The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-11-27

cinity, were among the invited guests, but
not one dreamed of the great surprise in store.
Or the Thanksgiving dinner itself, when
the day arrived and the broad folding doors
Of the dining hall were thrown open, what
need be said save that Aunt DilSey and her
satellites had expended upon it all. the re-
sources of kitchen and farm, while the old
time house servants, proud of their breeding,
had graced the festive board with oil the
Beauty they could commando 1t was feast
to provoke an appetite. There were rare
dishes, sulnptuously cooked and sumptuously
served the choicest fruits aud wines Of the
long ago; marvels Of workmanship and age
in family plate, china and glass, and in
Vulnerable things delicious to the senses Of
taste, smell and sight-all insinuated into its
composition. But it was dinner long to be
remembered in more than aesthetic or Gull.
nary respect.
Conversation was in its most eloquent and
reminiscent stage, when suddenly the old
Colonial knocker on the front door rang out
with sharp rat-tat-tat, as it had never sound
ed through the house before What CAN'T bel
A momentary silence falls upon the little
company while Uncle Ben hastens to answer
the summons, but in q minute he returns
with his black face fairly ablaze with light.
"Nliss Doroty-Miss Madg'ry"-the words
almost choke him in their joyful endeavor to
get out-"Dere's a gem'lum outside wild er
red face an er big crap er whisker, who say
he like ter cum in an git sum OBJ dis dinner !;
he talk so bresh, spec better ak him. and
the faithful old servant grins from ear to eur
The words are scarcely spoken before the
burly, broad shouldered figure of q sum
Drowned man enters, and with hearty
Home again-How dye all2' rushes forward
to embrace Aunt Margery, who happens to
be sitting nearest to him at the head of the
table. Brother Will Brother Will" and
with O scream Of delight the three sisters
throw themselves into his arms weeping for
joy.
Yes, after many years Of absence and adj
venture, the sailor boy, now captain, had
returned to the old homestead, that he had
not seen since the war. And what time
they hadl How the gray headed servants,
forgetting the grand dinner, forgetting every
thing in their affection, crowded into the
dining room to see young MARS Will" once
morel The whole plantation seemed to have
gone mad with joy that the first Thanksgiv.
ing ever celebrated in Beverly Farms should
be so blest- Indeed, for everybody the cup
of happiness appeared to have been filed to
the brim. But it was not so. There was yet
another surprise in store.
In the evening there was such gathering
around the big fire in the chimney place as
the old parlor never had witnessed. With
Dorothy on one side, and Margery-her usu-
ally grave face frightened by love-on the
other, each holding the brawny hand of their
brother, and Kate in his lap, her eyes spark
ling with delight at the possession of new
uncle, Will recounted his adventures during
the preceding twenty years. He told them
how, after the war, he had found service on
an English steamship and, by reason Of his
naval training at Annapolis, had been rapid
" promoted until he became q captain in the
Oriental and Peninsular company, but that
most of his time had been spent in voyages
between far distant ports in the east under
circumstances that did not permit him to
take a sufficiently long furlough to visit
home
Besides, he knew from the letters Of his sis
ters that their financial condition did not re-
ouire his presence or tho abandonment Of a
profession that was yielding him more than
q competence. However, the longing had 30
grown upon him to return to the scenes Of