay dangerously i'll. he came in
from the barn just as he had come on
that sorrowful afternoon in the spring
to find that the feeble spark of life in
his little newborn daughter had sud-
denly gone out. But now it was not the
baby that was dead; the kind neighbor
who had been taking care of it sat be-
side the fire holding it in her arms, and
tears were running down her cheeks as
she tried to soothe it's wailing cries
aPoor little baby hemurmured,a poor
little motherless thing"
With deadly fear clutching at his
heart he passed her and went into his
wife's room. A rigid form Law on the
bed, covered with . sheet; but even as
he sank on his knees with bitter groan
soft voice seemed to whisper in his
ear: @She is not gone; she is given
back to you. This il only what might
have been"
*Thank Godl" he fervently ex-
claimed; and suddenly the vision
faded.
It faded, but gave place to another.
He stood ct the gate vstching his eld-
est boy training his favorite colt. The
pretty creature was full Of life and spir-
It, but Willie was good rider and kept
his seat easily. Up and down the road
they went several times, but ct last, lust
g they were passing the gate, 8 hunter
concealed BY the willows in the creek
unexpectedly fred his gun.