Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-12-11

udu sOuo llttiO oOJo duu guns, yOu
fee, different about it, But I'm your
little girl this year; won't you do it
for me? She was almost frightened
as she looked up and met his stern,
white face.
1T is your bedtime now, Lucy in
terrupted her aunt. We'll think it
over till morning. And Lucy was
glad to retire to the adjoining room,
wondering what she could have said
to make Uncle Jerry look $3.50
dreadful 7
An hour later Jerry Winters broke
the silence, which was becoming op-
pressive:
Il suppose we must do something,
or the child will be homesick.'
Yes assented his wife.
Don't see how l can stop chopin a
day, with that contract on my hands,
and Jake and Steve have both begged
off for Thanksgiving. l wish there
were no such days. 1 suppose moth
ing less than turkey will satisfy that
child?'
No; but we can we'll afford it.
Who is going to have our money af-
ter we are gone? We may as well
make the child happy. and have a
good time once in our lives y
She might be happy, anyhow. It.
seems a waste to me, Imust confess
We'll, Jerry, we never wasted very
much that way; and it strikes me that
if we had had more holidays, and had
made the old farm house more con-
genial to a young, lively spirit, we
would have had our son with us In
our old age
Esther!
Il know we haven't mentioned him
for years, Jeremiah; but, for all that,
neither of us has lived a day without
thinking Of him. , a'g
We'll, l did my dnty by him if ev-
er father did by his child
I'VE did what we thought was for
his best good; but I fear we made
some mistakes.
He was wild as a young colt; moth.
ing could tame himr The father
spoke lmpatiently and scowled hard
lest his face might show the love and
longing in his heart.
"He was full of life and fiery, too
and instead of guiding him gently in
traces which could not gall, we bound
him, as it were, so tightly that he
broke the fetters and disappeared. We
wanted him to be old and steady, and
his young spirit could not be subdued.
| see it all now. There were no com
panions for him, no Jolly times, as
Lucy says, and nothing about the old
farm worth staying for
No answer but a smothered groan,
There, Jerry, 1 amt blaming you
more than I do myself. We were
wrong, and the boy was wrong, too
If we only knew where to find him
we might make it all right before we
die. I'll warrant he has longed to re.
turn, but pride and fear have kept
him back. He can't know how we
long for him, for he never knew how
much we loved him; we never told
himp
'Oh, Esther!
'Well, father, [ won't say any more.
All these thoughts have been crowded
down in my heart so long that | had
to speak, and I think It'll do us good,
after ALL
She drew nearer and laid her head
on his shoulder, while tears rolled
down her wrinkled cheeks, and thus
they sat far into the night.
The next day, among the families OF
the nelghboring farmhouses, there was
but one topic of conversation; the in
vitation to spend Thanksgiving with
jeremiah Winters.
The eventful day came at last Lu-
cy, with dozen girls and boys, made
the rafters ring with their glad shouts:
Down stairs, the best room was filled
with the hum of elderly voices re.
counting old times, while in the sit
ting-room the young people were eat
ing apples and counting the seeds,
with much jest and laughter, sly CLAN
ces and bushes
In the kitchen long table was
loaded with good things, while Aunt
Esther, with plenty Of help, was COM
plet;ng the preparations for dinner. .
Uncle Jerry excitedly went from
room to room, trying to appear as If
this sort OF thing was of common oc-
currence in this house. For the first
time in her life, his wife had asserted
her right to entertain her friends, and
now he felt glad that she had per-
severed. He was surprised to find what
pleasant neighbors he had.
1t was night, and the merry making
was at its height. The walls echoed
with laughter and song, g,and from every
window lights cleaned far out into
the darkness.
From the village depot, five miles
away, traveller was walking over the
lonely road, as if eager to join the
joyous party; but when at length he
came in sight of the many lights, he
stopped in amazement. Nearer and
nearer he came, till through the unshad.
ed windows he saw the friendly scene