Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-11-24
From the Rural Home.I
A THANKSGIVING DREAM.

The hired men were just rising from
the table, where, after the usual Cali
fornia fashion, they had eaten their
breakfast with the family.
Mr.. Aiken looked up. "Jim," he
said to one of them, ST think we ought
to get through with that job on the
fat by Thursday night"
eyes, sir" was the answer, eff we
keep at it pretty steady"
"Well, there is nothing to hinder.
don't think the weather will change.
Then there will be time to finish haul
ing the wood this week"
'sAll right
As the door closed Mrs. Aiken said
to her husband, "John, Thursday will
be Thanksgiving"
eWill it?"
eyes, and I meant to ask you il you
couldn't take a holiday, and let us all
keep it SIS it ought to be kept?'
Mr.. Aiken lea led back in his chair.
81 don't see how | can without upset
ting all my plans, Harriet. Holidays
are very we'll for idle people who don't
know what to do with their time, but
they are a nuisance to busy man"
Mrs. Aiken said nothing, and he
went on:
''Besides, don It see that we have
had much to be thankful for this year.
1t has been one series of misfortunes-
first your sickness, then Willie break
ing his leg, and last Of all, the barn
burning up. No, think we may leave
it to other people to keep Thanksgiv-
ing Day."
And SO saying the farmer rose and
went out, quite satisfied that hemat-
ter was settled.
His wife sighed as she began to clear
away the breakfast dishes. "Not much
to be thankful for" she said to her
self, with a strange wonder that she
and her husband should see things in
such different lights.
She had been i'll in the spring, very
i'll indeed, but was it not cause for
gratitude that her life had been
spared, that she had been given back
to her husband and children almost
from the verge of the grave? Willie
had broken his leg, but even in the
midst OF her distress and anxiety at
the time she had been unspeakesbIy
thankful that he had escaped some
worse injury, and the fracture had
been so skillfully treated thatit had left
no sign of weakness. Then the burn
ing of the barn in brood daylight,
when there was no living creature in
side, and on calm morning when
there was nc danger of the fire spread
ing, even that, although it had been a
loss In dollars and cents, had not
seemed very great calamity.
She was not much given to signing.
Life to her was g. bright and pleasant
thing, full OF blessing and joy. A more
cheerful and contented little woman it
would be difficult to find. But now
she sighed again, and wiped away g. few
quiet tears. She had set her heart up
on keeping this Thanksgiving, and to
give it up she felt to be g. needless
pain.
Was her husband growing hard and
notwithstanding to care for nothing
but mere outward prosperity? She
checked herself with a sudden sense of
shame. Dear john" she said re-
membering his tender care for her
when she was i'll, his sorrow for the
little baby, who had lived but a few
short days, his devotion to the chill
dren, bis appen-handed generosity to
every one about him. How could she
wrong him by such thoughts as these?
Ii he worked early and late, and
grudged himself g. holiday, it was not
or the mere love of gain nor for his
own advantage. The shadow passed
away from her heart, and she began