St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-12-10
Ghe Gateduniam.
CLARE'S PART.
BY ALICE M. EDDY.

BY ALICE NJ. EDDY.
ats come I" said Glare, tumbling in
to the sitting-room. "MOther, do you
hear7 Janet and Kitty, GOMEZ Hur-
~, Baby it's down at the landing
aud tOmorrow's Thanksgiving day.
Isn't it jolly ?"
The family sprang up altogether.
Mother dropped her sewing, and
caught up her shawl. Janet and Kit
ty tossed their books on the table and
Rugged each other. Baby rushed up
to Glare and pulled him toward the
door. "What's in it, Glare ?Oh, what's
in it for me ?" she cried.
Something lovely !" said Glare,
confidently, running on ahead. while
the others crowded after. "And oh,
Baby! to think that tO-morrow's
Thanksgiving and it came just the
night before It's most as good as
Christmas !"
1t was clear and cold outside, with
the breath of winter in all the air. The
wind blew straight in, strong and
sharp, from the great lake, and the
trees that covered the slopes behind
the settlement, were rocking and twist
ing as If they would have liked to
break away from their places, and
travel away with the wild blast. Low
down in the west were streaks of clear
amber, with one or two bright stars
peeping through it, as if in answer to
the lights that began to twinkle here
and there, along the bluffs. One OF
these lights was in the little church
which stood in the midst of the clus-
tered houses. "Father" was up there,
looking after the choir with view to
tO-mOrrOw's service. The sound of
the singing flOated down to the little
party as they hurried down to the
landing.
Come We thankful people, come
Raise the song of Harvest Home
eli! isn't it jolly ?" said Clare,
again, turning a handspring as he
came to the pier. "See mother! what
nice big one it is !"
Mother and the girls gathered about,
eagerly. They were rather scantily
clad, all of them, for that cold even
ing. Home missionaries families in
new settlements are apt to be little
lacking in the matter of winter cloth
ing. Mother drew her shawl farther
over her head as she caught the full
force of the wind, and Janet buttOned
her sack more closely about her neck.
But there it was Il large box, all by
itself in the middle of the pier, with
only one man seated near it, smiling
grimly as the "minister's folks" came
up.
"COme after the box, hey, Mis- Roll
lins," he said. "Well, Pm right down
glad it's here. This yOungster of a
Clare would lost his head watchin',
for it before long. More'n that, faint
many more bOats'll make their way up
here, this season. Coin to let it be
till morning, | guess"
ooh, we can't !" cried Kitty and
Clare at once. eve must see what's
in itm
''See, here's a corner broken, and
something soft inside" exclaimed
Janet, as excited as the youngest of
the group; and Mrs. Rollins laughed
delight in the children's pleasure as
she answered, "We'll get it up to the
house now, l think, Mr.. Green. If you
will help we can all roll it up, end
over end, together, and then after sup
per we'll open it. It's just come in
time to make us thankful for tO-mOr-
row, hasn't it 2"
What would the city children and
the grown people who packed that
missionary box, have said, if they
could have seen it as the laughing
company rolled it up the zigzag path
to the minister's house? Every one
had to help in the pleasant work. Ba-
by ran first to one side and then to the
other to get in her fat hand, and Glare
pushed and pulled until he pulled like
II pOrpOise, us they entered the sitting
room door. Then the treasure was
planted in the middle of the floor, and
the family stood in an admiring circle
about it, while mother, with a hand
that trembled little from excitement,
drew the nails with the big hammer !;
and then there was pause of breath
less expectation.
eve must leave it till father comes,"
said Mrs. Rollins, and the children
nodded gravely in assent. The family
must all be together on such an i'm
pOrtant occasion. But when the min
lister came in and they all sat down to
supper it was found that Kitty and
Clare and Janet had no appetite for
roasted potatoes and bread and butter
The father and mother laughed softly
as they saw the eager faces that would
turn to the sitting-rOOm door in their
hurry to get to the treasures hidden
there and for once, whispering at the
table was allowed to go unreprOved.
eff there should be a real thick over
coat ~ murmured Glare. "And oh,
Kitty, if there should be pair of boots!
The letter said to tell the sizes of our
feet.n
"YOu'n have something nice,
know" returned Kitty with a gleeful
little jump in her chair. ''YOu're the
only boy, you know. And oh, don't
you hope there'll be new plaid dress
for me- And what if there should be
a real pretty winter hat p! But then,
don't suppose they'd send hats. Oh,
why don't they hurry?"
The minister laughed outright and
pushed back his chair. His own eyes
were little eager, as he led the way
to the sitting groom. 1t was not at all
impossible that there might be few
books in that box, and the minister's
books had mostly been sold last year,
when Janet was sick and needed so
many little extras.
Ali what an evening it was How
the family gathered close about the
box. as the father lifted out one pack
age after another How the children's
eyes frightened with every new gift |!
How mother sat down and cried for
JOY over the blankets and the new
black suit of clothes to take the place
of the minister's threadbare old ones
How Baby strutted about the room
with her soft, blue hood hanging over
one eye, and her new cloak continual
ly rescued from ruin by Janet, and as
often seized upon by it's proud little
owner! How Kitty clapped her hands
and jumped up and down when the
great bundle with her own name on it