The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-11-26
A HEARTY SEASON.


Ezra had written letter to the home
fox. and ID Il be had complained that
never before had ne sPen: such
xcsrv. lonesome day a. this Thanks
ewing Day had been Having finished |
this letter. he sat for long time gar !.
ing idly into the open fire that snapped |
cindrrs AL over the heartfstone and
sent its red forks dancing up the Chin
ney to Join the winds that frolicked
and cAmboled across the Kansas prai-
mes that raw November night Il had
raincd hard all day and was cold and.
although the opcn fire masIe every
honest effort 20 lie cheerful. Ezra as
he sat m front Of il in the wooden
rocker and looked down into the
glowing embers- experienced dread
full feeling q Loneliness and homesick-
I'm sick o. Kansas said Ezra to
himself. .Herc I've been in this plaguey
country for goin' on year. and -yes.
I'm sick Of II. powerful sick. Of IL
What miser' bic Thanksgivin' this has
been, They don't know what Thanks
givin' Is out this way ] wish ! was
back in Oh Mas 'chusettS-that's :he
country for me. and they hev the kind
O. Thanksgivin' like
Musing In this strain while the rain
went patfer-pafter on the window
panes. Ezra saw = strange sight in the
fireplace --yeS- right among the en-
hers and the cracking flames Ezra
f....ssf-rH ~.rn~r~.n nm
fold and spread itself out like pano-
rama
How very wonderful murmurcd
the Young man Yet he did mot take
his eyes away. for the picture sooehed
him. and he loved 10 look uponit
1T j. picter Of long ago." said
Ezra. softly. II had Ike 70 forgos il.
hns now II comes back % me - nat'rai
Ike as m Oh friend An 1 seem 20 BE
part Of II. an the fecIin' Of that time
comes back with the picser- too"
Ezra did not STIR his head rested
upon his hand. and his eyes were fixed
upon the shadows in the tirelight-
1T j. picser Of the o. home. said
Ezra 10 himself II am hack there n
Brlchcrtown with fbe Holyoke hills up
north an the Berkshire mountains =
loomin' up gray an miSty-like in the
We-fern horizon Seems - Il Il WIZ
early mornin' every thing i STILL and
II j. % cold when We boys crawl out o
bid. that. il il wuzn't Thanksgivin'
m0nln'. we'd crawl back again an
wait for mother to call rs Hut II j.
1hanksgiyin' mornin'. an we're goin'
skafin' down on the pond The squeal-
in o the pigs has told Us il j. fivc
O'Clock. and we must hurry. we're
going 10 call by for the Dickinson bows
an Hiram Peabody an we've got 20
hyper, Brother Amos gets on about
half o my clo'es and get on bout
hall q his but its an the same. they
are stout. warm clc'e< and they r. big
enough 10 fit any Of us boys mother
looked out for that when she made
EN- When We 20 downstairs We find
the girls there. AL bundled up nice an
warm-Mary an Helen an Cousin
Irene They're gcin' with Us an we
AL start out tiptoe and quiet-like SOS
not TO wake up the OF folks The
ground Is frozen hard: We stub on
toes on the frozen ruts in the road
When We come % the ministers hoa<c.
Laura Is standin' on the front sto0P.
a-waitin' for ~ Laura ID the minis
ter's daughter. She's friend o. Sis
Ter Hclen's-pretty - : dagarr otype,
an gentic-like and tender. Laura lets
me carry her skates an I'm glad a Il,
although have nv hands full already
with the lantern. the hockies and thu
rest Hiram Peabody keeps us wait
in. for he has cverslept himsell m
when he comes trotfin' ont at last the
girls make fun Of him-alI except SIS
Ter Mary. an she sort o. sticks up fol
Hiram. an we've All 90 eutc we kind
o eaIclate We know the reason Why
= And now. said Ezra softly. ''ths
picter changcs: seems ~ if l could -
the pond. The ice is like black look
in glass. and Hiram Peabody slips u
the hrst thing an down b. comes lick
ETY. split an We all laugh except SIS
tsr Mary. an she says il d veg i'm
p'lite 10 laugh At other folks mis-
fortunes Ough, how cold IL i. sns
how nav fingcrs ache with the frosl
when | take on my mittens 70 strap O
Laura's skatc<--but oh. how my cheek
burn. And how careful | am not =
hurt Laura. an h0w ask her Il that
tight enough an how she tells M
list = little tighter and how We tw'
keep foclin' along till The Others be-
gone an We are left alone An hOv
quick ! Get my own skates strappe<
on-none o your new-fangIcd skate
With springs an plates N clamps IN
such. hut honest OIL fashioned woodc'
ones with steel runners that curl N
over my toes m hare : bright bra
button on the endt How strap Zen
and Lash EN- and buckle EN- On
An Laura waits Tor me N tells m
= - SIRE 70 ct EN- o. tigh