Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-12-03

ed to the task of bringing her sinful
neighbors TO a sense of their great
wickedness. She did not hesitate to
show them plainly the wrong of which
they had been guilty, and she did not
even deem it fitting that, as was often
the case with her, justice should be
tempered with mercy. Aunt Doxy
sadly feared that her Objectionable
neighbors were hardened offenders,
whose hearts could not be easily
touched.
Here, Thaddy," she said, as she
folded her note, lyon may carry this
to the cottage; come hack just as soor
as you have delivered lido you hear?'
Aud Thaddy. overj 1ycd at this OPP
portunity to enter forbidden ground
and have even few moments OF Ru-
pert's society. replied. Yes M" with
suspicious docility, and ran off like a
flash.
81 hopes nuffin'll happen to dat
boy" muttered Martha Washington
gloomily, as she went about her Thanks
giving-day preparations. She evident
~ believed there was no limits to the
enormilies OF which the cottage people
were capable.
Half an hour passed by. and then
Becky said, looking enviously toward
the cottage. with her nose flattened
against the window-pane: Il wonder
why Thaddy doesn't come back?"
Aunt Doxy looked up in great alarm.
"hadn't he come back?" she asked.
How could she have forgotten him?
But surely they could not be wicked
enough to harm child.
Tim was dispatched in great haste
in search OF the missing boy. He found
him in the grove behind the cottage,
playing with Rupert. Thaddy was 81
lent and ashamed under Aunt Doxy's
reproof. Rupert had coaxed him to
play, and he had played. That was
all he would say, except the expression
OF his opinion that Rupert was n good
boy, and was going to have a donkey
with long ears. 1t was evident that,
in spite OF the melancholy fate of the
poor Princess, Thaddy had great
longing for the society at the cottage.
Miss Doxy sat up late, expecting a
message OF some sort from her neigh
bors, but none came. Poor Prince
Charming was uttering doleful and dis
cordant cries Tor the lost partner of his
joys and sorrows.
"Oh, how truly thankful | could be
tomorrow" thought Aunt Doxy, ..if
those people had only gone back to
town."
But when she arose in the morning.
a bright and jolly Thanksgiving sun
was peeping above the gables of the
little red, olive, and yellow cottage,
and an ample Thanksgiving smoke was
pouring out OF its chimney.
Aunt Doxy seated herself at the
breakfast table sad at heart. The
children said little, and the poor pea
cock recommended his wailing. Sud
denly there came violent knocking at
the back door. The answer to my
letter." thought Aunt Doxy.
But it wasn't. For the next moment
there burst into the room stout Irish
woman with big basket, dragging in
shame-faced Doy-Mrs. o Flanagan
and Barlyl
From the basket arose voice-muf-
fled and hoarse. but still familiar, and
sounding like sweet music to Aunt
ID xy's ear.
10 Miss Appleby, num- said Mrs.
0 flanagan, tits kilt intoirely | am,
mum, wild shame, an the HART iv me
Is broke, so it is, that liver I'd see the
day whin me own boy--an' his tayther
rs sinsible man as liver shlepped in
TWO shoes-wudn't know the difference
betwane u turkey an paycock!
Shure, he SEE yourself was away AN the
young Teddy guy him lave to pick out
Il turkey for himself, and he TUX this
wan, SO he did, Tor foIne large turr-
key, and him a-thryin' 10 wiring the
neck oy it when hears the quare voice
Oy the craythur And SEE, l, What
liver air ye about, We spalpane?' SEE /;
1T do be Miss AppleUy's paycock We
have there. An he havin' the neck of
the poor haste half wrung, an the
craytuur near kilt, was afeerd to
bring her home til ye. An shurc, l
shplnthered up the neck ov her and
docthered her up wild swate lie, an
last night she'd ate bit, an this
marnin her voice had grown that
swate and nat-choorol 'twould bring
tears to the oies ov yer. And, seq to
Barty, SEE |, Come along up to Miss
Appleby's wild me. SEE |, AN if it isn't
hangin you'll get. SEE /, it's in the
cowld Jail you'll spind yer Thanksgiv-
n'-day, seq |, fur murtherin' ov her
poor baste ov Il paycock-an We wud
have murthered her but for me, seq |. y"
Barty looked us detected as anything
SO small could well look; but he lifted
up his gruH little voice courageously.
"Shure, | nivver knew that II cray
ture could be paycocK without tail,
at all, at all, ;" he said piteously, IAN
seem it warn't manin' any harrum
was, an the hairt ov me quite broke
intoirely, an me mither' 5. an we not
havin anythin' barrin' praties for our
Thanksgivin' dinner, shuro We mott
lave me off, Miss Applcby, mum. an
shure I'll niver come where / hear the
voice ov paycock agin.
Aunt Doxy was so happy to have hel
dear Princess restored that she could
blame no one. Never mind, Barty,
you needn't feel badly sue said.
you shall hav the turkey promised
you; fine, fat one, aud all ready FOL
tiO Ofcu. = i)ul, VuL ucdl, Snc tA'
claimed, ''if only hadn't written thai
letter"
Barty's woe-begonc look gave place
to beam of happiness; but as he and
his mother went off with fine turkey
In the big basket, he still protested thai
''shure ir was not ri sht basic ut all,
at all. that pertindcd TO be a paycocS
an hadn't no iligint lail-fcalhcrs
Aunt Doxy was still ucmoaning hel
sad mistake when Martha Washington
who felt that perhaps She was some
what TO blame in the matter, came il
with a letter
"Oh. dear, is it the answer" sat
Aunt Doxy.
Reckon not, Miss Doxy. it done
come iroo de post-oilis. {" replied Mar
tina Washington, scanning il closely.
40 Pears like it might be from Miss Sa
rah WiIhelmina.
"Oh! oh!" cried Aunt Doxy, as sh,
read the letter, what do you suppos,
Sarah Wilhelmina says? She says tha
Mrs. Gracey knows the people in the
cottage very well, and that she con
graduates me on having such delight
ful neighbors. They are MIR. A, tn,
celebrated artist. aud his family; anC
Mrs. A is daughter of my ole
minister, DR.. Forristall, who is goins
to spend Thanksgiving with lhemr'
Aunt Daxy dropped the letter in he
lap. .Oh, that letter, that drcadiu
letter. she said. ''What must the,
think of me?"
But now rhaddy looked up Student,
from thoughtful consideration OF tn
/ yellow kittens eyes.
/ Are you sorry Won wrote IL Ann