The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-04-19
Mrs. Turner. Thanksgiving 'DIuner.


It's clear there is to be no Thanks
giving for us this year" grumbled Joe
Turner, as he stood in the woodshed
hack of the house, and gave an unof-
Tending saw-horse spiteful. kick.
"It's just our luck! I can't see
why some people have everything and
others just nothing at all" And there
was an answering grumble in Dicks
sullen voice,::while he threw the sticks
of wood he was piling on his own arm
with force that hurt no one but him
self.
The two BOYS had been up to the big
house on the hill where Squire Mar
vim lived, to take home the fine
laundry work their mother, did each
week for pretty Mrs. Marvin, and it
trast with what they knew 10 be the
state of affairs at home which gave
rise to their present envious misery.
At Squire Marvin's, agreat dinner,
luxurious enough to make everybody
feel uncomfortable after it was over,
was as much a part of Thanksgiving
as November was part of the year;
and while waiting to have their bas-
ket emptied they had seen the .prepar-
ations for it, and smelt them too, with
a boy's keen appreciation of superior
cooking, and they knew that at home
all that was being got ready for that
important dinner was a chicken that
would have to be stewed, because 1t
was too old to roast, and solitary pie
made of dried fruit.
They had gone in at side gate, and
around to the kitchen door, and had
seen no one but the cook and the house
girl. They did not know that upstairs
in the beautiful chamber the angel OF
death was lowering over the silent bed
where lay the unconscious mistress of
this lovely house: laid there in single
moment from the flush Of health by
an accident that might have occurred
to any one of us; did not know that
her two boys, almost their own ages,
had been called from their boyish ap-
probation of to-morrow's feast to
stand with terrible, terrible sense of
loneliness and look into the face which
answered them not. The cook was
still busy with her. viands, though
with little interest in her work, and
the 7housemaid had taken the full
basket and handed it back empty as
silently again.
So the boys went on grumbling. be-
cause turkeys are more expensive than
old chickens, and dried fruit cost less
than mincemeat, nor stopped to guess
how much of self-denial even these
unaccustomed luXuries had cost their
faithful mother. d.
Joe was fast asleep that night, and
Dick was well along on the road to
dreamland when their mother enter
ed their bedroom. She stopped down
and kissed them, but very softly, for
fear of disturbing their slumber.
"Dear boys" she said scarcely con-
scious that she spoke aloud. "How
mother wishes she could give you
everything your hearts desire! But
after all''-this after moments
silence-"'A mans life consistent not
in the abundance of the things he pos
sesseth.n Then she knelt by their
bedside and prayed as only mother
can pray for her children.
And Dick heard 1t all.
The next morning he and Joe talked
together for a while out in the wood
shed again, but instead of sullen
grumbling there were low, short ten-
der sentences, and afterwards it was
noticed that their eyes looked dewy.
twas just as they were sitting down
to dinner that news came of Mrs.
Marvin's departure to the other world
"Poor, poor boy 81" said Mrs. Turner,
gently. -,
"And I said only yesterday that
they had everything, and we moth
ing, to be thankful for" said Joe, the
tears overlapping their bounds.
"Mother, l never thanked God for
anything in my life as 1 do at this
moment that we have you yet" He
finished with both arms around her
neck.
"DinDers are all very WE'LL" remark
ed Dick, struggling for possession from
the other side, ''but they don't make
Thanksgiving"
Dear young friends, which have
YOU been doing, really thanking God
for the best of blessings which he has
given YOU, or looking longingly at
unattainable things which he sees is
best for YOU not to have, and falsely
imagining that mans life consisteth
in the abundance of the things which
he posesseth.-The Sunlight