Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-11-26

always right. JuSC laSC year papa
thought we'd better not have a dinner,
for mamma wasn't strong, and we were
so disappointed-I was, anyway-and
mamma nut her arm round me and
said: We'll all help ard do the best
we can, for we mustn't miss keeping a
holiday When my boys and girls have
left home and gone out into the world,
[ want them to have the remembrance
of happy childhood and a pleasant
home to help them over the hard
places they will find. 1t will make
them better men and women, I'm sure
SO order the turkey, papa [ remem-
Der it all, Uncle Jerry, cause [ thought
mamma was going to cry, her voice
trembled so, and / believe | should
have cried myself if she hadn't said
turkey"
'She never had many good times to
remember" said Uncle Jerry, thinking
of their hard, orphaned life.
Perhaps that is why she wanted her
children to be always happy suggested
Aunt Esther.
eyes, she said so once" continued
Lucy, picking apple seeds out of core !;
"and / think, Uncle Jerry, if you had
some little boys and girls, you'd feel
different about it. But I'm your little
girl this year; won't you do it for me ?'
She was almost frightened as she looked
up and met his stern, white face.
cit is your bedtime now, Lucy" in
terrupted her aunt. "We'H think it
over till morning." And Lucy was
glad to retire to the adjoining room,
wondering what she "could have said to
make Uncle Jerry look $3.50 dread
full %
An hour later Jerry Winters broke
hn CIln Th hnannn.
ing oppressive.
II suppose we must do something or
the child will be homesick."
eyes" answered his wife
"Don't see how [ can stop choppin' a
day, with that contract on my hands,
and Jake and Steve have both begged off
for Thanksgiving. | wish there were
no such days. I suppose nothing
less than turkey will satisfy that
child"
"No; but we can we'll afford it. Who
is going TO have our money after we are
gone? We may as we'll make the child
happy and have good time once in our
lives"
"She might be happy anyhow. 1t
seems a waste to me, must confess"
"Well, Jerry, we never wasted very
much that way and it strikes me that if
the cold farm house more congenial
to a young, lively spirit, we would
have had our son with us in our old
age"
esther !"
"I know we haven't mentioned him
for years, jeremiah; but, for all that,
neither of us has lived day without
thinking of him."
"Well, did my duty by him, if ever
father did by his child.''
''We did what we thought was for his
best good; but fear we made some
mistakes"
"He was wild as a young colt; nothing
could tame him !" The father spoke
impatiently and scowled hard, lest his
face might show the love and longing in
his heart
"He was full of life and fiery, too;
and, instead of guiding him gently in
traces which could not gall, we bound
the letters and disappeared. We want
ed him to be old and steady, and his
young spirit could not be subdued. I
see it all now. There were no com
panlons for him, and nothing about the
old farm worth staying for"
No answer but smothered groan.
There, Jerry, I amt blaming you
more than [ do myself We were
wrong, and the boy was wrong, too. If
we only knew where to find him, we
might make it all right before we die.
I'll warrant he has longed to return, but
pride and fear have kept him back. He
can't know how much we loved him, for
we never told him -
ooh, Esther I"
"Well, father, won't say any more.
a fC Id
down in my heart so long that | had to
speak, and I think it'll do us good after
all"
She drew nearer and laid her head on
his shoulder, while tears rolled down
her wrinkled cheeks; and thus they sat
far into the night
The next day, among the families of
the neighboring farmhouses, there was
but one topic of conversation: The in
vitation to spend Thanksgiving with
Jeremiah Winters.
The eventful day came at last. Lucy
with dozen boys and girls, made the
Downstairs the best room was filled
with the hum of elderly voices recount
Ing cold times" while in the sitting
room the young people we're eating
apples and counting the seeds, with
much jest and laughter, sly glances and
bushes.
In the kitchen long table was load
ed with good things, while Aunt Esther,
with plenty of help, was completing the
preparations for dinner
Uncle Jerry excitedly went from room
to room, trying to appear as if this sort
of thing was of common occurrence in
his house. For the first time in her life
his wife had asserted her right to enter
tain her friends, and now he felt glad
that she had persevered. He was sur
prised to find what pleasant neighbors
he had
1t was night, and the merrymaking
was at it's height. The walls echoed
laughter and song. and from every win
dow light cleaned far out into the dark
ness
From the village depot, five miles
away, a traveller was walking over the
lonely road as if eager to Join the Joy
GUS party; but when at length he came
in sight of the many lights he stopped
in amazement. Nearer and nearer he
came, till through the unshaded win
dows he saw a friendly scene within.
With a glad smile on his face he turned
l. L. j. Il