The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-12-25

n auue, ana JAKE anu oVekC HNtS
both begged of for Thanksgiving
wish there were 40 such days. Il
suppose nothing less than q turkey
win satisfy that child2'
mo; but we can we'll afford it. |
Who is going to have our money
after We are gone? We may as
well make the child happy, and
have a good time once IN our
lives
~She might be happy, anyhow.
Ii seems waste to me, ! must con.
TESS
"Well, Jerry. we never wasted
very much that wsy; and 1t strikes
me that if we had had more holi
DAYS, and had made the old farm
house more coneenial to a young,
lively spirit. we would have had
our son with us in our old age. "
"EsLherl'
Il kuow we haven't mentioned
him for years, Jeremiah; but, for
all that, neither of US has lived
day without thinking of him.
sWell, | did my duty by him, if
ever father did by his child"
I'VE did what we thought was
for his best good; but l fear we
made some mistakes"
s'He was SIS wild as young colt;
nothing coulc tame him." The
father spoke impatiently and scowl
ed hard, lest his face might show
the love and longing in his heart.
s.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, 50 tightly
that he broke the letters and disap-
peared. We wanted him To be old
and steady, and his Young spirit
could not be subdued. see it all
now. There we're no companions
for him, no Jolly times as Lucy
says, and nothing about the old
farm worth stay ing for"
No answer but saofhered
groan.
"There, Jerry, I amt blaming
You more than / 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 return, but pride
and fear have kept him back. He
can't know how we long for him;
he never knew how much we loved
him; we never told him.
"Oh, Estherl'
"Well, father, 1 won't say any
more. All these thoughts have
been crowded down in my heart so
long that / had to speak, and /
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 fami-
lies of the neighboring farmhouses,
there was but one topic of converse
ton, the invitation to spend
Thanksgiving with jeremiah VIM
tiers.
The eventful day came at last.
Lucy, with a dozen girls and boys,
made the rafters ring with their
glad shouts. Down stairs, the
best room was filed with the hum
of elderly voices recounting cold
times" while in the sitting room
the young people were eating APP
pies and counting the seeds, with
much jest and laughter, sly gIanees.
and bushes.
In the kitchen a long table was
loaded with good things, while
Aunt Esther, with plenty of help,
was completing the preparations for
dinner.
Uncle Jerry excitedly went from
room to room, trying to appear as
if this sort of thing was of comm on
occurrence in his house. For the
first time in her life, his wife had
asserted her right to entertain her
friends, aud now he felt glad that
she had persevered. He was sur
prised to find what pleasant neigh
bors he had.
1t was night, and the merrymak-
ing was at its height The walls
echoed laughter and song, and eve
~ window light cleaned far out
into the darkness.
From the village depot, five miles
away, a 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 amaze
msnt. Nearer and nearer he came,
till through the unshaded windows
he saw the friendly scene within.
With a glad smile on his face he
turned away, and, standing in the
deep shadow of pine, he watched
lengtand patiently.
At last, after a host of thanks and
pleasant farewells, all was still, and
only three sat in the deserted
rooms.
A hush fell over them, and they
looked thoughtfully into the flicker
ing fire. Lucy, climbing on her IN
cle's knee, thanked him so prettily
for the days pleasure that he
bent and kissed her. Then, hold
ing out his hand to his wife, he
said: "This little lady has thank
ed me, but we both ought to thank
you. 1t has been pleasant day
to mes
This was great deal for this man
20 say; and they were silent again,
Zach one happy through making
others glad.
Then the door opened, and a
stranger walked in. He was tall
md heavily bearded; but mothers
yes will know her own, and, with
. cry which expressed the yearninR !
# years, my boyP' she was folded ;
n his strong embrace, while about !
hem both were clasped the fathers !;
arms, No one knew how !.
ong they sat together-the long !
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