Thomas County cat., 1886-12-09
A HEARTY SEASON.
A Kansas Farmer Dreams Of New
England Joys.

a kansas Farmer Dreams OF NOW
England Joys.
Ezra had written letter to the home
folks, and in it he had complained that
never before had he spen. such
weary, lonesome day as this Thanks
giving Day had been. Having finished
this letter, he sat for long time gaz-
ing idly into the open fire that snapped
-cinders all over the hearthstOne and
sent its red forks dancing up the CHM
ney to join the winds that frolicked
and gamboled across the Kansas prai-
ries that raw November night. 1t had
rained hard all day and was cold, and,
although the open fire made every
honest effort to be cheerful, Ezra, as
he sat III front of it in the wooden
rocker and looked down into the
glowing embers, experienced dread
full feeling of loneliness and homesick-
ness.
'Pm sick O. Kansas" said Ezra to
himself. 'Here I've been in this plaguey
country for goin' on a year, and-yes,
I'm sick of it, powerful sick, of it.
What mser' bic Thanksgivin' this has
been! They don't know what Thanks
givin' is out this way. Iwish l was
back in OF Mass chusetts that's The
country for me. and they hev the kind
o. Thanksgivin' Iliker'
Musing in this strain, while the rain
went patter-patter on the window
panes. Ezra saw strange sight in the
re-place-yes, right among the en-
bers and the cracking flames Ezra
saw a strange. beautiful picture un-
fold and spread itself out like pano-
rama.
..How very wonderful" murmured
the young man. Yet he did not take
his eyes away, for the picture soothed
him, and he loved to look uponit.
'.It is a picter of long ago." said
Ezra. softly. Il had like to forgot it,
but now it comes back to me as raj
like as an OF friend. An seem to be
q part of it, an the feelin' of that time
comes back with the picter. too"
Ezra did not stir. his head rested
upon his hand, and his eyes were fixed
upon the shadows in the freight
ut is picter of the OF home," said
Belchertown with the Holyoke hills up
north an the Berkshire mountains a
loomin' up gray an misty-like in the
Western horizon. Seems as if it wuz
early mornin'; every thing is still, and
it is so cold when we bows crawl out O.
bed. that, if it wuzn't Thanksgivin'
mornln', we'd crawl back again an
wait for mother to call us. But it is
Thanksgivin' mornin'. an we're goin'
=skatin' down on the pond. The squeal-
in o the PIGS has told us it is five
% clock. and we must hurry; we're
going 10 call by for the Dickinson boys
an Hiram Peabody. an we've got to
hyper! Brother Amos gets on about
half O my clo'es and get on bout
half o his, but it's all the same; they
are stout, warm clo'es. aud they're big
enough to fit any of us boys-mother
looked out for that when she made
'em. When we go downstairs we find
the girls there, all bundled up nice an
warm-Mary an Helen an Cousin
Irene. They re goin' with us. an we
all start out tiptoe and quiet-like SOS
not to wake up the OF folks. The
ground is frozen hard; We stub our
When we come to the ministers house,
Laura is standin' on the front stoop,
.a-waitin' for us. Laura is the minis
ter's daughter. She S a friend O SIS
ter Helen 's-pretty as dagarr otype,
an gentle-like and tender Laura lets
me carry her skates. an I'm glad of it,
although l have my hands full already
with the lantern, the hockies and the
rest Hiram Peabody keeps us wait
in, for he has oversight himself. an
when he comes trottin' out at last the
girls make fun of him-all except Sis
ter Mary, an she sort O. sticks up for
Hiram. an we're all so cute We kind
% calc late we know the reason why.
And now." said Ezra. softly, 1.-The
picter changes; seems as if could see
the pond. The ice is like black look
in'-glass. and Hiram Peabody slips up
the first thing an down he comes lick
~etv split. an: we all laugh-except Sis
ter Mary, an she says it is very i'm
p'lite to laugh at other folks mis-
fortunes. Ough! how cold it is. and
how my fingers ache with the frost |
when l take Off my mi;tenS to strap on
-Laura's skates-but oh, how my cheeks |
burn! And how careful l am not to
hurt Laura, an how ask her if that's |
tight enough an how she tells me
jist little tighter and how we two |
keep foolin' along till the others hev
/: gone an we are left alone. An how |
quick l get my own skates strapped |
eon-none o your new-fangled skates |
with springs an plates an clamps an
such. but honest, oil fashioned wooden |
ones with steel runners that curl up
over my toes an have a bright brass
button on the end! How strap 'em |
and Lash 'em and buckle 'cm on! |
An Laura VI sits for me an tells me |
to be sure to get 'em on tight