The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-12-19

naughty air.
He made his way deliberately towar,
the sitting room, Il spacious, comforta
bly, furnished apartment, with win
dows looking out upon the shabby
weather beaten cottage in which tn,
other turkey was 20 end its moTta
career. Sure enough, there were un
mistakabie signs of occupation about
! il.
The neglected garden had been put
in order, the broken gate repaired and
rehung, and q general air of ncatnes>
( gave new interest and attraction to
the little house long empty and un.
noticed. The shades We're drawn high
TO let in all the warmth Of sunshine OF
the happy holiday, and Ebenezer Green
could see what WAS going on in the
room as well as if he had been one oi
the busy people in it.
Busy they Were, for the table was
spread with a clean white cloth, and
the father, with a troop Of excited chill
dren TO help, was at that instant en-
gagged in the thrilling occupation OF
taking up the children's dinner.
The mother, pale, thin and sweet
faced, was evidently the guest of honor,
ensconced in the one comfortable chair,
with a cushion at her back and watch
ing the proceedings with charming
half amused, half melancholy.
The eldest boy, tall lad OF u, who
did chores at the market, filled the
glasses with water fresh drawn from
the well. Two gleeful little girls danced
in with dishes of potato and turnip,
and a brace of chubby youngsters in
much patched trousers trotted after
with the bread and butter, proud to
assist in the serving of such feast.
And last of all the father appeared
in the doorway enveloped in a big
white apron, to be greeted by an up
roarious shout Of delight. For he bore
on platter-oh, me, such a tiny plat
ter-the crowning splendor Of the day,
the turkey, done to a turn and smelling
more delicious than ever turkey smell
ed before, as the whole family
unanimously agreed. There was gravy,
too, in funny china pot with a large
handle, and who brought that in, feel
ing the importance Of the occasion 10
the utmost, but the baby, toddling
along rs gravely as a judge, deep anx-
iety in her blue eyes. And cider, y
whole quart in the big white pitcher
extravaganza which could only be
justified 10y the recollection that il was
Christmas day.
And now the father laid aside the
apron. The cook vanished; the head
Of the house appeared. He led the pale
mother tenderly To the table, and the
children followed, prahcing to their
places around the large table which
nobody thought bare or poorly set
forth. There came a pause for Il mo-
ment-the little heads, brown, black
and flaxcn, were bent silently over the
plates while the father asked blessing
and thanked God for his goodness in
keeping them all together and giving
them 80 many comforts. And then he
took up the carving knife "a he gazed
anxiousiy at the turkey. The revcl
was about to begin.
EbeHezer Green turned away, with a
sigh. The bell had sounded in his
own dining-room, and standing on the
threshold of the apartment he bent a
fixed stare upon the table, where there
were flowers and silver and cut glass,
and on the side table, smoking hot and
Drowned till he crackled all over, loom
ci the mighty outlines Of the prize
turkey. For one man,
All at once the oldest idea popped
into the head of that one man. II he
had stopped to think about it nothing
would have happened, and the prize
turkey never would have played q part
in q story. Bat, for once in his life,
the old man acted upon the spur OF the
moment. He hurried out into the hall,
put on his coat and hat, opened the
door, slipped back into the dining-room
and took up the platter from the table.
On. but that was monstrous bird
Thirty pounds? Fifty! Old Ebenezer
fairly staggered under its weight as he
cautiously picked his way over the lee
and snow toward the cottage door, and
he couldn't even spare a hand TO knock.
The toe OF his boot managed 10 make a
good, smart rapping, however "a
sound 80 unwonted that the father ran
hastily out, with the children trooping
in his train.
GOOD day." gasped the visitor, quite
out OF breath after his herculean efforts.
"Gooi day, ana wish you merry Christ
mas! Yoa don't know me, but I'm
your next door neighbor, Ebenezer
Green. I've got the prize turkey, but |
want you to help me eat it, for I'm
very lonely over there all by myself.
Can | come in ,"
Come in? Well, the father saw in 4
trice how it was, and he opened wide
= let in the turkey and it, bearer, not
To speak of rush Of crisp, chill air.
The spirit of good will stirred in his
heart, and forgetting the disparity of
wealth and poverty between them he
felt only warm throb of sympathy
for the solitary old man The mother
stepped forward, kindly gentle in a
simple courtesy which would have be-
come a palace.
.'Yoa need not have brought your
dinner with You, sir" she said smiling.
"You are quite welcome to share Of ours
on Christmas day. Jimmy, put plate
for the sen.leman, and John turning
to her husband, .dO not let him hold
that heavy platter. Oh what Il turkey !
He must have been raised in Il land OF
giants
so once again il chanced that the big
turkey and the little one were side by
side. The cottage was very soon a
scene of riotous enjoyment, for Ebe-
nezer's spirits rose AT a bound, and he
felt like boy again. He sent Jimmy
back with note to his housekeeper,
who thought he had suddenly become
81 -. ~ lin, lint