Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-11-27
THANKSGIVING STORY.
How Joy Trod Upon the Very Heels
of Sorrow.

How quickly joy treads upon the very
heels of sorrow, or VI Uerso!'
Never was this truism more fully H.
lustrated than on certain Thanksgiv-
ing Day at Grandpa Ashton's.
All of the young and most of the mid
dle-aged people of their church and
neighborhood called Mr.. and Mrs. Ash
ton by the endearing title of "Grandpa"
and "Grandma," so am taking no
liberty whatever.
The day before the one appointed by
the Governor as national holiday was
bright and cold, and with just snow
enough on the ground to make fair
sleighing; and merrily indeed the sleigh
bells jingled as the good people of
Rushyille went hurrying about on
thoughts of business or pleasure.
Grandpa and Grandma Ashton were
old and poor and sad. 1t is surely bad
enough to be old aud poor without hav-
ing business worries besides; but Grand
pa Ashton had been dreadfully worried
about certain debt that he owed, until
everything looked blue enough to the
dear old man, and Grandma, suspect
ing something wrong, was beginning to
sigh very frequently, and watch Grand
pa with tender, sorrowful eyes; so the
business trouble was really taking all
the quiet peace from their old age, and
if not actually unhappy, they were like
ly to soon become so.
When Grandpa came in from milking
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giving Day he brought big rooster
under his arm, and opening the kitchen
door said rs cheerfully as could be to
Grandma:
''See here, mother! Is this fellow to
be eaten tomorrow l 'spect we'd
ought to make little preparation,
hadn't we, now? Nothin' great, of
course, fur jist us two, but suthin' lit
tie out of the ordinary run-aud with
one of your eetry nice cream pies, and a
few other little fixin's, l guess we'll
do.'
"Yes," sighed Grandma, 81 don't
care much any way; but as you say, we d
ought to take some kind of notice of the
day, seein' the Governors been and APP
pointed it. hadn't made no calcula-
tions about the dinner, father, cause !
felt so certain some one or other of the
children would insist on us comm to
eat dinner with them. You're sure
there wasn't no letter in the postoflice
last night, amt you, fatherP"
"Ies, sure; but reckon I'd better
chop this young feller's head off, now
I've got him safe and sound. Tain t SO
easy catchin' 'em when you're stiff with
rheumatism and hard on to seventy, as
twas forty years ago, l kin tell ye."
The simple breakfast didn't seem to
taste good to Grandpa; he nibbled al
one thing and another, and slipped his
tea, and finally he said:
1--we got some bad news for you
mother, and dunno when I've hated
to tell anything rs do this"
Grandma raised her head so suddenly
that her snowy cap border stood straight
out, framing pale face, and she raised
one hand as if to ward off blow.
(Which one is it fatherP" she asked
her thoughts. mother-like, flying to hel
children. 81 thought something was
wrong somewhere. l jest felt ii some
way"
"The children's all well and happy
fur as know" replied Grandpa, chap
pier by long sight than their old father
who's got to be turned out of house anC
home. Pretty hard, mother, amt it
after all the savin' and pinchin' we'v'
done for the last fifteen year or moreP'
Grandma began to sob in weak sor
OF way. She asked no questions, know
ing well enough what he referred Il
without further explanations. Their,
was mortgage on the little house ant
rocky farm, which they had been vainl,
trying to cancel for many years. Thu
holder of the mortgage had told Grand
pa that he was going TO foreclose on /
the next week and the property woult
be sold at auction to the highest bidder
IL wrote to Ezra and Abram about !
some time ago and spose you've tolC
Hammer and Liddy, but they haint got
word to say, it seems, / don't expec
they'll let us suffer, mother-don't cr
sO-but it'll be kind of hard to be de
pendent even on child of your own
and I'm awful afraid they don't none O
'em want us, they're all so silent lately
WAL" taking down the old family Bible
and His promises is certain. We've go
dreadful load of trouble to carry, bu
we'll ask Him to help us. and give u
strength"
The old mans voice ceased to trembl
as he began TO read the chosen chapter
For nearly half a century he had rea
and prayed morning and evening in tina
low rooted kitchen, and now with lock
bleached TO silyery whiteness fallin
over his brow, and hands tremblin
with age and emotion, he called agaiI
on the Lord, and for the first time, es
cept In secret prayer. he besought hel
In this great extremity.
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