Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-11-20
LITTLE JACKS VISIT.
neal Th,DI,,g,y,nr s,orv

aged was IL q wonder that his little ears
heard strange things2 "Come in here 2"
cried great yellow pumpkin. See how
the sun shines here !" SO into the old barn
the weary little legs crept slowly. "was it
you what asked me in 2" said a tired little
voice. ITO be sure" answered the pump
kin; walk in, walk in." 'Yes, l must
come in, D." said the child II am 80 tired, and
l am 80 hungry" There are some turnips
in that measure better than nothing. Why
not take a turnip 2" ITS not you, dear
pumpkin, what says take a turnip it's me,
cause I'm 30 hungry, and my head is tired,
and 1t sounds as If you said 1t. L must not
steal, If die. That's what my mother said.
l must not forget it," ITO o-morrow is Thanks
giving" said the pumpkin. That's what
the butcher.boy told me-" THAT means
eat eat eat !" said the pumpkin. "Yes,
yes, dear pumpkin tell me some more about
Ii" 1T means turkey, and chicken and pie,
aud bread and butter, and coffee. and pud.
ding, and turnips-" Don't say turnips,
dear pumpkin :" no no not turnips-
we'll forget the turnips, onions, and apple.
sauce, and nd-and-pumpkin- pie ~ ''Tell it
again ~ Again the great pumpkin began to
name over all the good things the child knew
about, and, as before, ended with pumpkin
pie. Then the little ears heard nothing; the
weary little legs were resting in the warm
cold to embrace, however comfortable it
might be in pie, the small wanderer had
thrown one arm around it.
BE of ! Scamper Shoe !" He half open
ed his eyes but the pumpkin said soothing
ly, Never mind never mind, and he closed
them again. BE off say. No tramps al
lowed here" He tried to shake off the sleep
that pressed so heavily on his eyelids "Yes,
yes I'm goin', ma'am." The brisk, red
checked woman continued to say shoe and
shake her apron at him, as il he were a
chicken that belonged to q neighbor. Go
ing TO steal my pumpkin, were you ~ as he
took his arm from his new friend. II did
not take a turnip," he ssid with his thoughts
still oh the nearest available food. Like
pumpkins better, maybe" said the woman,
with laugh. He looked at her stupidity.
The pumpkin was beginning to talk, and he
longed to go to sleep again in the sunshine.
The woman took him by the arm and led him
into the house. There was q pleasant wood
fire cracking in the old FIRE place, and before
this she sat him, and said when he was
thawed out enough to know a turnip from Q
pumpkin, she would come back and ask him
what his name was He heard her 90 out
and shut the door after her with brisk bang.
The warm room made him feel sleepy. He
nodded at first, then felt strangely, as if he
were falling into the bright fire.
"Be careful dear !" Was it the pumpkin
speaking5 The voice was very sweet and
kind. Tell it again, he murmured. Tell
what p asked the same voice. No, it was
not the pumpkin. He turned and saw an
old lady in heavy chair on wheels. II was
afraid you would fall into the fire." Then,
seeing he was faint from the sudden heat,
she said, Come to me-" His blue lips were
white now, and the pumpkin, the red-cheek-
aA and ha ,.la g.. ~.
rolling chair seemed all talking to him at
once. "Yes, yes" he said wearily; ~ am
goin', ma'am." But as he started to walk
the voices all seemed very far of, and then
he heard nothing. When he awoke he found
himself in a small bed with white pillows un-
der his head, and he saw some little hands
lying on the bed quilt, that were very white
too. He lifted them, and said feebly. "Who
washed them 2" Don't try to talk yet" He
remembered the pumpkin, and said. ITO
morrow is Thanksgiving" He felt very tired
just saying these few words, and so went to
sleep again. When he awoke, he saw the
rolling chair very near his bed, and the face
that looked down at him was so full OF kind
ness he reached out his hand and said, under
his breath, Where is the woman what says
shoe 2"
She is in the kitchen making broth for
you."
"will she send me of when she comes
back 2"
II think not"
''Is it Thanksgiving day 2"
Thanksgiving is over, dear; You we're too
sick to have a good dinner, SO we thought we
would wait and have our Thanksgiving when
you got well"
Are you sick"
Yes; am always sick"
do the pumpkins talk to you, ma'am ?"
This he said softly, as if he feared the red
checked woman might hear him.
81 am not quite sick enough for that, dear.
am a cripple. can never walk"
He seemed for the first time to understand
the wheels raising himself 80 he could lay
one thin hand on the high wheel 80 near him,
and looking tenderly into her patient face,
he said, 81 can wheel you to- morrow, ma'am."
mot as soon as tomorrow but some day
perhaps when you are well and strong. Then
you will tell me what the pumpkin said to
you, and where you came from, and where"
His great eyes were fastened on her kind
face with troubled look. but you must
nottry to think now or talk only get
WE'LL" He did get well. At first after
he was dressed he walked feebly and
the red checked woman laughed at him
as he grasped the table and chairs as he
passed them but she made him such nice
broth he was forced to forgive her. He had
told them all about himself they knew that
his father was then in prison, yet they would
keep him, at least, through the cold winter
and then, but the spring time was far away,
much too far for a child TO worry about As
he grew stronger, he watched these two wom-
en- with childish wonder. He had learned
that the pale old lady in the rolling chair was
named Nancy, and the red checked woman,
Liddy so he said NANCY" and "Liddy,"
which made them laugh.
"Do say 1t wrong 2" he said aud Miss
Nancy said, LET it go, what difference ?"
But he heard neighbours little boy say one
day, "Miss Liddy," and asked innooently
why they didn't tell him her name was Miss
Liddy but he still continued to address Miss
Nancy as Nancy. He told them his name
was John, but they called him Little Jack"
Five weeks had passed since the good ma
tured pumpkin had said to the tired, hungry
child, "Oome in here" Five weeks Is q
good while to put of a dinner" said Miss
Liddy, one morning land that old gobbler
knows he's just living on borrowed time
and declare if he amt ashamed of il Come
walking right into the kitchen this morning
and asked, plain as turkey could, to be cook
ed shall not feel quite right till I've had
my Thaksgiving dinner tomorrow is Thurs
day, and wen have it,"
into the oven. What a grand dinner they
had The pumpkin must have forgotten
many things belonging TO a well-ordered
Thanksgiving dinner as little Jack could
have told you. In the evening, they sat be-
fore the fire with apples and nuts.
'It is good while since saw wish. bone
hung on the fender to dry" said Miss Liddy.
There's where Eben always hung them"
'Is Eben dead ?" asked the child, softly.
"Yes, dear" said Miss Nancy.
"When did he die 2" he asked, taking his
wish bone from the fender,
'It's 80 years, come March," said Miss
Liddy.
He replaced the wish. bone with feeling
of relief II little Eben had not had the fen.
der for 80 years, surely anybody might use II
now.