The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-11-29

they are eating, and"-
''Stopl stop!" cried the thoughtful
turkey. "This il too horrible. II is some
CHASTITY. grim and fearful jest. Eat me?"
Eat you,' said the peacock more
calmly, ''they eat you, my learned
friend. after You have been roasted to
beautiful brown.
The thoughtful turkey groaned aloud.
lyon seem TO be in earnest, he said
after pause.
II am" the peacock replied. why
are you here? Have you thought of
that?"
Il have often pondered upon it-why
am here, where did come from, and
why did i conner"
well, I'll tell you. You were
brought here to be fattened. The maid
supplied the food, and your reckless glut-
tony did the rest You are fat.
"I'm no fatter than you," retorted
the turkey.
"Ah, that's a different matter" the
peacock chuckled. Il am not food am
beauty. No, my poor friend, we shall
have to part-you to the table and /
shall remain here. It is your fate to be
done brown and eaten; walk here fan
cy free. / have seen ten generations OF
You eaten. You are the eleventh, my
poor fellow.
1T is impossible" groaned the
thoughtful turkey.
thine will tell, said the peacock.
For a long time the turkey was
plunged in thought. He strobe to and
fro, and at last paused in his walk in
front of the peacock.
1T must be done" he said grimly.
Listen, my friend. have no desire to
be eaten. have an instructive feeling
that it would be unpleasant. Therefore
/ refuse But can see only one way to
escape this fate. must do as you have
done.
"What?" asked the peacock breath
lessly, for he had forgotten his own re-
mark.
Il must be beautiful" said the tur-
key
The peacock looked dubious.
"Yes," said the turkey firmly, II
must be beautiful, very beautiful, far
too beautiful to be eaten. Leave me- 1
would think. "
Haggard and pale from his long night
vigil the thoughtful turkey lifted his
eyes to the east. Already band Of
grayish light lay close against the earth
and above it the darkness was thinning.
Slowly the sun pushed up red and in
famed shoulder and the light spread.
The birds began to twittei, for it was
day. The turkey bathed his burning
brow in the dew and shook himself once
or twice.
"CouIagev' he muttered, courage !"
He walked briskly across the barn
yard, through the gate and on down the
lane At first he met no one. Tears
came to his eyes. He was very lonely,
and his nervous system was shattered.
The sun was higher by this time, and
the light was dancing and shimmering
on the fields and breaking in curious re-
fractions of pale purple and pink among
the poplar trees. Although he knew that
the admiration of crude and actual ma
ture was bourgeois, and even a trifie
vulgar, he could not help being touched
with sense of satisfaction at the beau
" Of the scene. 1t was, he felt, crude
imitation of Monet. but after all, there
was in it hint Of Monet's genius. He
was in mood Of aesthetic satisfaction !;
the moment was one of those which lay
one open to new impressions. Then he
saw her. She was young and slim and
walked with grace and dignity. Her
eyes were on the ground, and her wings
trailed indoleutly as she sauntered to-
ward him in the pale multicolored sun
light The thoughtful turkey had an
impression of aesthetic delight in her
passed through his mind. The first was,
"How much more beautiful she is than
the peacock !" and the second was, II
hope she is not my sister, He went up
to her boldly and gave her the salute of
the morning. She started as though she
had not seen him-perhaps she had not.
"You are very beautiful" he said.
She held down her head.
II have heard so much about you, +"
she said, when the ice was broken.
lyon live up at the house and are very
learned. "
Eyes, think great deal, he said
II am your cousin twice removed, Z"
she explained later in the conversation
"You are very beautiful" he replied
They walked on Much later in the
morning she said, You, too, are beau
tiful, dear one, very, very beautifully
She sighed. The thoughtful turkey start
ed, as though for a moment he had
hardly taken the measure of her words.
81 am beautiful -
Every beautiful, my own" she whis-
pered.
He cried aloud in his Joy and tapped
his wings and paved the turf.
1T is because l love you. she added.
He became thoughtful
The snow was on the ground, the
snow hung in the trees, the snow sift-
ed through the air and fell softly every
where The thoughtful turkey, with a
firm tread and look of resolution on
his intelligent features walked rapidly