The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-11-28

udu W give up every Cenl ne ndu suVeu,
and one night Johanna confded to him,
with tears in her eyes, that the few pen
MES she had hidden away to buy
oranges with had disappeared, they
knew only too well where.
" Well, never mind" said Jack
cheerIully; "the oranges would have
gone to the spot and been quite high
toned, but perhaps it's just as well. l
reckon our stumicks are sort of deli
cate, and very likely we should all be
sick if we pitched in to) heavy. I'm
dreadful 'frad can't get the cranber.
ries. You see his taking of my money
twice ha, made it sort of hard, and a
Teller can't alwers find jobs, though tits
busy time now"
But at last the eventful day came,
and Nudge was informed of the gre at
treat in sto e for her.
1t had been question whether to tell
her in the morning or wait till noon.
81 say, just as so IN as she wakes up; ;
then she can have the fun of lotting on
it all the morning. If she don't know
it till it's ready, why, it'll all be over in
no time"
Her surprise and delight were all
that Jack could ask.
1--WE going to have regular Thanks.
givng?" she exclaimed. 80 Jack, you
can't mean it,"
"Well," admitted Jack reluctantly,
"p'r'aps it isn't quite a regular one, but
you see if it isn't pretty fair"
"Myl' said Nudge, when he had told
ovt the bill of fare, II should like to
know what more folks have; and
there's enough to fill us up oncel 1
just didn't suppose anything so SPLEEN
did could happen to us. ! hope father
won't come home, though, don't you2'
But, alas! for their hopes. just as
they were sitting down to what seemed
to them a royal feast, the door opened,
and there stood their father. The trio
held their breath in dismay.
"What in the name of goodness are
you children up to?" he asked.
Nudge hadn't never had Thanks
giving" answered Jack as bravely as
he could, "s, me and Johanna we tried
to make one for her; it seemed sort of
wrong for her never to have one. Won't
you sit down along with us?"
Jack couldn't for the life of him help
little choke when he said that, lest
after all his working and saving he
might have to go hungry himself. The
father stood still for minute or two
surveying the table.
And you call that a Thanksgiving
dinner?'
Poor Jackl after all he had done, to
have his dinner spoken of in such
tone of unmistakable disgustl
SIT was the best l could do" he
said; " amt very big yet, but when l
am, and can work more, I'll have all the
fiXin's in great shape"
Then jacks father, poor, miserable
man, turned on his heel, aud going into
the little closet that served as bed
room, sobbed like hid. He was per-
fectly sober, and somehow the sight he
had just witnessed touched him as
nothing had for years. He remem-
bered the Thanksgiving dinners in his
boyhOod's home; he could see the
loaded table now; but his children had
never known one because he had spent
all his money, and, shame to him, most
of theirs, on drink.
But I've done with it now; Pll
die before 1 drink another drop" he
vowed to himself; "and next year my
children shall have the best dinner
that can be got"
And they did. 1t was hard strug-
gle, but he kept his vow, not in his own
strength, however, but with the help OF
the Mighty to Save, and better, happier
days dawned for them.
"But our first Thanksgiving dinne
was the best, after all, they alway'
said, because, before we got through
we were so thankful we couldn't hardly
tell whether we were eating or not."-
ZiOn's Herald.